Śraddhā in the Bhagavad Gītā

The Bhagavadgītā is an episode in the Mahābhārata in which Arjuna refuses to fight and is finally convinced by Kṛṣṇa’s counsel. This thesis examines the role of śraddhā in Arjuna’s transformation and argues that śraddhā differs from bhakti. While Arjuna begins as a devotee without śraddhā, he ends as a devotee with śraddhā. The thesis proposes that translating śraddhā simply as “faith” obscures its role as zeal, religious fervour, soul force, or enthusiasm. It concludes that śraddhā is the immediate religious and psychological force that enables Arjuna’s final acceptance of action.