Question


Bhagavad Gita and views on other religions?

Answer


@Krishna's comment above to your question is right; the Gita was spoken long before any of the other great world religions were around.

Krishna says (Gita IV. 7-8):

Whenever there is a decline of dharma, O Bharata, and a rise of adharma, I incarnate Myself.

For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the wicked, and for the establishment of dharma, I am born in every age.

So Krishna says that he will incarnate Himself again and again when needed; many people believe that Krishna Himself incarnated as Christ. To answer your question, yes, the same God worshiped in other religions is the same Supreme Godhead of the Gita.

and in Gita IV. 11:

In whatsoever way men approach Me, even so do I reward them; for it is My path, O Partha, that men follow in all things.

God does not belong to one religion, all religions belong to God. You can approach Him through all paths, all religions lead to Him. Different approaches will have different views of the same thing, one view does not invalidate the other. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa said (Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna):

He who is called Krishna is also called Siva, and bears the name of the Primal Energy, Jesus, and Allah as well--the same Rama with a thousand names. A lake has several ghats. At one the Hindus take water in pitchers and call it 'jal'; at another the Mussalmans take water in leather bags and call 'pani'. At a third the Christians call it 'water'. Can we imagine that it is not 'jal' but only 'pani' or 'water'? How ridiculous! The substance is One under different names, and everyone is seeking the same substance; only climate, temperament, and name create differences. Let each man follow his own path. If he sincerely and ardently wishes to know God, peace be unto him! He will surely realize Him.

And Gita (VII. 7):

There exists nothing whatsoever higher than I am, O Dhanajaya. All is strung on Me as a row of gems on a thread.

All the different religions are simply gems strung around the Supreme Godhead.


Note: “The question: Bhagavad Gita and views on other religions?” is licensed by Stack Exchange Inc (https://hinduism.stackexchange.com/); user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA.