Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated film, Oppenheimer, has reignited curiosity about the renowned nuclear physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer’s deep fascination with Hinduism. As fans in India eagerly await the movie’s release, let us delve into the existentialist journey of Oppenheimer and explore why he found solace In the verses of the Bhagavad Gita.
Oppenheimer’s groundbreaking research ultimately led to the creation of the first nuclear bombs. However, he was acutely aware of the tremendous weight and responsibility that accompanied this monumental achievement. Immediately after the successful test of the bomb in the New Mexico desert in 1945, Oppenheimer’s mind echoed with the resounding words of the Gita: “If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the Mighty One… I am become death, the shatterer of worlds.”
But what sparked Oppenheimer’s affinity for Hinduism? According to Time Magazine, Oppenheimer delved into the teachings of the Gita for personal enjoyment, often sharing its wisdom with friends. In his Princeton study, a cherished copy of the sacred text, its pages held together by humble scotch tape, occupied a prominent place. Not only did he study Sanskrit, his eighth language, but he also reveled in the couplet, “Scholarship is less than sense, therefore seek intelligence.” Isidor Rabi, a colleague and Nobel Prize laureate, described Oppenheimer as “overeducated” in unconventional fields, which extended beyond the realm of scientific tradition. Oppenheimer ventured into a mystical realm of broad intuition, seeking answers beyond the limitations of hard theoretical physics.
A revealing account published by Time Magazine in 1948 shared the experience of Brigadier General Thomas F. Farrell, who described Oppenheimer’s demeanor on that fateful day. Farrell recalled, “He grew tenser as the last seconds ticked off. He scarcely breathed. He held on to a post to steady himself… When the announcer shouted ‘Now!’ and there came this tremendous burst of light, followed… by the deep-growling roar of the explosion, his face relaxed into an expression of tremendous relief.” The ethical complexities of creating a weapon capable of such devastating destruction continued to haunt Oppenheimer long after the test. The deployment of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki effectively brought World War II to an end, but the magnitude of the devastation confirmed Oppenheimer’s deepest fears. According to his New York Times obituary in 1967, he confided in fellow physicists, asserting that the bomb “dramatized so mercilessly the inhumanity and evil of modern war.” In a profound realization, Oppenheimer proclaimed, “In some sort of crude sense which no vulgarity, no humor, no overstatements can quite extinguish… the physicists have known sin, and this is a knowledge which they cannot lose.”
In a news interview following the bombings in Japan, Oppenheimer once again shared the emotions that permeated the control room on the day of the test. “We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita. Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty and to impress him takes on his multi-armed form and says, ‘Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.’ I suppose we all thought that one way or another.”
Driven by a profound sense of responsibility, Oppenheimer dedicated himself to the regulation of atomic energy. He assumed leadership of the Atomic Energy Commission’s General Advisory Committee, consisting of top nuclear scientists. Additionally, he served on the atomic committee of the Research and Development Board, offering crucial guidance to the military.
The upcoming film, Oppenheimer, directed by Christopher Nolan, promises to shed light on these pivotal moments in history. The haunting image of Oppenheimer’s face illuminated by the blinding light of the explosion lingers in the minds of those who have glimpsed the film’s trailers. Scheduled for release on July 21, the film has generated significant anticipation worldwide, with advance bookings temporarily halted due to it’s a certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification.
Drawing inspiration from the Pulitzer Prize-winning book, American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, by Kai Bird and the late Martin J. Sherwin, Oppenheimer stars an ensemble cast including Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, and many others. Oscar nominee Paul Schrader, known for his works “Taxi Driver” and “The Card Counter” attended the New York premiere of Nolan’s epic and took to social media afterwards to applaud it as “the best, most important film of this century.”
As we immerse ourselves in the existentialist journey of J. Robert Oppenheimer, we are reminded of the delicate balance between scientific progress and the profound moral dilemmas it can present. The story of Oppenheimer compels us to reflect on the human capacity for creation and destruction, evoking a sympathetic introspection into the complexities of our own existence.
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