As I told you, it is not that Arjuna does not know. He has just heard the whole thing. Still, he wants to listen to it once more. Sometimes we enjoy listening to the same thing over and over. It is not that we do not understand, but it gives us great joy to listen to the same thing again and again! Like that, Arjuna wants to listen to the same truth again and again.

Arjuna wants to know why a person would want to sacrifice everything and what is the process of renunciation.

In Bharat it is often difficult to distinguish a renunciate, a Sannyāsi, from a common beggar. Both seek alms. Both possess very little. And both are homeless. Many people take the easy path and treat the Sannyāsi like a beggar and shoo him off.

I tell my disciples, 'When in doubt treat the beggar as if he were a monk. If you have money to give, what harm is there if you give it to enrich another person?' Some people tell me, 'But *Swamiji*, they are cheating us!' So what? Get cheated, that's all. When you give, give out of completion, give unconditionally or don't give at all. When you give out of completion, not expecting anything in return, what difference does it make whether you give to a monk or a beggar. If you expect that a monk will bless you if you give and that the blessing will have effect, why can't the blessing of a beggar have the same effect? And how do you know that a person wearing a monk's garb is truly leading a monk's life?

So, giving alms to a Sannyāsi is like taking out insurance. You expect that your merits are getting noted down in a Cosmic record to decide whether you go to hell or heaven.

Make it simple. Give out of your completion. Give unconditionally if you can afford it. Give even if you cannot afford it. That is when giving becomes truly enriching. When you sacrifice what you cannot afford to sacrifice, by the mere act of giving, you become a renunciate, a Sannyāsi. How noble it is!

Arjuna is confused about the act and the actor. What is important is the act. Anyone can be the actor.

# Never Give Up Selfless Enriching

*18.2 Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa says,*

*   the renouncing of all selfish work based on desire, is what the learned ones call as sannyāsa, the renounced order of life. And renunciatig the attachment to fruit or result of one's actions is what the wise ones call as tyāga, renunciation.
*   18.3 Some learned men say that all kinds of result-based activities are faulty and should be given up, but there are yet other sages who maintain that acts of enriching sacrifice \[yajña], charity \[dāna] and austerity \[tapaḥ] should never be given up.
*   18.4 Arjuna, best of Bhāratas, now listen from Me certainly about renunciation or tyāga; O tiger among men, renunciation or tyāga is declared to be of three kinds.
*   18.5 Acts of enriching sacrifice \[tyāga], charity \[dāna] and austerity \[tapaḥ] are not to be given up; they should be performed. Indeed, even the Sages are purified by enriching sacrifice, charity and penance.
*   18.6 O Pārtha (Arjuna), all these activities must also be performed without any attachment or any expectation of fruit or result. They should be done as an act of responsibility. That is My final and ultimate opinion.

Kṛṣṇa replies: 'Bhārata, now hear my judgment about renunciation. Renunciation is of many types. Let me explain the truth.' And then Bhagavān starts.

Bhagavān says that some learned masters say that giving up activities

based on material desires is renunciation, *tyāga.* Others say that giving up the results is renunciation. Hence some say that giving up activity is renunciation whereas others say that it is giving up the results.

No other master is as compassionate as Kṛṣṇa. He is the ultimate Master. He does not merely teach. He knows it is difficult for people to believe. It takes time to believe. So He gives logic to support His teachings. Again and again, He tries His best to convince Arjuna. Considering the level that He is at, there is no need for Him to come down to the level of Arjuna. He can say, 'This is the truth. If you want you can follow it, otherwise get out!' But He does not do that. He is compassionate. Again and again, He comes down and explains the truths step-by-step.

Some learned people recommend ritualistic actions, such as killing an animal for a sacrifice. Other learned people denounce that act. Thus there are different opinions regarding the same action by different Sages. Kṛṣṇa clarifies these opinions now.

### **Enriching Sacrifice is the Path of Completion**

After all, it is Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the form of the Ultimate who originally created the scriptures and laws. Therefore any explanation from Him should be considered the last word. He says that any process of renunciation should be considered within the context in which it is performed. Renunciation can be of three types: enriching sacrifice, charity and penance; *yajña, dāna, tapaḥ.* These purify even those who are already evolved and pure.

It must be understood that the purpose of performing *yajña,* enriching sacrifices is the purification or upliftment or completion of the human being on the spiritual path. They link cosmic energy with individual energy.

Kṛṣṇa says that any sacrifice done for the welfare or enrichment of humanity is not to be given up. As enriching sacrifices, *yajñas* are meant to achieve the supreme, performing charity, *dāna* is recommended to purify one's heart and put one on the path of spiritual progress. Sacrifice is normally understood to be rituals such as *yajña* and *homa*, etc. These are the fire rituals prescribed in *Vedic* literatures to propitiate the deities. When carried out with integrity and authenticity, these powerful techniques link us to the Cosmic energy.

Here you must understand that Kṛṣṇa talks about the reality of what existed more than five thousand years ago when these rituals were performed with awareness, integrity and authenticity. In performing an *aśwamedha yajña*, a powerful king let loose his prize horse to roam as it pleased in enemy territory and waged war with anyone who dared stop the horse. All the land that the horse covered became his vassal territory and those kings accepted the sovereignty of the owner of the horse.

This is what we know from the epics Mahābhārat and Rāmāyaṇa that detail these sacrifices. The *Upaniṣads* talk about the metaphorical significance of these rituals. In the scriptures, reference is made to the inner *aśwamedha yajña*, meditating upon the sun that is identified with *aśwamedha.*

In our times, sacrifice refers to any selfless enriching service that enriches others and enriches you. Whatever enriching we do for others out of completion, without expecting anything in return is a sacrifice, an enriching sacrifice or *yajña*. Unfortunately, many people engaged in sacrifice are more interested in seeing their pictures on the television or in newspapers than in the service.

Charitable enriching, *dāna* is giving out of overflowing completion with no expectation in return. Charity is not giving while posing for a picture that will be published in tomorrow's newspaper. That is business. Those who are truly charitable never allow others to know what they are doing. That is why it is said that your left hand should not know what your right hand is giving. Only then charity achieves its authentic purpose of enriching others.

Charity should also involve pain. You can call it charity when you cannot afford to give something away and yet you give it away. Charity must become a penance, *tapaḥ* and lead to austerity if it is to be real.

Penance, *tapaḥ* is denying oneself sense pleasures and being complete with the senses. Ultimately, the purpose of all spiritual exercise is to be complete with the mind, body and senses and thereby controlling the mind and senses. Penance, *tapaḥ* is turning inwards whereas sacrifice, *yajña* and charity, *dāna* are focused outwards.

'All these enriching activities should be performed without attachment or expectation of results. They should be performed as a matter of responsibility, and this is My final opinion,' says the Master.

Only by enriching others does your life get enriched. Don't be selfish. Understand, responsibility is the fruit. Enriching is sowing the seed for the fruit to happen. Enriching is sharing the fruit to create more fruits. Every person who eats the fruit is responsible for sowing the seed for more fruits to happen.

Kṛṣṇa gives His ultimate opinion. Earlier He explained what others said about renunciation, as either giving up the activity itself or the results of the activity. Now He says that His opinion on renunciation is living without attachment, *etāny api tu karmāṇi saṅgaṁ tyaktvā phalāni ca* (18.6).

This must be understood in depth. Listen! Whether it is spiritual or worldly activity, as long as you struggle with a purpose and a goal, you can never relax. Whether it is the act of purifying your inner space by doing self-completion or purifying your outer space by enriching others, as long as you struggle, you will be in incompletion. Please be very clear about this. The person who surrenders to the flow of life, experiences the inner space and outer space at the same time. He enjoys the inner and the outer space at the same time. Whatever Kṛṣṇa has spoken in these seventeen chapters, He is now giving its gist.

### **Surrender Both Inner and Outer Space**

Let me explain what I mean by the word surrender. Then you can understand better. Think of two intersecting lines, axes.

The vertical axis is spiritual life. The horizontal axis is

material life. The point of intersection is your being. This is the goal you have. You have some goal in your material life and also in your spiritual life. To achieve your goal in your material life, you are continuously struggling and working. You are somewhere on the horizontal axis. To achieve your spiritual goal, you are again working intensely doing *yoga, prāṇāyāma, pratyāhāra*, etc. You practice spiritual techniques. You are somewhere on the vertical axis. So when you struggle with material goals, you are on the horizontal line whereas when you struggle with spiritual goals, you are on the vertical line.

As long as you are struggling, you can struggle either in this direction or that direction. As long as you struggle in material life, you avoid spiritual life. As long as you struggle in spiritual life, you avoid material life. Listen! As long as you struggle with completion, you don't enrich. As long as you struggle with enriching, you are not complete! Both are a struggle.

**Kṛṣṇa says, 'Relax from both.'** You may think, 'What is this funny instruction He is giving!' You think that if you relax in both you will lose both. However, the truth is that when you relax in both, you fall into your inner consciousness, your being or your inner space. When you experience this inner space, this inner consciousness, you will suddenly realize that you can explode in all directions. You do not need to choose between horizontal and vertical lines. You can travel on both lines at the same time!

Not only that, you can explode in all directions. The only difficulty is that you must surrender at least to your own being. You do not need to surrender to somebody else. To whom you surrender is unimportant. Just relax into your own being. Just relax into your inner space, into your inner consciousness. Just surrender to your own inner space. Stop your struggle in the material world and the spiritual world.

In the material world or my world, the world of 'mine', your properties are your goal. You struggle to achieve these goals, such as enriching with wealth, career, success, etc. In the spiritual world also you have certain goals, such as Enlightenment, living in the space of completion, being integrated and authentic, etc. And you constantly run to attain that goal. Actually, spiritual goals create more ego than material goals. At least with material goals, at some point, you realize that you cannot achieve real happiness by running behind them. It can be tiring. But with spiritual goals you do not even understand what you are doing. Both goals take your being away from your being. When you surrender and relax into your being, you suddenly realize you are neither the body nor the mind, to choose between the horizontal and the vertical lines.

As long as you believe you are the mind, you will be forced to choose between the vertical and horizontal lines. You will be in a dilemma because the mind wants to choose. The mind and dilemma are the same thing. The mind ceases to exist once dilemmas vanish. The mind exists as long as you have dilemma. Has your mind existed without dilemmas? No, never! You may be in a dilemma even to answer this question; that is all! The mind continues to exist only in dilemma. You continuously worry about whether to choose this or that.

Whenever you choose something, someday you will definitely wonder and your mind will create self-doubt about the choice you made. The mind only exists because of dilemma. As long as you are based in your mind, you will be choosing between material and spiritual goals. The people who choose material goals will feel that they are missing spiritual life. And those who pick spiritual goals will feel they are missing material life. This is because you choose between the two.

For the first time, Kṛṣṇa gives the ultimate technique for Quantum Spirituality. He is the first quantum scientist of the inner world. He says relax and surrender and you will experience the completion of your inner consciousness. You will understand that you do not need to choose between the horizontal and vertical lines. You can explode in all 360 degrees. You need not make a choice. You experience choicelessness. Choicelessness does not mean that you do not choose anything. When you stop choosing, you will choose everything.

Listen! I am asked by my disciples, 'Should we not become completely complete from our root patterns and only then enrich others? Should we choose to do one?'

**Please listen! Enriching and completion, both should be practiced simultaneously.** Listen! With more and more completion, more and more enriching will happen. With more and more enriching, completion will happen. Actually, when you complete with somebody, you already started enriching that person. You can explode in all 360 degrees with completion and enriching, both!


Please understand that no one is 'up there' keeping an account of our deeds and misdeeds. Our own spirit does that job. So we can never escape! No amount of propitiation or contribution to 'noble' causes will erase the knowledge from our inner Self of what we have done. When we die, the body perishes but the spirit moves on to another body. That spirit carries its earlier mental patterns, its *vāsanā.* There is no exception to this rule. Saṁskāras or root patterns are the carried-over incomplete desires and they cause the cycle of saṁsāra, birth, death and rebirth.

However, we have no unfulfilled desires, *karma*, *saṁskāra* or *vāsanā* left when we renounce attachment to 'doership' and become a mere witness to both the action and the result. This means we act without expectation and attachment to the result of our action. Such a person breaks out of this cycle of *saṁsāra*.

# Technology Of Surrender

*18.13,14 Learn from Me Arjuna, there are five causes that bring about the accomplishment of all action, as described in Sāṅkhya philosophy. These are: physical body that is the seat of action, the attributes of nature or guṇa that are the Doer, the eleven organs of perceptions and action by the life forces and finally the Divine.*

*18.15 These five factors are responsible for whatever right or wrong actions a man performs by deed, word and thought.*
*18.16 Therefore, one who thinks himself, his body and spirit, as the only doer [kartā], is certainly ignorant and foolishly does not see things as they are.*

In these verses, Kṛṣṇa gives the exact technology of surrender. These two verses can be called techniques.

Kṛṣṇa lists five factors from *Sāṅkhya* philosophy responsible for our activities. These are the body-mind system, the operator of the bodymind system (that is the individual), the senses, different efforts causing the activities and finally the ultimate power of God. All activities, right or wrong, good or bad, are caused by these five factors. If however, the individual considers himself to be the doer, his body and mind, he is not aware.

Kṛṣṇa uses the word *ātman* while saying that one who perceives one's spirit or Self as the agent, the doer, or the performer, does not see and is not aware. Kṛṣṇa draws a distinction between the individual Self and the cosmic energy. He differentiates between ātman and Brahman, mānava and Deva, nara and Nārāyaṇa, self and Parāśakti.

Kṛṣṇa concludes that while philosophical discussion mentions five players in all activities, the ultimate controller is the Divine. We are immersed in our body-mind-spirit system and caught in our sensory perceptions and believe that we are the power behind all that we do. So long as we have this deluded belief, we are rooted in ignorance.

Whatever you may understand as yourself, your body-mind-spirit system is the totality of many things. And individually each is responsible for something. In spite of this, you think that 'you' are responsible for the whole thing. That is where the trouble starts. Kṛṣṇa gives the technology for the deeper levels of surrender.

As we saw earlier, there are three levels of surrender. The first is intellectual surrender. This means you accept that the Master's intellect is sharper than your intellect; His intellect is of a higher order than yours. This is intellectual surrender. Next is emotional surrender. This is trusting that the Master's guidance on the emotional plane is more intelligent than your emotions. The third is surrendering the senses, your cognition or the root of cognition itself.

Surrendering the intellect is easy because it continuously tortures you. You have suffered with the intellect for many years. You want to get rid of it. So you surrender it. When you see somebody more intelligent and with clearer thinking, you just surrender. For example, when you hire a consultant, you surrender to his ideas. When you take on a lawyer, you surrender to his ideas because you know his intellect is sharper than yours in that field. In the spiritual field also, when you see a person who knows more, you surrender your intellect to that person. That is not a big thing. Surrendering intellectually happens easily. Most of the time you want to get rid of your intellect. Finding somebody to dump your intellect on allows you to relax from it.

Next comes emotional surrender. This happens when you feel deeply connected to the Master after experiencing some meditation or understanding. You respect his emotions more than your own. The Master's emotions mean the things he guides you in, the way he wants you to live. You give more importance to these things than what you think of as life. Slowly he becomes the center of your life. You respect him more than other emotional attachments. Priorities shift. The Master becomes the number one priority at the emotional level. Emotional surrender is when you feel totally connected at the emotional level.

### **Deeper Level of Surrender—Mind or Master?**

Next is a deeper level of surrender.

After listening to these seventeen days of discourses, you can understand this deeper level of surrender. This is the level of the senses. The surrender of the senses means that your senses listen to what he says. Normally, when you listen to me, a filter in your mind discounts what you do not agree with. You hear what you want to hear. However, when intellectual and emotional surrender happen, you are ready to surrender this disbelief and unblock your senses.

> Once a disciple asked his Master, 'Why should I surrender?'

> The Master asked, 'How do you know whatever you think you know about yourself?'

The disciple replied, 'I know myself through my senses.'

The Master asked, 'Who do you think you are according to your senses?'

The disciple said, 'As far as I know, I am the body and mind.'

His Master responded, 'You are God, not just body and mind.'

The Master said, 'Only when you surrender your senses, will you realize the truth of what I am saying. The moment you trust me more than your senses, you experience that you are God. You then understand the meaning of *Tat Tvam Asi* (literally 'You Are That', meaning 'you are divine').'

The Master again and again tries to show that you are God. I keep saying, 'I am not here to prove that I am God. I am here to prove that you are God.'

**The Master stands for the idea that you are the infinite.** He shows you various dimensions of your inner self that you have not explored or experienced. He shows you so many dimensions of your being. The Master stands for your multi-dimensional being. He tries to show you that it is possible. He shows that if it is possible for him, it is possible for you also. But as long as you believe your senses, you think that you are the body and mind.

When you trust the Master more than your senses, you understand that the Master's words are the truth and not your senses. Then you experience the truth of the Master's words. When the Master says you are God, you suddenly realize the truth for yourself. You understand that you are God. You realize that you are not the body or mind as your senses have led you to believe. When you believe the Master's words more than your senses, you experience this truth.

Two voices are speaking from two different levels. On the one hand, your senses tell you that you are the body and mind. On the other hand, the Master tells you that you are God; you are divine and have many dimensions to your being. He tells you to enjoy and experience everything. As long as you listen to your senses, you will not even listen to what the Master says. When you move away from your senses and come to the Master, you listen to Him and experience the truth that you are Divine.

### **Final Surrender Itself is Enlightenment**

In the inner world, the first and last tool you need is complete surrender. Only then can you wake up to the Truth. If Arjuna had trusted only his senses, he would have been at best a good warrior and king. Instead he trusted Kṛṣṇa more than his senses and became enlightened. He experienced the truth of Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa said that the crow was green, he saw a green crow. Such was his faith.

You can experience Kṛṣṇa consciousness not just by surrendering the intellect and emotions but also by surrendering the root of the intellect and emotions, that is the senses. The senses supply the data. When you surrender them, the source of the data is surrendered.

When you surrender your senses, the root cognition of yourself, you lose your identification with the body and mind. As long as you believe your senses, you think that you are the body and mind. Only when you believe the Master's words more than your senses, do you realize the truth that you are divine. On one hand, your senses say you are the body and mind. On the other hand, the Master tells you that you are divine and in eternal bliss. He tells you that you are the consciousness beyond body and mind.

It is up to you to choose. If you believe the senses, you cannot believe the Master. And if you believe the Master, you cannot believe your senses. Your way of life decides whether you surrender to your senses or your Master. It is for you to decide.

Kṛṣṇa says that only when you surrender at all three levels do you have the ultimate experience. Let me tell you this, surrender itself is Enlightenment. Please do not think Enlightenment will be issued to you after surrendering. No! It is not a paycheck you receive by courier. Surrender itself is Enlightenment. At that moment, you experience the Truth.

Usually we play with words. At least be aware of the moments when you play with words. People tell me that they have surrendered their life to Kṛṣṇa, Venkateśvara or Śiva. Then they say that their only wish is to be happy. If they have truly surrendered, surrender is enough. They will not need to ask for anything else. Sometimes people ask if they need to meditate since they have surrendered to God. If they have surrendered, they will have no doubts, nor will they need meditation! If they have doubts, they need meditation. As long as doubts remain, surrender has not happened, because the moment you surrender, *you* disappear.

A beautiful verse in Tamil says, 'When you give your 'I' and 'mine'

to Existence, Parāśakti or Existence gives Her 'I' and 'Mine' to you.' Both bank accounts merge and become one. It becomes a joint account! You have nothing to lose.

When you think of yourself as body and mind, you have *śariram rogamayam* and *manam sohamayam*. *Śariram rogamayam* means that the body is filled with diseases. *Manam sohamayam* means that the mind is filled with sorrows or depression. Since that is the case, what can we surrender? Absolutely nothing, except a body full of diseases and a mind full of sorrows. When you drop these two at the feet of the Divine, He gives you His body and mind! And it becomes, *śariram devamayam, manam sukhamayam, atma anandamayam*—meaning, you get in exchange a Divine body, a mind in happiness as well as a third thing: a Soul in bliss! A 'give one, get three free' offer!

> Manickavasagar, the great Enlightened Master, sings a beautiful Tamil song to Śaṅkara (Lord Śiva): *tandadu entanai, kondadu untanai, sankara yaarkolo saturar*? He says, 'I gave myself to You and received You in return. Who benefited most from this bargain? Who is more intelligent, O Śaṅkara?'

**In surrender, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Surrendering does not mean giving up everything.** It does not mean giving up your property. Keep everything; however, take care that you do not internalize them. Do not judge yourself based on your properties. You are far greater than you think. Do not judge yourself based on your bank balance. Do not judge yourself based on your relationships. Do not judge yourself based on name and fame. Do not judge yourself based on your friends. You are greater than all these things put together.

As long as you judge yourself based on these things, you internalize these into your being. These become the central points in your life. They push and pull you in all directions. You will not have yourself for your being. As long as these are the major factors in your life, these things will rule you. Even so, you are greater than all these things put together.

Understand that you are something beyond these things. The moment you wake up to this truth, you will not allow yourself to be put into any frame based upon bank balance, relationships, attitudes or name and fame. These things cannot be used to judge you. The moment you wake up to this truth, you have surrendered. I simply ask you to surrender these small ideas you have about yourself.

On the surface of the vast ocean, small bubbles are formed. One bubble starts thinking that it is an individual long lasting entity. It thinks that it must become strong. It lasts only for a few moments. Yet within those few moments, it collects other bubbles around it. One bubble is its wife, another bubble is its son and so on. Some are called parents or relatives, still others are friends, and so on. It collects bubbles on all sides to protect itself.

It collects a few grains of sand from the beach and thinks it is its property. It thinks one grain of sand is its bank balance, another is its jewelry and treasures and so on. Then it builds a fence to protect its property. How long can the bubble play this game? Only for a few seconds! Before it can complete its game, it disappears back into the ocean.

The bubble was part of the ocean in all three instances: when it was created, when it existed and when it disappeared. Even though it claimed to be different from the ocean, even though it thought it was an individual, and even though it thought many people and things belonged to it, it was always part of the ocean and very soon disappeared into it also!

In the same way, for a few moments you think you exist as an individual being in this universal consciousness. Within those few moments you catch hold of a few people as your relatives and friends. This makes you feel safe. You collect a few things as possessions. You feel secure with these things around you. With these things you form an opinion about yourself. You play the same game as the bubble.

### **Waking up to the Truth is Surrender**

Suddenly the whole thing disappears. Before the game started, while the game is going on and when the game ends, whether you understand it or not, realize it or not, experience it or not, you belong to the ocean. You are God. You are one with Existence.


Kṛṣṇa defines a *sātvic* person as one who sees the collective consciousness, the whole, in parts. He understands that he is not alone and not an island, rather he is linked with everyone and everything in this Universe. He understands his connection with the cosmic energy.

A satvic person is not focused on himself, he is focused on enriching others. Because he completes with his root patterns, He realizes that his survival and possessions, the 'I' and 'mine', are meaningless. His activities are selfless, without expectation of praise or reward, and without attachment to the process or result. Such a person is not affected by the seeming success or failure of what he undertakes because there is no feeling of 'I' and 'mine' involved in his actions.

It is not that difficult to move into a *sātvic* state. True, you may not be able to stay there all the time, but once you understand how this state completes you, you try more and more to stay there.

To be in the *sātvic* state is to understand that past and future are mere illusions. They do not exist. Past is gone, never to return. Why worry? Future is a mirage. All you can do is activate your present moment. That is all you can do. The present moment determines your future. Once you focus on the present, your space of completion increases manifold and you drop expectations and attachment. You just do what is needed. You respond to reality. You respond to the now. You are in *satva*.

You fall into a *rājasic* state when you distinguish between 'you' and 'I', between this and that. There is no differentiation. Your mind, the ego, creates this differentiation. Your root thought patterns, saṁskāras overpower your complete cognition and bring up this delusory cognition of differentiating between you and others. A *rājasic* person does everything expecting a reward. He is selfish, aggressive and impatient. When he does not get what he wants, he is upset. Failure is a blow to his ego.

A *rājasic* person can never be happy and complete. Please understand, almost all of you are driven by *rajas*. This is the predominant attribute in modern society. Rich or poor, intelligent or foolish, educated or uneducated, almost everyone compares himself with the next person and wants what the other person has. As long as you are driven by your desires, and not complete with what you have, you are in *rajas.*

Too much of society has entered into human beings. You all have become social beings, you are no more human beings. You just have a set of manuals – at what age what is expected of you, at what age what are you supposed to do, and where are you supposed to be, how are you supposed to be talking, what are you supposed to be thinking, how are you supposed to be behaving. See, by default society is incomplete. So you are put in that *rājasic* space. Only if you are conscious, you can attract the space of completion.

Please listen! The pure space, *satva* seems to be a little heavy, little too much of joy! You feel you can't afford it. It is like you don't want to own the whole ocean, you want to own only the beach. Because only in the beach you can put a fence and ensure that others can't enter into it. Ocean you can own, but not possess. Please understand, owning is different and possessing is different.

All of us can own the whole world; that is not a problem at all. But we can't possess it, that is where the problem starts. Owning is different and possessing is different. The whole village owns the village temple, but you possess your house. We not only own our house, we possess it and make sure that others don't enter. We don't want to own the ocean, we want to possess the ocean. When we want to possess, we know that we can't possess the ocean. Not only we can't deny entry to other human beings, we can't deny entry to other animals. There are millions of animals below. When we want to possess that is where the problem starts.

*Rajas* corrodes you. It eats up your soul. There is no boundary to possessing, no end to greed and no limit to fear. These are the driving forces of *rajas. Rajas* is about trying to attain what you don't have, trying to eliminate and possess what you want to have, not being complete with what you have, not being complete about where you are and not being complete and happy when you are in the present moment. You are either constantly in the future, imagining what you would like to be and what you would like to possess, or you are in the past thinking about how you could have done better. *Rajas* is living in a fantasy world of possessing. *Satva* is living in a reality world of owning and also letting others own.

Listen! If you want to own, you can own the whole world. See, unfortunately, only if you eliminate others, you feel that you are victorious, which is not right. This is a basic wrong understanding. Please get it! I want you to know a very important fact. Never, ever will you be free by your efforts to be free. Freedom will happen to you only by the right knowledge about freedom, never by your efforts towards freedom. Listen! Never your effort towards freedom is going to give you freedom. It is only the knowledge about the freedom that will give you freedom. Get it!

So, the basic mistake that eliminating others is the only way you can possess or own is wrong! To own, you don't need to eliminate others. But because of this pattern, just because you want to eliminate others, you are ready to settle down with a few acres of beach. You are ready to forego the whole ocean! It is exactly with the same patterns, it is only with these patterns you define your identity. Without patterns, it is like you in the ocean.

 In *tamas* one is fully in delusion, in the delusory cognition of incompletion. One sticks to root thought patterns, incomplete knowledge or inadequate cognition and conditions without making an effort to verify the answer of the 'why', whether they are right or wrong, appropriate or not, harmful or not. Listen! If one does not find the answer for 'why' and eats somebody else's answer, one can even be made as a religious terrorist. Religious zealots are in *tamas.* There is no difference between them; only their objectives are different. Both are dogmatic, violent and totally selfish. They adopt any means, even criminal, to achieve their objectives.

*Tamas* does not just mean inactivity, laziness and procrastination. Yes, it is all that; however, it also includes mindless action performed without realizing that one is part of a whole. The ego is so enlarged that it believes it is the whole. It believes nothing else of significance exists; others are of no consequence.

# Meanings Of Life

- 18.29 Now hear Me explain, fully and separately, the threefold division of intellect and resolve, based on modes of material nature, O Dhanañjaya.
- 18.30 O Arjuna, that intellect is in the mode of goodness that understands the path of work and the path of renunciation, right and wrong action, fear and fearlessness, bondage and liberation.
- 18.31 That intellect is in the mode of passion that cannot distinguish between principles of right conduct and wrongdoing, and right and wrong action, O Pārtha (Arjuna).
- 18.32 That intellect is in the mode of ignorance that accepts unrighteousness as righteousness and thinks everything to be that which it is not, O Arjuna.
- 18.33 Consistent and continuous determination in controlling mind, breath and senses for uniting with the Divine is goodness, Pārtha
- 18.34 Craving for results of action while clinging to goals of proper conduct, pleasure and wealth is the state of passion., Arjuna.
- 18.35 Ignorant resolve that cannot go beyond dreaming, fear, grief, despair and delusion—such is in darkness, Pārtha.

Here Kṛṣṇa refers to the approach known as defining the *puruṣārtha* or meanings of life. *Dharma, artha, kāma* and *mokṣa* are the four *puruṣārtha*. These can be translated as righteousness, wealth, desire or lust and liberation. These are the four-fold meanings of life. I prefer not to call them the purposes of life. There is no purpose to life. Once we fix a purpose to life, it becomes a goalpost and attachments and expectations result.

Life is a path without a destination. Once we assume there is a destination, we hurry. The future becomes a stress-inducing factor. Let us say we travel from New York to Washington. Once we fix Washington as our destination, the next issue is, 'When will we reach there?' From then on, we are constantly tormented by, 'When will we reach there?' It is a different matter that we may have nothing to do in Washington once we arrive, and therefore there is no need to hurry! In the process we do not enjoy the journey. The journey becomes an irritation that we must cross in order to reach our destination.

In life, do not fix a destination. Each journey must be enjoyed being in the space of completion. The path and the journey are what life is. Life is completion. I tell you, have the space of completion for yourself. That will attract all the right experiences. Completion is power! Completion is Life! Enjoy the people you meet, the experiences you have and what you pick up on the way, without being greedy to acquire more. The journey, the path, becomes so enjoyable that whatever destination you reach is the right destination. Completion gets you all the best things of life! Completion is the basic need of life.

People who attach a purpose to life are disturbed. Philosophers who have no other work create false purposes to life. Philosophers exist to confuse people whereas mystics solve problems and provide guidance to awaken intelligence. When we let life lead us, when we let life enrich us, when we take life as it comes, we enjoy every moment. We truly live with completion in the present, like a God. We realize and manifest our potential, possibility and reality! As of now, man is only a possibility. A human being has everything in him to become the ultimate reality, the divine reality.

*Puruṣārtha* provides four meanings to life:

*Dharma* is right conduct or virtue. Dharma means the natural law of the cosmos. Buddha preached this as the middle path. It is an independent intelligence. The very DNA structure with which human consciousness is built, the natural law of human life, the dharma are these four principles.

Constantly give life to the four *dharmas* of authenticity, integrity, responsibility and enriching. When you protect *dharma*, it protects you. When you are integrated to it, it is integrated to you. When you are authentic with it, it is authentic with you. When you take responsibility for it, it takes responsibility for you. When you enrich *dharma*, it enriches you. Only then it is possible that your energy is awakened. Only then is your energy awakened.

*Artha* is the stuff that we pick up on our path and journey, the material things that we need to sustain ourselves.

*Kāma* is the pleasure of the senses we experience and enjoy on this journey. These are rightful acquisitions and pleasurable experiences. Do not feel disturbed by the need for these. But do not become caught up in them and forget to move on the path with completion and enjoy the journey to the fullest.

*Mokṣa* or liberation is the ultimate meaning to life. The meaning of human life is you experiencing completion, and working, radiating, showering others also with the same space of completion. This is the culmination of the liberation from expectation, desires, greed and fear, and liberation from attachment to desires. This understanding that experiencing completion with non-attachment and absence of expectation leads to liberation can fill us with bliss.

Here Kṛṣṇa gives the essence of how we should lead our lives to make it meaningful with completion. He says that goodness or *satva* is the state of completion in which there is clarity about right and wrong, and whatever we do with our body, mind and senses is done with a view to liberate ourselves from attachment and desires in order to realize that we are Divine.

# Delusion Of Senses

- 18.36,37 And now hear from Me, O Arjuna, about three kinds of pleasure. The pleasure that one enjoys from spiritual practice results in cessation of all sorrows. The pleasure that appears as poison in the beginning, but is like nectar in the end, comes by the grace of Self-knowledge and is in the mode of goodness.
- 18.38 Sensual pleasures that appear as nectar in the beginning, but become poison in the end, are in the mode of passion.
- 18.39 Pleasure that is delusion from beginning to end and born out of sleep, laziness and illusion is said to be of the nature of ignorance.
- 18.40 No one, either here or among the celestials in the higher planetary systems, is free from these three states [triguṇa] of material nature.

Earlier Kṛṣṇa spoke about the influence of *guṇas* (attributes) on the intellect, that in turn defines the way we act. Now He talks about how we respond as a result of our root patterns.

Kṛṣṇa says that spiritual practice, that is the state of *satva*, is difficult in the beginning, and it is like poison; however, it becomes life-giving nectar in the end.

Sensual pleasures born out of *rajas*, on the other hand, seem like nectar in the beginning but become poisonous. In the *tamasic* state, Kṛṣṇa says, one is deluded as if in sleep, laziness and illusion. Every human is in one state or another. Not merely humans, even the celestials who are supposedly more evolved are in the same mode. No one can escape the effect of the *guṇas*, the attributes of Nature.

How beautifully the Master summarizes how we become deluded by our senses! It is not easy to begin spiritual practice. In the vedic tradition, in the Gurukul schools, from a young age children were brought up in an environment of spirituality. They learned to live in the pure space of completion and control their mind and senses at an early age and to focus upon Self-realization. They understood by the example of their Masters that there was something more pleasurable than sensory pleasures. This gave them courage.

In today's age, this education system is considered impractical. Invading Moghuls and the colonizing British destroyed the *Vedic* culture, especially the *Gurukul* tradition. This was not accidental or incidental. It was a deliberate strategy. British rulers identified the educational system of *Gurukul* as the key to Bharat's tremendous intelligence and targeted its destruction so that they could rule.


Meditate on an empty stomach or eat little. A full stomach makes us sleepy. Ideally one should meditate in the same location regularly to preserve the energy raised in meditation. These are the physical requirements. Next Kṛṣṇa repeats what He has been emphasizing all along.

Complete and drop your personality, He says, drop your ego or root patterns, your attachments, your ideas of 'I' and 'mine' as well as the emotions that bind you to survival and possession. Then you will be liberated, you will be in the space of completion and ready to reach the Supreme Being.

# Work Always Under My Protection

- *18.54 Absorbed in the Supreme Brahman, the serene one neither grieves nor desires. Becoming equally disposed to all living beings, one obtains My highest pure devotional love [madbhakti].*
- *18.55 Only by devotion one truly understands Me as I am and My tattva, essence. Having known Me in Truth in full consciousness of Me, one immediately merges with Me.*
- *18.56 My pure devotee, though occupied in all kinds of activities of everyday life, under My protection, still reaches the eternal, imperishable ultimate abode through My Grace [mad-prasād].*
- *18.57 While being engaged in activities, just depend upon Me, and being fully conscious of Me, work always under My protection [matparaḥ].*
- *18.58 When your mind and inner-space becomes fixed on Me, you shall overcome and cross all difficulties by My Grace. But if due to ego, you do not listen to Me, you shall perish.*

Kṛṣṇa explains how devotion is reached and how He protects the devotee. Developing the state of non-attachment, being equally disposed to all beings, being unconcerned by success and failure, fully absorbed in Godhood, one becomes His devotee. In that state alone does one understand the essence of Kṛṣṇa. Once one understands this, one merges into Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When one is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the devotee, even if he is engaged in worldly activities, is protected by the grace and compassion of Kṛṣṇa. Without any difficulty such a devotee reaches the ultimate reality.

Recently I expressed this concept to some devotees. When we relax from the instinct that constantly works to protect us, the space created allows the power of extraordinary possibilities, coincidence to happen. Kṛṣṇa says that even though we may be engaged in the activities of the world, if we are His devotees, under His protection we experience Eternal consciousness. If Kṛṣṇa only wanted to give us the spiritual experience, He would not have used the word 'protection, *madvyapāśrayaḥ.*' So Kṛṣṇa is referring to both the outer and inner worlds. The person who surrenders gets the best experience in both worlds. We simply need to get out and He will get in. Just get out and let Him get in.

A small story:

One day Śrī Viṣṇu was resting on Ādīśeśa, His bed that is actually a big serpent. Lakṣmī, His consort, was pressing His feet. This is known as *pādasevā*—service to the feet.

Suddenly Śrī Viṣṇu called for His vehicle, Garuḍa. He stood up, ran a few steps, stopped and then walked back. Lakṣmī was puzzled and asked what had happened.

Śrī Viṣṇu explained that He had seen a man throwing stones at one of His devotees who was meditating. He jumped up, intending to protect him. However, He saw the devotee open his eyes and pick up a stone to defend himself. When Viṣṇu saw that the man could protect himself, He decided not to go!

Thus, when you protect yourself and your property, He withdraws. To protect does not mean that you should not lock your house. It means that you should drop the instinct of survival. The instinct of survival constantly tortures you. It is the greatest killer. If somebody kills you, you can only be killed once. But the instinct to survive kills you every moment. When you surrender this instinct, Kṛṣṇa will protect you. Intellectually you cannot understand this.

You think, 'How can somebody who made a statement thousands of

years ago give me protection?' You think that only you can protect and look out for yourself. You are wrong!

You think that the survival instinct is essential in order to exist. You will realise the futility of the survival instinct only when you surrender. After that, you will automatically realize that you can live without the instinct to survive or the instinct to possess. You will realize that you can live in the material world without these instincts ruling you. This is what Kṛṣṇa means when He says that He will protect you. His energy takes care. When you surrender, a space is created that allows the power of coincidence, the power of extraordinary possibilities to happen. Automatically things fall into place. Automatically you are taken care of by the energy of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

When you believe that you are intelligent enough to use your mind and go your own way, you are asking for trouble. Kṛṣṇa says you will perish if you follow your mind and senses instead of listening to Him.

# **Understand Surrender**

We must understand two things. The first is about listening to one's mind and the second is about not listening to the Master.

Many people have an issue about accepting another human as superior, as someone to whom they should defer, let alone surrender. They think that prostrating at another person's feet is disrespecting themselves and quite uncivilized.

When I heal someone, if the pain is in the leg, I normally bend down and touch the person's feet. Once someone asked me, '*Swamiji*, how can you touch someone's feet? You are lowering yourself.'

I said, 'When I touch someone's feet, I am raising them to my level. When they fall at my feet, they surrender their ego!'

When you fall at someone's feet, you surrender your ego. It is good for you. It does not matter to whom you surrender. Whether you surrender to a stone or a human being, surrendering your ego raises you spiritually. This is the absolute Truth. You do not need to discriminate, search, filter and go through a lot of effort and time to surrender to an enlightened Master.

> Someone asked me, 'What do you mean by surrender?' Surrender is when you find someone whom you can unconditionally love and you have no problem if it is obvious that you are in love with that person. Your identity then merges with that person.

> I tell them, 'Think of the person whom you would like to be with if God told you that the entire earth is about to be destroyed. Only you and one other person will survive and you can choose that person. Who will that person be? That person is the one you have surrendered to!'

*Vedic* chants end with the word *namaḥ.* What does this mean? It means 'I surrender to You.' Each time you utter a *vedic* prayer, you say, 'I surrender to You, my Lord.' Is there another system of prayer that so thoroughly destroys your ego?

So, just because you do not surrender to a Master or a favorite deity, because one is human and the other is stone, do you think you are the Master, free and independent? You surrender to someone else for money, power or lust. One of these will surely happen. How much more sensible it is to follow and surrender to someone out of intelligence, because that person is more aware and complete, and can guide you on the path to completion?

Why are we reluctant to surrender to another person? It is because we have been captured by our mind and senses. We are in a jail and we are captive. We fear losing the identity that our mind and senses have created for us. We fear letting go of that identity. Our mind fights against shifting our allegiance from that ego and identity to someone else.

Realize that you are a slave to your senses and *not* the master of your destiny as you imagine. Be aware that your pains and sorrows arise from the mistaken belief that you are the master of your destiny. Once you realize this, you will look for an alternative.

You then understand what the greatest Master of all, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, says:

*mac-cittaḥ sarva durgāṇi mat-prasādāt tariṣyasi I atha cet tvam ahaṅkārān na śroṣyasi vinaṅkṣyasi II 18.58*

'If you listen to Me, I shall protect you, whatever may happen. If you do not, and you follow your mind, you shall perish.'

### **Devotion and Knowledge are not Separate**

Kṛṣṇa says that 'having known Me in essence, one merges in Me' and refers to this as devotion.

### *bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś c'āsmi tattvataḥ I tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā viśate tad-anantaram II 18.55*

Please understand that *bhakti* (devotion) and *jñāna* (knowledge) are not separate. Where there is devotion, there is knowledge and where there is true knowledge, there is devotion.

Kṛṣṇa does not refer to dry intellectual knowledge, even if such knowledge is of the scriptures. Thousands of scholars and philosophers waste their time and everybody else's time by analyzing *Bhagavad Gītā* word by word and comparing it with other scriptures. What is the point? This is a pointless, foolish exercise that serves only to boost one's ego.

The entire purpose of Gītā is to enrich you to complete with your root patterns and drop the ego! All you need to do is understand one verse of Gītā, one statement of Kṛṣṇa, in its entirety. That is enough to enlighten you. This is what Vivekananda meant when he said that the study of one handful of earth can teach you about the entire earth. You need depth, not breadth of knowledge.

**Every word of Gītā, every word of Kṛṣṇa, is energy.** That is the knowledge that you need to imbibe and experience. This is what the 'knowing, *tattvato jñātva*' that Kṛṣṇa refers to. Once you 'know' this energy, you reach this energy. You become Kṛṣṇa. You are not only devoted to Kṛṣṇa, *you* become *Kṛṣṇa*.

There are two paths. One way is to 'know' the truth so clearly and completely that there is absolutely no doubt about your trust in the Master. There is no doubt that you are the same consciousness as the Master. Once you know this, there is no duality, there is the space of *advaita,* non-duality. You and the Master are the same. This is the height of devotion.

The other way is the deep surrender that happens within, the unbridled love that arises within you and through which you merge with the Master. Along with the merger, comes the knowledge that you are no different. Seemingly, knowledge comes from devotion; *jñāna* comes from *bhakti*.

The truth is that both happen simultaneously. Do you think Mīrā did not know that she was one with Kṛṣṇa? Do you think she could have drunk poison without knowing that whatever she consumed was being consumed by her Lord and Master, Kṛṣṇa? Do you feel Śaṅkara was just a dry philosopher when he beheld the form of Devi and sang the verses of *Soundarya Lahiri*? He is possibly the greatest philosopher the world has ever seen, and he melted in front of Her in devotion.

All this talk about the three approaches to Divinity as *dvaita* (duality), *viśiṣṭādvaita* (qualified duality) and *advaita* (non-duality) are best left to philosophers to argue about.

Duality happens when you are *open* to that Cosmic energy but you still feel separate. You are like the ocean drop that knows it is part of the ocean but sees itself as separate. To reach this stage, you need to be open. When you are closed, you do not even accept that there is this huge ocean of which you are a part. You are ignorant. Duality or *dvaita* is the first step.

Next, you become *available*. Not only do you know that there is this huge energy around you, but you become aware that you are part of it. You are a part of the Whole. You realize that as a drop, you are a part of the ocean. This is qualified duality, *viśiṣṭādvaita.* Then you suddenly realize and know that you *are* the ocean. There is no difference or barrier between you and the energy. You are the energy. You are God. This is non-duality, *advaita*. You just *are.* From being *open*, to being *available,* you just *are.*

When you 'know' Kṛṣṇa, there is nothing else to know. Then, you become Kṛṣṇa.

# Root Patterns Will Drive You

- *18.59 If, due to ego you thus think: 'I shall not fight,' your resolve is useless, and your own nature will compel you.*
- *18.60 O Kaunteya, you are controlled by your own natural conditioning. Therefore you shall do, even against your will, what you do not wish to do out of delusion.*
- *18.61 The Supreme Lord resides in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the activities of all living entities, who are placed on a machine under His illusive material power.*

Kṛṣṇa delivers an ultimatum to Arjuna. 'Whether you like it or not, Arjuna,' He says, 'you will fight. In seeming intelligence, your ego tells you that you should not fight. You are under the illusion of your superficial knowledge that it is not right to wage war against friends, relatives and teachers. But you forget that your nature and your conditioning as a warrior drive you. You are a puppet in the hands of Existence, *prakṛtis tvāṁ niyokṣyati*. You will fight.'

These are extraordinary words. Whether we like it or not, whatever our intelligence may be, and whatever our will may be, Kṛṣṇa says we will be driven by our root patterns, *saṁskāras*. The Divine power drives the machine that is the *kārmic cycle.* There is no escape.

Nothing can be clearer. The law of nature drives us to fulfill our unfulfilled desires. Our past conditioning invokes these desires. Even though they may be in our unconscious, inaccessible to us, they determine what we do. The Master sees this even if we cannot. That is why Kṛṣṇa makes this bold statement.

The mind creates and stores the root patterns, *saṁskāras*. You can

refuse to bow down to your mind and refuse to accept these *saṁskāras* that control you.

All meditation techniques bring you into the space of completion, being in the present moment. When you are in the present moment, you renounce attachment to fantasies about the future. You detach yourself from the results of your action. This alone leads you into liberation from the bondage of *saṁskāra*.

Surrender to the Master, surrender to the Universe, is the ultimate technique to do completion and rid oneself of all bondages—*karma, vāsanā* and *saṁskāra,* of the past, present and future. When people come to me for help, I usually say one of two things. To those who come purely for material assistance, health and wealth, I say, 'I shall pray to Nithyānandeśvara (presiding deity of Śiva at Nithyananda temples) to help you.' To those who come as sincere seekers, connected to me at the being level, my disciples and devotees, I say 'I will take care.' Ask my disciples about the power of these words.

I say this to those who come in a mode of total surrender. They have such absolute trust in me that they tell me, 'Please say you will take care.' They know at their being level that once they have downloaded their problems and pain to me, it is no longer their burden. It is mine. They know it so deeply that there is not an iota of doubt in their minds that the problem has disappeared.


# Chapter 1

dhṛtarāṣṭra: Dhṛtarāṣṭra; uvāca: said; dharmakṣetre: in the place of righteousness; kurukṣetre: in this location of kurukṣetra; samavetāḥ: gathered; yuyutsavaḥ: desiring to fight; māmakāḥ: my people; pāṇḍavāḥ: the sons of Pāṇḍu; ca: and; eva: also; kiṃ: what; akurvata: did they do; sañjaya: O Sañjaya

1.1 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: O Sañjaya, assembled on this righteous holy land of pilgrimage at Kurukṣetra, what did my sons and those of Pāṇḍu, eager and ready to fight, do?

### sañjaya uvāca

*dṛṣṭvā tu pāṇḍavānīkaṃ vyūḍhaṃ duryodhanas tadā I ācāryam upasaṅgamya rājā vacanam abravīt II 1.2*

sañjaya: Sañjaya; uvāca: said; dṛṣṭvā: having seen; tu: indeed; pāṇḍavānīkaṃ: the Pāṇḍava army; vyūḍhaṃ: arranged in formation; duryodhanaḥ: Duryodhana; tadā: then; ācāryam: the teacher; upasaṅgamya: approaching; rājā: the king; vacanam: words; abravīt: said

1.2 Sañjaya said: O king, looking at the Pāṇḍava army in full formation, Duryodhana went to his teacher and spoke.

*pasyai 'tāṃ pāṇḍuputrānām ācārya mahatīṃ camūm I vyūḍhām drupada putreṇa tava śiṣyeṇa dhīmatā II 1.3*

pasya: behold; etāṃ: this; pāṇḍuputrānām: of the sons of Pāṇḍu; ācārya: O teacher; mahatīṃ: great; camūm: army; vyūḍhām: formed; drupada-putreṇa: by the son of Drupada; tava śiṣyeṇa: by your disciple; dhīmatā: intelligent

1.3 O my teacher, behold the great army of the sons of Pāṇḍu, arrayed for battle by your intelligent disciple, the son of Drupada.

*atra śūrā maheṣvāsā bhīmārjunasamā yudhi I yuyudhāno virāṭaś ca drupadaś ca mahā rathaḥ II 1.4*

atra: here; śūrāḥ: heroes; maheṣvāsāḥ: mighty archers; bhīmārjuna: Bhīma and Arjuna; samāḥ: equal; yudhi: in battle; yuyudhānaḥ: Yuyudhana; virāṭaḥ: Virāṭa; ca: and; drupadaḥ: Drupada; ca: and; mahārathaḥ: great charioteers

1.4 Here in this army there are many heroes wielding mighty bows, and equal in military prowess to Bhīma and ArjunaYuyudhāna, Virāṭa, and the great chariot warrior Drupada.

*dhṛśṭaketuś cekitānaḥ kāśirājaś ca vīryavān I purujit kuntibhojaś ca śaibyaś ca narapuṅgavaḥ II 1.5*

dhṛṣṭaketuḥ: Dṛṣṭhtaketu; cekitānaḥ: Cekitāna; kāśirājaḥ: Kāśirāja; ca: and; vīryavān: courageous; purujit: Purujit; kuntibhojaḥ: Kuntibhoja; ca: and; śaibyaḥ: Śaibya; ca: and; narapuṅgavaḥ: best of men

1.5 There are courageous warriors like Dṛṣṭaketu, Cekitāna, the couragious Kāśīrāja, Purujit, Kuntibhoja and Śaibya, the best of men.

*yudhāmanyuś ca vikrānta uttamaujāś ca vīryavān I saubhadro draupadeyāś ca sarva eva mahārathāḥ II 1.6*

yudhāmanyuḥ: Yudhāmanyu; ca: and; vikrāntaḥ: mighty; uttamaujāḥ: Uttamauja; ca: and; vīryavān: brave; saubhadraḥ: the son of Subhadrā; draupadeyāḥ: the sons of Draupadī ; ca: and; sarva: all; eva: certainly; mahārathāḥ: great chariot fighters.

1.6 There are the mighty Yudhāmanyu, the brave Uttamauja, Abhimanyu, the son of Subhadrā and the sons of Draupadī, all of them great chariot warriors.

*asmākaṃ tu viśiṣṭā ye tān nibodha dvijottama I nāyakā mama sainyasya saṃjñārthaṃ tān bravīmi te II 1.7* asmākaṃ: our; tu: also; viśiṣṭāḥ: important; ye: who; tān: those; nibodha: know; dvijottama: the best of the brāhmaṇas; nāyakāḥ: leaders; mama: my; sainyasya: of the army; saṃjñārthaṃ: for information; tān: them; bravīmi: I speak; te: to you.

1.7 O best of the brāhmaṇas, let me tell you, who are the powerful warriors on our side—the generals of my army; for your information, I mention them.

*bhavān bhīṣmaś ca karṇaś ca kṛ paś ca samitiṃjayaḥ I aśvatthāmā vikarṇaś ca saumadattis tathai 'va ca II 1.8*

bhavān: your self; bhīṣmaḥ: grandfather Bhīṣma; ca: and; karṇaḥ: Karṇa; ca: and; kṛpaḥ: Krpa; ca: and; samitiṃjayaḥ: victorious in war; aśvatthāmā: Aśvattāma; vikarṇaḥ: Vikarṇa; ca: and; saumadattiḥ: the son of Somadatta; tathā: thus as; eva: only; ca: and

1.8 Your goodself, Bhīṣma, Karṇa, Kṛpa, who are ever victorious in battle, an even so Aśvatthāma, Vikarṇa and the son of Somadatta.

*anye ca bahavaḥ śūrā mad arthe tyakta jīvitāḥ I nānā śastra praharaṇāḥ sarve yuddha viśāradāḥ II 1.9*

anye: many others; ca: also; bahavaḥ: in great numbers; śūrāḥ: heroes; mad arthe: for my sake; tyakta jīvitāḥ: prepared to risk life; nānā: many; śastra: weapons; praharaṇāḥ: equipped with; sarve: all of them; yuddha: battle; viśāradāḥ: experienced in military science.

1.9 Many other heroes there are who are prepared to lay down their lives for my sake; all are well-equipped with different

## Bhagavad Gita Decoded_English_part_29.md

weapons, and well experienced in warfare science.

*aparyāptaṃ tad asmākaṃ balaṃ bhīṣmābhi rakṣitam I paryāptaṃ tvidam eteṣāṃ balaṃ bhīmābhi rakṣitam II 1.10*

aparyāptaṃ: unlimited; tat : that; asmākaṃ: of ours; balaṃ: strength; bhīṣmābhi rakṣitam: presided over and protected by Bhīṣma; paryāptaṃ: limited; tu: but; idaṃ: all this; eteṣāṃ: their; balaṃ: strength; bhīmābhi rakṣitam: presided over and protected by Bhīma

1.10 The strength of army of ours, protected by Bhīṣma, is invincible whereas the strength of their army carefully protected by Bhīma is limited.

*ayaneṣu ca sarveṣu yathā bhāgam avasthitāḥ I bhīṣmam evā bhirakṣantu bhavantaḥ sarva eva hi II 1.11*

ayaneṣu: in the divisions; ca: and; sarveṣu: everywhere; yathā bhāgam: as per the divisions; avasthitāḥ: situated; bhīṣmam: to Bhisma; eva: alone; abhi rakṣantu: protect; bhavantaḥ: you; sarva: all; eva: only; hi: indeed

1.11 Stationed in your respective divisions on all fronts, all of you must give full protection to Bhīṣma.

*tasya sañjanayan harṣaṃ kuru vṛddhaḥ pitāmahaḥ I siṃha nādaṃ vinadyoccaiḥ śaṇkhaṃ dadhmau pratāpavān II 1.12* tasya: his; sañjanayan: causing; harṣaṃ: joy; kuru vṛddhaḥ: old man of the Kuru dynasty; pitāmahaḥ: the grandfather; siṃha nādaṃ: lion's roar; vinadya: causing to sound; uccaiḥ: loudly; śaṇkhaṃ: conch; dadhmau: blew; pratāpavān: mighty

1.12 Then Bhīṣma, the mighty patriarch of the Kuru dynasty, their glorious grandfather, roared like a lion and blew his conch, giving Duryodhana joy.

*tataḥśaṇkhāś ca bheryaś ca paṇavānaka gomukhāḥ I sahasaivābhyahanyanta sa śabdas tumulo 'bhavat II 1.13*

tataḥ: then; śaṇkhāḥ: conches; ca: and; bheryaś ca paṇavānaka: drums, bugles, horns and trumpets; gomukhāḥ: cow horns; sahasā eva: quite suddenly abhyahanyanta: blared; saḥ: that; śabdaḥ: sound; tumulaḥ: tumultuous; abhavat: became

1.13 Then, conches, bugles, trumpets, drums and horns were all suddenly sounded, and the combined sound was tumultuous.

*tataḥ śvetair hayair yukte mahati syandane sthitau I mādhavaḥ pāṇḍavaś caiva divyau śaṇkhau pradadhmatuḥ II 1.14*

tataḥ: then; śvetaiḥ: by white; hayaiḥ: horses; yukte: being yoked; mahati: magnificent; syandane: chariot; sthitau: seated; mādhavaḥ: Mādhava, Śrī Kṛṣṇa; pāṇḍavaḥ: son of Pāṇḍu; ca: and; eva: only; divyau: divine; śaṇkhau: conches; pradadhmatuḥ: blew

1.14 Then, seated on a magnificent chariot drawn by white horses, both Mādhava (Kṛṣṇa) and Arjuna sounded their divine conches.

*pāñcajanyaṃ hṛṣīkeśo devadattaṃ dhanañjayaḥ I pauṇḍraṃ dadhmau mahā śaṅkhaṃ bhīma karmā vṛkodaraḥ II 1.15*

pāñcajanyaṃ: the conch named Pāñcajanya; hṛṣīkeśaḥ: One who has mastered the senses (Kṛṣṇa) ; devadattaṃ: the conch named Devadatta; dhanaṅjayaḥ: Dhañanjaya, the winner of wealth; pauṇḍraṃ: the conch named Pauṇḍra; dadhmau: blew; mahā-śaṅkhaṃ: the great conch; bhīma karmā: one who performs terrible tasks; vṛkodaraḥ: one with the belly of a wolf

1.15 Then, Hṛṣikeśa (Kṛṣṇa) blew His conch, called Pāñcajanya; Dhanañjaya (Arjuna) blew his conch, called Devadatta; and Bhīma blew his mighty conch called Pauṇḍra.

*anantavijayaṃ rājā kuntī putro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ I nakulaḥ sahadevaś ca sughoṣa maṇipuṣpakau II 1.16*

*kāśyaś ca parameṣvāsaḥ śikhaṇḍī ca mahā rathaḥ I dhṛṣṭadyumno virāṭaś ca sātyakiś cāparājitaḥ II 1.17*

*drupado draupadeyāś ca sarvaśaḥ pṛthivī pate I saubhadraś ca mahābāhuh śaṅkhān dadhmuḥ pṛthak-pṛthak II 1.18*

anantavijayaṃ: the conch named Ananta-vijaya; rājā: the king; kuntī putraḥ: the son of Kuntī; yudhiṣṭhiraḥ: Yudhisṭra; nakulaḥ: Nakula; sahadevaḥ: Sa-

hadeva; ca: and; sughoṣa maṇipuṣpakau: the conches named Sughośa and Maṇipuṣpaka; kāśyaḥ: the king of Kāśī (Vāraṇāsi); ca: and; parameṣvāsaḥ: the great archer; śikhaṇḍī: Śikhaṇḍī; ca: and; mahā rathaḥ: great chariot warrior; dhṛṣṭadyumnaḥ: Dhṛṣṭadyumna; virāṭaḥ: Virāṭa; ca: and; sātyakiḥ: Sātyaki; ca: and; aparājitaḥ: invincible; drupadaḥ: Drupada; draupadeyāḥ: the sons of Draupadī ; ca: also; sarvaśaḥ: all; pṛthivīpate: O' king of earth; aubhadraḥ: the son of Subhadrā (Abhimanyu); ca: and; mahā bāhuḥ: mighty-armed; śaṅkhān: conches; dadhmuḥ blew; pṛthak pṛthak: severally

1.16, 17, 18 King Yudhisṭra, the son of Kuntī, blew his conch, the Anantavijaya, and Nakula and Sahadeva blew theirs known as Sughośa and Maṇipuṣpaka. The excellent archer, the king of Kāśī, the great chariot-fighter Śikhaṇḍī, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, Virāṭa and the invincible Sātyaki, Drupada, the sons of Draupadī , and the mighty-armed Abhimanyu, son of Subhadrā, all of them, O king, blew their own conches.

*sa ghoṣo dhārtarāṣṭrāṇāṃ hṛdayāni vyadārayat I nabhaś ca pṛthivīṃ caiva tumulo vyanunādayan II 1.19*

saḥ: that; ghoṣaḥ: uproar; dhārtarāṣṭrāṇāṃ: of the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra; hṛdayāni: hearts; vyadārayat: broke; nabhaḥ: the sky; ca: and; pṛthivīṃ: the earth; ca: and; eva: only; tumulaḥ: tumultous; vyanunādayan: resounding

1.19 The terrible sound echoing through the sky and the earth rent the hearts of the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra.

*atha vyavasthitān dṛṣṭvā dhārtarāṣṭrān kapidhvajaḥ I*

*pravṛtte śastrasaṃpāte dhanur udyamya pāṇḍavaḥ I hṛṣīkeśaṃ tadā vākyam idam āha mahīpate II 1.20*

atha: then; vyavasthitān: stationed; dṛṣṭvā: seeing; dhārtarāṣṭrān: the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra; kapidhvajaḥ: one whose flag is marked with the ape; pravṛtte: about to begin; śastrasaṃpāte: the arrows released; dhanuḥ: bow; udyamya: after taking up; pāṇḍavaḥ: the son of Pāṇḍu; hṛṣīkeśaṃ: to Kṛṣṇa; tadā: then; vākyam: words; idaṃ: this; āha: said; mahī pate: O Lord of the earth

1.20 Seeing the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra arrayed in the battle field, Arjuna, the son of Pāṇḍu, who was seated in his chariot, bearing the flag marked with Hanumān, took up his bow.

*arjuna uvāca senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṃ sthāpaya me 'cyuta I yāvad etān nirīkṣe 'haṃ yoddhu kāmān avasthitān II 1.21 kair mayā saha yoddhavyam asmin raṇasamudyame II 1.22*

arjuna: Arjuna; uvāca: said; senayoḥ: of the armies; ubhayoḥ: of both; madhye: in between; rathaṃ: the chariot; sthāpaya: position; me: my; acyuta: O infallible one; yāvat: while; etān: all these; nirīkṣe: behold; ahaṃ: I; yoddhu kāmān: desiring to fight; avasthitān: standing; kaiḥ: with whom; mayā: by me; saha: with; yoddhavyam: to be fought; asmin: in this; raṇasamudyame: situation of war;

1.21, 22 Arjuna said: O Acyuta (Infallible One), please place my chariot between the two armies while I may observe these warriors arrayed for battle and with whom I have to engage in fight.

### yotsyamānān avekṣe 'haṃ ya ete 'tra samāgatāḥ I dhārtarāṣṭrasya durbuddher yuddhe priyacikīrṣavaḥ II 1.23*

yotsyamānān: those who wish to fight; avekṣe: see; ahaṃ: I; yaḥ: who; ete: these; atra : here; samāgatāḥ: assembled; dhārtarāṣṭrasya: the son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra; durbuddheḥ: evil-minded; yuddhe: in the fight; priyacikīrṣavaḥ: wishing to please

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

*sañjaya uvāca*

*evam ukto hṛṣīkeśo guḍākeśena bhārata I senayor ubhayor madhye sthāpayitvā rathottamam II 1.24 bhīṣma droṇa pramukhataḥ sarveṣāṃ ca mahīkṣitām I uvāca pārtha paśyaitān samavetānkurūniti II 1.25*

sañjaya: Sañjaya; uvāca: said; evaṃ: thus; uktaḥ: addressed; hṛṣīkeśaḥ: Kṛṣṇa (Lord of senses); guḍākeśena: Arjuna (one who has conquered sleep); bhārata: O Bhārata; senayoḥ: of armies; ubhayoḥ: of both; madhye: in the middle of; sthāpayitvā: having placed; rathottamam: the finest chariot bhīṣma: grandfather Bhīṣma; droṇa: the teacher Droṇa; pramukhataḥ: in front of; sarveṣāṃ: of all; ca: and; mahīkṣitām: of rulers of the world; uvāca: said; pārtha: O Pārtha; paśyai: see; etān: these; samavetān: assembled; kurūn: the Kurus; iti: thus

1.24, 25 Sañjaya said: O descendant of Bhārata, being thus addressed by Guḍākeśa (Arjuna), Hṛṣīkeśa (Kṛṣṇa) then drew up the fine chariot to the middle of both the armies in front of Bhīṣma, Droṇa and all the kings and said, 'Arjuna, behold the Kauravas assembled here.'

*tatrā paśyat sthitān pārthaḥ pitṛ-n atha pitāmahān I ācāryān mātulān bhrātṛ-n putrān pautrān sakhīṃs tathā I śvaśurān suhṛdaś caiva senayorubhayorapi II 1.26*

tatra: there; apaśyat: saw; sthitān: positioned; pārthaḥ: Arjuna; pitṛ-n: fathers; atha: also; pitāmahān: grandfathers; ācāryān: teachers; mātulān: maternal uncles; bhrātṛ-n: brothers; putrān: sons; pautrān: grandsons; sakhīn: friends; tathā: too; śvaśurān: fathers-in-law; suhṛdaḥ: well-wishers; ca: and; eva: only; senayoḥ: of the armies; ubhayoḥ: of both ; api: also

1.26 There Arjuna saw, stationed there in both the armies his uncles, grand uncles, teachers, maternal uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons, and friends, as well as his fathers-in-law and well-wishers.

*tān samīkṣya sa kaunteyaḥ sarvān bandhūn avasthitān I kṛpayā parayā 'viṣṭo viṣīdann idam abravīt II 1.27*

tān: those; samīkṣya: after seeing; sa: he; kaunteyaḥ: kaunteya; sarvān: all; bandhūn: relatives; avasthitān: standing; kṛpayā: by pity; parayā: deep; āviṣṭaḥ: filled; viṣīdan: lamenting; idaṃ: thus; abravīt: spoke

1.27 Seeing all those relatives present there, Arjuna was overwhelmed with deep pity and spoke in sadness.

### arjuna uvāca

*dṛṣṭvemaṃ svajanaṃ kṛṣṇa yuyutsuṃ samupasthitam I sīdanti mama gātrāṇi mukhaṃ ca pariśuṣyati II 1.28*

arjuna: Arjuna; uvāca: said; dṛṣṭvā: after seeing; imaṃ: all these; svajanaṃ: kinsmen; kṛṣṇa: Kṛṣṇa; yuyutsuṃ: all eager to do battle; samupasthitam: arranged in form; sīdanti: fail; mama: my; gātrāṇi: limbs; mukhaṃ: mouth; ca: and; pariśuṣyati: is parching

*vepathuś ca śarīre me romaharṣaś ca jāyate I gāṇḍīvaṃ sraṃsate hastāt tvak caiva paridahyate II 1.29*

vepathuḥ: trembling; ca: and; śarīre: in body; me: my; romaharṣaḥ: hair standing on end; ca: and; jāyate: happens; gāṇḍīvaṃ: Gāṇḍīva; sraṃsate: slips; hastāt: from the hands; tvak: skin; ca: and; eva: only; paridahyate: is burning

1.28, 29 Arjuna said: Kṛṣṇa, seeing my friends and relatives present before me, eager to wage war, my limbs are giving way, my mouth is parching and a shiver is running through my body, my hair is standing on end.

*na ca śaknomy avasthātuṃ bhramatīva ca me manaḥ I nimittāni ca paśyāmi viparī tāni keśava II 1.30*

na: not; ca: and; śaknomi: am able; avasthātuṃ: to stand; bhramatīva: as if whirling; ca: and; me: my; manaḥ: mind; nimittāni: portents; ca: also; paśyāmi: I see; viparī tāni: just the opposite; keśava: O Keśava, killer of demon Kesin

1.30 My bow gāṇḍīva is slipping from my hands and my skin is burning all over. My mind is whirling as it were, and I am now unable to stand here any longer.


### Chapter 1

*na ca śreyo 'nupaśyāmi hatvā svajanam āhave I na kāṅkṣe vijayaṃ kṛṣṇa na ca rājyaṃ sukhāni ca II*

na: not; ca: and; śreyaḥ: good; anupaśyāmi: I see; hatvā: after killing; svajanam: own kinsmen; āhave: in battle; na: not; kāṅkṣe: I desire; vijayaṃ: victory; kṛṣṇa: O Kṛṣṇa; na: not; ca: and; rājyaṃ: kingdom; sukhāni: pleasures; ca: and

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.

*kiṃ no rājyena govinda kiṃ bhogair jīvitena vā I yeṣām arthe kāṅkṣitaṃ no rājyaṃ bhogāḥ sukhāni ca II*

*ta ime 'vasthitā yuddhe prāṇāṃs tyaktvā dhanāni ca I ācāryāḥ pitaraḥ putrāḥ tathaiva ca pitāmahāḥ II*

*mātulāḥ śvaśurāḥ pautrāḥ śyālāḥ saṃbandhinas tathā I etān na hantum icchāmi ghnato 'pi madhusūdana II*

*api trailokyarājyasya hetoḥ kiṃ nu mahīkṛ te I*

### *nihatya dhārtarāṣṭrān naḥ kā prī tiḥ syāj janārdana II*

kiṃ: what; no: to us; rājyena: by kingdom; govinda: Govinda; kiṃ: what; bhogaiḥ: by pleasures; jīvitena: life; vā: or; yeṣām: for whose; arthe: sake; kāṅkṣitaṃ: desired; no: by us; rājyaṃ: kingdom; bhogāḥ: enjoyment; sukhāni: happiness; ca: and; te: they; ime: these; avasthitāḥ: stand; yuddhe: in battle; prāṇān: lives; tyaktvā: giving up; dhanāni: wealth; ca: and; ācāryāḥ: teachers; pitaraḥ: fathers; putrāḥ: sons; tathā eva: like that; ca: and; pitāmahāḥ: grandfathers; mātulāḥ: maternal uncles; śvaśurāḥ: fathers-inlaw; pautrāḥ: grandsons; śyālāḥ: brothers-in-law; saṃbandhinaḥ: relatives; tathā: as well as; etān: these; na: not; hantum: for killing; icchāmi: I wish; ghnataḥ: killed; api: even; madhusūdana: O killer of the demon Madhu; api: even; trailokya: of the three worlds; rājyasya: of the kingdoms; hetoḥ: in exchange; kiṃ: what; nu: then; mahīkṛte: for the sake of the earth; nihatya: after slaying; dhārtarāṣṭrān: sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra; naḥ: to us; kā: what; prītiḥ: pleasure; syāt: may be; janārdana: Janārdana; pāpaṃ: sins; eva: only; āśrayet: will take hold; asmān: us; hatvā: after killing; etān: these; ātatāyinaḥ: wrong-doers

1.32—1.36 Of what use will kingdom or happiness or even life be to us? For whose sake we desire this kingdom, enjoyment and happiness, they stand in battle staking their lives and property. Teachers, fathers, sons as well as grandfathers, maternal uncles, fathers-inlaw, grandsons, brothers-in-law and other relatives. Madhusūdana (Kṛṣṇa), even if I am killed (by them) I do not want to kill these ones even to gain control of all three worlds, much less for the earthly lordship. What pleasure will we get by destroying the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Janārdana? Only sin will overcome us if we slay these wrong doers.

*pāpam evāśrayed asmān hatvaitān ātatāyinaḥ I*

*tasmān nārhā vayaṃ hantuṃ dhārtarāṣṭrān svabāndhavān I svajanaṃ hi kathaṃ hatvā sukhinaḥ syāma mādhava II*

tasmāt: therefore; na: not; arhāḥ: justified; vayaṃ: we; hantuṃ: to kill; dhārtarāṣṭrān: the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra; svabāndhavān: our friends; svajanaṃ: kinsmen; hi: for; kathaṃ: how; hatvā: after killing; sukhinaḥ: happy; syāma: may be; mādhava: O Mādhava (Kṛṣṇa)

1.37 Therefore, it is not proper for us to kill the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra and our relations, for how could we be happy after killing our own kinsmen, Mādhava?

*yadyapyete na paśyanti lobhopahata cetasaḥ I kulakṣayakṛtaṃ doṣaṃ mitradrohe ca pātakam II*

yadyapi: even if; ete: these; na: not; paśyanti: see; lobhopahata: greed overtaken; cetasaḥ: intelligence; kulakṣayakṛtaṃ: in killing the race done; doṣaṃ: fault; mitradrohe: treason to friends; ca: and; pātakam: sin

1.38 O Janārdana, these men, blinded by greed, see no fault in killing one's family or being treasonable to friends, incur sin.

*kathaṃ na jñeyam asmābhiḥ pāpād asmān nivartitum I kulakṣaya kṛ taṃ doṣaṃ prapaśyadbhir janārdana II*

kathaṃ: why; na: not; jñeyam: to be understood; asmābhiḥ: by us; pāpāt: from sins; asmāt: from this; nivartitum: to turn away; kulakṣaya kṛtaṃ: destruction of a dynasty; doṣaṃ: evil; prapaśyadbhiḥ: by the witnessing; janārdana: Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa)

1.39 Why should we, who clearly see the sin in the destruction of a dynasty, not turn away from this crime?

*kulakṣaye praṇaśyanti kuladharmāḥ sanātanāḥ I dharme naṣṭe kulaṃ kṛ tsnam adharmo 'bhibhavatyuta II*

kulakṣaye: in destroying the family; praṇaśyanti: perish; kuladharmāḥ: the family traditions; sanātanāḥ: age-old; dharme: virtue; naṣṭe: destroyed; kulaṃ: family; kṛtsnam: whole; adharmaḥ: non-righteousness; abhibhavati: overtakes; uta: and

1.40 With the destruction of the dynasty, the age-old family traditions die and virtue having been lost, vice overtakes the entire race.

*adharmābhibhavāt kṛṣṇa praduṣyanti kula striyaḥ I strīṣu duṣṭāsu vārṣṇeya jāyate varṇasaṃkaraḥ II*

adharma: non-righteousness; abhi bhavāt: from the preponderance; kṛṣṇa: O Kṛṣṇa; praduṣyanti: become corrupt; kula striyaḥ: family women; strīṣu duṣṭāsu: when women become corrupt; vārṣṇeya: O Vārṣṇeya (Kṛṣṇa); jāyate: arises; varṇasaṃkaraḥ: intermixture of castes

1.41 When non-righteous practices become common, O Kṛṣṇa, the women of the family become corrupt, and with the degradation of womanhood, O Descendant of Vṛṣṇi, ensues intermixture of castes.

### *saṃkaro narakāyaiva kulaghnānāṃ kulasya ca I patanti pitaro hyeṣāṃ lupta piṇḍodaka kriyāḥ II*

saṃkaraḥ: mixture; narakāya: for hell; eva: only; kulaghnānāṃ: of the killers of the family; kulasya: of the family; ca: and; patanti: fall; pitaraḥ : forefathers; hi: also; eṣāṃ: their; lupta: deprived; piṇḍodaka: offering of rice and water to the departed souls; kriyāḥ: performances

*doṣair etaiḥ kulaghnānāṃ varṇa saṃkarakārakaiḥ I utsādyante jātidharmāḥ kuladharmāś ca śāśvatāḥ II*

doṣaiḥ: faults; etaiḥ: these; kulaghnānāṃ: of the destroyer of the family; varṇa saṃkara: mixture of castes; kārakaiḥ : by the doers; utsādyante: are destroyed; jāti dharmāḥ: caste rituals; kula dharmāḥ: family traditions; ca: and; śāśvatāḥ: age-old

1.42, 43 A mixture of blood damns the destroyers of race and the race itself. Deprived of offering of oblations of rice and water the departed souls of the race also fall, the age-long caste traditions and family customs of the killers of kinmen become extinct.

*utsannakula dharmāṇāṃ manuṣyāṇāṃ janārdana I narake 'niyataṃ vāso bhavatītyanuśuśruma II*

utsanna: spoiled; kula dharmāṇāṃ: of those who have the family traditions; manuṣyāṇāṃ: of such men; janārdana: O Kṛṣṇa; narake: in hell; aniyataṃ: always; vāsaḥ: residence; bhavati: becomes; iti: thus; anuśuśruma: we hear

1.44 O Janārdana, we hear that those who have lost family traditions dwell in hell for an indefinite period of time.

*aho bata mahat pāpaṃ kartuṃ vyavasitā vayaṃ I yad rājya sukha lobhena hantuṃ svajanam udyatāḥ II*

aho bata: alas; mahat: great; pāpaṃ: sins; kartuṃ: to do; vyavasitā: prepared; vayaṃ: we; yat: that; rājya: kingdom; sukha lobhena: by greed for kingdom; hantuṃ: to kill; svajanaṃ: kinsmen; udyatāḥ: prepared

1.45 Alas, we are prepared to commit greatly sinful acts of killing our kinsmen, driven by the desire to enjoy royal happiness.

*yadi mām apratīkāram aśastraṃ śastrapāṇayaḥ I dhārtarāṣṭrā raṇe hanyuḥ tan me kṣemataraṃ bhavet II*

yadi: if; māṃ: me; apratīkāraṃ: not resistant; aśastraṃ: unarmed; śastrapāṇayaḥ: with weapons in hand; dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ: the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra; raṇe: in the battle; hanyuḥ: may kill; tat: that; me: mine; kṣemataraṃ: better; bhavet: will be

1.46 It would be better if the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, armed with weapons, killed me in battle while I am unarmed and unresisting.

*sañjaya uvāca evam uktvārjunaḥ saṃkhye rathopastha upāviśat I visṛ jya saśaraṃ cāpaṃ śokasaṃvignamānasaḥ II* sañjaya: Sañjaya; uvāca: said; evaṃ: thus; uktvā: having said; arjunaḥ: Arjuna; saṃkhye: in the battle field; rathopastha: chariot at the rear side; upāviśat: sat down; visṛ jya: having cast aside; saśaraṃ: with the arrow; cāpaṃ: the bow; śoka: sorrow; saṃvigna: distressed; mānasaḥ: with a mind

1.47 Sañjaya said: Arjuna, whose mind was agitated by grief on the battle field, having spoken thus, cast aside his bow along with the arrow and sat down at the rear portion of the chariot.

*iti śrī mad bhagavadgītāsūpaniṣatsu brahmavidyāyām yogaśāstre śrīkṛṣṇārjuna saṃvāde arjuna visāda yogo nāma prathamo 'dhyāyaḥ II*

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

### Chapter 2

*sañjaya uvāca taṁ tathākṛpayāviṣṭamaśrupūrṇākulekṣaṇam I viṣīdantaṁidam vākyamuvāca madhusūdanaḥ II*

sañjaya uvāca: Sañjaya said; taṁ: to him; tathā: thus; kṛpayā: by pity; āviṣṭam: overcome; aśrupūrṇā: full of tears; ākula: agitated; īkṣaṇam: (one with) eyes; viṣīdantaṁ: sorrowing; idaṁ: this; vākyam: word; uvāca: said; madhu-sūdanaḥ: the killer of Madhu

2.1 Sañjaya said: As Arjuna's eyes overflowed with tears of pity and despair, Madhusūdana (Kṛṣṇa) spoke to him thus.

*śrībhagavānuvāca kutastvā kaśmalamidaṁ viṣame samupasthitam I anārya-juṣṭam asvargyam akīrti-karam arjuna II*

śrī bhagavān uvāca: Lord says; kutaḥ: why; tvā: upon you; kaśmalam: delusion; idaṁ: this; viṣame: in this critical time; samupasthitam: arrived; anārya juṣṭam: unworthy of a noble soul; asvargyam: not leading to heaven; akīrtikaram: disgraceful; arjuna: O Arjuna

2.2 Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa says: Where from has this impurity, dejection descended on you at this critical time, Arjuna! You behave unlike a noble man and this will keep you away from realization.

*klaibyaṁ mā sma gamaḥ pārtha naitattvayyupapadyate I kṣudraṁ hṛdayadaurbalyaṁ tyaktvottiṣṭha parantapa II*

klaibyaṁ: impotence; mā: do not; sma gamaḥ: yield; pārtha: son of Pritā; na: not; etat: this; tvayi: in you; upapadyate: is fitting; kṣudraṁ: mean; hṛdaya daurbalyaṁ: weakness of heart; tyaktvaa: after abandoning; uttiṣṭha: get up; paraṁtapa: O destroyer of enemies

2.3 Do not yield to fear, Pārtha! It does not befit you. Drop this powerlessness of the heart and stand up, O Parantapa, destroyer of enemies!

*arjuna uvāca*

*katham bhīṣmamahaṁ saṅkhye droṇaṁ ca madhusūdana I iṣubhiḥ pratiyotsyāmi pūjārhāvarisūdana II*

arjuna uvāca: Arjuna said; katham: how; bhīṣmam: Bhīṣma; ahaṁ: I; saṅkhye: in battle; droṇaṁ: Droṇa; ca: also; madhusūdana: O killer of Madhu; iṣubhiḥ: with arrows; pratiyotsyāmi: shall counterattack; pūjārhāu: the two worthy of worship; arisūdana: O killer of the enemies

2.4 Arjuna said: O Madhusūdana (killer of Madhu), how can I oppose, in battle, Bhīṣma and Droṇa who are worthy of my worship?

*gurūnahatvā hi mahānubhāvān śreyo bhoktuṁ bhaikṣyam apīha loke I hatvārtha-kāmāṁs tu gurūnihaiva bhuñjīya bhogān rudhira-pradigdhān II*

gurūn: the elders; ahatvā: not having killed; hi: indeed; mahānubhāvān: great souls; śreyah: it is better; bhoktuṁ: to enjoy life; bhaikṣyam: begging; api: even; iha: in this life; loke: in this world; hatvā: after killing; arthakāmān: wealth and enjoyment; tu: but; gurūn: elders; iha: in this world; eva: only; bhuñjīya: has to enjoy; bhogān: enjoyable things; rudhira: blood; pradigdhān: tainted with

2.5 I would rather beg for my food in this world than kill the most noble of teachers. If I kill them, all my enjoyment of wealth and desires will be stained with blood.

*na caitadvidmaḥ kataranno garīyo yadvā jayema yadi vā no jayeyuḥ I yān eva hatvā na jijīviṣāmas te'vasthitāḥ pramukhe dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ II*

na: nor; cha: also; etat: this; vidmaḥ: do know; katarat: which; naḥ: us; garīyah: better; yat: what; vā: either; jayema: shall conquer; yadi: if; vā: or; naḥ: us; jayeyuḥ: shall conquer; yān: those whom; eva: only; hatvā: after killing; na: never; jijīviṣāmaḥ: want to live; te: all of them; avasthitāḥ: assembled; pramukhe: in front of; dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ: the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra

2.6 I cannot say which is better; their defeating us or us defeating them. We do not wish to live after slaying the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra who stand before us.

*kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ pṛcchāmi tvāṁ dharma-saṁmūḍha-cetāḥ I yacchreyaḥ syānniścitaṁ brūhi tan me śiṣyaste'ham śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam II*

kārpaṇya: miserly; doṣa: weakness; upahata: being inflicted by; svabhāvaḥ: characteristics; pṛcchāmi: I am asking; tvāṁ: you; dharma: religion; saṁmūḍha cetāḥ: bewildered mind; yat: what; śreyaḥ: good; syāt: may be; niścitaṁ: decidedly; brūhi: tell; tat: that; me: unto me; śiṣyaḥ: disciple; te: your; aham: I am; śādhi: just instruct; māṁ: me; tvāṁ: you; prapannam: surrendered

2.7 My heart is overwhelmed with pity and my mind is confused about what my duty is. I beg of you, please tell me what is best for me. I am your disciple. Instruct me as I seek refuge in you.

*na hi prapaśyāmi mamāpanudyād yac chokam ucchoṣaṇam indriyāṇām I avāpya bhūmāva-sapatnam-ṛddhaṁ rājyaṁ surāṇām api cādhipatyam II*

na: do not; hi: indeed; prapaśyāmi: I see; mama: my; apanudyāt: can drive away; yat: that; śokam: lamentation; ucchoṣaṇam: drying up; indriyāṇām: of the senses; avāpya: after achieving; bhūmau: on the earth; asapatnam: without rival; ṛddhaṁ: prosperous; rājyam: kingdom; surāṇām: of the demigods; api: even; ca: also; ādhipatyam: supremacy

2.8 Even if I were to attain unrivalled dominion and prosperity on earth or even lordship over the Gods, how would that remove this sorrow that burns my senses?

*sañjaya uvāca evamuktvā hṛṣīkeśaṁ guḍākeśaḥ parantapa I na yotsya iti govinda muktvā tūṣṇīṁ babhūva ha II*

sañjaya uvācha: Sañjaya said; evam: thus; uktvā: after speaking; hṛṣīkeśam: unto Kṛṣṇa, the master of the senses; guḍākeśaḥ: one who has won over sleep (Arjuna); parantapa: destroyer of the enemies; na yotsye: I shall not fight; iti: thus; govindam: unto Kṛṣṇa, the giver of pleasure; uktvā: having said; tūṣnīṁ: silent; babhūva: became; ha: clearly

2.9 Sañjaya said: Guḍākeśa (Arjuna) then said to Hṛṣīkeśa (Kṛṣṇa), 'Govinda, I shall not fight,' and fell silent.

*tam uvāca hṛṣīkeśaḥ prahasanniva bhārata I senayor ubhayor madhye viṣīdantamidaṁ vacaḥ II*

tam: unto him; uvācha: said; hṛṣīkeśaḥ: the master of the senses, Kṛṣṇa; prahasan: smiling; iva: as if; bhārata: O Dhṛtarāṣṭra, descendant of Bhārata; senayoḥ: of the armies; ubhayoḥ: of both; madhye: between; viṣīdantam : unto the lamenting one; idaṁ: the following; vachaḥ: words

2.10 Kṛṣṇa, Hṛṣikeśa, smilingly spoke the following words to the grief-stricken Arjuna, as they were placed in the middle of both armies.

*śrībhagavānuvāca aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñāvādāṁś ca bhāṣase I gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ II*