Teachings from the Bhagavad Gita (click on heading below to collapse/expand)
Albert Einstein: The great physicist Albert Einstein was known to have a copy of the Bhagavad Gita on his desk. He appreciated the philosophical and spiritual aspects of the text. Albert Einstein won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921.
Werner Heisenberg: The Nobel Prize-winning physicist, one of the key pioneers of quantum mechanics, was also interested in the Bhagavad Gita. He found resonance between the Gita's teachings and the concepts of modern physics. He won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1932 for the creation of quantum mechanics.
Erwin Schrödinger: The Nobel Prize-winning physicist, known for his contributions to quantum mechanics, also studied the Bhagavad Gita. He saw parallels between the concepts of quantum physics and the ideas presented in the Gita. He won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1933 for his contribution to the development of quantum mechanics.
Robert Oppenheimer: Oppenheimer, often called the "father of the atomic bomb," was deeply influenced by the Bhagavad Gita. He famously quoted a verse from the Gita after the successful test of the atomic bomb: "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." He learned Sanskrit to read the Gita in its original language and was known to quote from it frequently.
Carl Sagan: The renowned astrophysicist and cosmologist Carl Sagan was also familiar with the Bhagavad Gita. He referred to it in his works and lectures, appreciating its philosophical depth.
Nikola Tesla: The inventor and electrical engineer Nikola Tesla was known to be deeply interested in Eastern philosophy, including the Bhagavad Gita. He was particularly drawn to its concepts of energy and consciousness.
mātrā-sparśhās tu kaunteya śhītoṣhṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ
āgamāpāyino ’nityās tāṁs titikṣhasva bhārata
O son of Kunti, the contacts of the senses with the sense objects give rise to fleeting perceptions of happiness and distress. These are non-permanent, and come and go like the winter and summer seasons. O descendent of Bharata, one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन।
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि॥
karmanye vādhikāras te mā phaleṣhu kadāchana
mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr mā te saṅgo ’stvakarmaṇi
You have the 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.
