The Bhagavad Gita on Parenting: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Moms and Dads

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🌱 Chapter 9, Verse 17

Provides subtle insights on how parents should be.

पिताहमस्य जगतो माता धाता पितामह: ।
वेद्यं पवित्रम् ॐकार ऋक् साम यजुरेव च ॥ १७ ॥

“I am the father of this universe, the mother, the dispenser and the grandsire. I am the object of knowledge, the purifier, the syllable Om, and also the Rig, the Sama and the Yajur Vedas.”

What it says about parenting:
This verse reveals Krishna as the ultimate archetype of the parent – not just the father, but also the mother, the grandparent, the guide, and even the space in which everything unfolds. Let’s see how this can be relevant in the 21st century.

The essence can be understood in this way.

Be all things when needed. Parenting isn’t about one fixed role. Sometimes you’re the provider (father), sometimes the nurturer (mother), the wise elder (grandsire), the one who sets boundaries (dispenser), and always the container of love and learning (object of knowledge).

Spiritual flexibility is the ultimate emotional resilience. Just like Krishna doesn’t limit himself to one identity, a parent doesn’t need to either. You don’t have to always be “fun mom” or “strict dad” – you are allowed to evolve moment to moment. Take the guidance of your child about their needs, and your intuition can show you the role you need to adopt.

Choose presence over everything else. Children need little from us, they need someone to truly believe in them. Krishna says he’s the sacred sounds and scriptures too. That means parenting is a sacred act – even the messy parts. Changing diapers, waiting in carpool lines, managing meltdowns – all of it is “our duty” if done with awareness and love.

🌱 Chapter 4, Verse 28

Offers action-oriented guidance related to parenting.

द्रव्ययज्ञास्तपोयज्ञा योगयज्ञास्तथापरे ।
स्वाध्यायज्ञानयज्ञाश्च यतयः संशितव्रताः ॥ २८ ॥

“Others offer wealth, austerity, and yoga as sacrifice; yet others offer self-restraint and sacred study as sacrifice.”

What it says about parenting:
This is a karma yoga verse, pointing us toward action as offering – a practice of turning everyday efforts into sacred acts.

The essence can be understood in this way.

Every act of parenting is a sacrifice and a sacred offering. Whether it’s your time, your career sacrifices, your sleep (RIP), or your personal freedom, it all becomes a path to transcendence when offered with love and purpose.

There are many ways to ‘do it right.’ So no one can judge, there’s no bad parent, just a spontaneous one. Some parents pour wealth and opportunities into their kids. Some give them discipline and spiritual training. Some offer gentleness and presence. The Gita honors all paths – what matters is the intention behind the action.

You are the yoga. You don’t have to “do” parenting perfectly. Just showing up with awareness, making each act intentional (even making a PB&J sandwich or negotiating screen time), is enough. That’s your yoga. That’s your offering.

The Gita teaches us that parenting isn’t just a role – it’s a fluid, sacred, ever-evolving expression of love and presence. Be who your child needs, moment by moment. Offer what you can, with as much devotion as you can muster. And know that every bedtime story, every car ride, every moment of restraint when you could’ve yelled but didn’t – these are the sacrifices that elevate the soul.

Yeah, yeah, I know, easier said that done. 😉

Ghibli style – Arjuna and Krishna

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About Sanatana Dharma

ब्रह्म सत्यं जगन्मिथ्या जीवो ब्रह्मैव नापरः।
अनेन वेद्यं सच्छास्त्रमिति वेदान्तडिण्डिमः॥

Brahman alone is real; the universe is mithya – neither fully real nor unreal, but an appearance. The individual self (jiva) is none other than Brahman itself, not separate or different. This is the true teaching of the scriptures, as revealed by Vedanta. ~ Verse 20 from Brahma Jnānavali Māla