Can the Bhagavad Gita Help in Relationships? Yes, and Here’s How

JKYog Team -

Introduction: Relationships in the Age of Disconnection

We live in an age of instant communication—messages travel faster than ever, and social media keeps us perpetually "connected." Yet ironically, meaningful relationships often feel more distant, fragile, or even superficial. Many people today find themselves struggling with emotional disconnect, frequent misunderstandings, and the inability to truly empathize with those closest to them.

Whether it’s a romantic partnership, a parent-child bond, a sibling relationship, friendship, or even our rapport with coworkers, every relationship goes through storms. Ego clashes, emotional dependencies, unrealistic expectations, poor communication, and unresolved trauma often lie at the heart of these problems.

Is there a path that helps us anchor our relationships in something deeper than mood swings and emotional baggage? Can ancient wisdom help modern hearts?

Surprisingly, yes. The Bhagavad Gita, though a dialogue that took place on a battlefield, offers deeply relevant guidance for building and sustaining wholesome, fulfilling relationships. The spiritual insights given by Lord Krishna to Arjun transcend the domain of war and duty; they dive into the very nature of the self, our emotional entanglements, and how we relate to others.

With commentary from Swami Mukundananda, we are given modern, applicable insights that help us integrate the Gita’s teachings into our daily interactions. Let’s explore how this ancient scripture can become a transformative relationship guide for today.

1. Understanding the Self: Foundation of All Relationships


BG 2.13
“Just as the embodied soul continuously passes from childhood to youth to old age, similarly, at the time of death, the soul passes into another body. The wise are not deluded by this.”
👉 Read Verse 2.13 with commentary

Swami Mukundananda emphasizes that most relationship problems begin with an identity crisis. When we mistake the body for the self, we end up seeing others as mere labels—my husband, my child, my colleague—and start relating to them in conditional, possessive ways.

If instead we recognize that we are eternal souls temporarily playing different roles in the material realm, our perspective shifts. We stop expecting permanence from impermanent people and roles. This reduces friction and possessiveness. We don’t try to control or define others based on our emotional needs; we begin to appreciate them as divine souls on their own journey.

When we practice seeing ourselves and others as souls, divine sparks of God, we automatically become more respectful, forgiving, and less reactive. This shift is the most crucial foundation for all meaningful relationships.

Swami Mukundananda often reminds seekers:

“Real love begins when the ego ends, and soul awareness begins.”

2. Expectations and Attachment: The Root of Conflict

BG 2.62
“While contemplating the objects of the senses, one develops attachment to them. Attachment leads to desire, and from desire arises anger.”
👉 Read Verse 2.62 with commentary

BG 2.63
“Anger leads to clouding of judgment, which results in bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, the intellect gets destroyed; and when the intellect is destroyed, one is ruined.”
👉 Read Verse 2.63 with commentary

Shree Krishna outlines a brilliant psychological chain: contemplation → attachment → desire → anger → delusion → memory loss → loss of intellect → destruction.

Attachment clings and restricts, while love frees and uplifts.

This cycle plays out in relationships constantly. You repeatedly think about how someone should behave, look, or respond. You get attached to that mental image. When reality doesn’t match, you feel betrayed, angry, or unloved.

Swami Mukundananda explains that true love is not about possessing someone or molding them to your ideals. Love without detachment quickly turns into obsession or co-dependency.

The Gita doesn’t discourage love but encourages purified love that arises from inner fullness, not from emotional cravings. If we enter relationships expecting others to complete us or always meet our expectations, we burden them and poison the bond.

By practicing detachment, we become freer, and paradoxically, our love becomes more stable and dependable.

3. Selfless Love: The Essence of Karm Yog in Relationships

BG 2.47
“You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, nor be attached to inaction.”
👉 Read Verse 2.47 with commentary

This teaching is the essence of Karm Yog, and it applies beautifully to relationships. Imagine if you only loved someone when they gave you something in return—affection, appreciation, or support. That’s not love; it’s a transaction.

In contrast, karm yoga urges us to act out of a sense of duty and love, not to manipulate outcomes. You don’t help your partner, so they will owe you later. You help because it is the right thing to do.

Let your actions be guided by love, not by the desire to be loved in return.

Swami Mukundananda puts it aptly:

“When you expect returns in love, you convert it into a business deal.”

Living by this principle builds trust and freedom in relationships. Even if the other person is going through a phase where they can’t reciprocate, your inner peace remains intact because you acted out of integrity and devotion.

This is the real power of karm yog—serving without becoming a servant to expectations.

4. Ego: The Silent Relationship Killer

BG 3.27
“All activities are carried out by the three modes of material nature. But in ignorance, the soul, deluded by false identification with the body, thinks of itself as the doer.”
👉 Read Verse 3.27 with commentary

Ego is the invisible enemy that damages countless relationships. Whether it’s wanting to always be right, needing constant praise, or refusing to apologize, ego thrives on division.

According to Swami Mukundananda:

“Ego is not just inflated pride. It is the false identification with the body, mind, and intellect.”

When ego runs the show, we become defensive, argumentative, and unyielding. We view any disagreement as a threat to our identity. But when we transcend ego and start functioning from the soul level, we become less reactive and more reflective.

Cultivating humility and mutual respect is only possible when we tame the ego. The Gita's teachings guide us to see ourselves as instruments of divine will, not individual islands of control.

5. Emotional Stability: A Sattvic Mindset in Relationships

BG 2.56
“One whose mind remains undisturbed amidst misery, who does not crave for pleasure, and who is free from attachment, fear, and anger, is called a sage of steady wisdom.”
👉 Read Verse 2.56 with commentary

Relationships require emotional stability. If we bring volatility, passive aggression, or hypersensitivity into interactions, they become unpredictable and exhausting.

The Gita encourages cultivating a sattvic mindset—marked by peace, clarity, and harmony. Unlike rajas (restlessness) and tamas (lethargy), sattva allows us to respond, not react.

Swami Mukundananda teaches emotional mastery through mind management. This means watching your own emotional triggers, meditating regularly, and not letting moods dictate your behavior.

Emotionally stable individuals become anchors in their relationships. They do not escalate conflicts but become bridges of calm and compassion.

By choosing sattva over emotional drama, we become better listeners, better partners, and better human beings.

6. The Power of Forgiveness and Compassion

BG 12.13-14
“Those devotees are very dear to Me who are free from malice toward all living beings, who are friendly, and compassionate. They are free from attachment to possessions and egotism, equipoised in happiness and distress, and ever-forgiving. They are ever-content, steadily united with Me in devotion, self-controlled, of firm resolve, and dedicated to Me in mind and intellect.”
👉 Read Verse 12.13-14 with commentary

Forgiveness is the cornerstone of any enduring relationship. Without it, grudges fester and grow into resentment. The Gita identifies compassion and forgiveness as divine qualities that elevate relationships from mundane transactions to soulful connections.

Forgiveness is the silent offering of love, expecting nothing in return, given solely to free another soul.

Swami Mukundananda emphasizes that harboring hatred or blame not only poisons the relationship but also pollutes the mind. True forgiveness doesn’t mean forgetting the hurt—it means releasing the emotional charge attached to it. This frees both parties to heal and move forward.

Compassion means recognizing that everyone is dealing with their own struggles. When we practice empathy, we give others the space to be human, to falter, and still be loved.

Whether it’s forgiving a friend, a spouse, or even yourself, the act of letting go is not weakness; it’s spiritual strength. As Shree Krishna says, those who are free from hatred and ego are truly dear to Him.

7. Serving Others as a Form of Devotion

BG 9.27
“Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer as oblation to the sacred fire, whatever you bestow as a gift, and whatever austerities you perform, O son of Kunti, do them as an offering to Me.”
👉 Read Verse 9.27 with commentary

What if we treated every act in a relationship as an offering to the Divine? Making breakfast, resolving a conflict, listening patiently—each becomes sacred when done with devotion.

Swami Mukundananda introduces the beautiful concept of Seva Bhav, or the attitude of service. When we serve our loved ones not out of obligation but out of devotion, even mundane chores become infused with grace.

This attitude reduces resentment and burnout. It reframes our duties not as burdens, but as opportunities to express love for God through our interactions with others.

Seeing your spouse, child, or colleague as a reflection of God allows you to serve them with sincerity and joy. In doing so, relationships are no longer battlegrounds of give-and-take—they become temples of spiritual refinement.

8. Letting Go Gracefully: Detachment in Relationships

BG 6.9
“The yogis look upon all-well-wishers, friends, foes, the pious, and the sinners—with an impartial intellect. The yogi who is of equal intellect toward friend, companion, and foe, neutral among enemies and relatives, and unbiased between the righteous and sinful, is considered to be distinguished among humans.”
👉 Read Verse 6.9 with commentary

Detachment doesn’t mean indifference. It means releasing our obsessive control over people and outcomes. The Gita encourages us to cultivate equanimity—to view all beings with a balanced, compassionate lens.

Swami Mukundananda teaches that detachment helps us love better, not less. It allows us to set healthy boundaries and not lose ourselves in others’ moods or mistakes.

If a relationship turns toxic or one-sided, detachment gives us the strength to walk away—not in bitterness, but in peace. It helps us avoid clinging to what no longer serves our soul.

This mature love, rooted in spiritual awareness, is stable, kind, and non-reactive. It respects the other person’s journey without trying to control it.

9. The Role of Faith and Prayer in Healing Relationships

BG 18.66
“Abandon all varieties of dharmas and simply surrender unto Me alone. I shall liberate you from all sinful reactions; do not fear.”
👉 Read Verse 18.66 with commentary

Sometimes, despite our best efforts, relationships break down. We may feel helpless, rejected, or hopeless. In such moments, faith becomes the salve that heals wounds beyond words.

Offer your heartbreak to the Divine, and you may discover His infinite love flowing into the spaces left empty.

Swami Mukundananda advises us to surrender the pain to God. When we pray, we shift from victimhood to surrender. We acknowledge that while we cannot control others, we can seek divine strength to respond with wisdom and love.

Prayer purifies our intentions. It aligns our emotions with higher consciousness. Whether you’re praying for reconciliation or simply peace, Shree Krishna assures us that surrender never goes unanswered.

Let your heartbreak become your offering. In the process, you may find that divine love rushes in where human love fell short.

10. Loving Without Fear: Becoming Instruments of Divine Love

BG 12.20
“Those who honor this nectar of wisdom declared here, have faith in Me, and are devoted and intent on Me as the supreme goal, they are exceedingly dear to Me.”
👉 Read Verse 12.20 with commentary

The highest form of love is not needy or clingy. It is whole, abundant, and fearless. When we anchor ourselves in divine love, we become channels of that love to everyone around us.

Swami Mukundananda explains that such love doesn’t seek approval, security, or validation. It flows from a heart connected to God. In this state, we don’t fear rejection because our sense of worth comes from Shree Krishna, not from others.

We become radiant beings who uplift rather than demand. We become givers, not takers. Our love becomes expansive and healing.

This is the relationship revolution the Gita offers us—not just to improve relationships, but to spiritualize them. To make them arenas of soul growth and divine expression.

Conclusion: The Gita's Relationship Revolution

Modern relationships often suffer because we lack spiritual vision. The Gita does not offer psychological hacks—it offers something far deeper: a soul-based way of relating, where we uplift, forgive, serve, and grow through each bond.

When we apply Shree Krishna’s wisdom to our relationships, they no longer remain sources of confusion and attachment. They become sacred classrooms where the soul evolves in love.

Let us remember:

  • See the soul, not the role.
  • Offer love, not demand it.
  • Let go with peace, not bitterness.
  • Surrender the relationship to Shree Krishna, and let Him guide the way.

Call to Action

🙏 Reflect: What is one relationship where you can practice spiritual love today?
🧘‍♀️ Practice: Meditate daily to purify your heart and see others as divine souls.


FAQs

Q1: Is detachment the same as indifference in relationships?
A: No. Detachment means not clinging to outcomes; indifference is apathy. Detachment allows for deeper, freer love.

Q2: How can I forgive someone who deeply hurt me?
A: Forgiveness is not about forgetting; it’s about releasing the emotional burden to God. The Gita teaches that we forgive to heal, not to condone.

Q3: Can the Gita help with romantic heartbreak?
A: Yes. Heartbreak often stems from misplaced identity and attachment. The Gita realigns your focus to your eternal self and divine anchor, Shree Krishna.

Q4: What if my love isn’t returned?
A: Give your love to God through that person. Do your part with purity, and surrender the results. This keeps your heart light.