ENGLISH METAPHOR OF SPIRITUALITY IN BHAGAVAD GITA CHAPTER SEVEN “THE YOGA OF WISDOM AND REALISATION” (a scientific article)

Thousands of appreciations are addressed to Bapak I Made Rajeg and Bapak Gede Primahadi Wijaya Rajeg for the great knowledge and mesmerizing patience in sharing this understanding to me.

Khrisna and Arjuna in Mahabharata epic story (courtesy of Google Image)

I Kadek Sanjaya

University of Udayana

ABSTRACT

            The aims of this study are to find out and analyze as well the types of metaphorical expression, illustrated in the Bhagavad Gita and to disclose the meaning of the metaphorical expression covered within the text. The data was collected from the Bhagavad Gita chapter seventh “The Yoga of Wisdom and Realisation”. Moreover, the data was analyzed by conceptual metaphor theory by Lakoff and Johnson. Furthermore, the results showed that in the chapter, four metaphorical expressions were found; three are having ontological metaphor functions and another functioning as structural metaphor.

Keywords: metaphor, conceptual metaphor, metaphorical expression, Bhagavad Gita

I.     INTRODUCTION

     English is widely known as an international language. Almost all of new technology use English as their instruction. Moreover, in this globalization era, the spread of information in terms of articles, books, or movies is increasing, and of course almost all of them are using English. The facts above lead people to learn that language.

Yet, there are still so many people do not understand the English at all because they do not have enough English educations. Although some of them, however, have already taken the English at school or collage, still they are not able to master the language perfectly. Most of them are still facing difficulties in understanding the meaning of the text they read. Often they do not know the some words used in the text, especially, in literary works which use a lot of elements according to words used to particular expression.

Poetry is one of three kinds of literary works which implies an aesthetic written in it. Klarer (2004:31) states that “rhetorical handbooks distinguish more than two hundred different figures, of which simile and metaphor are those most commonly used in poetry”.  As how metaphor is an integral part in poetry in order to beautify words and sentences in poetry, moreover, metaphor is so meaningful in poetry which is a unique writing refers to another expression or meaning.

The Bhagavad Gita is one of the world-scriptures today. It guides the lives of people all over the world. Mahatma Gandhi regarded it as the “Mother”. Additionally, Bhagavad Gita is a part of Mahabharata epic story which is in a dialogue form between Sri Krishna and Arjuna. Moreover, this holly book consists of eighteen chapters which are in these chapters shown dialogues in form of poetry.

In classical theories of language, metaphor was related to literary works only in the past. Ordinary people, who have no education in literary works and not a writer of literary work, could not use metaphor and it could not be used in daily conversation. As Lakoff (1993:202) states that “Metaphorical expressions were assumed to be mutually exclusive with the realm of ordinary everyday language: everyday language had no metaphor. Furthermore, metaphor is seen as a conscious and deliberate use of words, and requires special talent to be able to do it (Zoltán Kövecses, 2002: vii).

On the other hand, the past thirty eight years, a new sight came from Lakoff and Johnson (1980) who considered about the traditional view of metaphor itself and emphasized that metaphor is used in everyday language and daily activities of people. In addition, they found that not just in language, metaphor is used in thought and action as well. Lakoff and Johnson (1980:3) states that “Our ordinary conceptual system, in terms of which we both think and act, is fundamentally metaphorical in nature”. Moreover, metaphor is used effortlessly and unconsciously by ordinary people, not merely by special talented people (Zoltán Kövecses, 2002: viii).

Hence, the desire and relevancy to view metaphor as a part of linguistics semantically and grounded on those new perspectives by Lakoff and Johnson. Since the enthusiasm to learn and get a good understanding and comparison of metaphor successively were built up. Furthermore, communication is an important part in a culture which consists of interaction among individuals, individual and group, or among groups that must be there the same conceptual system of human kind use in thinking and action. Also, language is one of many evidences that showing the existence of a culture itself.

Herein, the Bhagavad Gita were picked up as the data source since in each chapter consists such typical characteristic of language like in poems or poetries do, in this respect, the metaphorical expression. Furthermore research, further investigation of the conceptual metaphor types was strengthened by seeking out and analyzing as well the meaning brought inside the metaphorical expression. 

Finally, refers to what were searched and analyzed in this research, is the types of metaphorical expression based on the conceptual metaphors were found within the Bhagavad Gita and the meanings which are implied by the metaphorical expression.

       The aims of this study are, generally, to describe what metaphor is all about and to realize the knowledge. Especially, the aims are to find out and analyze as well the types of metaphorical expression, based on the conceptual metaphor by Lakoff and Johnsn, illustrated in the Bhagavad Gita, and to disclose the meaning of the metaphorical expression covered within the text.

II.      MATERIALS AND METHODS

      2.1  Materials

         The data of the study in order to support this writing was taken from the Bhagavad Gita chapter seventh (7^th) “The Yoga of Wisdom and Realisation” written by Sri Swami Sivananda and published by The Divine Life Society. Moreover, the chapter seventh starts from page sixty until sixty five in the book the Bhagavad Gita.

      2.2  Methods

         The data was collected by observing the chapter seventh in the Bhagavad Gita “The Yoga of Wisdom and Realisation” and, furthermore, reading intensively and note taking. Moreover, the collected data was analyzed by conceptual metaphor theory by Lakoff and Johnson.

III.   RESULT AND DISCUSSION

            Lakoff states that “The word “metaphor” is defined as a novel or poetic linguistic expression where one or more words for a concept are used outside of their normal conventional meaning to express a “similar” concept” (Lakoff 1993: 202). Moreover, Zoltàn Kövecses develops Lakoff’s idea of differentiation between metaphors as mappings and metaphors as metaphorical expressions, pointing out that metaphorical expressions are solely the representation of the mappings [Kövecses 2010: 45]. Furthermore, Z. Kövecses suggests there should be three kinds of metaphors distinguished in accordance to their cognitive function, namely, structural, ontological and orientational ones. Moreover, the results are attached in the following table.

The verse number in the chapter	Metaphorical expression	Mapping	The type of the metaphor
14.	Verily this divine illusion of Mine made up of the qualities (of Nature) is difficult to cross over; those who take refuge in Me alone cross over this illusion.	DIVINE ILLUSION IS A PLACE.	Structural Metaphor
15.	The evil-doers and the deluded, who are the lowest of men, do not seek Me; they whose knowledge is destroyed by illusion follow the ways of demons.	KNOWLEDGE IS A PHYSICAL OBJECT.	Ontological Metaphor
19.	At the end of many births the wise man comes to Me, realising that all this is Vasudeva (the innermost Self); such a great soul (Mahatma) is very hard to find.	SOUL IS A CONCRETE STUFF.	Ontological Metaphor
20.	Those whose wisdom has been rent away by this or that desire, go to other gods, following this or that rite, led by their own nature.	WISDOM IS A DESTROYABLE THING.	Ontological Metaphor

The verse in number 14 is a metaphorical expression which shows that DIVINE ILLUSION IS A PLACE as its mapping. Additionally, according to Zoltàn Kövecses, the metaphorical expression has a function as a structural metaphor. As Lakoff and Johnson state that “One concept is metaphorically structured in terms of another. (Lakoff, Johnson 1980: 14). Moreover, the divine illusion gains steady fix position and the observer is moving towards in order to pass it. Furthermore, the divine illusion takes a role as a place, whereby the observer tries to pass it.

The verse in number 15 shows that it takes a function as Ontological Metaphor, as the definition of ontology “the branch of metaphysics that deals with the nature of being.” (Collins Concise English Dictionary 2008: 1166) which KNOWLEDGE IS A PHYSICAL OBJECT as its mapping. Moreover, the knowledge is apprehended as a physical object that could be destroyed. In contrast, the knowledge is non physical object.

     As well as the verse in number 15, the verse in number 19 shows an ontological metaphor function which SOUL IS A CONCRETE STUFF is its mapping. Moreover, herein it is shown that the soul is a physical object which can be seen and found and pretended not abstract thing.

     The verse in number 20 in the chapter shows an ontological metaphor function as well. Its mapping is WISDOM IS A DESTROYABLE THING. As what the definition of ontology, the wisdom is apprehended as a physical object that could be destroyed. In contrast, wisdom is non physical object that cannot be seen and destroyed.

IV.   CONCLUSION

From the previous study, the conclusion can be drawn that in the Bhagavad Gita chapter seventh “The Yoga of Wisdom and Realisation”, four metaphorical expressions were found and showing two metaphor functions of three metaphor functions as suggested. Moreover, three metaphorical expressions are showing the ontological metaphor function and another is showing the structural metaphor function.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

            Kövecses, Z. Metaphor. A Practical Introduction. Oxford University press, Inc., 2010
            Lakoff, G. The Contemporary Theory of Metaphor In: Ortony, A. Metaphor and

Thought. Second Edition: Cambridge University Press, 1993

Tretjakova, Jeļena. An Insight Into Contemporary Theory Of Metaphor. RTU  

Daugavpils filiāle, Latvija. 2012