Top 10 Foreign Individuals Who Quoted and Used the Srimad Bhagavad Gita

  1. J. Robert Oppenheimer (American Physicist)
    • Engagement: Known as the “father of the atomic bomb,” Oppenheimer learned Sanskrit and read the Gita in its original form. After the first atomic bomb test in 1945, he famously quoted Gita 11.32: “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds,” reflecting on the bomb’s destructive power.
    • Influence: The Gita’s concepts of duty and destiny shaped his philosophical reflections on science and morality, especially during the Manhattan Project.
  2. Henry David Thoreau (American Philosopher and Writer)
    • Engagement: Thoreau immersed himself in the Gita, describing it as a “stupendous and cosmogonal philosophy” compared to which modern literature seemed “puny and trivial.”
    • Influence: Its teachings on simplicity and self-realization influenced his transcendentalist philosophy and writings like Walden.
  3. Ralph Waldo Emerson (American Essayist and Philosopher)
    • Engagement: Emerson studied the Gita and referenced its ideas of self-reliance and spiritual unity in his essays.
    • Influence: The Gita’s emphasis on the eternal self and detachment shaped his transcendentalist ideas, inspiring American individualism.
  4. Aldous Huxley (British Writer)
    • Engagement: Huxley praised the Gita as a cornerstone of perennial philosophy, quoting its teachings on detachment and spiritual wisdom in his works.
    • Influence: Its concepts informed his philosophical novel The Perennial Philosophy and his exploration of universal spirituality.
  5. Carl Jung (Swiss Psychiatrist)
    • Engagement: Jung read the Gita and referenced its psychological insights, particularly the balance between action and contemplation.
    • Influence: The Gita’s ideas on the self and consciousness influenced his theories on individuation and the collective unconscious.
  6. Erwin Schrödinger (Austrian Physicist)
    • Engagement: Schrödinger, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, studied the Gita and noted that its Vedantic ideas made quantum physics concepts “less crazy.”
    • Influence: The Gita’s philosophy of unity and interconnectedness resonated with his work on quantum mechanics and wave theory.
  7. Nikola Tesla (Serbian-American Inventor)
    • Engagement: Tesla referenced Vedantic concepts from the Gita, describing matter as arising from a “primary substance” like Akasha, a Gita-inspired idea.
    • Influence: The Gita’s metaphysical framework influenced his views on energy and the universe, aligning with his scientific innovations.
  8. Hermann Hesse (German-Swiss Novelist)
    • Engagement: Hesse read the Gita and incorporated its themes of self-discovery and spiritual quest into his novels, notably Siddhartha.
    • Influence: The Gita’s teachings on detachment and the eternal self shaped his exploration of spiritual journeys.
  9. Bulent Ecevit (Turkish Prime Minister)
    • Engagement: A Sanskrit scholar, Ecevit quoted the Gita to inspire his generals during the 1974 Cyprus conquest, drawing on its teachings on duty.
    • Influence: The Gita’s focus on selfless action guided his leadership philosophy in political and military contexts.
  10. Will Smith (American Actor)
    • Engagement: Smith has publicly cited the Gita as an inspiration, quoting its wisdom on positive thinking and resilience in interviews.
    • Influence: The Gita’s teachings on overcoming doubt and focusing on action have informed his approach to personal growth and career challenges.
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