As the opposing armies stand poised for battle, Arjuna, the mighty warrior, sees his intimate relatives, teachers and friends in both armies ready to fight and sacrifice their lives. Overcome by grief and pity, Arjuna fails in strength, his mind becomes bewildered, and he gives up his determination to fight.
This First Chapter is called “Visada yoga” which means “Yoga of despair.” When a pious person is in adverse situation he turns his attention to God. Thus, the calamities in life, which act as an impetus for spiritual progress, are appropriately called “yoga.”
Verses 1-11
The doubts of Dhritarastra and Duryodhana’s attempt to consolidate his army
Verses 12-20
Signs of victory for the Pandavas
Verses 21-26
Arjuna confronted with his attachments
Verses 27-46
Arjuna’s reasons not to fight
Verses 27 – 29 Compassion
Verses 30 – 35 Desire for enjoyment
Verses 36; 44 – 45 Fear of sinful reactions
Verses 37 – 43 Destruction of family tradition
Verses 1-11 The doubts of Dhritarastra and Duryodhana’s attempt to consolidate his army
Verse 1
Bhagavad-gita, as most Vedic scriptures, opens with a question. This signifies that the transcendental knowledge is transmitted through the process of inquiry.
The question Dhritarastra asks is bizarre as Srila Prabhupada explains:
"Now, the word is used: yuyutsavah, "They assembled for fighting." Then what is the use of asking: kim akurvata, "Then what did they do?" It is natural to conclude that when they assemble for fighting, there must be fighting. But why he was asking: kim akurvata? The suspect was that because the parties assembled in the dharma-ksetra, so they might have changed their ideas." [Lecture BG 2.1 Ahmedabad, December 6, 1972]
Dhritarastra hopes that the pious influence of the holy place of pilgrimage will not discourage his demoniac sons to fight, and will not give additional strength to the righteous Pandavas. On the other hand, Dhritarastra wishes that the Pandavas decline to fight with their relatives because of compassion and detachment.
Before the war started, Dhritarastra sent Sanjaya to the Pandavas with similar message. Sanjaya pleaded that since the Pandavas are saintly persons, they should refrain from the battle and live by begging. What will they gain by slaying their relatives? It is better to give up the kingdom than to kill Bhisma and Drona. Thus, Sanjaya introduced the same arguments which later on Arjuna developed in this First Chapter of Gita. Lord Sri Krsna, who was also present in the assembly, rejected the proposal.
Sometimes unscrupulous men try to deceit saintly persons in similar manner. They persuade holy men that it is not worthy to fight for transitory material things and that is much better to pursue solitary bhajana. Lord Krsna does not approve his devotees being fooled in such a way.
Srila Prabhupada reveals the esoteric meaning of the word “dharma-ksetra”:
"As in the paddy field the unnecessary plants are taken out, so it is expected from the very beginning of these topics that in the religious field of Kuruksetra, where the father of religion, Sri Krsna, was present, the unwanted plants like Dhritarastra's son Duryodhana and others would be wiped out and the thoroughly religious persons, headed by Yudhisthira, would be established by the Lord." [BG 1.1, purport]
The word “mamakah” shows that Dhritarastra is partial to his sons and envious to the Pandavas. This word is very important because it reveals the very reason for the war—the concept of mine and yours, friends and enemies. This wrong idea creates hatred and envy which lead to conflicts.
Verses 2-6
After examining the Pandava’s army king Duryodhana became afraid. Because of this he personally approached Drona instead of summoning him as befits a king. But Duryodhana attempted to hide his fear, pretending that he comes only out of respect of his Guru. According to Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana this clever use of diplomacy is indicated by the word “raja.” “Vacanam abravét” (he spoke some words) means that Duryodhana carefully used words in a way fitting his interests.
Duryodhana was afraid because he knew that although his army is bigger, Pandava’s warriors are superior in quality. The great heroes of the Kaurava’s, Bhisma and Drona, had great attachment for the Pandavas and sided with Duryodhana because of political considerations only. Thus, they were not wholeheartedly dedicated to the cause. Similar was the situation with many other prominent soldiers from Kaurava’s side.
On the other hand, the generals from the Pandava’s army were united and completely committed.
With his carefully selected words, Duryodhana wanted to provoke Drona. By the usage of the word “pandu-putranam” he pointed out that the Pandavas are Drona’s disciples and yet they are ready to fight and kill him. Duryodhana hoped that this will invoke the anger of Drona and he will fight with full strength.
The Pandava’s army is called “great” although it is much smaller than the Kaurava’s. Duryodhana uses this word because he does not want Drona to be lenient in the battle. This shows also that envious persons like Duryodhana cannot tolerate even the smallest progress of his enemy.
Dhristadyumna is called “drupada-putrena” which is a further prod for Drona since Drona and Drupada were enemies. In his purport to verse 3, Srila Prabhupada writes:
"Dronacarya had some political quarrel with King Drupada, the father of Draupadi, who was Arjuna's wife. As a result of this quarrel, Drupada performed a great sacrifice, by which he received the benediction of having a son who would be able to kill Dronacarya. Dronacarya knew this perfectly well, and yet as a liberal brahmana he did not hesitate to impart all his military secrets when the son of Drupada, Dhristadyumna, was entrusted to him for military education."
Duryodhana indirectly reprimanded his Guru by using the words “tava sisyena dhimata” (your intelligent disciple). Duryodhana suggests that Drona was deceived by Dhristadyumna, who will now use all he had learned against his own teacher.
According to Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana, Duryodhana said:
"The army has been arranged by the son of Drupada. Drupada, in order to kill you, had his son Dhristadyumna appear from the fire sacrifice. And then you, though knowing he was an enemy, taught that son the art of fighting. That was your foolishness. And he, the enemy, is very intelligent, having learned from you how to kill you. What you have done has produced a problem for us now!"
Thus, Duryodhana’s opinion is that one should perform his duty only as long as this is favorable for his opulence and sense enjoyment. To go against one’s selfish interests in the name of dharma is foolishness.
Duryodhana compares the Pandava’s soldiers to Bhima and Arjuna because he fears them most. Bhima is especially dangerous as he is by nature more ferocious than Arjuna and because he has taken dreadful vows: To kill all 100 sons of Dhritarastra, to drink blood from Dushasana’s heart, to wash Draupadi’s hair with the same blood, and to break Duryodhana’s thigh.
Verses 7-8
Thinking that Drona might perceive his fear from the Pandava’s army, Duryodhana boasted the power of his own soldiers. But since one should never underestimate the strength of an enemy, he mentioned only seven Kaurava heroes (he counted seventeen great soldiers from the Pandava’s side). In this way, Duryodhana wanted to incite Drona to take the battle seriously, but not to discourage him by excessively praising the enemies.
While glorifying his warriors, Duryodhana faced a difficult dilemma. It was very important who among them will be mentioned first. Being an expert diplomat, he selected Drona since he was a brahmana. Bhisma, being a ksatriya, would not feel offended by this.
To further encourage Drona, Duryodhana next named Drona’s father-in-law Krpa and Drona’s son Ashvathama. The next was Vikarna who was not a great warrior like Drona, Bhisma and Karna. But as he was the only one who objected when at the gambling match Draupadi was insulted, Duryodhana was worried that he might join the Pandavas. By listing his name among the best of the ksatriyas, Duryodhana wanted to flatter Vikarna and thus secure his loyalty.
In this way, by mentioning the names of seven prominent heroes Duryodhana tried to please Drona and to reinforce the fighting spirit of his key warriors.
Verse 9
In his purport to this verse, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur reveals that Duryodhana actually confirms what Lord Krsna says later in Bhagavad-gita:
"Therefore get up. Prepare to fight and win glory. Conquer your enemies and enjoy a flourishing kingdom. They are already put to death by My arrangement, and you, O Savyasaci, can be but an instrument in the fight." [BG 11.33]
The word “tyakta-jivitah” is used in the sense that the solders are ready to sacrifice their lives for Duryodhana’s sake. However, the literal meaning is “those who have given up their lives.” Thus, Duryodhana admitted that he wanted to achieve his selfish goals even at the cost of the lives of his own men. In a purport to Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.16.34, Srila Prabhupada states:
"The asuras want to enjoy a life of sense gratification, even at the cost of others' happiness. In order to fulfill this ambition, the asuras, especially atheistic kings or state executive heads, try to equip themselves with all kinds of deadly weapons to bring about a war in a peaceful society."
Both Duryodhana and Arjuna observed the armies before the battle. Their reactions were opposite.
Duryodhana was happy to see that many noble ksatriyas were ready to die for his cause. As a pious man, Arjuna felt compassion for both enemies and friends. He was horrified that so many soldiers were to be slaughtered for the Pandavas’ sake.
Arjuna fought only after Krsna personally guaranteed that this is the best thing for him to do. Duryodhana, on the other hand, was resolved to fight even though Bhisma, Drona, and Vidura repeatedly attempted to persuade him out of his plans.
Verse 10
Srila Prabhupada and Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana translate the word aparyaptam as “immeasurable” (the strength of the Kaurava’s army is immeasurable because of Bhisma’s protection). Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur translates aparyaptam as “insufficient.” In this case the meaning is: “Our strength is insufficient because out of attachment for the Pandavas, Bhisma is not fully committed to the battle. Therefore, we depend on Drona for the outcome of the fight.” Thus, with a single word Duryodhana managed to encourage both Bhisma and Drona.
Although the Kaurava’s army looked superior in number and quality, Duryodhana had several reasons to be concerned.
According to Duryodhana’s own calculation, the Kauravas had only seven powerful warriors against seventeen maharathas from the Pandavas’ side. The main Kaurava heroes, Bhisma, Drona, and Krpa, favored the Pandavas and were thus divided in their allegiance. Bhisma in particular had announced that he would not kill the Pandavas.
Karna was completely devoted to Duryodhana but he vowed not to fight for as long as Bhisma is present on the battlefield. Besides this, he promised to Kunté that he will not slay the Pandavas except for Arjuna.
Another consideration was that Krsna, the Supreme Lord, took the side of the Pandavas. It was obvious that the pious Kaurava leaders—Bhisma, Drona, and Krpa will be hesitant to attack Him.
Verse 11
In verse 11, Duryodhana says:
“All of you must now give full support to Grandfather Bhisma, as you stand at your respective strategic points of entrance into the phalanx of the army.”
According to Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur, Duryodhana meant that the success in the battle depends on Bhisma. In this way, Duryodhana simultaneously encouraged Bhisma, and conveyed to Drona and all others that they must fight with full strength.
Bhisma had to be protected because he was the commander in chief of the Kaurava’s army and his presence was of vital importance. Another reason was that Bhisma vowed not to fight with a woman. Since Sikhandi was considered a woman, the grandfather had to be protected from him.
Duryodhana declared that his life depends exclusively on Bhisma because he knew that the ksatriyas feel proud and empowered when someone seeks their protection.
Duryodhana praised Bhisma indirectly, while talking to Drona, because he knew that the indirect praise is more pleasant.
Verses 12-20 Signs of victory
Srila Prabhupada comments on verse 12:
"The grandsire of the Kuru dynasty could understand the inner meaning of the heart of his grandson Duryodhana, and out of his natural compassion for him he tried to cheer him by blowing his conchshell very loudly, befitting his position as a lion. Indirectly, by the symbolism of the conchshell, he informed his depressed grandson Duryodhana that he had no chance of victory in the battle, because the Supreme Lord Krsna was on the other side. But still, it was his duty to conduct the fight, and no pains would be spared in that connection."
When Lord Krsna and Arjuna blew their divine conchshells, the sound shattered the hearts of the sons of Dhritarastra. Arjuna had Hanuman on his flag, a chariot given by Agni, and above all Lord Krsna, who is the Master of the senses and the Husband of the Goddess of fortune, was personally present to guide him. In such auspicious conditions, arranged by the Lord for His eternal devotee, lay the signs of assured victory.
Although Krsna promised not to fight, He nevertheless accepted the Kaurava’s challenge and blew His conch. The transcendental sound cheered the Pandava army and shocked the sons of Dhritarastra. In the Bhagavad-gita 11.36, we find another example how the presence of the Lord invokes opposite reactions:
"Arjuna said: O master of the senses, the world becomes joyful upon hearing Your name, and thus everyone becomes attached to You. Although the perfected beings offer You their respectful homage, the demons are afraid, and they flee here and there. All this is rightly done."
The demons cannot tolerate the presence of the Lord. The same truth applies on the adyatmika level where the Holy Name of Lord Krsna drives away the demon like material desires from the devotees’ heart.
The Pandavas blew their conches immediately after Krsna sounded Päïcajanya. This signifies that they were Lord’s dependent followers and acted on His behalf. On the other side, the Kauravas acted independently, pursuing their own selfish desires. This erroneous mentality was the ultimate reason for their defeat as it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita 18.58:
"If you become conscious of Me, you will pass over all the obstacles of conditioned life by My grace. If, however, you do not work in such consciousness but act through false ego, not hearing Me, you will be lost."
The fact that the Pandavas did not sound their conches first shows that they would prefer to settle the conflict by conciliation. But when they were challenged they accepted the fight. Arjuna and Bhima , particularly, were so eager that they even broke the etiquette and blew their conches before Yudhisthira.
The devotees should be ready to fight when the Lord desires so.
Verses 21-26 Arjuna confronted with his attachments
In a purport to verses 21-22, Srila Prabhupada writes:
"Although Lord Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, out of His causeless mercy He was engaged in the service of His friend. He never fails in His affection for His devotees, and thus He is addressed herein as infallible. As charioteer, He had to carry out the orders of Arjuna, and since He did not hesitate to do so, He is addressed as infallible. Although He had accepted the position of a charioteer for His devotee, His supreme position was not challenged. In all circumstances, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hrisikesa, the Lord of the total senses. The relationship between the Lord and His servitor is very sweet and transcendental. The servitor is always ready to render service to the Lord, and, similarly, the Lord is always seeking an opportunity to render some service to the devotee. He takes greater pleasure in His pure devotee's assuming the advantageous position of ordering Him than He does in being the giver of orders. Since He is master, everyone is under His orders, and no one is above Him to order Him. But when He finds that a pure devotee is ordering Him, He obtains transcendental pleasure, although He is the infallible master in all circumstances."
In his purport to Bhagavad-gita 6.34, Srila Prabhupada quotes an analogy from the Upanisads:
"In the Vedic literature (Katha Upanisad 1.3.3-4) it is said: "The individual is the passenger in the car of the material body, and intelligence is the driver. Mind is the driving instrument, and the senses are the horses. The self is thus the enjoyer or sufferer in the association of the mind and senses. So it is understood by great thinkers." [BG, 6.34, purp]
Arjuna represents the living entity and Krsna is the intelligence (BG 7.10). The Lord blesses His devotee with a proper understanding by which he can achieve Him (BG 10.10). The chariot is the body awarded by the demigods according to the law of karma (Arjuna received his chariot from the demigod Agni). The white horses symbolize the purified senses. Unless all senses are under control there is every chance of fall down:
"As a strong wind sweeps away a boat on the water, even one of the roaming senses on which the mind focuses can carry away a man's intelligence." [BG 2.67]
Arjuna did not rush blindly unto the fight; first he wanted to see the enemies and to estimate their strength. In the same way, in the very beginning of his spiritual quest, the devotee should be able to recognize the real enemies of the soul (kama, krodha, lobha) and should know how to defeat them.
Krsna, the Lord of the senses, obeyed the order of Arjuna and drove the chariot amidst the two armies. In verse 24, Arjuna is called Gudakesa (one who conquers sleep). This implies that active persons are more receptive for the Lord’s guidance, or as Srila Prabhupada says, God helps those who help themselves.
It is significant that Krsna positioned the chariot just in the front of Bhisma and Drona, the persons for whom Arjuna had strongest affection. Thus, Arjuna was confronted with his most powerful material attachments.
When one wants to surrender, Krsna reveals to him what his weaknesses are and how to overcome them. Then it is up to the devotee to take advantage and to develop his dormant Krsna Consciousness.
In order to please Krsna, Arjuna had to give up his attachment for all who were on the wrong side. This test comes in the life of every devotee. A devotee who wants to surrender to the Lord will have to give up his selfish desires. If he decides to keep them and to run away from the battle, following the path of the least resistance, his progress in Krsna consciousness will be checked. He will be in the position of a person who wants to posses a precious gem, but does not want to pay the price for it.
In verse 23, Arjuna wants to see the enemies who have come to fight on the side of the evil-minded son of Dhritarastra. Upon seeing them face to face however, Arjuna shifts his perspective and takes them to be his relatives instead. Thus, he feels compassion and lists several reasons why he should not be asked to fight with them.
Verses 27-46 Arjuna’s reasons not to fight
Verses 27-29:
Compassion
Seeing his relatives ready to fight, Arjuna felt compassion. In his purports to Bhagavad-gita 1.28 and 1.29, Srila Prabhupadaexplains Arjuna’s reaction in two ways:
"Any man who has genuine devotion to the Lord has all the good qualities which are found in godly persons or in the demigods, whereas the nondevotee, however advanced he may be in material qualifications by education and culture, lacks in godly qualities. As such, Arjuna, just after seeing his kinsmen, friends and relatives on the battlefield, was at once overwhelmed by compassion for them who had so decided to fight amongst themselves. As far as his soldiers were concerned, he was sympathetic from the beginning, but he felt compassion even for the soldiers of the opposite party, foreseeing their imminent death…This overwhelmed a kind devotee like Arjuna. Although it is not mentioned here, still one can easily imagine that not only were Arjuna's bodily limbs quivering and his mouth drying up, but he was also crying out of compassion. Such symptoms in Arjuna were not due to weakness but to his softheartedness, a characteristic of a pure devotee of the Lord."
"There are two kinds of trembling of the body, and two kinds of standings of the hair on end. Such phenomena occur either in great spiritual ecstasy or out of great fear under material conditions. There is no fear in transcendental realization. Arjuna's symptoms in this situation are out of material fear—namely, loss of life. This is evident from other symptoms also; he became so impatient that his famous bow Gandiva was slipping from his hands, and because his heart was burning within him, he was feeling a burning sensation of the skin. All these are due to a material conception of life."
Confronted with his material attachments, Arjuna became depressed. Depression is unavoidable as long as we have material desires and it comes from fear of loosing our material possessions.
In a lecture on Bhagavad-gita 1.28-29, Srila Prabhupada says:
"So Arjuna was not a coward. He was a competent warrior. But still, dehatma-buddhi, the bodily concept of life is so strong... That Arjuna admits, drstva tu svajanam Krsna: "My dear Krsna, I have to kill my own men." "Own men" means this bodily relationship. Why are others not "own men"? Everyone is "own men.” Because everyone is Krsna's son. So when one becomes Krsna conscious, he can see everyone as "own men.” And when he is not Krsna conscious, he simply sees "own men" where there is bodily relationship. This is the defect." [Lect. BG 1.28-29 London 73]
A materialist would become upset that Krsna encouraged killing one’s own relatives, and would praise Arjuna as a non-violent sadhu. However, Arjuna was motivated by the very source of violence—family attachment. When one is bound by family attachment he thinks in terms of I and Mine. He is ready to justify any amount of violence, as long as it is applied outside of his family circle. At the same time he will fight against any suggestion that the offensive behavior of his kinsmen might be corrected by force. The concept of I and Mine (iccha and dvesa), is described in Bhagavad-gita 7.27:
"O scion of Bharata, O conqueror of the foe, all living entities are born into delusion, bewildered by dualities arisen from desire and hate."
If Arjuna was to fight with soldiers unrelated to his family he would kill them without hesitation. But because he was attached to his kinsmen he wanted to avoid the battle pretending to be a non-violent saint. Thus, Arjuna’s so called compassion was actually cowardice in the face of the enemy—the family attachments. His desire to retire and become a mendicant was coming from frustration and not from realization. Therefore, it was rejected by Krsna.
Verses 30-35:
Desire for enjoyment
In the purport to verses 32-35, Srila Prabhupada writes:
"Arjuna has addressed Lord Krsna as Govinda because Krsna is the object of all pleasures for cows and the senses. By using this significant word, Arjuna indicates that Krsna should understand what will satisfy Arjuna's senses. But Govinda is not meant for satisfying our senses. If we try to satisfy the senses of Govinda, however, then automatically our own senses are satisfied. Materially, everyone wants to satisfy his senses, and he wants God to be the order supplier for such satisfaction. The Lord will satisfy the senses of the living entities as much as they deserve, but not to the extent that they may covet. But when one takes the opposite way—namely, when one tries to satisfy the senses of Govinda without desiring to satisfy one's own senses—then by the grace of Govinda all desires of the living entity are satisfied."
Arjuna refused to fight because his motivation was selfish. He wanted to win the kingdom and to enjoy it together with his relatives. As soon as he realized that he can be victorious only at the expense of his family members, he became desperate. He understood that his plans for family happiness are doomed and he declined to fight. As Srila Prabhupada writes:
"He thinks that by killing his kinsmen there would be no happiness in his life, and therefore he is not willing to fight, just as a person who does not feel hunger is not inclined to cook." [BG 1.31, purp.]
Arjuna calculated that even if he wins the kingdom, he will not be able to enjoy it without his relatives:
"Everyone wants to show his opulence to friends and relatives, but Arjuna fears that all his relatives and friends will be killed on the battlefield and he will be unable to share his opulence after victory. This is a typical calculation of material life." [BG 1.32-35 purp.]
Arjuna played the role of a conditioned soul. The conditioned soul identifies with a sum total of attachments comprising of his own body, the bodies of his relatives and friends, and all their material possessions.
The result of such false identification is that whenever a relative dies, the conditioned soul feels like a part of his own personality is destroyed. Arjuna’s situation was severe because he was about to lose not just one, but all his family members at once. In fact, he had to personally kill them all. These extreme circumstances resulted in identity crisis. Arjuna thought that killing his kinsmen is as good as committing suicide:
"O Govinda, of what avail to us are a kingdom, happiness or even life itself when all those for whom we may desire them are now arrayed on this battlefield?" [BG 1.32-35]
A materialist’s identity is threatened not only by loosing one’s friends, but by loosing one’s enemies as well. Both friendly and inimical behavior nourishes the false ego. Many great accomplishments are achieved because of the impetus generated by the enemies’ side. Thus, friends and enemies are essential for materialistic person. Both are used to solidify the bodily concept of life and to enhance sense gratification.
Verses 36; 44-45:
Fear of sinful reactions
In verse 35, Arjuna asked: “What pleasure will we derive from killing the sons of Dhritarastra?” Lord Krsna answered that killing an aggressor is not a sin:
According to Vedic injunctions there are six kinds of aggressors: (1) a poison giver, (2) one who sets fire to the house, (3) one who attacks with deadly weapons, (4) one who plunders riches, (5) one who occupies another's land, and (6) one who kidnaps a wife. Such aggressors are at once to be killed, and no sin is incurred by killing such aggressors. [BG 1.36, purp.]
The Kauravas were guilty of all of the above arraignments. They gave poisonous cake to Bhima sena, set fire to the house of shellac, stole Pandava’s wealth, land and wife, and were ready to attack with deadly weapons. Thus, they deserved to be killed.
Arjuna argued that this is the injunction of the artha-sastra. According to the higher dharma-sastra, however, one should be ready to forgive even such aggressors:
"It is established that where there is conflict of rules in two smrti statements, reasoning must prevail in choosing the correct rule. However, in reasoning, the rules of dharma-sastra are stronger than those of artha-sastra." [Yajnavalkya-smrti 2.21]
Arjuna failed to understand that Krsna’s single word stands higher than all dharmic rules and regulations.
Arjuna tried to cover up his weakness with lofty arguments. This is an example of improper use of the intelligence. Intelligence is meant to help one to advance in Krsna consciousness. The conditioned soul, however, generally uses his intelligence to rationalize his material attachments.
In verse 44, Arjuna, following his conscience, declared that the Pandavas are greedy, just as the Kauravas are. Although for the common men it is beneficial to follow his conscience for Arjuna it was step back because the Supreme Authority, Lord Krsna, was personally present to guide him. Deluded by family attachment, Arjuna mistook the righteous act of fighting for religious principles as an act of greed.
In verse 45, Arjuna declared himself ready to die unarmed on the battlefield, just because he wanted to keep intact his false identity of a good, moral person. He wanted his name to stay in the history as the hero who sacrificed his life for the sake of others. His fruitive mentality is captured in the words “better for me if the sons of Dhritarastra, weapons in hand, were to kill me unarmed…”
The conditioned soul creates a false image of himself and is ready to defend it even at the cost of his life. Whenever this false identity is threatened the protective mechanisms rally to keep it intact. In this way, one becomes impenetrable for criticism; he is logic-proven and sastra-proven. This specific feature of the conditioned soul makes the spiritual master’s duty extra intricate. The Guru has to be sensitive and delicate; otherwise his disciple may turn into his enemy.
Verses 37-43:
Destruction of family tradition
In verses 37-38, Arjuna blames the Kauravas of being greedy and fancies himself as a man of superior knowledge. In this way, Arjuna demonstrates another characteristic of the conditioned soul. The conditioned soul is expert faultfinder. He is very quick to point out defects in others and is blind of his own discrepancies. Arjuna had enough intelligence to see the greediness of the Kauravas, but failed to recognize his own illusions.
Arjuna argues that the battle will destroy the family tradition. In his purport to verse 39, Srila Prabhupada explains:
"In the system of the varnasrama institution there are many principles of religious traditions to help members of the family grow properly and attain spiritual values. The elder members are responsible for such purifying processes in the family, beginning from birth to death. But on the death of the elder members, such family traditions of purification may stop, and the remaining younger family members may develop irreligious habits and thereby lose their chance for spiritual salvation. Therefore, for no purpose should the elder members of the family be slain.
Lack of proper training will create havoc in the society. When the family leaders are dead the family becomes involved in irreligion. Women loose their chastity; the result is unwanted progeny (varna-sankara). When varna-sankara floods the world the performance of Vedic rituals stops. The forefathers are degraded and all kinds of community projects and family welfare activities are devastated."
Varna-sankara, or mixed population, is dangerous because it lacks material and spiritual identity. Society can be peaceful and prosperous only when its members are well acquainted with their duties. Persons who do not identify with particular varna and asrama do not follow any set of duty and are thus unpredictable in their behavior. The science of self-realization starts from resolving one’s material nature. Taking a clear stand in terms of varna and asrama is conducive for spiritual advancement.
Since Arjuna was influenced by false ego, all of his apparently good arguments were actually tainted by selfishness. He wanted to leave the battlefield because of family attachment. This is the biggest disgrace for a ksatriya. Still, Arjuna tried to rationalize his cowardice, deceiving himself that his reluctance to fight was caused by compassion, wisdom, and detachment. He did not have the courage to face his actual motives because his self-esteem would be destroyed.
Arjuna tried to avoid his social obligations as a warrior by pleading so-called higher moral principles; thus, he wanted to establish moral principles over social obligations. But since the Lord Himself was resolved for the fight, all those apparently important considerations were without substance. Reasoning and emotions have meaning only when they are connected with the Lord.
Arjuna wanted to abandon his duty and to live an idle life of frustration. But since the soul is always active it is not possible to stay in such superficial position for a long time. Srila Prabhupada comments in Path of Perfection:
"In Bhagavad-gita, Arjuna was refusing to act, and Krsna was inspiring him to engage in activity. The entire Bhagavad-gita is an inspiration to work, to engage in Krsna consciousness, to act on Krsna's behalf…Sitting still in one place is just for those who do not know how to work sensibly. As long as the child sits in one place, he does not raise havoc. Sitting still means negating nonsense; it is not positive activity. In negation, there is no life. Positive activities constitute life, and positive activity is the message of Bhagavad-gita. Spiritual life is not "Don't do this." Spiritual life is "Do this!" In order to act properly, there are certain things that one must know not to do; therefore certain activities are forbidden. The whole Bhagavad-gita, however, is "do." Krsna says, "Fight for Me." At the beginning of Bhagavad-gita, when Arjuna told Krsna, "I will not fight," Sri Krsna said: "My dear Arjuna, how have these impurities come upon you? They are not at all befitting a man who knows the progressive values of life. They lead not to higher planets, but to infamy." (Bg. 2.2) Krsna directly tells Arjuna that he is speaking like a non-Aryan—that is, like one who does not know the spiritual values of life. So Krsna consciousness does not mean sitting down idly. Krsna Himself does not sit down idly. All His pastimes are filled with activity. When we go to the spiritual world, we will see that Krsna is always engaged in dancing, eating, and enjoying. He does not sit down to meditate. Is there any account of the gopis meditating? Did Caitanya Mahäprabhu sit down to meditate? No, He was always dancing and chanting Hare Krsna. The spirit soul is naturally active. How can we sit down silently and do nothing? It is not possible."
Although in illusion, Arjuna had the valor to reveal his doubts and to seek the shelter of Krsna. He was a kind and softhearted devotee. As such, he was fit to receive spiritual knowledge.
(This material is based on "Yoga of dejection" by Satyanarayana Prabhu)
It looks a good edition, I will check it out, thanks.
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