May The Fourth Be With You: How Star Wars Was Influenced By Ancient Indian Philosophy

"Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter."

― Yoda, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, an aspiring filmmaker named George Lucas created the modern equivalent of a Homeric epic. Lucas' swashbuckling space opera 'Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope' released in theatres on May 4, 1977, and soon became a modern classic — introducing audiences to the 'Force', a powerful metaphysical, spiritual, universal energy that binds the galaxy together and confers superhuman powers on those who can align with it. In Star Wars, the 'Jedi', are a secretive order of mystic knights who adhere to the light side of the Force to maintain balance in the Force and keep peace in the universe. Their dark counterparts are the 'Sith'; and the Galactic Republic, a democratic transgalactic government which eventually gives rise to the Galactic Empire, its Fascistic, authoritarian antithesis.

In creating the Star Wars universe, Lucas was heavily influenced by the mythologist Joseph Campbell, whose seminal book 'A Hero With a Thousand Faces' traced the narrative arc common to all mythic heroes like Lucas' protagonist Luke Skywalker. Campbell, in turn, was himself heavily inspired by ancient scriptures like the Vedanta, a series of Hindu philosophical treatises based on the Upanishada.

The Vedantic tradition is one of the oldest schools of philosophical thought, and one of its core ideas is that reality is fundamentally non-dual (Advaita). According to the Vedantic tradition, all beings and non-beings are ultimately one with the universal spirit — known as Brahman in Sanskrit — and the individual identity (Atman) is not separate but a reflection of the cosmic whole. This echoes strongly in Star Wars' foundational concept of the Force — an invisible energy that connects all living things — binding the galaxy togethe; surrounding and penetrating everything.

Similarly, Yoda's teachings echo Vedantic wisdom. In The Empire Strikes Back, when Yoda tells Luke that "Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter," he almost paraphrases the Vedantic idea that the true self is beyond the physical body. Yoda stresses mindfulness, inner stillness, and the overcoming of ego — practices central to Vedantic self-realisation — while teaching Luke how to harness the power of the light side of the Force. Naturally, Luke’s journey involves piercing through illusions — of fear, anger, and attachment — in a way that mirrors the Vedantic idea of maya (illusion), that clouds true understanding of the universe, leading beings to falsely identify with their transient bodies and emotions.

Another striking parallel lies in the concept of Dharma, which is cosmic duty or law according to Hindu philosophy. In the Star Wars universe, the Jedi embody a Vedantic ideal. Detached from personal ambition, devoted to balance and service, the Jedi move through the galaxy much like the ideal seeker moves through the world: without attachment, fear, or desire. The Jedi order’s monastic discipline — their warning against anger and possessive love — parallels Vedanta’s view that ego and clinging to the impermanent are the roots of suffering.

Anakin Skywalker’s fall to the dark side becomes, when seen through this lens, a cautionary tale not just of personal failure, but of metaphysical ignorance. By grasping for control over life and death, he succumbs to Avidya — the fundamental ignorance that veils the unity of all life. The Sith, seeking power at the expense of others, are trapped in the illusion of separateness, their craving for domination becoming a direct path to suffering.

Of course, Lucas did not set out to create a Vedantic epic when he made the original Star Wars trilogy. He didn’t simply transplant Vedanta into the Skywalker saga. Instead, he absorbed a world of myths, philosophies, and archetypes — many of them distilled through Joseph Campbell’s studies in comparative mythology. Vedanta, with its emphasis on inner realisation, self-mastery, and the illusory nature of division, naturally fit into the underlying spiritual architecture of the universe Lucas was building.

In many ways, Star Wars endures not simply because of its dazzling visuals or breath-taking space battles, but because it taps into these ancient and timeless ideas. It invites audiences to believe that beyond every war, every loss, every shadow, a greater light endures — a unifying energy that binds us all together. In the end, the galaxy of Star Wars is not so far away after all. It is merely a mirror image of the inner universe we all carry: luminous, infinite, and bound together by an invisible thread — the Force, if only by another name.

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