Suitability of Bhagavad Gita as a Bibliotherapuetic Tool in Post-war Sri Lanka: A Librarian’s View

Abstract

The librarian occupies a strategic position in the development of emotions of the people, and it is felt that this is the opportune time to take serious note of the social needs as well as health care necessities of post war society in Sri Lanka. This study was carried out to help and shape the future of those who are experiencing stress and crises in their lives due to the post war situation. Bibliotherapy as a term is derived from two Greek words, ‘biblio’ meaning "book" and ‘therapia’ meaning "healing" and refers simply to "The use of reading materials to help in solving personal problems or for any psychiatric therapy” (Kirklees). The objective of the study is to find out the significant features of Bhagavad Gita as an appropriate bibliotherapuetic tool of literature in a post war society. Qualitative aspects of Bhagavad Gita are analyzed in this study based on descriptive methodology, which involves study, understanding and interpretation of the above ancient and classical text. A review of literature in this field shows that several studies have been done in the area of bibliotheraphy from various perspectives; however very few have been able to integrate the specific literary text of the Bhagavad Gita. As a result, this paper not only fills the gap in the literature of bibliothetraphy, but also provides some new significant features of Bhagavad Gita as a bibliotherapuetic tool from the library science perspective. In a nutshell, as the Bhagavad Gita helps its readers by creating effective and cognitive changes, it is an appropriate bibliotherapuetic literary tool to help solve some issues of post war Sri Lanka.