Sacrifice and Freedom in The Bhagavad-Gita and Till We Have Faces

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The words sacrifice and freedom transcend barriers of culture and religion. They are manifested differently to each people, but to each they pervade traditions, daily life, and moral problems. Both become a part of who we are and who we will be, a part of the very marrow of the human experience, they shape our thoughts and emotions. The Hindu text, The Bhagavad-Gita and the mythical work Till We Have Faces by Christian author C.S. Lewis are separated by an inconceivable amount of time and place. Yet, each hungrily delves into the themes of sacrifice and freedom, and in doing so, offers an answer to some of the most difficult questions about how (and why) to live.

Each novel recounts stories of a growth in knowledge of their main characters, providing practical advice for the right way to lead life. The Bhagavad-Gita details the story of the warrior Arjuna who is plagued with the idea that he must engage in battle with his relatives. In agony, he seeks the advice of the god Krishna to help him sort through right and wrong. Through Krishna’s counsel, Arjuna reaches a new level of understanding about life. Till We Have Faces expounds upon the ancient Greek myth of Cupid and Psyche. The story follows the life of Orual, a woman who is forced to come to terms with her own corrupt nature through a series of events primarily dealing with her younger sibling, Psyche. While The Bhagavad-Gita is essentially a guide for believers, Till We Have Faces is a story for stories sake. Yet, there are many comparisons and contrasts to be made when talking about the way each novel deals with the themes of sacrifice and freedom.

Essentially, The Bhagavad-Gita can be considered a “gospel of selfless service”. As Arjuna questions wh...

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...iscover alongside the main characters, each novel drawing us into the action. The Bhagavad-Gita is effective in this way in that is asks many questions, such that each human struggles with, and then proceeds to answer them with practical and useful advice. Till We Have Faces also achieves this by taking the point of view of Orual, so that the reader can experience firsthand the error of her ways.

In The Bhagavad-Gita, Arjuna needed to learn to follow the will of god, despite his trepidation at the idea of fighting his cousins. And in Till We Have Faces, Orual learned from her younger sister’s example completely unselfish motives lead to the appeasement of the gods and, therefore, happiness in one’s own life. Each novel concludes that sacrifice consists of being willing to give your own desires over to your god and that, in doing so, true happiness will abound.

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