06.024
Sanjaya said:
Madhusudana, seeing him overwhelmed with compassion, his eyes filled with tears and distress, spoke these words to the lamenting one.
The Blessed Lord spoke:
"O Arjuna, how has this delusion overcome you at this critical moment? It is unworthy of an Aryan, does not lead to heaven, and brings disgrace."
O Arjuna, do not succumb to this degrading impotence. It does not suit you. Shake off this weak-heartedness and stand up, O scorcher of foes.
Arjuna said:
Arjuna is expressing his doubt to Krishna, asking how he can fight against Bhishma and Drona, who are worthy of respect and worship, with arrows in the battle.
It is better to live in this world by begging than to kill the revered teachers. If I kill them, even though they are desirous of worldly gains, I would be enjoying pleasures tainted with their blood.
We are uncertain which is better for us: to conquer them or to be conquered by them. The sons of Dhritarashtra, whom we would not wish to kill even for the sake of living, stand before us.
Arjuna, with his nature weakened by the flaw of miserliness and his mind confused about his duty, seeks guidance from Krishna. He asks Krishna to tell him decisively what is better for him, declaring himself as Krishna's disciple and surrendering to him for instruction.
I do not see anything that can remove my sorrow which is parching my senses, even if I were to gain an unrivaled and prosperous kingdom on earth and lordship over the gods.
Sanjaya said:
Having addressed Hṛṣīkeśa, Guḍākeśa, the conqueror of sleep, declared to Govinda, "I shall not fight," and then fell silent.
Hṛṣīkeśa (Krishna), smiling as if, spoke these words to the despondent Arjuna, O descendant of Bharata, in the midst of both armies.
The Blessed Lord said:
You express sorrow for those who should not be mourned and yet speak as if you are wise. The truly wise do not grieve for the living or the dead.
There was never a time when I, you, or these kings did not exist; nor will there be a time in the future when we will cease to exist.
In this verse, it is explained that just as the soul experiences different stages of life within one body, it similarly transitions to another body after death. The wise understand this process and are not confused by it.
O son of Kunti, the sensations of cold, heat, pleasure, and pain are temporary and transient; therefore, endure them, O descendant of Bharata.
O best among men, the person who is not disturbed by these, who remains steady and is equal in both happiness and distress, is certainly eligible for liberation.
The unreal has no existence, and the real never ceases to exist; the seers of truth have discerned the nature of both.
"Understand that the essence which pervades everything is indestructible. No one can destroy the imperishable."
The bodies are known to be perishable, while the soul within is eternal, beyond destruction, and immeasurable. Therefore, O Bharata, engage in the battle.
The one who believes that the soul kills, and the one who thinks that it is killed, both are ignorant. The soul neither kills nor can it be killed.
The soul is never born, nor does it ever die; nor, having once existed, does it ever cease to be. It is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying, and primeval. The soul is not slain when the body is slain.
O son of Pritha, how can a person who knows the soul to be indestructible, eternal, unborn, and immutable, cause anyone to kill or kill anyone?
Just as a person changes old clothes for new ones, the soul changes old bodies for new ones.
This entity cannot be cut by weapons, cannot be burned by fire, cannot be wetted by water, and cannot be dried by the wind.
This entity is indestructible, cannot be burned, wetted, or dried. It is eternal, omnipresent, stable, immovable, and timeless.
This entity is described as unmanifested, beyond thought, and unchangeable. Therefore, understanding this, you should not grieve.
O mighty-armed one, even if you consider the soul to be eternally born or eternally dead, you should not grieve for it.
"For one who is born, death is certain, and for one who has died, birth is certain. Therefore, you should not lament over the inevitable."
O Bharata, beings are unmanifest in their beginnings, manifest in the middle, and unmanifest again at the end. So why lament over them?
Some perceive it as a marvel, others describe it as such, and yet others hear of it as a marvel; but even after hearing, no one truly understands it.
O Bharata, the soul within the body is eternal and cannot be destroyed. Therefore, you should not mourn for any living beings.
Considering your duty as a warrior, you should not hesitate, as there is no greater good for a Kshatriya than to engage in a righteous battle.
By chance, the gate to heaven has opened, and fortunate are the warriors, O son of Pritha, who find such a battle.
If you do not engage in this righteous battle, you will forsake your duty and honor, and incur sin.
People will speak of your imperishable disgrace; for a person of honor, disgrace is worse than death.
The great warriors will think that you have retreated from the battle out of fear, and those who held you in high esteem will now regard you with disgrace.
Your enemies will utter many unspeakable words and criticize your abilities; what could be more distressing than that?
If you are killed, you will attain heaven; if victorious, you will enjoy the earth. Therefore, stand up, O son of Kunti, and fight with determination.
Treating happiness and distress, gain and loss, victory and defeat as the same, engage in your duty to fight; by doing so, you will not incur sin.
This knowledge has been imparted to you in the context of Sāṅkhya philosophy. Now listen to it in the context of Yoga. With a disciplined intellect, O Arjuna, you will be able to transcend the bondage of actions.
In this context, there is no loss of effort, nor any negative consequence. Even a small amount of this righteous duty can protect one from great fear.
O son of Kuru, those who are resolute have a single-pointed intellect, while the irresolute have intellects that are scattered and endless.
O son of Pṛthā, the unwise, who are attached to the flowery words of the Vedas, claim that there is nothing beyond them.
Those who are driven by desires and are focused on reaching heaven, engage in numerous rituals that promise rewards of birth and actions, ultimately leading them towards a path of enjoyment and power.
For those who are overly attached to material enjoyment and opulence, their minds are carried away, and they cannot have resolute intelligence in meditation.
The Vedas are concerned with the three modes of material nature, but you, Arjuna, should rise above these modes. Be free from all dualities, always situated in the mode of goodness, without any thoughts of gain and security, and be self-realized.
For a Brahmana who understands, the utility found in a small well of water is the same as that found in a vast reservoir; similarly, all the Vedas hold the same utility for him.
You have the right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, nor be attached to inaction.
"O Dhananjaya, perform your duties established in yoga, abandoning attachment, and maintaining equanimity in success and failure. This equanimity is known as yoga."
O Dhananjaya, action is indeed inferior to the yoga of wisdom. Seek refuge in wisdom, for those who seek results are miserly.
A wise person, by practicing yoga, transcends both good and bad deeds. Therefore, strive for yoga, as it is the art of skillful action.
The wise, who are endowed with wisdom and have abandoned the fruits of their actions, are freed from the bondage of birth and attain a state free from all suffering.
When your intellect transcends the mire of delusion, you will develop dispassion for all that is heard and all that is to be heard.
When your mind, previously distracted by various teachings, becomes unwavering and steady in meditation, then you will achieve the state of yoga.
Arjuna said:
O Keśava, what is the language of a person with steady wisdom, who is situated in meditation? How does such a person speak, sit, and walk?
The Supreme Lord spoke:
When a person gives up all mental desires and is content with the self alone, then he is said to be a person of steady wisdom, O son of Pritha.
A person who remains undisturbed in sufferings, free from desires in happiness, and is devoid of attachment, fear, and anger, with a steady intellect, is known as a sage.
The one who is unattached in all situations, who neither rejoices in good fortune nor despises misfortune, has a wisdom that is firmly established.
When one withdraws their senses from the sense objects, just as a tortoise withdraws its limbs, their wisdom becomes steady.
For one who is abstinent, the objects of the senses withdraw, but the taste for them remains. However, even this taste ceases upon realizing the supreme.
O son of Kunti, even a wise person who is striving to control the senses can have their mind forcibly carried away by the turbulent senses.
One who has controlled all his senses and is focused on Me is truly wise and steady in his understanding.
When a person dwells on objects, attachment to them is born. From attachment arises desire, and from desire, anger is born.
Anger leads to delusion, delusion results in confusion of memory, confusion of memory causes destruction of intelligence, and when intelligence is destroyed, one perishes.
A person who moves among objects with senses free from attachment and aversion, and who is self-controlled and has a disciplined mind, attains peace and grace.
When one is in a state of equanimity, all miseries are destroyed. For a person with a clear mind, intelligence becomes quickly and firmly established.
For one who is not connected with the Divine, there is neither intelligence nor a focused mind. Without a focused mind, there is no peace. And without peace, where is happiness?
When the mind follows the wandering senses, it carries away one's wisdom, just as the wind carries away a boat on the water.
Therefore, O mighty-armed one, the wisdom of the person whose senses are completely restrained from their objects is firmly established.
What is night for all beings is the time of awakening for the self-controlled; and the time when beings are awake is night for the introspective sage.
The one who is not driven by desires attains peace, just as the ocean remains unmoved despite being filled by waters. Desires enter him, but he remains unaffected, unlike those who chase desires.
The person who has abandoned all desires and moves without longing, possessiveness, or ego attains peace.
O Arjuna, this is the state of divine consciousness. Having attained this, one is never deluded. Even at the time of death, being established in this state, one achieves liberation in Brahman.
