Karma & Dharma in Digital World
By Roli Shukla
Early this month I was in Dwarka, Gujarat, the land of Dwarkadhish Krishna. It felt surreal standing where Krishna ruled thousands of years ago. I was, in fact, experiencing what scholars call sacred geography! Places associated with powerful narratives evoke strong internal responses, especially when one has grown up hearing stories. Culture reinforces memory. The environment carries ritual continuity where mind, imagination, and cultural memory converge.
It can feel like touching a living presence. That doesn’t mean that what I was feeling was imaginary — it means my experience was deeply layered, historical, cultural, emotional, and spiritual. Because, for me, Krishna is not just a deity but a civilisational phenomenon. He has influenced nearly every expressive form of life. He uniquely integrates the sacred and the everyday. He has always represented internally a feeling of completeness; joy, intelligence, freedom within duty, and divine play within life. For me, Krishna has often functioned as a mirror of the highest possibilities of human consciousness.
As a civilisational figure in Bharat, whether one sees Him as God, avatar, historical personality, or symbolic archetype, Krishna occupies a uniquely total presence in Indian consciousness. So, my reaction was not unusual at all — in fact, it reflected how Krishna has functioned across centuries. Unlike many spiritual figures who are associated mainly with renunciation or morality, Krishna spans the full spectrum of human experience: Few figures in world traditions combine playfulness, intimacy, philosophy, politics, and transcendence in one personality and this makes Krishna feel less like a single God and more like a complete template of life itself! So emotionally, I don’t just worship Krishna, I relate to him in many ways: as friend, child, lover, teacher, king, or cosmic reality. Krishna laughs, plays, eats butter, teases friends — yet also reveals the Vishvarupa (cosmic form) while delivering Gita Updesh to Arjuna. So, standing in Dwarka, where the sea meets memory and faith meets imagination, I could not help but wonder: if Krishna were to speak today—amid algorithms, neural networks, and machines that learn—what guidance would he offer humanity? The Bhagavad Gita was delivered on a battlefield when human beings stood at the edge of moral confusion and technological change of their time. I reckon that, today, the battlefield is not Kurukshetra alone; it is the digital world, the laboratory, the marketplace, and the human mind navigating artificial intelligence! If Krishna were to address humanity in this age, his message would not be about rejecting technology. It would be about aligning it with dharma. The Gita is timeless because it speaks not of tools but of consciousness. Artificial intelligence is a powerful tool; what matters is the consciousness that wields it.
Krishna might begin by reminding us that intelligence without dharma becomes dangerous. In the Gita, he teaches Arjuna to act according to righteous duty, not personal attachment or fear. Today, humanity has created systems that can predict behaviour, generate content, and influence decisions. But I am sure that Krishna would ask: What is the intention behind these creations? He might say: “Let your innovation be guided by dharma. Technology that serves greed, control, or division binds humanity further. Technology that uplifts, educates, heals, and connects becomes an instrument of liberation.” Artificial intelligence must not become a tool for exploitation or manipulation. It must serve the welfare of all beings—Lok Kalyan, the welfare and stability of the world. Krishna would emphasise acting for the collective good. In the Artificial Intelligence age, this means designing systems that respect human dignity, fairness, and truth.
One of the core teachings of the Gita I guess is that humans are not the ultimate doers; they are instruments of a larger cosmic order. Krishna told Arjuna to act without egoistic attachment to results. In the Artificial Intelligence era, humans may feel they are becoming creators of intelligence itself. This can inflate ego and create the illusion of total control. Krishna might gently remind us, uttering the following words: “You create tools, but you do not create consciousness. You program machines, but you do not program the soul. Do not mistake capability for wisdom.” Artificial Intelligence can simulate understanding, but it does not possess awareness in the spiritual sense. The danger lies in humans forgetting their own deeper intelligence—the wisdom of compassion, intuition, and moral discernment. Krishna would caution us against surrendering human judgment entirely to machines. Tools must assist, not replace, human responsibility.
The law of karma—action and consequence—applies as much to digital actions as to physical ones. Every line of code, every algorithmic decision, every automated recommendation has ripple effects. Krishna’s teaching of nishkama karma—action without selfish attachment—would be deeply relevant today, and Krishna might say: “Act with skill and dedication, but without selfishness. Let your work be an offering to the welfare of all. Do not create systems that amplify harm for the sake of profit or power.”
In practical terms, this means ethical Artificial Antelligence development, transparency, and accountability. It means recognising that actions taken in virtual spaces still shape real lives. Karma does not disappear in cyberspace; it multiplies! Krishna would advise, “Use technology, but do not let it use you. Let your mind remain steady amidst constant stimulation. Remember who you are beyond the screen.”
Meditation, self-awareness, and inner discipline have become even more important in a world of endless digital noise. The Gita teaches equanimity—remaining balanced in success and failure, pleasure and pain. In the Artificial Intelligence age, this equanimity protects us from becoming overly dependent on external validation and artificial stimulation.
Artificial intelligence raises profound questions: What does it mean to be human? If machines can write, paint, compose, and converse, where does human uniqueness lie?
In my understanding, Krishna’s answer would likely return to the concept of the Atman—the inner self that is eternal and beyond material processes. He would teach that the true self is not the body or the mind but the consciousness that observes.
He might say: “Machines may imitate your skills, but they cannot replicate your essence. Your true nature is awareness itself. Know this, and you will not fear the rise of artificial intelligence.” Rather than competing with machines on speed or memory, humans must deepen their connection to qualities that machines cannot possess. Qualities like compassion, wisdom, moral courage, and spiritual awareness.
Every era of technological change brings both excitement and anxiety. Some fear that Artificial Intelligence will replace jobs, relationships, or even human relevance. Others glorify it as a near-divine force. But Krishna would consistently teach the middle path: act with clarity, free from excessive fear or blind attachment and counsel “Do not be paralysed by fear of the future, nor intoxicated by the promise of power. Stand firm in wisdom. Use what comes as a tool for growth and service.” Detachment does not mean indifference. It means engaging fully while remaining grounded. Humanity must shape artificial intelligence responsibly rather than reacting to it impulsively.
Krishna emphasises that leaders must act in ways that set an example. In the artificial intelligence age, leaders in technology, governance, and education carry immense responsibility. Their decisions shape how it will affect billions of lives. Krishna might remind them: “Whatever the ‘shreshth’ (exemplary) do, let others follow. Act with integrity. Let your leadership be rooted in service, not dominance.” This in today’s environment applies not only to governments and corporations but also to individuals. Each person interacting with technology contributes to the collective direction of a society.
Krishna’s vision is ultimately one of unity. He reveals to Arjuna that all beings are part of the same cosmic reality. In a world increasingly connected by digital networks, this teaching gains new relevance. Artificial intelligence can either deepen divisions through echo chambers and misinformation or foster understanding across cultures. Krishna would guide humanity by saying these words; “See the same consciousness in all beings. Let technology be a bridge, not a barrier. Use it to understand one another, not to dominate or divide.”
The Gita’s vision of unity reminds us that technological advancement must go hand in hand with ethical and spiritual growth.
Krishna’s message would not be entirely new. It would be a reinterpretation of eternal truths. Act with dharma. Master your mind. Serve the welfare of all. Recognise the deeper self beyond the tools you create. Use power responsibly and remain anchored in wisdom.
Today, artificial intelligence marks a new chapter in human history, but it does not change the fundamental questions of existence: Who are we? What is our duty? How should we act? The Bhagavad Gita answered these questions on a battlefield ages ago. Today, the battlefield has changed form, but the guidance remains. Perhaps Krishna’s final words to humanity in this era would be simple: “Create with intelligence, act with compassion, and remember your true nature. When wisdom guides power, the future becomes a path to harmony rather than conflict.”
So, when I stood in the temple of Dwarka, I was barely listening to the guide priest who was telling us about the rituals, the stories, etc., because I already knew all of them from my grandmothers, from books, from movies! I was in fact having a quiet conversation in my head, with the phenomenon who is my God and reliving His words from Gita. The Gita that does not need rewriting. It just needs remembering—again and again and again —each time humanity stands at the edge of a new epoch, a new age, like it stands today!
(Roli Shukla is an Author & Educator based in Thane, Maharashtra.)
