Emotional intelligence through the Bhagavad-Gita

Abstract

“Yam hi na vyathayanthyethe purusham purusharshabha; Samadhukha sukham dheeram somruthathvaya kalpathe” [In Sanskrit] This analytic sloka from the Bhagavad-Gita (Chapter II, Verse 15) sums up the entire concept of Emotional Intelligence (EI). It says: a person who is calm and remains unperturbed by either pain or pleasure is the one who attains immortality. The theory of EI which has been popularized by Goleman can be traced down to David Wechsler, who, as early as in 1940 said that intelligence does not denote just the cognitive abilities of a person but the non-cognitive abilities as well. This idea was again put forward by Howard Gardner in 1983 when he brought forth the multiple intelligence theory and said that intrapersonal and interpersonal skills are as important as the traditional concept of intelligence which focused on the cognitive skills alone. In 1990, Mayer and Salovey introduced the concept of Emotional Intelligence as a distinct form of intelligence which can be measured and evaluated. This paper analyses the possibility of developing the theory of EI into a more comprehensive one. It compares and contrasts the theory of EI against the concept of emotions as discussed in the Bhagavad-Gita and explores the possibilities of finding specific methods through which a person’s emotional competencies can be enhanced by incorporating the ideals of Sri Krishna as discussed in the Bhagavad-Gita.