Bhagavad-Gita: A Conversation between Sri Krishna and Arjun

Bhagavad-Gita: A Conversation between Sri Krishna and Arjun


Five thousand years ago, when Arjuna refused to fight the battle against his own family at Kurukshetra, Krishna overcame Arjun’s reluctance to fight by analyzing the thought of the self and showing that the person is in error who thinks that he's doing this, that or something else. And when it's found that what Arjun calls “I” may be a kind of fiction created by avidya, his own metaphysical ignorance, an excellent a part of difficulty ceases to exist. Krishna further proceeds to demonstrate the existence of a better individuality, of which Arjun had no previous knowledge. Then He points out that this individuality is connected with Parbrahman, the Causeless Cause or the primary explanation for the Western world, and goes on to explain the the character of Parbrahman and says that it's none aside from His avaykta form. So as to form him a firm of purpose, Krishna gives Arjun further teachings on the battlefield. However, Sanjaya, the counselor, and charioteer of the king Dhritarashtra, with antenna raised within the ‘line of sight’ of the battle, received a transparent video and an audio signal from Kurukshetra, the partial text of which is as:

Arjun: Hey Govind, the very thought of war itself gives me grief and that i feel dejected, therefore, i will not be able to fight.

Krishna: Hey Arjun, you grieve for those that shouldn't be grieved for and yet seemingly speak sort of a wise man; but the wise men don't grieve for the living or the dead.

Arjun: Hey Keshav! Wherever I look, I see nothing but evil and unsightly omens within the upcoming battle.

Krishna: A karma yogi doesn't look for omens. He's unattached to everything because he neither rejoices when meeting any pleasant circumstances nor does he ever feel dejected if he encounters any of the unpleasant events. And furthermore, my devotee always renounces good and evil intuitions and circumstances, and he, while fixing his mind on me, by my grace, overcomes all difficulties.

Arjun: In this battle, I don't see any good from the the slaughter of my friends and relatives.

Krishna: There is nothing in this world which is more welcome to a warrior than a righteous war, Arjuna. One’s own duty though barren of merit is preferable to the duty of another well-performed because of even death within the performance of one’s duty brings happiness to everyone.

Arjun: But I don't desire victory, kingdom, or maybe luxuries. And of what use will this kingdom, luxuries or maybe life be to us, hey Keshav, if we kill all the buddies of our childhood days.

Krishna: A Karma yogi should always fight while treating victory and defeat alike, gain and losses alike, pain and pleasure alike and fighting thus, he doesn't ever incur sin.

Arjun: Those for whose sake, we seek this great kingdom and pleasure- teachers, uncles, sons, nephews, and other relatives, all of them stand here today in front of me in the battlefield staking their lives, property and wealth.

Krishna: Dedicating all actions to me and together with your mind fixed on me, free of the emotions of hope and sadness and cured of mental fever, Hey Arjun, you want to fight. Because of he who has given up all desires and has become free from the emotions of “I” and “Mine” eventually attains peace.

Arjun: Hey Govind, I even have yet to know, what delight can we derive by slaying the relatives of Dhritarashtra.

Krishna: Delight isn't derived either by fighting or by not fighting. On the contrary, it's derived by being free from likes and dislikes which too, only after controlling one's senses.

Arjun: Will I not incur any kind of sin by slaying my own friends, relatives, and my teachers?

Krishna: Hey Arjun, if you refuse to fight for this righteous war and recoil from your innate duty, you'll definitely lose your reputation as a warrior and thus you'll definitely incur sin.

Arjun: But how can we be happy by slaying our own friends, relatives, or elders. Because even after killing them, we'll only enjoy the blood-stained pleasures within the sort of wealth.

Krishna: Happy are the soldiers who receive such an unsolicited opportunity for war which opens the door to heaven. Get up and perform your duty and, therefore, fight with peace in the soul.

Arjun: In this war, don’t you think that that we should always restrain ourselves and withdraw from the sin of the destruction of the family?

Krishna: Don’t yield to the present unmanliness and shake off this faint-heartedness also, Arjun. Get up and perform your duty and, therefore, fight.

Arjun: If we fight, will it not end in the destruction of Dharma, that is, virtue, duty, and moral action.

Krishna: At first, you're not even able to fight this righteous war, and yet, you ask what would happen to Dharma. In my judgment, Dharma is going to be lost anyway.

Arjun: This war will end in vitiation of girls and within the admixture of castes by which the manes and their races will fall; social virtues and family merits also will be ruined.

Krishna: Have you ever considered what might happen if I don’t perform my duty conscientiously? I shall be the explanation for the confusion of the social norms. The admixture of castes are going to be caused even without waging the war and that I will still be held liable for it.”
Arjun: i feel that this war will certainly lead us to hell.

Krishna: The the opposite hand, Arjun, such warfare is usually an open gateway to heaven and happy are the soldiers who easily find in war an open door to heaven.

Arjun: It's a shame that, though possessed of intelligence, and yet, motivated by greed, we are bent upon perpetuating the good sin of killing our relatives and friends.

Krishna: It's greed within the sort of desires which are insatiable and grossly wicked. Its man’s enemy and conduces him to commit sin. Therefore, altogether circumstances, it's the greed that ought to be renounced.

Arjun: Madhusudan! How shall I fight; with arrows against my teachers, like Bhishma and Drona, who also are deserving worship.

Krishna: Hey Arjun, does you fail to acknowledge that as much as everything else, I'm death, the Inflamed Kaal, the destroyer of the world. For your information, I'm here to exterminate of these people and even without you, all those warriors arrayed within the enemy’s camp must die. Therefore, Hey Arjun, rise and win glory and luxuriate in the affluent kingdom. These warriors that you simply see on the battlefield, they stand already slain by me. Therefore, O ambidextrous one, during this war you be merely an instrument; rise above the dualities that exist during this universe, and, therefore fight, with peace in thy soul.”

Arjun: Is it not better to measure on alms than to slay these noble elders.

Krishna: what percentage times should I remind you that it's better to try to to one’s duty through imperfect than the duty of another even well performed? Even death within the performance of one’s duty brings happiness and salvation.

Arjun: you're continually insisting upon waging the war Madhusudan. But I see a possible policy trap that's able to snare us because we don’t even know what's preferable for us, that is, to fight or to not fight.

Krishna: Perform your obligatory duty, for action, is best than inaction. Since the action is rooted within the Imperishable, therefore, if you simply do exactly that, you'll surely conquer the enemies within the war. It’s an accomplished the fact that desisting from the action, you can't even maintain your body, much less to consider your relatives or this kingdom.

Arjun: After hearing your discourse, my delusion born out of ignorance is destroyed and O the Unchanging One, by Your grace, I even have recollected my memory. My doubts are gone and from now on, I shall surely do your bidding and, therefore, I will be able to fight. However, within the short run, your policy is workable, but within the end of the day it creates a serious dilemma.”

Krishna: First things first, Arjun. you've got to first hand over your ego-centricity, and before I'm going on revealing more esoteric secrets to you, where the Goal, the Path, and therefore the one who treads the trail, all become the same; you've got to first, gain some practical and useful experience. And, once you've got fully anchored yourself within the matters of karma-yoga, in our next encounter, allow us to linger over akarma-tattva. If that's agreeable to you, then next time come fully prepared for it. Until then what does one want me to do?

Arjun: Hey Govind, as a mentor, charioteer, and counselor, you've  performed your duty very well. Ready and looking forward to the upcoming battle, my brothers must be anxiously expecting us. Therefore, Hey Madhusudan, please take my chariot near them in the order that I'll blow my trumpet, the conch-shell Devadatta and start to worship the All-Pervading and therefore the Nameless One by performing my natural duty.

Krishna: Therein case, Arjun, I will be able to also blow my trumpet, the conch-shell Panchjanya.

Arjun: I'm starting to understand your point of view and that I want to ask you one last question before you allow us on earth and return to your Ananadmaya Dham. You always say: “Think of me in all the days while performing your inherent duty, however, will you please let me know on where one focuses your attention once you meditate, Hey Vasudeva.”

Krishna: It is indeed an interesting question and you're smart for you to possess the proper resolve. It's not even known among the seers, that whenever I'm at the Gandha-Maadan forest, Pushkar Lake, or at the Badri mountain, I always meditate on the Bhagavad-Gita, Arjun. How else does one think I'm ready to govern the three-worlds.

Having heard the conversation between Sri Krishna and Arjun, Sanjaya, the silent witness, feeling immensely happy and reflecting over and over on what he had just heard, and during a surprising display of reflection. It's my firm conviction that wherever Krishna, the Master of Yoga is, and wherever the son of Pritha, the mighty archer could also be, there with certainty are fortune, victory, wealth, and wise action. Arjun is Krishna and Krishna is Arjun, and where these two, together became One, all Prakriti offers obeisance.

Thus ends the conversation between Sri Krishna and Arjun commonly referred to as the Bhagavad-Gita.