In today’s fast-paced, high-pressure world, intelligence is no longer measured solely by IQ. While cognitive skills are essential, it is our emotional strength—our ability to manage emotions, relationships, and inner turmoil—that often determines our happiness, success, and peace of mind.
Few spiritual leaders explain this as comprehensively and practically as Swami Mukundananda Ji, a world-renowned teacher of yoga, mind management, and the ancient wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita. Let's shed transformative light on how the principles of the Gita can help us not only understand our emotions but master them, particularly the most volatile one of all: anger.
Let’s explore this emotional revolution, rooted in 5,000-year-old Vedic wisdom, made relevant for the modern age.
The Four Layers of Intelligence: From Body to Soul
"From body to soul, true growth unfolds across four dimensions—physical, cognitive, emotional, and spiritual. Together, they shape a life of balance, clarity, connection, and purpose."
Human growth is multi-dimensional. Swamiji begins by explaining that our development unfolds across four levels of intelligence:
1. Physical Intelligence (PQ) – The Foundation
From infancy, we learn to control our motor functions—standing, walking, balancing. This mastery over the physical body is the first form of intelligence we develop.
Later in life, especially in old age, this intelligence becomes crucial again. A lack of physical awareness often leads to health issues, accidents, or dependence on others.
2. Cognitive Intelligence (IQ) – The Academic Mind
As we enter school, focus shifts to our cognitive faculties: memory, logic, reasoning, problem-solving. IQ helps us tackle academic challenges and builds our professional competence.
However, high IQ alone does not guarantee success—or emotional fulfillment.
3. Emotional Intelligence (EQ) – The Compass of Human Connection
As life becomes more complex with relationships, careers, and responsibilities, we realize that managing our own emotions and responding to others' emotions becomes vital.
Emotional intelligence comprises:
- Self-awareness – recognizing what we feel
- Self-regulation – managing those emotions
- Empathy – tuning into others’ emotional states
4. Spiritual Intelligence (SQ) – The Higher Self
The most evolved form of intelligence is the one that asks fundamental questions:
- Who am I?
- What is my purpose?
- What is my connection with the universe?
This spiritual perspective forms the anchor for emotional strength. When rooted in higher purpose, we become less reactive and more resilient.
Understanding Anger: The Hidden Saboteur
Anger often masquerades as strength—assertiveness, standing up for oneself, or justice. But more often, it is a reaction to unmet desires, to threatened egos, or to external triggers we cannot control.
Modern psychology confirms that anger affects the body’s chemical balance, leading to:
- Increased blood pressure
- Stress-induced diseases
- Hormonal imbalances
Swamiji emphasizes that while anger is a natural emotion, uncontrolled anger is deeply destructive. And this destruction isn’t only external—it poisons our own minds and bodies.
Is Anger Ever Justified?
Surprisingly, Swamiji doesn’t demonize anger altogether. Instead, he distinguishes between:
- Reactive anger – uncontrolled, harmful, ego-driven
- Constructive (called) anger – used consciously, to set boundaries or uphold discipline
He cites an example from Indian epics: when Shree Krishna displayed controlled anger during the Rajasuya Yagna, to punish the arrogant king Shishupala. Despite repeated insults, Shree Krishna tolerated him up to a hundred offenses. Only after crossing the limit did he call upon divine rage to restore dharma.
The lesson?
It’s not wrong to feel anger—but it’s dangerous to be consumed by it.
Who Is Responsible for Your Emotions?
Let’s say you wake up late because the alarm clock didn’t ring.
Then, the washroom is occupied.
Then, breakfast isn’t ready.
Then, you hit traffic.
You’re late to work, and your boss yells at you.
Now you’re boiling with anger. But who is responsible? The clock? The traffic? The boss? Your family?
Swamiji answers clearly: You are.
Why? Because emotions are a response, not a stimulus. And you always have a choice in how to respond.
This realization is the bedrock of emotional maturity.
Bhagavad Gita’s Psychology of Emotion
The Bhagavad Gita, a conversation between Shee Krishna and Arjun on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, contains profound emotional insights. One of the most important verses that explains anger’s roots is:
📖 Chapter 2, Verse 62-63
dhyāyato viṣhayān puṁsaḥ saṅgas teṣhūpajāyate
saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ kāmāt krodho ’bhijāyate
👉 Read here
Translation: "While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment; from attachment arises desire, and from desire arises anger."
dhyāyato → saṅga → kāma → krodha
This is a psychological chain reaction:
- You keep thinking about something desirable.
- That leads to attachment.
- Attachment turns into expectation or desire.
- When the desire is thwarted, anger arises.
Thus, anger is not the root problem—it’s a symptom. The real issue is expectation and attachment.
A Cautionary Tale: The Mustache and the Murder
In rural Uttar Pradesh, two brothers argued over their father's land. The younger brother won the court case. As he walked past the elder brother’s courtyard, he twirled his mustache proudly.
The mother, sitting with the elder brother, said:
“If you have drunk my milk, teach him a lesson.”
The elder brother, overcome with rage, killed him with a stick.
The cause of this tragedy?
Not land. Not law. Not inheritance.
Just a mustache twirl—a gesture interpreted as humiliation.
Swamiji uses this to show how tiny triggers can lead to devastating outcomes when the mind is enslaved by ego and anger.
The Gita's Prescription for Peace
So how can we prevent anger? The Bhagavad Gita offers a timeless solution:
📖 Chapter 2, Verse 47
karmaṇy-evādhikāras te mā phaleṣhu kadāchana
mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr mā te saṅgo ’stvakarmaṇi
👉 Read here
Translation: “You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions.”
By detaching ourselves from outcomes, we free ourselves from expectations. And without expectations, there is no room for frustration—hence, no anger.
Swamiji calls this the essence of karm yog:
Do your best, but let go of the need to control results.
Example of a True Karm Yogi: Yashasvi Jaiswal
Yashasvi Jaiswal, a young Indian cricketer, once sold pani puri to survive. With help from a coach, he rose to the under-19 national team. In an interview, he said:
“My job is to play my best. I don’t worry about the results.”
This mindset—focusing on effort, not outcome—echoes the Gita’s teachings. And it’s the antidote to anxiety, stress, and anger.
Why Are We So Attached?
Swamiji explains the deeper issue: We think the outcomes are for our enjoyment. Fame, money, praise—we believe they bring happiness.
📖 Chapter 3, Verse 30
mayi sarvāṇi karmāṇi sannyasyādhyātma-cetasā
nirāśhīr nirmamo bhūtvā yudhyasva vigata-jvaraḥ
👉 Read here
Translation: “Dedicate all your actions to Me, with your mind focused on the self; freeing yourself from longing and selfishness, fight without inner turmoil.”
When we do our work as an offering to the Divine, our ego is dissolved. No selfish ownership means no attachment. No attachment means no disappointment. No disappointment means no anger.
Swamiji’s Personal Story: The Child in the Hall
During a lecture in Orissa, Swamiji was delivering a powerful talk to over 1,000 people when a mother let her child run loose down the center aisle, disrupting everyone’s focus.
Feeling the need to correct the behavior, Swamiji raised his voice and scolded her.
Afterwards, members of the audience questioned:
“Why did a Swamiji get angry?”
He later reflected:
“As a spiritual teacher, I must practice what I preach. I may not have truly been angry within, but even the appearance of anger can undo the message.”
This moment became a milestone in Swamiji’s own emotional evolution. He realized that emotional intelligence isn’t just internal—it must also be visible externally, especially for those in leadership or teaching roles.
Choosing Our Emotions: A Divine Gift
In the final segment, Swamiji shares a refreshing anecdote.
A man returns home with a smile.
His wife asks, “Why are you so happy?”
He replies, “I had a car accident. But I only fractured a small bone. I’m thankful.”
This is emotional freedom: choosing gratitude over frustration, even in adversity.
Conclusion: Real Emotional Intelligence Is Spiritual
Emotional intelligence is not about suppressing emotions. It’s about understanding, channeling, and transforming them.
And the Bhagavad Gita, through its wisdom, gives us the tools to do that—not just intellectually, but experientially.
📖 Chapter 6, Verse 1
anāśhritaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryaṁ karma karoti yaḥ
sa sannyāsī cha yogī cha na niragnir na chākriyaḥ
👉 Read here
Translation: “One who performs prescribed duties without attachment to results is a true renunciate and a yogi.”
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