# Chapter 2

śrī bhagavān uvāca: the Lord says; aśocyān: those not worthy of lamentation; anvaśocas: you are lamenting; tvaṁ: you; prajñāvādāṁ: learned talks; ca: also; bhāṣase: you are speaking; gatāsūn: lost life; agatāsūn: not past life; ca: also; na: never; anuśocanti: lament; paṇḍitāḥ: the learned

2.11 Bhagavān says: You grieve for those that should not be grieved for and yet, you speak words of wisdom. The wise grieve neither for the living nor for the dead.

*na tvevāhaṁ jātu nāsaṁ na tvaṁ neme janādhipāḥ I na caiva na bhaviṣyāmaḥ sarve vayam ataḥ param II 2.12*

na: not; tu: but; eva: only; ahaṁ: I; jātu: at any time; na: not; āsaṁ: existed; na: it is not so; tvaṁ: yourself; na: not; ime: all these; janādhipāḥ: kings; na: never; ca: also; eva: only; na: not like that; bhaviṣyāmaḥ: shall exist; sarve: all of us; vayaṁ: we; ataḥ paraṁ: hereafter

2.12 It is not that at anytime in the past I did not exist. So did you and these rulers exist, and we shall not ever cease to be hereafter.

*dehino'sminyathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā I tathā dehāntara prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati II 2.13*

dehinaḥ: of the embodied soul; asmin: in this; yathā: as; dehe: in the body; kaumāraṁ: boyhood; yauvanaṁ: youth; jarā: old age; tathā: similarly; dehāntara: transference of the body; prāptiḥ: achievement; dhīraḥ: the brave; tatra: thereupon; na: never; muhyati: is deluded

2.13 Just as the spirit in this body passes through childhood, youth and old age, so does it pass into another body; the man centered in himself does not fear this.

*mātrā-sparśāśtu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥka-dāḥ I āgamāpāyino'nityās tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata II 2.14*

mātrā: of the senses; spārśāḥ: contact; tu: only; kaunteya: O son of Kuntī; śīta: cold; uṣṇa: hot; sukha: pleasure; dukkha-dah: giving pain; āgama: appearing; apāyinaḥ: disappearing; anityāḥ: nonpermanent; tān: all of them; titikṣasva: tolerate; bhārata: O descendant of the Bhārata dynasty

2.14 O Kaunteya (son of Kuntī), contact with sense objects causes heat and cold, pleasure and pain, and these have a beginning and an end. O Bhārata, these are not permanent; endure them bravely.

*yaṁ hi na vyathayanty ete puruṣam puruṣarṣabha I samaduḥkhasukhaṁ dhīraṁ so'mṛtatvāya kalpate II 2.15*

yaṁ: whom; hi: indeed; na: never; vyathayanti: are distressing; ete: all these; puruṣam: to a person; puruṣarṣabha: O best among men; sama: equal; duḥkha: sorrow; sukhaṁ: happiness; dhīraṁ: brave; saḥ: he; amṛtatvāya: for liberation; kalpate: is fit

2.15 O Puruṣarṣabha, chief among men, these surely do not afflict the brave person, who is centered and complete. Pleasure and pain are the same to him and he is certainly ready for immortality, amṛatvā.

*nāsato vidyate bhāvo nābhāvo vidyate sataḥ I ubhayorapi dṛṣṭontas tv anayos tattva-darśibhiḥ II 2.16*

na: never; asataḥ: of the nonexistent; vidyate: there is; bhāvaḥ: existence; na: never; abhāvaḥ: non existence; vidyate: there is; sataḥ: of the eternal; ubhayoḥ: of the two; api: verily; dṛṣṭaḥ: observed; antaḥ: essence; tu: but; anayoḥ: of them; tattvadarśibhiḥ: truth by the seers

2.16 The nonexistent (asat) has no being; that which exists (sat) never ceases to exist. This truth about both is perceived by the Seers of Truth.

*avināśi tu tadviddhi yena sarvamidaṁ tatam I vināśamavyayasyāsya na kaścitkartumarhati II 2.17*

avināśi: imperishable; tu: but; tat: that; viddhi: know it; yena: by whom; sarvaṁ: all of the body; idaṁ: this; tataṁ: pervaded; vināśaṁ: destruction; avyayasya: of the imperishable; asya: of it; na kaścit: no one; kartuṁ: to do; arhati: is able

2.17 Know It to be indestructible by which all this body is pervaded. Nothing can destroy It, the Imperishable.

*antavanta ime dehā nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ I anāśino 'prameyasya tasmād-yudhyasva bhārata II 2.18*

antavantaḥ: perishable; ime: all these; dehāḥ: bodies; nityasya: eternal in existence; uktāḥ: it is so said; śarīriṇaḥ: of the embodied soul; anāśinaḥ: never to be destroyed; aprameyasya: immeasurable; tasmāt: therefore; yudhyasva: fight; bhārata: O descendant of Bhārata

2.18 These bodies of the material energy are perishable. The energy itself is eternal, incomprehensible and indestructible. Therefore, fight, O Bhārata.

*ya enaṁ vetti hantāraṁ yaścainaṁ manyate hatam I ubhau tau na vijānīto nāyaṁ hanti na hanyate II 2.19*

yaḥ: anyone; enaṁ: this; vetti: knows; hantāraṁ: the killer; yaḥ: anyone; ca: also; enaṁ: this; manyate: thinks; hatam: killed; ubhau: both of them; tau: they; na: not; vijānītaḥ: know; na: never; ayaṁ: this; hanti: kills; na: nor; hanyate: be killed

2.19 Neither understands; he who takes the Self to be the slayer nor he who thinks he is slain. He who knows the Truth understands that the Self does not slay, nor is It slain.

*na jāyate mriyate vā kadācit nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ I ajo nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre II 2.20*

na: never; jāyate: takes birth; mriyate: dies; vā: either; kadācit: at any time (past, present or future); na: never; ayaṁ: this; bhūtvā: having come into being; bhavitā: will come to be; vā: or; na: not; bhūyaḥ: after; ajaḥ: unborn; nityaḥ: eternal; śāśvataḥ: permanent; ayaṁ: this; purāṇaḥ: the oldest; na: never; hanyate: is killed; hanyamāne śarīre: when the body is killed

2.20 The Self is neither born nor does It ever die. After having been, It never ceases not to be. It is unborn, eternal, changeless and ancient. It is not killed when the body is killed.

*vedāvināśinaṁ nityaṁ ya enamajamavyayam I kathaṁ sa puruṣaḥ pārtha kaṁ ghātayati hanti kam II 2.21*

veda: knows; avināśinaṁ: indestructible; nityaṁ: permanent; yaḥ: one who; enaṁ: this (soul); ajam: unborn; avyayam: immutable; kathaṁ: how; saḥ: he; puruṣaḥ: person; pārtha: O Pārtha (Arjuna); kaṁ: whom; ghātayati: hurts; hanti: kills; kaṁ: whom

2.21 O Pārtha, how can man slay or cause others to be slain, when he knows It to be indestructible, eternal, unborn, and unchangeable?

*vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya navāni gṛhṇāti naro 'parāṇi I tathā śarīrāṇi vihāya jīrṇā nyanyāni saṁyāti navāni dehī II 2.22*

vāsāṁsi: garments; jīrṇāni: old and worn out; yathā: as; vihāya: after giving up; navāni: new garments; gṛhṇāti: does accept; naraḥ: a man; aparāṇi: others; tathā: in the same way; śarīrāṇi: bodies; vihāya: after giving up; jīrṇāni: old and useless; anyāni: different; saṁyāti: accepts; navāni: new sets; dehī: the embodied soul

2.22 Just as man casts off his worn out clothes and puts on new ones, the Self casts off worn out bodies and enters newer ones.

*nainaṁ chindanti śastrāṇi nainaṁ dahati pāvakaḥ I na cainaṁ kledayantyāpo na śoṣayati mārutaḥ II 2.23*

na: not; enaṁ: this (soul); chindanti: cut to pieces; śastrāṇi: weapons; na: not; enaṁ: this soul; dahati: burns; pāvakaḥ: fire; na: not; ca: also; enaṁ: this soul; kledayanti: moistens; āpaḥ: water; na: not; śoṣayati: dries; mārutaḥ: wind

2.23 Weapons do not cleave the Self, fire does not burn It, water does not moisten It and wind does not dry It.

*acchedyo'yamadāhyo'yam akledyo'śoṣya eva ca I nityaḥ sarvagataḥ sthāṇur acalo'yaṁ sanātanaḥ II 2.24*

acchedyaḥ: incapable of being cut; ayaṁ: this soul; adāhyaḥ: cannot be burned; ayaṁ: this soul; akledyaḥ: insoluble; aśoṣyaḥ: cannot be dried; eva: certainly; ca: and; nityaḥ: everlasting; sarvagataḥ: all-pervading; sthāṇuḥ: unchangeable; acalaḥ: immovable; ayaṁ: this soul; sanātanaḥ: eternally the same

2.24 The Self cannot be broken nor burnt nor dissolved nor dried up. It is eternal, all-pervading, stable, immovable and ancient.

*avyakto'yamacintyo'yamavikāryo'yamucyate I tasmādevaṁ viditvainaṁ nānuśocitumarhasi II 2.25*

avyaktaḥ: unmanifest; ayaṁ: this; acintyaḥ: unthinkable; ayaṁ: this; avikāryaḥ: immutable; ayaṁ: this; ucyate: is spoken of; tasmāt: therefore; evaṁ: as such; viditvā: having known; enaṁ: this; na: not; anuśocituṁ arhasi: (you) should not grieve

2.5 The Self is said to be unmanifest, unthinkable and unchangeable and able. Knowing this to be such, you should not grieve.

*atha cainaṁ nityajātaṁ nityaṁ vā manyase mṛtam I tathāpi tvaṁ mahābāho naivaṁ śocitum arhasi II 2.26*

atha: however; ca: also; enaṁ: this soul; nityajātaṁ: always born; nityaṁ: forever; vā: either; manyase: think; mṛtaṁ: dead; tathā api: still; tvaṁ: you; mahābāho: O mighty-armed one; na: not; enaṁ: like this ; śocituṁ arhasi: you lament

2.26 O mighty-armed, even if you should think of the soul as being constantly born and constantly dying, even then, you should not lament.

*jātasya hi dhruvo mṛtyur dhruvaṁ janma mṛtasya ca I tasmādaparihārye'rthe na tvaṁ śocitumarhasi II 2.27*

jātasya: one who has taken his birth; hi: indeed; dhruvo: certain; mṛtyuḥ: death; dhruvaṁ: certain; janma: birth; mṛtasya: of the dead; ca: also; tasmāt: therefore; aparihārye: for that which is unavoidable; arthe: in the matter of; na: do not; tvaṁ: you; śocituṁ arhasi: you lament

2.27 Indeed, death is certain for the born and birth is certain for the dead. Therefore, you should not grieve over the inevitable.

*avyaktādīni bhūtāni vyaktamadhyāni bhārata I avyakta-nidhanāny eva tatra kā paridevanā II 2.28*

avyaktādīni: unmanifest in the beginning; bhūtāni: living beings; vyakta: manifest; madhyāni: in the middle; bhārata: O descendant of Bhārata; avyakta nidhanāni: unmanifest after death; eva: like that; tatra: therefore; kā: what; paridevanā: lamentation

2.28 O Bhārata, all beings are unmanifest in their beginning, seemingly manifest in their middle, and unmanifest again in their end. So, what need then for greiving?

*āścaryavatpaśyati kaścidenam māścaryavadvadati tathaiva cānyaḥ I āścaryavaccainamanyaḥ śṛṇoti śṛutvāpyenaṁ veda na caiva kaścit II 2.29*

āścaryavat: amazingly; paśyati: see; kaścit: some one; enaṁ: this soul; āścaryavac: amazingly; vadati: speaks; tathā: like that; eva: only; ca: also; anyaḥ: another; āścaryavat: amazingly; ca: also; enaṁ: this soul; anyaḥ: another; śṛṇoti: hear; śrutvā: having heard; api: even; enaṁ: this soul; veda: do know; na: not; ca: and; eva: only; kaścit: someone

2.29 One sees It as a wonder, another speaks of It as a wonder, another hears of It as a wonder. Yet, having heard, none understands It at all.

*dehī nityamavadhyo 'yaṁ dehe sarvasya bhārata I tasmātsarvāni bhūtāni na tvaṁ śocitumarhasi II 2.30*

dehī: the soul; nityaṁ: eternally; avadhyaḥ: cannot be killed; ayaṁ: this soul; dehe: in the body; sarvasya: of everyone; bhārata: O descendant of Bhārata; tasmāt: therefore; sarvāṇi: all; bhūtāni: living entities (that are born); na: not; tvaṁ: yourself; śocituṁ arhasi: should grieve

2.30 O Bhārata, this that dwells in the body of everyone can never be destroyed; do not grieve for any creature.

*svadharmamapi cāvekṣya na vikampitumarhasi I dharmyāddhi yuddhācchreyo'nyat kṣatriyasya na vidyate II 2.31*

svadharmaṁ: one's own responsibility; api: also; ca: and; avekṣya: considering; na: not; vikampitum: to hesitate; arhasi: you deserve; dharmyāt hi yuddhāt: from righteous war indeed; śreyaḥ: better; anyat: anything else; kṣatriyasya: of the kṣatriya; na: does not; vidyate: exist

2.31 You should look at your own responsibility [svadharma] as a kṣatriya. There is nothing higher for a kṣatriya than a righteous war. You ought not to hesitate.

*yadṛcchayā copapannaṁ svargadvāramapāvṛtam I sukhinaḥ kṣatriyāḥ pārtha labhante yuddhamīdṛśam II 2.32*

yadṛcchayā: by its own accord; ca: also; upapannaṁ: arrived; svargadvāraṁ: gate of heaven; apāvṛtaṁ: wide open; sukhinaḥ: happy; kṣatriyāḥ: the members of the royal order; pārtha: O son of Pritā; labhante: achieve; yuddhaṁ: war; īdṛśaṁ: like this

2.32 O Pārtha, happy indeed are the kṣatriyas who are called to fight in such a battle without seeking. This opens for them the door to heaven.

*atha cettvamimaṁ dharmyaṁ saṅgrāmaṁ na kariṣyasi I tataḥ svadharmaṁ kīrtiṁ ca hitvā pāpamavāpsyasi II 2.33*

atha: therefore; cet: if; tvaṁ: you; imaṁ: this; dharmyaṁ: righteous; saṅgrāmaṁ: war; na: do not; kariṣyasi: you will perform; tataḥ: then; svadharmaṁ: your duty; kīrtiṁ: reputation; ca: also; hitvā: having lost; pāpaṁ: sin; avāpsyasi: do gain

2.33 If you will not fight this righteous war, then you will incur sin having abandoned your own responsibility [svadharma], and you will lose your reputation.

*akīrtiṁ cāpi bhūtāni kathayiṣyanti te'vyayām I saṁbhāvitasya cākīrtir maraṇādatiricyate II 2.34*

akīrtiṁ: infamy; ca: also; api: also; bhūtāni: all people; kathayiṣyanti: will speak; te: of you; avyayāṁ: undying; saṁbhāvitasya: of a respectable man; ca: also; akīrtiḥ: ill-fame; maraṇāt: than death; atiricyate: becomes more than

2.34 People too will remember your everlasting dishonor and to one who has been honored, dishonor is worse than death.

*bhayādraṇāduparataṁ maṁsyante tvāṁ mahārathāḥ I yeṣāṁ ca tvaṁ bahumato bhūtvā yāsyasi lāghavam II 2.35*

bhayāt: out of fear; raṇāt: from war; uparataṁ: retired; maṁsyante: will consider; tvāṁ: you; mahārathāḥ: the great generals; yeṣāṁ: of those who; ca: also; tvaṁ: you; bahumataḥ: in great estimation; bhūtvā: having become; yāsyasi: will get; lāghavaṁ: decreased in value

2.35 The great generals will think that you have withdrawn from the battle because you are a coward. You will be looked down upon by those who had thought much of you and your heroism in the past.

*avācyavādāṁśca bahūn vadiṣyanti tavāhitāḥ I nindantastava sāmarthyaṁ tato duḥkhataraṁ nu kim II 2.36*

avācyavādān: unspeakable words; ca: also; bahūn: many; vadiṣyanti: will say; tava : your; ahitāḥ: enemies; nindantaḥ: while vilifying; tava : your; sāmarthyaṁ: ability; tataḥ: than that; duḥkhataraṁ: more painful; nu: of course; kiṁ: what

2.36 Many unspeakable words would be spoken by your enemies reviling your power. Can there be anything more painful than this?

*hato vā prāpsyasi svargaṁ jitvā vā bhokṣyase mahīm I tasmāduttiṣṭha kaunteya yuddhāya kṛtaniścayaḥ II 2.37*

hato: being killed; vā: either; prāpsyasi: you will gain; svargaṁ: heaven; jitvā: after conquering; vā: or; bhokṣyase: you will enjoy; mahīṁ: the world; tasmāt: therefore; uttiṣṭha: get up; kaunteya: O son of Kuntī; yuddhāya: for war; kṛta niścayaḥ: determined

2.37 Slain, you will achieve heaven; victorious, you will enjoy the earth. O Kaunteya (son of Kuntī), stand up determined to fight.

*sukhaduḥkhe same kṛtvā lābhālābhau jayājayau I tato yuddhāya yujyasva naivaṁ pāpamavāpsyasi II 2.38*

sukha duḥkhe: in happiness as well as in distress; same: equal; kṛtvā: doing so; lābhālābhau: gain and loss; jayājayau: victory and defeat; tataḥ: thereafter; yuddhāya: for war; yujyasva: get ready; na: not; evaṁ: in this way; pāpaṁ: sin; avāpsyasi: you will gain

2.38 Pleasure and pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat–treat them all the same. Do battle for the sake of battle and you shall incur no sin.

*eṣā tebhihitā sānkhye buddhiryoge tvimāṁ śṛṇu I buddhyā yukto yayā pārtha karmabandhaṁ prahāsyasi II 2.39*


# Chapter 2

eṣā: all these; te: you; abhihitā: described; sāṁkhye: in the Sāṅkhya Yoga (yoga of knowledge); buddhiḥ: intelligence; yoge: in the Karma Yoga of selfless action; tu: but; imāṁ: this; śṛṇu: hear; buddhyā: by intelligence; yuktaḥ: equipped; yayā: by which; pārtha: O son of Pritā; karma bandhaṁ: bondage of action; prahāsyasi: you shall throw off

2.39 Thus far, what has been taught to you concerns the wisdom of Sāṅkhya. Now, listen to the wisdom of yoga [buddhiyoga]. Having known this, O Pārtha, you shall cast off the bonds of action.

*nehābhikrama-nāśo 'sti pratyavāyo na vidyate I svalpamapyasya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt II 2.40*

na: there is not; iha: in this path of yoga (of selfless action); abhikramanāśaḥ: loss of effort; asti: there is; pratyavāyaḥ: contrary result; na: not; vidyate: there is; svalpaṁ: a little; api: also; asya: of this discipline; dharmasya: of this occupation; trāyate: releases; mahataḥ: of very great; bhayāt: from fear

2.40 There is no wasted effort or dangerous effect in this path of yoga. Even a little knowledge of this, even a little practice of this dharma, protects and releases one from very great fear.

*vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kurunandana I*

*bahuśākhā hyanantāś ca buddhayovyavasāyinām II 2.41*

vyavasāyātmikā: fixed resolve; buddhiḥ: intelligence; ekā: only one; iha: in this (karma yoga); kuru nandana: O son of the Kurus; bahuśākhāḥ: various branches; hi: indeed; anantāḥ: unlimited; ca: also; buddhayaḥ: intelligence; avyavasāyināṁ: of the undecided (ignorant men moved by desires)

2.41 Joy of the Kurus, on this path (of yoga), the intelligence is resolute with a single-pointed determination. Thoughts of the irresolute are many, branched and endlsess.

*yāmimāṁ puṣpitāṁ vācaṁ pravadantyavipaścitaḥ I vedavādaratāḥ pārtha nānyadastīti vādinaḥ II 2.42*

yāṁ imāṁ: all these; puṣpitāṁ: flowery; vācaṁ: words; pravadanti: say; avipaścitaḥ: ignorant men; vedavādaratāḥ: devoted to the letter of the Veda; pārtha: O son of Pārtha; na: not; anyat: anything else; asti: there is; iti: thus; vādinaḥ: advocates

*kāmātmānaḥ svargaparā janmakarmaphalapradām I kriyā-viśeṣa-bahulāṁ bhogaiśvarya-gatiṁ prati II 2.43*

kāmātmānaḥ: desirous of sense gratification; svargaparāḥ: aiming at heaven as supreme goal; janma karma phala pradām: resulting in rebirth as the fruit; kriyā viśeṣa bahulāṁ: many rituals of various kinds; bhogaiśvarya: sense enjoyment opulence; gatiṁ: way; prati: towards

2.43 Men of little knowledge, who are very much attached toeulogizing the flowery words of the Vedas, O Pārtha, argue that, 'there is nothing else'; these advocates of Vedas (vādīna) look upon and recommend various fruitful actions for elevation to heavenly planets, resulting in high birth, power, and so forth. Thus being desirous of sense gratification and opulent life, they say that there is nothing more than this to living.

*bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānāṁ tayāpahṛtacetasām I vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ samādhau na vidhīyate II 2.44*

bhogaiśvarya: material enjoyment opulence; prasaktānāṁ: of those who are so attached; tayā: by such words; apahṛta cetasāṁ: bewildered in mind; vyavasāyātmikā: fixed determination; buddhiḥ: intellect; samādhau: in the supreme goal; na: not; vidhīyate: centers on

2.44 Those whose minds are attached to sense pleasures and lordship, who are diverted by such teachings, for them, the determination for steady meditation and samādhi, fixed intelligence does not happen.

*traiguṇyaviṣayā vedā nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna I nirdvandvo nityas-attva-stho niryogakṣema ātmavān II 2.45*

traiguṇya viṣayā: pertaining to the three modes of material nature and the means of achieving them; vedā: Vedic literature; nistraiguṇyaḥ: indifferent to the material enjoyments and their means; bhava: be; arjuna: O Arjuna; nirdvandvaḥ: free from the pairs of opposites; nitya sattvasthaḥ: ever remaining in satva (eternal existence); niryogakṣemaḥ: free from (the thought of) acquisition and preservation; ātmavān: established in the Self

2.45 O Arjuna! Be you above the three guṇas (attributes) that the Vedas deal in: free yourself from the pairs-of-opposites and be always in satva (goodness), free from all thoughts of acquisition (yoga) or preservation (kṣema), and be established in the Self.

*yāvānartha udapāne sarvataḥ saṁplutodake I tāvānsarveṣu vedeṣu brāhmaṇasya vijānataḥ II 2.46*

yāvān: how much; arthaḥ: means; udapāne: in a well of water; sarvataḥ: on all sides; saṁplutodake: in a great reservoir of water; tāvān: that much; sarveṣu: in all; vedeṣu: in the Veda; brāhmaṇasya: of the man who knows the supreme Brahman; vijānataḥ: of one who has achieved enlightenment

2.46 The Brāhmaṇa (sage), who has known the Self, has little use for the vedic scriptures, as these are like a pool of water in a place that is already in flood, overflowing with a great water reservoir.

*karmaṇyevādhikāraste mā phaleṣu kadācana I mā karmaphalaheturbhūr mā te saṅgo 'stvakarmaṇi II 2.47*

karmaṇi: in the duties; eva: only; adhikāraḥ: right; te: of you; mā: never; phaleṣu: in the fruits; kadācana: at any time; mā: do not; karma phala: in the result of action; hetuḥ: cause; bhūḥ: let be; mā: never; te: of you; saṅgaḥ: attachment; astu: be there; akarmaṇi: in inaction

2.47 You have a right only to work, but never to the fruits (outcome) of action. Never let the fruit of action be your motive; and never let your attachment be to inaction.

*yogasthaḥ kuru karmāṇi saṅgaṁ tyaktvā dhanañjaya I siddhyasiddhyoḥ samo bhūtvā samatvaṁ yoga ucyate II 2.48* yogasthaḥ: steadfast in yoga; kuru: perform; karmāṇi: duties; saṅgaṁ: attachment; tyaktvā: having abandoned; dhañajaya: O Dhanañjaya; siddhyasiddhyoḥ: success and failure; samaḥ: the same; bhūtvā: having become; samatvaṁ: evenness of mind; yoga: yoga; ucyate: is called

2.48 O Dhanañjaya! Do your actions dropping all attachment to the outcome, being centered and complete in Yoga. Be balanced in success and failure. Such evenness of mind is Yoga.

*dūreṇa hyavaraṁ karma buddhiyogād dhanañjaya I buddhau śaraṇamanviccha kṛpaṇāḥ phalahetavaḥ II 2.49*

dūreṇa hi avaraṁ: far superior; karma: activities; buddhiyogāt: based on the yoga of knowledge; dhanañjaya: O conqueror of wealth; buddhau: in such wisdom; śaraṇam: full surrender; anviccha: desire; kṛpaṇāḥ: wretched; phalahetavaḥ: those desiring fruit of action

2.49 O Dhanañjaya, beyond the action with selfish motive is Yoga (of action) in wisdom [buddhiyoga]. Wretched are those whose motive is the fruit (outcome); Surrender yourself fully to the wisdom of completion.

*buddhiyukto jahātīha ubhe sukṛtaduṣkṛte I tasmādyogāya yujyasva yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam II 2.50*

buddhiyuktaḥ: even minded person; jahāti: gives up; iha: in this life; ubhe: both; sukṛta duṣkṛte: good and bad results; tasmāt: therefore; yogāya: for the sake of yoga; yujyasva: be so engaged; yogaḥ: yoga; karmasu: in all activities; kauśalam: art (of freeing the Self from the bondage of action)

2.50 Endowed with the wisdom of evenness of mind, move

away from both good and evil deeds in this life. Devote yourself to yoga. Authenticity in action is yoga.

*karmajaṁ buddhiyuktā hi phalaṁ tyaktvā manīṣiṇaḥ I janmabandhavinirmuktāḥ padaṁ gacchantyanāmayam II 2.51*

karmajaṁ: born of action; buddhiyuktā: even minded ones; hi: indeed; phalaṁ: results; tyaktvā: after giving up; manīṣiṇaḥ: sages; janma bandha vinirmuktāḥ: free from the bondage of birth; padaṁ: position; gacchanti: reach; anāmayaṁ: without ills

2.51 The wise, having abandoned the outcome of their actions and possessed of knowledge of completion, are freed from the cycle of birth and death. They go to the state that is beyond all sorrow.

*yadā te mohakalilaṁ buddhirvyatitariṣyati I tadā gantāsi nirvedaṁ śrotavyasya śrutasya ca II 2.52*

yadā: when; te : they; moha kalilaṁ: slough of delusion; buddhiḥ: understanding; vyatitariṣyati: will pass through; tadā: at that time; gantāsi: you shall attain; nirvedaṁ: cheerlessness; śrotavyasya: all that is to be heard; śrutasya: all that is already heard; ca: also

2.52 When your wisdom takes you beyond delusion, you shall be indifferent to what has been heard and what is yet to be heard.

*śrutivipratipannā te yadā sthāsyati niścalā I samādhāvacalā buddhis tadā yogamavāpsyasi II 2.53*

śrutivipratipannā: confused by much hearing; te: this; yadā: when; sthāsyati: rests; niścalā: steady; samādhau: on God; acalā: unflinching; buddhiḥ: intellect; tadā: at that time; yogaṁ: self-realization; avāpsyasi: you will achieve

2.53 When you are not confused by what you have heard and your wisdom stands steady and unmoving in the Self, you shall attain Yoga, Self–realization.

*arjuna uvāca sthitaprajñasya kā bhāṣā samādhisthasya keśava I sthitadhīḥ kiṁ prabhāṣeta kimāsīta vrajeta kim II 2.54*

arjuna uvāca: Arjuna said; sthitaprajñasya: of one who is of secure mind; kā: what; bhāṣā: language; samādhisthasya: of one established in the tranquility of mind; keśava: O Kṛṣṇa; sthitadhīḥ: one with stable mind; kiṁ: how; prabhāṣeta: speak; kim: how; āsīta: sits; vrajeta: walks; kim: how

2.54 O Keśava! What is the description of one who stays in the space of completion in present moment and is merged in the restful awareness of truth and wisdom? How does one of steady wisdom speak, how does he sit, how does he walk?

*śrībhagavānuvāca prajahāti yadā kāmān sarvānpārtha manogatān I*

*ātmanyevātmanā tuṣṭaḥ sthitaprajñastadocyate II 2.55*

śrī bhagavān uvāca: The Lord says; prajahāti: gives up; yadā: when; kāmān: desires; sarvān: of all varieties; pārtha: O son of Pritā; manogatān: existing in mind; ātmani: in the soul; eva: only; ātmanā: by the self; tuṣṭaḥ: satisfied; sthitaprajñaḥ: one of secure understanding; tadā: at that time; ucyate: is said

2.55 Śrī Bhagavān says: O Pārtha, a man who casts off completely all the desires of the mind and is satisfied in the Self by the Self, He is said to be Sthhitaprajña, one of steady wisdom in completion.

*duḥkheṣv anudvigna-manāḥ sukheṣu vigataspṛhaḥ I vītarāgabhayakrodhaḥ sthitadhīrmunirucyate II 2.56*

duḥkheṣu: in sorrow; anudvignamanāḥ: without being agitated in mind; sukheṣu: in happiness; vigataspṛhaḥ: without being interested; vīta: free from; rāga: passion; bhaya: fear; krodhaḥ: anger; sthitadhīḥ: one who is steady in mind; muniḥ: a sage; ucyate: is called

2.56 He whose mind is not disturbed by adversity and who, in prosperity, does not go after other pleasures, he who is free from attachment, fear or anger is called a sage of steady wisdom.

*yaḥ sarvatrānabhisnehas tat tat prāpya śubhāśubham I nābhinandati na dveṣṭi tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā II 2.57*

yaḥ: one who; sarvatra: everywhere; anabhisnehaḥ: without affection; tat: that; tat: that; prāpya: after achieving; śubhāśubhaṁ: good evil; na: not; abhinandati: rejoices; na: not; dveṣṭi: resents; tasya: his; prajñā: knowledge; pratiṣṭhitā: fixed

2.57 His wisdom is fixed who is everywhere without attachment, meeting with anything good or bad and who neither rejoices nor hates.

*yadā saṁharate cāyaṁ kūrmo 'ṅgānīva sarvaśaḥ I indriyāṇīndriyārthebhyas tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā II 2.58*

yadā: when; saṁharate: withdraws; ca: also; ayaṁ: this; kūrmaḥ: tortoise; aṅgānī: limbs; iva: like; sarvaśaḥ : altogether; indriyāṇi : senses; indriyārthebhyaḥ: from the sense objects; tasya: his; prajñā: consciousness; pratiṣṭhitā: fixed

2.58 As the tortoise withdraws its limbs from all sides, when a person withdraws his senses from the sense-objects, his wisdom becomes steady in completion.

*viṣayā vinivartante nirāhārasya dehinaḥ I rasavarjaṁ raso'pyasya paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate II 2.59*

viṣayāḥ: sense objects; vinivartante: turn away; nirāhārasya: of one who does not enjoy them with his senses; dehinaḥ: of the embodied; rasavarjaṁ: yearning, persisting; rasaḥ: yearning; api: although there is; asya: his; paraṁ: the supreme; dṛṣṭvā: after seeing; nivartate: returns

2.59 From the body, the sense objects turn away, but the desires remain; his desires also leave him on seeing the Supreme.

*yatato hyapi kaunteya puruṣasya vipaścitaḥ I*

### *indriyāṇi pramāthīni haranti prasabhaṁ manaḥ II 2.60*

yatataḥ: while endeavoring; hi: indeed; api: also; kaunteya: O son of Kuntī; puruṣasya: of the man; vipaścitaḥ: the wise; indriyāṇi: the senses; pramāthīni: turbulent; haranti: carry away; prasabhaṁ: by force; manaḥ: the mind

2.60 O Kaunteya (son of Kuntī), the turbulent senses carry away the mind of a wise man, though he is striving to be in control.

*tāni sarvāṇi saṁyamya yukta āsīta matparaḥ I vaśe hi yasyendriyāṇi tasya prajñāpratiṣṭhitā II 2.61*

tāni: those senses; sarvāṇi: all; saṁyamya: keeping under control; yuktaḥ: yogi; āsīta: sitting; matparaḥ: devoted to Me; vaśe: in full subjugation; hi: indeed; yasya: one whose; indriyāṇi: senses; tasya: his; prajñā; mind; pratiṣṭhitā: stable

2.61 Having restrained them all, he should sit steadfast, intent on Me. His mind is steady in the present whose senses are under control.

*dhyāyato viṣayānpuṁsaḥ saṅgasteṣūpajāyate I saṅgātsañjāyate kāmaḥ kāmātkrodhobhijāyate II 2.62*

dhyāyataḥ: contemplating; viṣayān: sense objects; puṁsaḥ: of the person; saṅgaḥ: attachment; teṣu: in these sense objects; upajāyate: develops; saṅgāt: from attachment; saṁjāyate: develops; kāmaḥ: desire; kāmāt: from desire; krodhaḥ: anger; abhijāyate: ensues

2.62 When a man thinks of objects, it gives rise to attachment for them. From attachment, desire arises; from desire, anger is born.

*krodhād bhavati saṁmohaḥ saṁmohāt smṛtivibhramaḥ I smṛtibhraṁśād buddhināśo buddhināśātpraṇaśyati II 2.63*

krodhāt: from anger; bhavati: takes place; saṁmohaḥ: illusion; saṁmohāt: from illusion; smṛti: of memory; vibhramaḥ: loss; smṛti bhraṁśāt: from loss of memory; buddhi nāśaḥ: loss of reason; buddhināśāt: from loss of reason; praṇaśyati: perishes

2.63 From anger arises delusion, from delusion, loss of memory, from loss of memory, the destruction of discrimination, from destruction of discrimination, he perishes.

*rāgadveṣaviyuktaistu viṣayānindriyaiścaran I ātmavaśyairvidheyātmā prasādamadhigacchati II 2.64*

rāga dveṣa: likes and disklikes; viyuktaiḥ: by those free from such things; tu: but; viṣayān: sense objects; indriyaiḥ: by the senses; caran: enjoying; ātmavaśyaih: by the disciplined; vidheyātmā: self controlled; prasādaṁ: placidity of mind; adhigacchati: attains

2.64 The self-controlled man, moving among objects with his senses under control, free from both attraction and repulsion, attains peace.

*prasāde sarvaduḥkhānāṁ hānirasyopajāyate I prasannacetaso hyāśu buddhiḥ paryavatiṣṭhate II 2.65*

prasāde: with achieving peace of mind; sarva: of all; duḥkhānāṁ: of miseries; hāniḥ: destruction; asya: his; upajāyate: takes place; prasannacetasaḥ: of the happy-minded; hi: indeed; āśu: very soon; buddhiḥ: intelligence; paryavatiṣṭhate: firmly established

2.65 All pains are destroyed in that peace, for the intellect of the tranquil-minded soon becomes steady.


*nāsti buddhirayuktasya na cāyuktasya bhāvanā I na cābhāvayataḥ śāntir aśāntasya kutaḥ sukham II 2.66*

na asti : there is not; buddhiḥ: wisdom; ayuktasya: of one who is not connected to Self; na: neither; ca: and; ayuktasya: of one devoid of Self awareness; bhāvanā: devotion; na: neither; ca: and; abhāvayataḥ: for the indisciplined; śāntiḥ: peace; aśāntasya: of the undisciplined; kutaḥ: how; sukhaṁ: happiness

2.66 A person not in self awareness cannot be wise or happy or peaceful. How can there be happiness to one without peace?

*indriyāṇāṁ hi caratāṁ yanmano 'nuvidhīyate I tadasya harati prajñāṁ vāyurnāvamivāmbhasi II 2.67*

indriyāṇāṁ: of the senses; hi: indeed; caratāṁ: moving among objects; yat: that; manaḥ: mind; anu: with; vidhīyate: joined; tat: that; asya: his; harati: takes away; prajñāṁ: discrimination; vāyuḥ: wind; nāvaṁ: a boat; iva: like; ambhasi: on the water

2.67 He loses his awareness of the present moment when his mind follows the wandering senses, just as the wind carries away a boat on the waters.

# *tasmādyasya mahābāho nigṛhītāni sarvaśaḥ I indriyāṇīndriyārthebhyas tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā II 2.68*

tasmāt: therefore; yasya: of one's; mahābāho: O mighty-armed one; nigṛhītāni: so curbed down; sarvaśaḥ: in all respects; indriyāṇi: the senses; indriyārthebhyaḥ: from the sense objects; tasya: his; prajñā: intelligence; pratiṣṭhitā: fixed

2.68 O Mahābāho (mighty-armed one), his knowledge is therefore steady whose senses are completely detached from sense objects.

*yā niśā sarvabhūtānāṁ tasyāṁ jāgarti saṁyamī I yasyāṁ jāgrati bhūtāni sā niśā paśyato muneḥ II 2.69*

yā: what; niśā: is night; sarva: all; bhūtānāṁ: of living entities; tasyāṁ: in that; jāgarti: wakeful; saṁyamī: the self-controlled; yasyāṁ: in which; jāgrati: awake; bhūtāni: all beings; sā: that is; niśā: night; paśyataḥ: for the seer; muneḥ: for the sage

2.69 The self–controlled man lies awake in that which is night to all beings. That in which all beings are awake is the night for the sage who sees.

> *āpūryamāṇ amacala-pratiṣṭhaṁ samudramāpaḥ praviśanti yadvat I tadvatkāmā yaṁ praviśanti sarve sa śāntimāpnoti na kāmakāmī II 2.70*

āpūryamāṇaṁ: always filled; acalapratiṣṭhaṁ: steadily established; samudraṁ: the ocean; āpaḥ: water; praviśanti: enter; yadvat: as; tadvat: so; kāmāḥ: desires; yaṁ: one; praviśanti: enter; sarve: all; saḥ: that person; śāntiṁ: peace; āpnoti: achieves; na: not; kāmakāmī: one who cherishes longings

2.70 Just as all waters enter the ocean, he attains peace into whom all desires enter, which when filled from all sides, remains unmoved; not the desirer of desires.

*vihāya kāmānyaḥ sarvān pumāṁścarati niḥspṛhaḥ I nirmamo nirahañkāraḥ sa śāntimadhigacchati II 2.71*

vihāya: after giving up; kāmān: desires for sense gratification; yaḥ: the person; sarvān: all; pumān: a person; carati: moves; niḥspṛhaḥ: desireless; nir mamaḥ: without a sense of proprietorship; nir ahaṁkāraḥ: without false ego; saḥ: he; śāntiṁ: peace; adhigacchati: attains

2.71 The man who moves about abandoning all desires, without longing, without the sense of I and mine, attains peace.

*eṣā brāhmī sthitiḥ pārtha naināṁ prāpya vimuhyati I thitvāsyāmantakāle'pi brahmanirvāṇamṛcchati II 2.72*

eṣā: this; brāhmī: God-realised soul; sthitiḥ: situation; pārtha: O son of Pritā; na: not; enāṁ: this; prāpya: after achieving; vimuhyati: get deluded; sthitvā: being so situated; asyāṁ: in this state; antakāle: at the end of life; api: also; brahma nirvāṇaṁ: passing into one with the ultimate Reality; ṛcchati: attains

2.72 O Pārtha, this is the state of Brahman, Brāhmī-sthiti; none is deluded after attaining this. Even at the end of life, one attains Brahmanirvāṇa, oneness with Brahman when established in this state.

*iti śrī mad bhagavadgītāsūpaniṣatsu brahmavidyāyām yogaśāstre śrīkṛṣṇārjuna saṁvāde sāṅkhya yogo nāma dvitīyo'dhyāyaḥ II*

In the *Upaniṣad* of *Śrimad Bhagavad Gītā*, the scripture of yoga dealing with *Brahmavidyā Yogaśāstra,* the science of Brahman, the Supreme Absolute, in the form of *Śrī Kṛṣṇārjuna saṁvād,* dialogue between Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, this is the second chapter named, *Sāṅkhya Yogaḥ***,** *'The Yoga of Knowledge of Completion.'*

*arjuna uvāca jyāyasī cetkarmaṇaste matā buddhirjanārdana I tatkiṁ karmaṇi ghore māṁ niyojayasi keśava II 3.1*

arjuna: Arjuna; uvāca: says; jyāyasī: speaking highly; cet: although; karmaṇaḥ: action; te: your; matā: opinion; buddhir: knowledge; janārdana: Janārdana; tat: therefore; kiṁ: why; karmaṇi: in action; ghore: terrible; māṁ: me; niyojayasi: engaging me; keśava: Keśava (slayer of the demon Keśi)

3.1 Arjuna says: O Janārdana, O Keśava, Why do You make me engage in this terrible war if You think that knowledge is superior to action?

*vyāmiśreṇeva vākyena buddhiṁ mohayasīva me I tadekaṁ vada niścitya yena śreyohamāpnuyām II 3.2* vyāmiśreṇa: by ambiguous; iva: as; vākyena: words; buddhiṁ: intelligence; mohayasi: confusing; iva: as; me: my; tat: therefore; ekaṁ: one; vada: tell; niścitya: for certain; yena: by which; śreyaḥ: benefit; ahaṁ: I; āpnuyāṁ: may have

3.2 My intelligence is confused by Your conflicting words. Tell me clearly what is best for me.

*śrībhagavānuvāca loke'smindvividhā niṣṭhā purā proktā mayānagha I jñānayogena sāṁkhyānāṁ karmayogena yoginām II 3.3*

śrī bhagavān uvāca: the Lord says; loke: in the world; asmin: this; dvividhā: two kinds of; niṣṭhā: faith; purā: before; proktā: were said; mayā: by Me; anagha: O sinless one; jñānayogena: by the yoga of knowledge; sāṁkhyānāṁ: of the Sāṅkhya; karmayogena: by the yoga of action; yoginām: of the yoga practitioners

3.3 The Lord says, 'O sinless Arjuna, as I said before, in this world there are two paths; Self knowledge for the intellectual and the path of action of the knowing.

*na karmaṇāmanārambhānnaiṣkarmyaṁ puruṣo'śnute I na ca sannyasanādeva siddhiṁ samadhigacchati II 3.4*

na: without; karmaṇām: of the actions; anārambhāt: abstaining; naiṣkarmyaṁ: freedom from action; puruṣaḥ: man; aśnute: achieve; na: not; ca: also; sannyasanāt: by renunciation; eva: surely; siddhiṁ: success; samadhigacchati: attain

3.4 A person does not attain freedom from action by abstaining from work, nor does he attain fulfillment by giving up action.

*na hi kaścitkṣaṇamapi jātu tiṣṭhatyakarmakṛt I kāryate hyavaśaḥ karma sarvaḥ prakṛtijairguṇaiḥ II 3.5*

na: not; hi: surely; kaścit: anyone; kṣaṇam: for a moment; api: also; jātu: even; tiṣṭhati: stands; akarmakṛt: without doing something; kāryate: forced to work; hi: surely; avaśaḥ: helplessly; karma: action; sarvaḥ: all; prakṛtijaih: of the modes of material nature; guṇaiḥ: by the attributes

3.5 Surely, not even for a moment can anyone stand without doing something. He is always in action, despite himself, as this is his very nature.

*karmendriyāṇi saṁyamya ya āste manasā smaran I indriyārthānvimūḍhātmā mithyācāraḥ sa ucyate II 3.6*

karmendriyāṇi: the five working sense organs; saṁyamya: restraining; ya: who; āste: remains; manasā: mentally; smaran: recollecting; indriyārthān: objects of the senses; vimūḍha: foolish; atma: soul; mithyācāraḥ: hypocrite; saḥ: he; ucyate: is called

3.6 He who restrains the sense organs, but who still thinks of the objects of the senses is deluded and is called a hypocrite.

*yastvindriyāṇi manasā niyamyārabhate 'rjuna I karmendriyaiḥ karmayogamasaktaḥ sa viśiṣyate II 3.7*

yaḥ: who; tu : but; indriyāṇi : senses; manasā: by the mind; niyamya: controlling; ārabhate: begins; arjuna: O Arjuna; karmendriyaiḥ: by the active

## Bhagavad Gita Decoded_English_part_3.md

# The War Begins

- 1.13 *Conches, bugles, trumpets, drums, and horns all suddenly sounded; Their combined sound renting the skies.*
- 1.14 *Then, seated on a magnificent chariot drawn by white horses, both Mādhava (Kṛṣṇa) and Arjuna sounded their divine conches.*
- 1.15 *Hṛṣikeśa (Kṛṣṇa) blew on His conch, the Pāñcajanya; Dhanañjaya (Arjuna) sounded the Devadatta and Vṛkodara (Bhīma) sounded his mighty conch called Pauṇḍra.*
- 1.16, 1.17, 1.18 *King Yudhisṭra, the son of Kuntī, blew his conch, the Anantavijaya; Nakula and Sahadeva blew the Sughośa and Maṇipuṣpaka. That great archer, the king of Kāśī, the great fighter Śikhaṇḍi, Dṛṣṭadyumna, Virāṭa and the invincible Sātyaki, Drupada, the sons of Draupadī, and the others, such as the mightyarmed son of Subhadrā, all sounded their conches.*

Conches, called *śankha* in Saṃskṛit, are the shells of mollusks that live in the sea. From time immemorial, Hindu scriptures have referred to the use of conches during ritualistic, devotional and celebratory occasions. In general, a conch is blown to signify obeisance to the Divine, or in celebration of an auspicious, victorious occasion.

Each of the great warriors in the Mahābhārat war had his own conch with its unique sound signature. Most of the great warriors also had their own chariot flags and their weapons, especially their bows, had great spiritual significance. It is said that Arjuna's presence in any part of the battlefield would be known by the sound of his conch and the twang of his bow!

When Bhīṣma blew his conch in support of Duryodhana, the response was tumultuous on both sides. Every warrior on the battlefield took out his conch and blew his signature note. Of all the sounds that emanated at that moment, a few were heard above the rest. Kṛṣṇa sounded His Pañcajanya, the conch of Viṣṇu, which drowned out all other sounds. It was the victorious announcement for all that the Divine was already present with the Pāṇḍava army.

Vyāsa, through Sañjaya, attributes divinity only to Kṛṣṇa's conch, not to anyone else's. He refers to Kṛṣṇa as *Mādhava*, and later as *Hṛiṣīkeśa*. *Mādhava* signifies that Kṛṣṇa is an Incarnation of Viṣṇu, the husband of Lakṣmī, goddess of wealth and fortune. In this context, it signifies that whoever Kṛṣṇa sides with would be invincible. Kṛṣṇa is then referred to as *Hṛiṣīkeśa*, controller of the senses, the superconscious, who has created the māyā, the illusion that is this great war of Mahābhārat. Vyāsa implies that all that happens is a creation of Kṛṣṇa. For what purpose? He alone knows. The Divine truly has no purpose. The Divine IS, that's all.

Kṛṣṇa was Arjuna's charioteer. Arjuna's chariot and his bow, Gāṇḍīva were a blessing from Agnī, the fire god. The chariot was capable of traversing all three worlds. The chariot flew the flag of Hanumān, the monkey god, the close confidante, disciple of Lord Śrī Rāma, the earlier Incarnation of Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa. Hanumān had blessed Bhīma that he would be with the Pāṇḍava princes at all times, and he himself would ride upon Arjuna's chariot flag. Wherever Hanumān is, Śrī Rāma is present. So Arjuna is accompanied not only by Śrī Kṛṣṇa, but also by His earlier Incarnation Śrī Rāma! Arjuna and the Pāṇḍava princes were twice blessed! Arjuna is referred to as Dhañanjaya, winner of wealth, in reference to his ability to generate the wealth needed by his brother Yudhishṭra.

Not to be outdone, Bhīma, also called Vṛikodara blew on his conch Pauṇḍra, a fearsome sound that invoked dread amongst the Kaurava army. Bhīma was feared by his enemies for his strength and anger. The other three Pāṇḍava princes, Yudhiṣṭra, Nakula and Sahadeva and then by the great warriors, Drupada, Virāṭa, Sātyaki, Śikhaṇḍī, Dṛṣṭadyumna, Abhimanyu and others followed, all blowing their conches in celebration of their impending victory.

Each of these warriors had a great history. Yudhiṣṭra, the eldest of the Pāṇḍava princes, was born to his mother Kuntī through the grace of Yama, the god of justice and death, and was universally known as *Dharmarāja*, the king of truth, as he was established in *dharma*, an embodiment of integrity with the power of words, never known to tell a lie. Nakula and Sahadeva embodied enriching, the power of living who were born to Mādri, the second wife of Pāṇḍu, through the grace of the Aśvini Kumāras, celestial beings.

Drupada, the king of Pāñchāla, was the father of Dṛṣṭadyumna and Draupadī, wife of the Pāṇḍavas. Virāṭa was the king in whose kingdom the five Pāṇḍava princes and Draupadī spent a year in hiding. His daughter married Abhimanyu, Arjuna's son by Subhadrā, Kṛṣṇa's sister. Śikhaṇḍi was born as Bhīṣma's nemesis, when Ambā, a princess whom Bhīṣma captured as a bride for his stepbrother Vicitravīrya, immolated herself to be reborn to avenge her shame.

It is as if Sañjaya, the narrator of the war, repeatedly tries to impress upon the blind king Dhṛtarāśṭra the caliber of the Pāṇḍava warriors. Sañjaya specifically refers to these warriors as '*aparājita*', invincible, ever victorious in whatever task they undertook, implying that they would be victorious in this war.

It is significant that Bhiṣma's conch, sounded by him as the Commander-in-Chief of Kaurava army, to signify the war opening, was responded to by Kṛṣṇa, and not by Dṛṣṭadyumna, the Pāṇḍava Commander-in-Chief, or any of the other Pāṇḍava princes. Kṛṣṇa's was a response of victory, not a reaction to the challenge issued by Bhiṣma.

## **Law of Cosmos is Responsibilism**

Understand, if you feel that you are not responsible, you react. If you feel that you are responsible, you respond. When all your actions are responses and not reactions, you are a *karma yogi*; no karma binds you—you are living in completion and expressing completion. The cosmic vibration of Kṛṣṇa's *Pañcajanya* conch was a declaration of His responsibility for everything in and around Him, an acceptance of the fact that whatever was thrown at the Pāṇḍava army was being accepted by Him, Divinity Incarnate.

Kṛṣṇa, as the Superconscious guide of the Pāṇḍavas, the five embodiments of *dharma*, absolves them of any incompletions, any guilt or wrongdoing by taking upon Himself the responsibility for everything happening and is to happen.

The biggest question we have in our mind is, 'How can I be responsible for everything happening around me? I can be held responsible for what is happening inside me. How can I be held responsible for what is happening outside me? For example, if an accident happens in my life, how can I be responsible?' Everybody asks this question! Let me answer you.

Listen: there is an important difference between being the cause for something, and being responsible for it! Sometimes you may not be the reason for a certain happening, but if it is affecting *your* life, you ARE responsible for that happening. For example, you may not be the cause of political corruption in your country, but as a citizen of the country, you ARE responsible for it! You may not be the reason for it, but that doesn't mean that you are not responsible in truth.

You need to know that unless you take responsibility, you are neither going to improve the situation, nor you are going to expand your inner space.


- A person who does not feel responsible even for his own actions is an animal. He lives in a very low-level consciousness! Duryodhana along with the Kaurava army represents this low-level consciousness.
- A person who feels responsible for his own actions is a human being. He lives in a middle-level consciousness! There were many warriors who felt responsible for their actions, their duties and even supported Duryodhana, they represent this middle-level consciousness.
- A person who takes responsibility even for others' actions is Divine. He lives in leadership consciousness, *Īśvaratva.* Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the *Īśvara,* the leader of the Universe, responsible for the whole Cosmos, with the ability to do anything with the Cosmos.

We always feel that responsibility is a burden. NO! It is a power! Responsibility makes you powerful. Responsibility directly leads you to leadership consciousness, *Īśvaratva*. As long as you feel responsible only for your family, you remain as the head of just your family. When you feel responsible for the community, you become a leader of the community. As your feeling of responsibility expands in you, your leadership quality also expands as a power.

**The decision to feel responsible for the whole Cosmos is Enlightenment! Feeling responsible for the Whole and declaring to live by your feeling is responsible declaration, known in Hindu spiritual practice as** *nididyāsana*. **Responsible declaration unlocks the power of feeling or** *prema śakti* **in you.**

Listen. Cosmos functions on 'responsibilism.' The law of Cosmos, the natural law of Existence, *dharma* is responsibilism. The law of nature is responsibilism. Kṛṣṇa leads the whole war with this one truth, *satya* of 'responsibilism.'

**The whole Mahābhārat war is Kṛṣṇa's expression of the power of His responsibilism, Īśvaratva.** Even though Kṛṣṇa or His actions are not responsible for the war, even though He is not the reason for the war, He takes the responsibility even for others' inauthenticity and others' irresponsibility and reestablishes *dharma*, the cosmic law of responsibilism. This is the job of an Incarnation.

The rest of the Pāṇḍava army, including Arjuna, follow Kṛṣṇa's lead by blowing their divine conches.

# Arjuna Falters

1.19 *This tumultuous sounding of the conches reverberated in the sky and the earth, and shattered the hearts of the sons of Dhṛtarāsṭra.*

- 1.20 *Then, seated in his chariot, which bore the flag of Hanumān, Arjuna lifted his bow, fixed his arrows and looking at the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra spoke to Kṛṣṇa.*
1.21, 1.22 *Arjuna said:*

*O Acyuta (Infallible One), please position my chariot between the two armies and let me see the warmongers gathered here with whom I must wage this battle.*

When Bhīṣma sounded his conch, it invited back the resounding response of the conches of the Pāṇḍava warriors. There is no mention by Sañjaya that Bhīṣma's conch or the accompanying sounds of drums and trumpets from the Kaurava army caused any concern amongst the Pāṇḍava army.

What he says now is different. With the roar of the conches of the Pāṇḍava warriors, led by Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, Sañjaya says that the hearts of the sons of Dhṛitarāṣṭra were shattered.

The words used here are significant. He says that the blowing of the conches created vibrations in the sky and upon the earth. The conches of the Pāṇḍava princes and other great warriors were not mere musical instruments; they were filled with great spiritual power and divine presence. They were in fact *mantra* or sacred sounds, which created powerful vibrations affecting the environment. That is the uproar Sañjaya was talking about.

In the Hindu Purāṇas, epics, one finds references to weapons called *astra*. An *astra* is not a physical weapon. It is a thought, a word that was given enormous power by its creator to destroy, even to the extent of a nuclear device. Later in the Mahābhārat war, power nuclear weapons like *Brahmāstra*, deadliest of all the *astras*, capable of delivering destruction were attempted to be used. Just by the power of thought and words, the nuclear energy was invoked in the warrior's mounted arrow. Kṛṣṇa received the *Brahmāstra* on Him before it could do any damage.

The conches that the Pāṇḍava warriors used were not meant to destroy physically, but they were clearly successful in destroying the fantasies of the Kaurava princes. The purpose of sounding conches was to set the stage for the battle and to define its boundaries. The Pāṇḍava princes and warriors had the comfort of knowing that they were doing what was right, both in their own hearts and in the eyes of God, since they had the association and support of Kṛṣṇa Himself. The Kaurava princes were afraid. All that motivated them was greed and envy. They did not have divine purpose as their motivation.

Sañjaya, with his powerful *ājña*, third eye vision, was able to see far beyond the superficial responses on the battlefield. He was able to unravel the unconscious, deep rooted patterns, emotions and responses of the warriors. Whatever may have been the perceived reaction of the Kaurava army to the response from the Pāṇḍava warriors, Sañjaya concludes that the Kaurava princes were demoralized, imbalanced. The armies went face-to-face in military formation. The conches had sounded in anticipation. The warriors on both sides were waiting for their commanders to signal the first move in offense.

Arjuna was at the forefront of the Pāṇḍava army. He had blown his conch, Devadatta, at the same time as Kṛṣṇa sounded His Pañcajanya. Arjuna had taken up his divine bow Gāṇḍīva, and had fixed the arrow to the bow. However, instead of releasing the arrow, Arjuna looked at the Kaurava army amassed in front of him, with all the Kaurava princes, his cousins, facing him. He then addressed Kṛṣṇa, his friend, mentor, divine guide and charioteer.

For the first time in this scripture, Arjuna speaks. Arjuna is not the

mere hero of Mahābhārat in this *Gītā* scripture. He is the embodiment of all humanity. He is *Nara*, the human aspect of Nārāyaṇa, Lord Viṣṇu, who in turn is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, as *Nārāyaṇa* and *Nara*, as the Divine and human, is the theme that runs throughout *Bhagavad Gītā* and also much of the epic Mahābhārat.

'*Achyuta*, O Infallible One,' said Arjuna to his friend and mentor, 'Please take me to a vantage point between the two armies so that I can see for myself who I am fighting with. Let me see who is assembled here on this battlefield,' he says. 'Kṛṣṇa, please show me who I must vanquish.'

Arjuna already knew to the last man, each one who was on that Kurukṣetra battlefield. He had no confusion about whom he was fighting. All these decisions, negotiations, changing of loyalties, dropouts, all these happened in the days before the war. The lines had been drawn very clearly, even if unwillingly in some cases.

It made no sense at all for Arjuna to ask Kṛṣṇa at this last minute to show him clearly who he was fighting against. It was as if he was hoping that at the last minute something would occur to change the course of events. If that were to happen, he knew that it could only take place through the grace of his charioteer, friend and guide, Mādhava.

It is as if Arjuna was making a desperate plea to Kṛṣṇa, 'Please show me something that I do not know. Show me something that You alone know, Oh *Achyuta (*Infallible Divine). Take me there, where You will, and show me.'

# Intelligence Questions

1.23 *Let me see these well wishers in this war of the evil-minded Duryodhana, who have come together here to fight.*

1.24 *Sañjaya said: O descendant of Bhārata, being thus addressed by Guḍākeśa (Arjuna), Hṛṣikeśa Kṛṣṇa then drew up the fine chariot in the midst of both armies.*

Arjuna starts out on a challenging note. He says he would like to see all those who had assembled to fight him, in support of the evil minded Duryodhana. Accordingly, Kṛṣṇa drew up the chariot between the two armies so that Arjuna could have a good look at all those who had gathered.

Arjuna is being called *Guḍakeśa* in this verse—*Guḍakeśana Bhārata*, the one who has transcended sleep or the need to sleep. Sleep, here, also refers to the unconscious mind, the incomplete inner space. Please listen. Sleep is nothing but the rest we need to give to our tired inner chatter. Sleep is related to the incompletions of the mind. All our incompletions, that drive our actions, reside in our unconscious space as root thought patterns. Only thing we need to go beyond sleep is a complete inner space. Integrity brings deep sleep to us, makes us conquer tiredness and ultimately conquer sleep.

## **Arjuna's Integrity, the power of words**

Let me define Integrity, the first spiritual principle. Integrity is the key which unlocks the power of words, or *vākśakti*.

**Integrity is you fulfilling the word or thought you give to yourself and to others, and experiencing a state of completion,** *pūrṇatva* **with**

#### **yourself and with life.**

Integrity has two dimensions—honoring the words you give to yourself and honoring the words you give to others. Integrity means not just fulfilling, but honoring the word you give to you and others as your very life, is Integrity. Listen. Honoring the word you give to you—that is the key point.

Who is the first person to hear the words you utter? YOU! When you honor the words you give to yourself, your confidence in yourself grows and your self-doubt melts away. YOU become powerful! When you honor the words you give to others, others' confidence in you grows. Your relationship with that person becomes powerful!

The words you utter are YOU! You become the words you speak to yourself and others. If you go on saying, '*I am sick, I am sick*', you simply will become sick. In the same way, if you constantly tell yourself, '*I am healthy*', your energy will wake up. You will be very healthy! Cosmic energy awakens in your system and makes your declarations a reality. It is important to choose the right words, because you can create your reality with the power of your words!

A small story about the power of words, vāk śakti.

Once, a small town was visited by a saint. As the saint passed by a small hut, a woman came to him and begged him to pray for her dying child. Since the saint was new to the town, a crowd gathered around him, curious to see if he could do anything. The woman brought the sick child out to him and he said a prayer over her.

Do you really think your prayer will help the child, when even medicine has failed? After all, they are just some words!', yelled a man from the crowd.

The saint turned and started shouting at the man, 'You idiot, you don't know what I am doing! Just shut up!'

The man was furious! His face grew red and hot. 'How dare you insult me,!' he shouted at the saint.

The saint smiled at him calmly and said, 'If one word has the power to make you so angry, may not another word have the power to heal this child?'

That is the power of words!

**Listen: every thought we complete is the word we give to us. We have to honor it.** The first step of integrity is completing all the negative words we created within us about us and life, and completing all of them. With integrity, our inner chatter disappears, it never becomes tired.

By bringing integrity to his thinking and words, Arjuna had conquered his tiredness, his boredom, his powerlessness and conflicts. When we have integrity and authenticity, when we give our life to fulfill our words, Cosmos intervenes to fulfill our words and makes them into reality. Arjuna is being referred to here as one who has conquered sleep, as a result of tirelessly doing *pūrṇatva*, completion with all the negative words he carried. Because of Arjuna's integrity, the power of words or *vākśakti* became available to him. To fulfill the words of Arjuna, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Cosmos Himself becomes his charioteer, leading him to his total surrender to Divine.

Kṛṣṇa has been called *Hṛṣīkeśa*, one who controls the senses from His powerful space of completion.

**A person who does not have even one moment of powerlessness or incompletion in his life is an Enlightened Being. A person who never had any patterns, any incompletions in his life, right from his birth, is an Incarnation. Physically, mentally, and spiritually, Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the space of eternal completion.** His senses are complete as He knows what He experienced through them is not the source of happiness. The relationship between Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna is the highest form of interaction between the Divine and the human.

You see, for one who is caught in the sleep of unconscious patterns, this world of illusion, *māyā*, appears utterly real. But the enlightened Master has awakened to the level of pure consciousness and knows that this world is just another type of dream. When the disciple is able to completely trust the Master's senses that this world is illusion, and not his own senses that give the incomplete pseudo-idea that this world is real and is the source of his happiness, then the surrender is total.

When approaching the Divine or one's Master, the ultimate step is one of complete surrender.

## **Stages of Surrender**

This surrender happens in three stages. At the first level it is an intellectual surrender, the intellectual acceptance of what the Master represents and what he means to you. A true seeker reaches this stage when he encounters the real Master, Sadguru destined for him. The seeker sees in the Master, qualities he has been searching for. His questions start dying down and answers come even before questions happen.

Intellectual surrender to the Master replaces inadequate questions with adequate doubts. Doubts are not violent like questions as they do not arise from the root patterns or ego. They arise from a genuine, authentic need to know, to create adequate, complete cognition. Despite his high level of surrender, one does see Arjuna initially in this state of questioning, perhaps as a lesson to us.

At the next level, one reaches the state of emotional surrender. From *śāstras* one moves to *stotras*, from the head to the heart. It is like coming home when the heart surrenders. One feels a deep connection with the Guru and constantly remembers Him. It is impossible to forget Him. His memory brings tears to one's eyes, tears of gratitude that are impossible to hide.

> Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa says so beautifully, 'When thinking of the Divine or your Guru, Master, if you have tears streaming down your cheeks, be very sure that this is your last birth.' Emotional surrender leads one close to liberation.


At the final level, is surrender of the senses. One truly realizes Hṛṣīkeśa, Master of senses, and gives up one's distorted, incomplete sense of reality and embraces the Truth of the absolute reality of *Advaita*, non-duality that the Master and every Incarnation have expressed. Ultimately, we must move beyond both doubt and faith to completion that creates a deep trust in the Master, recognizing that everything the Master expresses is for our liberation. As Arjuna progresses through the *Gītā*, layers of his incompletions peel off, and he travels into deeper stages of surrender.

Arjuna calls Duryodhana evil minded. This was to paint a contrast of his own state of mind to that of Duryodhana and rest of Kauravas. When one's mind is filled with patterns of greed, lust, envy and fear, there is a single-minded focus on the potential material benefits. Duryodhana was like an animal, operating out of instinct from his low-level consciousness. Unlike Arjuna, he was not an intelligent man and did not suffer from doubts and guilt. Animals suffer no guilt. They do not consider hunting their prey as something that needs discussion. So it is with Duryodhana. He needs power and his objectives were to do away with the Pāṇḍava princes and usurp the entire kingdom, that's all. When a human behaves the way Duryodhana does, he is in an unconscious space, blindly driven by self-denial patterns.

Please understand, when we are driven by root patterns, we don't even know what we do, why we do—why we are making money, why we have married, why we are living. Nothing! The Kaurava warriors blindly driven by Duryodhana, did not know—why they are fighting, why they want power and exactly what is going to happen? With such an unconscious, incomplete space, Duryodhana and his allies did not suffer from any doubts. When our root patterns are driving our life, we may believe that we are winning, but we will never be driven to victory. If your enemy is driving you, will he be driving you towards victory? Mired totally in self-denial patterns, these Kaurava warriors followed Duryodhana blindly, unaware that the person they followed was blind himself.

Arjuna, on the other hand, is in turmoil. He is driven by Hṛṣīkeśa, the Master of senses, who can control and complete any root pattern. Arjuna's charioteer is Kṛṣṇa Himself, whose very life is a living science of completion. As Kṛṣṇa brings the chariot to a stop between the two armies, in a metaphoric sense, He brings Arjuna's inner space to a steady state to drive him to completion.

With Duryodhana's self-denial root pattern of saying 'no' to life, cloning itself into the manifold Kaurava army of conflicting patterns, even if Duryodhana won any war out of that pattern, he would never achieve satisfaction or completion. Because the reason he is fighting for power is to feel secure from his fear. He will feel secured only when he breaks that pattern, not by winning the war! It is the wrong strategy, for the wrong reason!

Arjuna, unlike Duryodhana, has become aware of his root patterns, he is exposed to his inauthenticies, and is working to free himself from their bondage. However, he is not in the zone of light yet. The conflict between Arjuna and Duryodhana is the conflict that all humans face within themselves—a conflict between their possibility and patterns, their deep unconscious desires, the incompletions driven by their root patterns, and the possibility of completion, consciousness. Completion is consciousness! Which part wins depends on one's ability to complete and surrender to the superconscious Divine or the Master, Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

As long as one is in darkness, one does not miss light. But, Arjuna is in the state of a person who has had sight and has now lost it, who was in the light of completion, but fell into the darkness of incompletion. Yet, only in its own light, can a moon even see its dark patches. And so is Arjuna now seeing his incompletions face-to-face and is blessed to have the source of light, Jagadguru Kṛṣṇa to enlighten him. He is an intelligent man, but suddenly wondered whether what he was doing might be wrong and evil. So he is disturbed.

Duryodhana, on the other hand, has a mind that is always in darkness, He has never experienced true intelligence or completion. Therefore, words like 'immoral' or 'non-integrity' or 'inauthenticity,' '*dharma*' or '*adharma*' would make no sense to him.

# Arjuna's Dilemma

*In the presence of Bhīṣma, Droṇa and other rulers of the world, Hṛṣīkeśa said, Pārtha, behold all the Kurus who are assembled here. There, Arjuna could see within the armies of both parties, His elders, grandfathers, teachers, maternal uncles, cousins, sons, grandsons And friends, as well as his fathers-in-law and well wishers. When Arjuna, the son of Kuntī, saw all these friends and relatives present there, He was overwhelmed with deep pity and said: Kṛṣṇa, seeing my friends and relatives present before me, eager to wage war, I feel my limbs trembling, my mouth drying, and my hair standing on end. My bow, Gāṇḍīva, slips from my hands, and my skin burns. I am unable to stand here any longer. I am forgetting myself, and my mind reels. I foresee only evil omens, O killer of the Keśī demon.*

Kṛṣṇa parked the chariot between the two armies and said to Arjuna, 'Here are the people you wished to see.' Arjuna wanted to see those who were about to fight him and die, and Kṛṣṇa, with no mercy at all, showed him that these were Arjuna's near and dear ones.

Kṛṣṇa Himself was related to Arjuna. Kuntī, Arjuna's mother, also known as Prithā, was Kṛṣṇa's aunt, sister of Kṛṣṇa's father Vāsudeva; so He addresses Arjuna here as Pārtha, the son of Prithā, emphasizing their relationship. Kṛṣṇa is also referred to in *Gītā* as Pārthasārathi, the charioteer of Pārtha, Arjuna.

Assembled in front of Arjuna were compatriots of his father Pāṇḍu, grandfathers and great grandfathers such as Bhīṣma, his own teachers such as Droṇa and Kṛpa, uncles such as Śakuni, brothers and cousins as all the Kaurava princes were, friends and well wishers. At one time or another, each of them had been an object of affection and respect to Arjuna. Now, they were part of this enemy army.

## Arjunaviśāda, Root pattern of a thinking man

The expression of Arjuna's dilemma starts here.

The theme of *Gītā* is the story of Arjuna's dilemma, his incompletion and its completion by Kṛṣṇa.

As a warrior, as a *kṣatriya*, Arjuna was used to killing in battle. He was no stranger to death and violence. As long as those who faced him were his enemies Arjuna had no difficulty in carrying out the execution. However, those in front of him now were his *svajanam*—his relatives, people who actually were like his father, grandfathers, uncles, brothers, sons and grandsons, tied to him with bonds of blood. Many others were his friends with whom he had previously enjoyed bonds of loyalty.

Arjuna's dilemma was not one of nonviolence, *ahiṁsā*. As a *kṣatriya*, this word had no place in his dictionary. His dilemma was one of violence, violence born out of his ego, his identity. He could kill people he did not identify with, but he could not bear to kill those whom he could relate with himself in one way or another. The bonds of family were far stronger than Arjuna had imagined. These bonds were rooted in his ego, and to cut these bonds was to destroy himself. This was Arjuna's dilemma.

What follows now is a bunch of fantasies, inauthenticies that Arjuna's mind weaves in an attempt to justify his dilemma. It is what the human mind conjures up time and again as its projection of the unconscious root thought patterns, trying to justify as authentic action.

Sañjaya says that Arjuna was overwhelmed with pity. Some translate this as compassion. Compassion, true compassion, which is the hallmark of an Enlightened Being, is non-discriminatory; it does not differentiate.

**Please listen. When responsibility expresses through your heart, it is compassion.** To the truly compassionate person, the whole world, of both living and nonliving beings, is an extension of his own self. Anything that hurts any object around such a person would hurt him, and he too would feel the pain.

However, Arjuna's emotion was discriminatory, inauthentic. He felt pity only because they were his kinsmen, only because he identified with them, not because of his authenticity and responsibility to enrich them, not because he felt that all of them were his own extensions, and so by not fighting them he would in turn not fight himself.

This was not compassion born out of *ahiṁsā*, nonviolence, but pity born out of *hiṁsā*, violence. Arjuna's emotions arose from his root pattern, his ego.True compassion arises from a state of integrity and authenticity, the absence of ego where one's inner and outer identities are aligned, and one expresses peak of one's positivity and possibility. It arises from a state of responsibility, out of no-mind and no-thought, where the feelings of 'I' and 'mine' have disappeared and one realizes that one is the Source of everything and so one is responsible for everything. True compassion is a state of completion and bliss, one of true surrender to the Universe.

# Our Four Great Inner Powers

Please understand, the four spiritual principles of integrity, authenticity, responsibility and enriching are the four *Vedas*, *caturveda* to experience surrender to the Cosmos and to have the power to simply manifest the reality of your choice!

Listen! Whether you know it or not, whether you believe it not, you have four giant powers sitting inside you. Though you use these powers everyday in your life, you don't use them consciously, with a clear intention. Please understand, all these powers are great energies, just like electricity or wind power. If you handle them properly, they can shower you with everything you want. But if you don't handle them properly, they will continue to impact your life in negative ways.

These powers are related to the four major dimensions of your life—

your words, your thinking, your emotions, and your living. When you awaken your peak possibility in each of these dimensions, it becomes a great power and support in your life.

**Each of the four powers is guided by a spiritual principle known as** *tattva.* **The** *tattva* **is the key to unlock the corresponding power in you.**

> *First spiritual principle is Integrity. When you practice integrity, the power of words or vāk śakti will be available to you.*

> *Second tattva is Authenticity. When you practice authenticity, the power of thinking or mano śakti will be open to you.*

> *Third tattva is Responsibility. The power of feeling or prema śakti will be possible when you practice responsibility.*

> *And the fourth tattva is Enriching. You will have access to the power of living or ātma śakti the moment you decide to enrich others.*

> *The foundation for these tattvas is pūṛṇatva—completion of all the patterns we carry.*

When we live these spiritual principles and express these four great powers, the individual self merges with the universal Self, and true compassion happens out of the space of completion with the Cosmic Consciousness; from the experience that one is part of that Brahman.

Listen. Arjuna's pity arose out of fear of losing his identity, his fear of expansion, his root pattern or ego. Arjuna was mortally afraid. He claimed that his throat was parched, his hair was standing on edge and his divine bow was slipping from his sweaty hands. If one did not know Arjuna better, one would have considered him a coward.

Arjuna was no coward. He had no fear for his own physical safety. He was not concerned that he might be injured or that he might die. As a warrior of warriors, these feelings were beneath him. But, Arjuna was afraid of breaking social and ethical laws. His values and beliefs, his bio-memories, his root thought patterns, told him that what he was doing was wrong and unacceptable. So powerful was this feeling that he was reeling, quivering, dazed and unable to think or function.

Can something like this really happen? Can a hero lose his composure and exhibit the physical symptoms of a frightened coward? A true hero to whom death is play, who is trained from childhood by the greatest of Masters not only in the control of his body, his sleep, but of his mind as well? Arjuna's situation shows how the mind can play games with the best of us, how the root patterns can take over the mind in so powerful a manner as to make us powerless, without our awareness.

Arjuna was frightened that he would be held responsible for the death of his kinsmen, people who were father, grandfather and other such important figures to him. He was afraid that even if others did not blame him, he would suffer the guilt and regret for his actions for the rest of his life. So great was this fear root pattern of potential guilt, that it drove Arjuna into behaving inauthentically like a coward. All he could foresee was disaster and evil all around him. At another, far deeper level, Arjuna was terrified of his own destruction. The moment one starts identifying with *svajanam*, kinsmen, family, friends and relatives, it is a material identification, born out of possession arising from one's ego, the feeling of 'I' and 'mine.'

Possession is born of attachment, and leads to attachment as well. There can be no feeling of possessing something unless one is attached to it. People speak of attachment, liking and love. All these are valid only as long as a sense of possession exists. The moment the object of love turns around and displays independence and unwillingness to be possessed, the liking and the love disappears.

Possession arises out of our survival need, from our *mūlādhāra cakra*, an energy center located at the base of the spine. It is a primal feeling that yokes us to mother Earth. Out of the need for possession, feelings of lust, greed and anger arise. Often what one cannot possess, one wants to destroy.

'What I cannot have, let no one have,' we often feel, out of our incompletion. Possession leads to violence. It is also the deep-rooted desire for possessions, the feeling of 'mine,' that gives rise to your identity 'I.' The need to possess does not stem from your identity. It is the other way around. 'Mine' leads to 'I,' not 'I' to 'mine.' This is why you cannot eliminate your identity till you renounce your attachment to all your desires and possessions. You need to get rid of the 'mine' first. Only then the 'I' disappears.

Understand, incompletions will make you feel the whole world should be yours. Incompletions will continue to make you feel you can own, possess the whole world. Incompletions continuously make you exploit others.


# Arjuna's Dilemma

Arjuna is in this mood and frame of mind. It strikes him at the moment of waging war, that what he is about to destroy are his own possessions, his own identity. If he were to destroy them he will be destroying a part of his own self, his own mind-body system. It is true that when someone dear to us dies, a part of our mind-body system dies with them. Arjuna knew that the destruction of so many of his near and dear ones, his kinsmen, would take a massive toll on him, akin to committing suicide.

Arjuna's dilemma was an existential one. What is the point of eliminating others, if it results in one's own elimination? It is a dilemma born out of partial understanding, an incomplete cognition, a peek into the truth of collective consciousness. If Arjuna were to be as unaware as Duryodhana, this doubt would have never entered his mind. Were he enlightened as Kṛṣṇa was, the answer would have been obvious. Arjuna was in between, hence his dilemma.

Why should I destroy myself? What for? These are the questions that naturally follow this line of reasoning. Arjuna was far wiser than many modern philosophers in posing this as a doubt, without venturing into any answers himself.

Many philosophers have concluded that there is no meaning to life when they encountered similar doubts. They would not even want to enter their doubt, their dilemma. They would not want to take any logical arguments arising in them to the logical conclusion. Since they did not have the integrity of Arjuna to face the conflicting thoughts arising in them, or the guidance of Kṛṣṇa to take them to their logical conclusion, they provided their own answers created out of non-integrated reasoning lacking any experiential backing.

Here, Arjuna is undergoing a process of transformation; he is going to rewrite his future! He started off in this war with the basic assumptions of the *kṣatriya* codes of conduct, on which his outer image, *ahaṁkāra* was formed. When challenged, a *kṣatriya* must fight; that is his code of honor. Arjuna had no self-doubt in doing this as he was brought up in this belief system, this default societal pattern.

However, the problem was that Arjuna was a thinking man. Unlike Duryodhana, or his own brother Bhīma, he was not a thoughtless man. This ability to think, to be aware, to be integrated was what had got him into trouble now. When he brought deep integrity into his thinking, doubts assailed him. 'Am I really doing the right thing? Am I not destroying myself and all that I stand for when I wage this war against my own people?' He finally landed up in utter confusion.

**Listen. Utter confusion, dilemma is the first thing any person has to face in his life for Enlightenment.** If we have not yet faced the dilemma, the possibility for transformation has not yet opened. When we are in dilemma, be very clear, the seeking has started in us.

Arjuna has become a seeker of Truth. He was no longer satisfied with what he had imbibed all these years—*śāstras*, *stotras* and *sūtras*. He wished to go beyond. He questioned them, as he had doubts. He was in a dilemma.

*Arjuna-viśāda-yogaḥ* is the name given to this first chapter of *Gītā. Viśāda* can mean many things in Saṃskṛit—grief, sorrow, despondency, despair, depression, powerlessness, dilemma and such. Here what we see is the dilemma that Arjuna was in, not knowing whether what he had been taught all his life, and what he had believed to be true, was really true after all.

> Understand, sometimes people ask me, '*Swamiji*, after becoming your disciple, I see a lot of struggle inside my mind.'

I tell them, 'I am doing it! I will not let you rest till you become completely authentic. Even one point inauthenticity cannot be tolerated. Understand, you have to do the job when you are in the body. You have to achieve It. Whether you feel the urgency or not, if you feel the urge, it is urgent for me. Whether you getting enlightened is urgent for you or not, *you* getting enlightened is urgent for me*.'*

When you look into my eyes, why are you afraid? Because I expose your *mamakāra*, your whole inner image to you. I will expose your inauthenticity to you. I will expose your actual inner image, that which is hidden from you.

Arjuna's actual inner image, his whole *mamakāra* that was hidden from him, his root pattern of attachment, his deep fear of expansion, and his inauthenticities are now being exposed by Kṛṣṇa. The transformation that Kṛṣṇa leads him to over the eighteen chapters is the revelation of truth to Arjuna, and to all humanity.

Kṛṣṇa is referred to by many names thus far. The word 'Kṛṣṇa' itself refers to His dark blue color, the color of the sky, and as infinite as the sky. It also means *Sat-Cit-Ānanda*—Truth-Consciousness-Bliss, and 'who graces liberation to those who surrender to Him.'

He is called *Keṣava* as He destroyed the demon Keṣin. Keṣava also refers to His beautiful hair. The embodiment in Him of the trimūrti, holy trinity of Hindu tradition (the Saṃskṛit words K referring to Brahma, A to Viṣṇu, Īśā to Śiva) is another meaning of this name. Govinda is a combination of '*go*' referring to all living beings and *'vinda*' which means knower, Kṛṣṇa being the ultimate knower of the mind, body and being of all living creatures.

# Rigors Of Incompletions

*   1.31 *I foresee only evil omens, O Kṛṣṇa, I do not see any good coming out of killing one's own kinsmen \[svajanam] in this battle. I do not covet my dear Kṛṣṇa, victory or kingdom or pleasures*.
*   1.32 *What use is kingdom, pleasures or even life, Kṛṣṇa?*
*   1.33 *Those for whose sake we seek kingdoms, enjoyment and happiness Now are arrayed in this battlefield ready to lose their lives and wealth.*

1.34, 1.35 *Even if I am about to be slain by my teachers, fathers, sons, grandfathers, maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law and all relatives, I would not like to slay them even to gain control of all three worlds. Why then, Madhusūdana, would I wish to kill them for control of this earth?*

Arjuna now started developing his theme in detail. He started expressing his doubts with clarity. One may ask, 'How can such doubts be clear?' Doubts need to be clear if they are to be resolved. Thoughts need to be integrated if they need to be complete.

**Listen. A clearly expressed word is fulfillment. The word which constantly keeps you in completion and expands you is Integrity**. Everything starts with the word. Unclear doubts lead only to more confusion.Thoughts and words lacking integrity lead to incompletions. Unintelligent beings that lack integrity have unclear doubts.

## **Integrated Listening to yourself**

Arjuna's doubts were precise. Arjuna started listening to himself. Listening to you is the first step to spirituality. Constantly listening to your inner space is the beginning of integrity.

**Listening brings integrity into our words.** We never ever really listen, either to ourselves or to others. When you really start listening to yourself, you will naturally become more aware of the words you give to yourself and others. You will also have the ability to listen to others' words with integrity.

Listening is directly connected to your ability to handle reality as it IS, without creating your own unconscious ideas and conclusions. When you don't have listening, you always come to a conclusion even before the information is cognized in you. **That is why the very first step of Hindu spiritual practice is** *Śravana***, Integrated Listening.**

Because Arjuna was listening to himself, he started thinking with integrity. When we bring integrity in our thinking, the first thing is that we will know what is happening inside us. Arjuna has clarity about the doubts arising inside him, and is now exposed to his own inauthenticies. How could he seek happiness through destruction of his kinsmen, he asked. How could any good come out of this action? How could he desire power, possessions and pleasures through such action? And if he did gain those things as a result of killing his family, of what use would such a life be to him?

Though Arjuna was in a dilemma, it was a dilemma born out of intelligence, not out of ignorance. Arjuna had been taught all his life to seek power, possessions and pleasures, and he had done it. Up to this point, he had not come across a single situation where the cost of acquiring these had seemed to be greater than the accruing profit, the resulting enjoyment. Perhaps he had never bothered to evaluate the cost and benefits.

For the first time in his life, he has faced a situation that forces him to evaluate his options. 'Do I forge ahead and destroy what is dear to me so that I get more power and possibly more pleasure?' he asks. What a fundamental question, one that each one of us should ask ourselves. How often do we lack integrity and go behind activities that promise us more material benefits, even though we know that these may in some way damage our life or the lives of those we care about?

The problem is that life is not so predictable, yet we try to control it as if it is. The bigger problem is that we are deeply conditioned by our root thought patterns, our unconscious space, which ensures that in spite of all precautions, we keep making the same mistakes, living our past memories even in our present.

**Please listen! The ideas we carry about our old failures, every idea we carry about the past, is wrong. Before changing our future, by avoiding or replicating our past, we need change our past.** Unless we change our past, we cannot change our future. We will immediately think, '*How can I change my past? It has already happened*.' No! The idea we carry about our past is completely wrong. We are not carrying it as it happened. We are carrying the edited version, with all the sound effects, volume effects and music effects, etc!

People usually say, 'Don't bother about the past, change your future!' I tell you' don't bother about the future; change your past. Because your future lies in the past! Change your past. The hangover you carry about the past is the disease you carry. Unless you complete with the past, your past cannot be transformed.

**I tell you, not having the hangover with the words you committed with you and with others, is Integrity. Not having the load of the past negativity is Integrity.**

**Positivity means absence of the load of the past negativity. Integrity starts only when we are in a state of completion, when we complete with the root thought pattern .**

Very few of us stop and bring integrity to our thinking and question the purpose and value of our actions. With few exceptions, we are taught how to live and what to do with our lives, first by our families and later by society. We do our best to seek fulfillment. Most often, we are taught the wrong mediocre ideas about life, and try to keep up with our personal and professional commitments, and it never occurs to us to ask ourselves—are we truly fulfilled and successful? Never do we doubt, 'Why am I doing, what I am doing?' Instead, our lives become a constant series of—'what next, what next?'

For example, as youngsters we think, 'As soon as I get out of my parents' house and into college, I will be happy.' When that is accomplished, our minds immediately rush to the next goal, 'As soon as I graduate and get a good job or career I will be happy.' Once that is done, it is marriage, home, children, and vacation. On and on it goes, until we have all the things that we want but not the completion for which we worked. Invariably we realize only in our old age that something is wrong in the way we worked and we don't know why. If we look into our lives, exactly this madness is going on. The '*why*' is not kept alive in us consistently. We do not discover the '*why*,' '*for what*' we are doing things!

## **'What is the Why of my Life?' cries Arjuna**

It takes a lot of courage of authenticity to bring integrated listening to our thinking, to stop and question our lives, our actions and society's plan for us. Understand, the attitude of asking 'WHY' needs awareness, but we forget to ask the '*why*'. We don't take our thoughts, words and deeds to the logical conclusion. It takes authenticity, the power of thinking, the inner strength to say to the world, 'Stop, I want to get off; I want to know why am I doing, what I am doing? I want to seek true inner bliss!'

It takes tremendous courage of authenticity to recognize the transitory nature of life and its limited offer of happiness, to say—'I want something more.' It takes enormous courage to complete with the materialism of the world to seek one's true purpose in life.

I tell you, if just the '*why*' is kept alive, '*why* am I feeling powerless?', '*why* am I feeling tired', '*why* am I feeling sick?', '*why* am I depressed?'; just if the '*why*' is strong enough to take you to the logical conclusion, our problems will be solved. If we just keep this one question alive, '*Why am I doing what I am doing?*' and are able to take this one question to the logical conclusion in our life, I tell you, we will be enlightened. You will radiate enriching!

#### *'What is the purpose of my life, Kṛṣṇa?' wailed Arjuna.*

Arjuna is now thinking with integrity and questioning himself, his training and his purpose when faced with the task of fighting against his kinsmen. The scene from his chariot has taken him off balance! In his heart he knows that what he is about to do is correct. All of his training as a *kṣatriya* confirms this as well. But when faced with the reality of actually killing those who have been near and dear to him, he loses his will. He is feeling completely powerless. Why?

Arjuna is a courageous man. Only a courageous person will have the confidence to open himself up so transparently and expose his innermost fear patterns, his lack of integrity and inauthenticities and seek help. Arjuna was not depressed, he was confused. He could certainly differentiate between right and wrong. His sudden confusion grew out of his awareness of his parental and societal patterns that what he had been taught throughout his life, might be wrong! Fortunately for Arjuna, his charioteer is none other than Kṛṣṇa Himself, Lord of all beings and knower of all! Only He can see what is at the heart of Arjuna's grief. Only He could provide answers to Arjuna's doubts and completion to his dilemma.