The ‘Barley-Corn’ Pattern of Bhagavad-gītā 12–16

Abstract

The article "The ‘Barley-Corn’ Pattern of Bhagavad-gītā 12–16" by D. Dennis Hudson examines structural parallels between a five-day Vedic sacrificial ritual described in the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa and chapters 12–16 of the Bhagavad-gītā. The author argues that these chapters form a symbolic center within the Gītā, mirroring the ritual’s barley-corn-shaped design, which emphasizes a core transformation in spiritual consciousness. Hudson connects this structure to the cosmological and theological significance of Puruṣa Nārāyaṇa and explores how sacrificial motifs frame the Gītā’s spiritual teachings.