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Chapter 1 - The Yog of Irresolution and Grief
In Chapter 1 of the Bhagavad Gita, titled 'The Yog of Irresolution and Grief,' Arjuna grapples with deep inner conflict as he faces the moral dilemmas of battle. This chapter sets the stage ...
Chapter 1 - The Yog of Irresolution and Grief
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Speaker A
The teachings of Lord Ka in the.
Speaker B
Gita are presented in the form of a conversation of an accomplished teacher, a realized sage, with his disciple Arjuna. Devoted spiritual seeker Arjuna has requested Yogeshwar Ka to support him, since he is.
Speaker A
His pupil who relies on him.
Speaker B
Arjuna prays for such teachings which may help him to attain ultimate bliss. Similarly, what you will hear next is a traditional homage in Sanskrit made at the beginning to a revered accomplished teacher or sage, describing his attributes and requesting blessings and guidance, and offering up the merits of any accomplishments which may result therefrom.
Speaker C
S.A. samikuram Daddy K Sabasuk Sam Yogi Hani Jam Baby K.
Speaker A
J.
Speaker C
Amik.
Speaker A
Sh.
Speaker B
Dear sisters and brothers in the Divine those great sages in India thousands of years ago who contributed in compiling sacred scripture and holy books like the Vedas, and in creating deathless literature like the Bhagavata and the Mahabharata, all acknowledged the Rmad Bhagavad Gita, the celestial song containing the teachings of Lord Ka to his disciple Arjuna, as unique among all such eminent creations in the depth and breadth of its spiritual insight and practical instructions for the spiritual path, as well as in the unparalleled beauty and clarity of its poetic expression. There are several different ways of worshiping God which are established in the names of different religions holding contrasting views on such matters. However, the ultimate and essential goal of any true spiritual tradition has always remained the the quest for God, the ultimate reality. The process of reaching towards this objective is the spiritual path. The question, however, arises that if God is the ultimate reality and is the only one ultimate reality, then why are there so many sects and cults? To answer this question, we offer this noble creation, the Yathart Gita, in the form of audio cassettes. The divinely inspired Gita, as taught by Lord Ka, simplifies the concept of Dharma and purposefully guides one on the spiritual path in a structured and complete manner. The core teachings of all the paths subsequently revealed by other sages of the world are each enfolded in the essential teachings of the Gita. It has been implied in the Mahabharata that when the Pandav and the Kaurav armies stood facing each other on the battlefield, all the demons manifested as the Kauravs, while the gods manifested themselves as the Pandavas. In this way, the great Rishi Vyas, the accomplished sage through whom the Gita was revealed, implied that all characters in the great epic were either righteous or devilish human impulses within us and that all these external characters and situations were only symbolic of man's deepest inner reality. From the beginning it has been observed that every human being carries within himself both these tendenciesgodlike and demonlike. When a human being elevates spiritually in quest of God and towards self realization, the demoniacal tendencies also raise their ugly head in the form of wrath, anger, infatuation, hatred, and so on. The overcoming of these ugly tendencies and obstacles is the real war depicted in the Gita, the internal war conducted within the sphere of the human heart by the sincere seeker to liberate himself or herself from worldly bondage and attain spiritual victory and everlasting peace. Arjun held the opinion at the beginning of the Gita that to have the desired results in life, one has to perform important customary rites of his time, abide by family tradition and creeds, avoid the mixing of castes or races, and avoid participating in the violence which would eliminate the families and his kinsmen. By refusing to fight in the war altogether, Lord Ka had to enlighten him on various aspects of life and what was really at stake in the battle underneath its appearance, so that all his doubts were allayed throughout the 18 chapters of the Gita.
Speaker A
At the end, Ka asked Arjun, is.
Speaker B
Your delusion born out of ignorance dispelled? And Arjun professes that indeed, through the grace of Ka's teachings, his ignorance has been dispelled and his doubts extinguished, and that he is now ready to act in accordance with Ka's directives. These teachings and precepts, as a matter of fact, were not only for Arjuna, but for all mankind. Each of us wonder, as did Arjun, what is the real purpose of life, what are the results we really desire, and what is the correct path to attain them? Hence, reading or listening to and contemplating all 18 chapters of the Gita is of great benefit to all men and women, old and young. Indeed, for every human being. The Gita is not only a work of the world's great literature, it is a holy book or scripture relevant to people everywhere and for all times. Therefore, such reading or listening to the Gita will awaken the presence of the Divine deep within each one of us and set worthy values in the minds of children. However, one has to actually tread the path shown by the Gita if one wants to obtain these insights into its knowledge of the great mystery that is existence. These cassettes have been designed to help in that endeavor and to thereby bring you to infinite joy, eternal peace, prosperity, and the clearing away of all sadness, doubts and fears, including the great and terrible fear of death. It is indeed a matter of our good fortune and blessings that even after 5,000 years the teaching of Lord Ka is available for each of us to apply in our lives. Listen to these cassettes whenever you wish to open your heart and set your mind free of all age old conventions and allow it to come on the path of self realization, the merging into the Supreme Spirit. In doing so you are an integral part of that timeless tradition everywhere of seekers becoming accomplished sages experienced by countless individuals in all cultures throughout history, now and in future generations yet to come. O Sri Parmatmane Namah Yatart Gita Srimad Bhagavad Gita.
Speaker A
Chapter 1 the Yoga of Irresolution and Grief.
Speaker C
Sam Kurukshetri Samavita Yuyud Sabha Pandavashayva San Jaya.
Speaker A
Dhritarashtra said Assembled at Kurukshetra, at Dharmkshetra and eager for combat, O Sanjay, what did my and Pandu's sons do? Dhritrashtra is the very image of ignorance and Sanjay is the embodiment of self restraint. Ignorance lurks at the core of the objective, the outward looking mind. With his mind enveloped in darkness, Dhritarashtra is blind since birth, but he sees and hears through Sanjay, the epitome of self control. The aging king Dhritarashtra knows that God alone is real. But as long as his infatuation for his son Duryodhan, born from ignorance and usurper of the Pandav throne endures, his inner eye will be focused on the forces of the Kaurav who symbolize the ungodly forces of negative, sinful impulses arrayed for battle against the Pandav forces who symbolize the godly forces of righteous and virtuous impulses. Dharma is a field for combat when there is abundance of divinity in the realm of the heart, the body is transmuted into a Dharmakshatra or field of Dharma, but it degenerates into a Kurukshat when it is infested with demoniacal powers. Kuru means do. The word is an imperative, as Ka has said. Driven by the three properties born out of Prakriti, or nature, man is compelled to act without action, he cannot even live for a moment. These properties, virtue, ignorance and passion, or Sattva, rajas and Tamas compel him to act even in sleep. Action does not cease, for it is the necessary sustenance for the body. The three properties bind men from the level of gods to that of the lowest creatures, such as worms. So long as the material world and its properties are Kuru must be therefore the sphere of birth and death, of that which is evolved from a previous source or prakriti. Nature is Kurukshetra, whereas the sphere of righteous impulses which guide the self to God, the highest spiritual reality, is Dharmakshetra. Archaeologists are engaged in research search in Punjab, Kashi and Prayag to locate Kurukshetra. But the poet of the Gita has himself suggested through Ka where the war of his sacred poem the Mahabharata was fought. This body is itself O Arjuna battlefield, and one who conquers it grows spiritually dexterous by perceiving its essence. Krishna then elaborates the structure of this battlefield or sphere of action as constituted of 10 perceptors, the objective and the subjective mind, ego, five elements and the three properties. The body itself is a field, a ring or an arena. The forces that clash on this field are the godly and the ungodly, the divine and the devilish, the offspring of Pandu and those of Dhritra, the forces that are congenial to the essentially divine character of the self and those which offend and demean it. The clue to the mystery of the conflict between the opposed impulses begins to be seen, seen when one turns for enlightenment to an exalted or realized sage who has enriched himself with worship and meditation. This field belongs to one who realizes its essence, and the war fought on it is the only real war. History is crowded with wars of the world, but the victors in these wars have but sought in vain for a permanent war conquest. These wars were nothing beyond acts of retribution. True victory lies in subduing matter and in perceiving as well as becoming one with the Supreme Spirit that transcends it. This is the only conquest in which there is no prospect of defeat. This is true salvation after which there are no fetters of birth and death. The mind, lying in the abyss of ignorance perceives through one who has mastered the mind and the senses and thus knows what has transpired on the battlefield where fighters include even those who have known its reality. Vision is ever in proportion to mastery of the mind and the senses.
Speaker C
Sam duryodhanastada acharya mupasangamya Rajavachanama bravi.
Speaker A
Sanjay said at the time after having seen the Pandav army standing in battle array, King Duryodhan approached his teacher Dronacharya and spoke dual. Conduct itself is represented by the figure of Dronacharya, the great warrior and teacher of both the Kaurav and the Pandav. When the awareness dawns that we are alienated from God there arises in the heart an acute hunger for the attainment of that exalted spirit. Only then do we set out to seek an accomplished teacher between the two opposed impulses. This awareness of our alienation and ignorance is the first initiator into wisdom. Although the teacher of ultimate excellence will be Yogeshwar Ka himself an adept in yoga King Duryodhan, an embodiment of excessive attachment to worldly objects goes to his teacher. Attachment is at the root of all griefs, indeed their sovereign. It tempts one away from the spiritual treasure and so it is named duration. Duryodhan Only the soul property is the stable property and it is attachment which generates impurity in draws one to the material world but it also provides the primary motive for enlightenment. Inquisitiveness is possible only as long as there is attachment or else only the impeccable spirit remains. So after having seen the Pandav army arrayed that is, after having glimpsed the righteous impulses that are in tune with the self Duryodhan, a victim of attachment, goes to his teacher Dronacharya and says.
Speaker C
Pascutra Yamahutre Mata.
Speaker A
Behold, O Master, this massive army of Pandu's sons marshaled in battle formation by your wise pupil the son of Drupad Tristidhyom Tristadyom, the son of Drupad is the steadfast mind that treasures faith in the universal immutable reality. He is thus the Master the type of righteous impulses that lead to selfless activity in a spirit of egoless reverence to spiritual divinity. As is said, not means but the determination of mind needs to be firm. Let us now review the Pandav army at length.
Speaker C
Yuyudhanoviratascha Drupadasha Maharath.
Speaker A
Here in the army are many valiant archers Yuyudan, Virat and the great martial commander Drupad who are a worthy match for the brave Arjun and Bheem and this army of Pandu's sons, the Pandava is composed of those who can guide souls to the supreme Spirit like Bheem who is an embodiment of resolute sentiment, the image of tender devotion. Arjuna and many other valiant warriors such as Satyaki endowed with goodness Virat and the great warrior leader Drupad symbolizing consistency and steadfastness on the path of spirituality and Drishtiketu Chekitan and the mighty King of Kashi as well as Purujit and Kuntiboj and Shaibya, the unparalleled among men and Drishtiketu, the steadfast in duty Chekitan, who can reign in his straying thought and concentrate it on the supreme Spirit, the king of the holy city of Kashi, an emblem of the sacredness that resides within the world of the body Purujeet, the one who obtains victory over matter in all its forms gross, subtle and instrumental Kuntiboj, who conquers worldly life by doing what is worthy of doing then Shaibhya of virtuous conduct.
Speaker C
Yudhamanyushchavi, Krantah, Uttamaoja, Vira Dropade.
Speaker A
The valorous Yudmanyu the mighty Utmauj, Sobhadra and Draupadi's five sons, all great warriors the heroic Yudmanyu of warlike temper Utmauj with the spirit of abandon that flows from sacred excellence Abhimanyu Sobhadra, the son of Arjun and Subhadra with a mind without fear because it is propped up by righteousness and the first five sons of Draupadi, who herself is a form of discernment of the Divine. All are great warriors named Tenderness, Beauty, Compassion, spiritual repose and consistency. All of them are noted for their ability to traverse the path of spiritual fulfillment with perfect skill. Duryodhan thus enumerates to his teacher about a score of names from the side of the Pandava which represent some vital principles of divine excellence. Although the monarch of impulses that are alien to the essentially spiritual character of the self, it is attachment that first motivates us to strive for the realization of the treasure of divinity. As for his own side, Duryodon dwells on it but briefly. Had it been an actual external war, he would have given an elaborate account of his army. But only a few perversions are cited, for they have to be conquered and they are destructible. There are mentioned only about half a dozen of these at the heart of all of which there yet dwells an unworldly propensity. Be it known to you, O the Worthiest of the Twice Born Brahmans, the names of those who are most eminent amongst us, the chiefs of our army. These I now name, for your information, the Worthiest of the Twice Born. That is how Duryodhan addresses his teacher Dronacharya before he introduces to him the chiefs of his army. The worthiest of the twice born would hardly be an appropriate term of address for a commander in chief if the war were a physical, external war. In fact, the Gita dwells upon the conflict between contradictory innate impulses, upon the dual Conduct which is Dronacharya the world of matter exists and there is duality if we are even in the least isolated from God however, the urge also for overcoming this duality of object Spirit is also derived first from the teacher Dronacharya. It is imperfect knowledge that induces the hunger for enlightenment it is now time to have a look at the leaders of the impulses which are hostile to the essentially sacred character of the self.
Speaker C
Bhavasha Sami.
Speaker A
Your venerable self Bhishma and Karn and also Kripa, victor in wars Ashwattama and Vikarna as well as Somduti Purishrawa son of Somdut the commander in chief is Dronacharya himself symbolizing dual conduct and then there is the grandsire Bhishma, the very image of delusion Delusion is the fountainhead of deviation from the ideal state since it survives until the very end Delusion is the Grandsire. The whole army has perished but Bhishma yet lives on he lies unconscious on his bed of arrows and still continues to breathe Like Bisham also are Karn, a betrayer of the sacred character of self and the conquering warrior Kripacharya Kripacharya represents the act of compassion by the seeker in the state before self realization. God is the mind of Krishna. Compassion and the sage attains to the same state after fulfillment but during the period up to accomplishment so long as the worshipper is removed from God and God is removed from him when the uncongenial impulses are still alive and strong and he is besieged by delusion if the seeker feels compassion at this stage he is destroyed for acting with pity in leaving her meditation hut and giving alms to the king of attachment disguised as a beggar. While her husband Rama was away Sita had to undergo penance in the kingdom of Lanka for years. Vishvamitra fell from grace because he felt tenderness at this stage. Maharshi Patanjali, the preceptor of Yog after has expressed a similar view when he Attainments made through perfect meditation are indeed attainments but they are also just as formidable obstacles in the way of the endeavor of the individual soul for identification with the supreme Spirit as are sensual desire, anger, greed and delusion. Goswami Tulsidas has said, O Garud, manifold are the obstacles built up by Maya when we strive to unravel the knots of properties of nature mere distortions of truth Attainment of sanctity elevates but the mind conjures up one temptation after Another, the illusory Maya obstructs in many ways. It brings men accomplishments and untold wealth, and even turns them into holy beings. If a being of such accomplishment just passes by, even a dying man is revived. Notwithstanding the recovery of the patient, however, the seeker shall be destroyed if he regards the cure as his own achievement. Instead of one sickness, a thousand maladies will swarm upon his mind. The process of reverent consequences, contemplation of the divine, will be interrupted, and he will so stray from the right path that the world of matter overwhelms him. If the goal is distant and the Seeker feels compassion, this one act alone is sufficient to result in the debacle of his whole army. So he has to be on his guard against the feeling of compassion until the moment of final attainment. Although at the same time it is also true that compassion is the hallmark of a saint. But before ultimate fulfillment, this kind of compassion is the mightiest warrior among the evil demoniacal impulses. It is thus that Ashwathama is an image of inordinate attachment, Vikarna of indecision, and Burishrawa of perplexity and confusion. They are all chiefs of the outward flowing current of life. And there are many other skilled warriors, also equipped with numerous arms, who have forsaken hope of life for my sake. And many other valiant warriors are resolved. Durya Dhan intimates to Dronacharya to they fight for his sake even at the cost of their life, but there is no precise enumeration of them. Duryodhan then points out the innate qualities with which each of the two armies is fortified. Our army, defended by Bhishma, is unconquerable, while their army, defended by Bhim, is easy to vanquish. Duryodhan's army, defended by Bhishma, is invincible, whereas the opposing army of the Pandav defended by Bhim, is easy to conquer. The use of ambiguous puns in the Sanskrit text such as pryaptam and aparyaptam is itself a sign of Duryodhana's doubtful state of mind. So we have to look carefully at the power that Bhishma represents on which all the Kaurav hopes rest, as well as the qualities symbolized by Bhim which the Pandav endowed with the treasure of divinity, rely upon. Duryodhan then gives his final estimate of the situation.
Speaker C
Bhishma meva Bhirakshantu, Bhavanta sarva evah.
Speaker A
So, while keeping to your respective stations in the several divisions, all of you should doubtlessly protect. Bhishma alone on all sides. Duryodhan here commands all his chiefs to keep to their posts and yet protect Bhishma on all sides. The Kaurav cannot be defeated if Bhishma delusion is safe and alive so it is obligatory for all the Kaurav chiefs to defend Bhishma rather than to fight with the Pandav. This is intriguing. After all, what kind of defender is this Bhishma who cannot even defend himself? What complicates the matter even more is that the Kaurab are also wholly dependent upon him so they have to devise all possible measures of defense for him. This is certainly no physical warrior. Bhishma is delusion itself. So long as delusion is alive, unrighteous impulses cannot be vanquished. The the word invincible here means difficult to vanquish rather than impossible to vanquish. As Goswami Tulsidas has said, the most difficult to conquer is the hostile world of matter and the one who subdues it is indeed heroic. If delusion ceases, ignorance also ceases to exist and the residue of negative feelings such as excessive attachment hasten to a quick demise. Bhishma is blessed with death by wish so the death of desire and death of delusion are one and the same. This idea has been so lucidly expressed by Sant Kabir as Since desire is the maker of birth and illusion and it is desire that creates the material world he who abandons desire is the one who cannot be conquered. That which is free from delusion is eternal and unmanifest. Desire is illusion and the progenitor of the world. In Kabir's view, as he puts it, the self which achieves freedom from desire is united united with the fathomless, eternal, boundless reality. One who is free from desire dwells within the self and never falls from grace for he has his being in the Supreme Spirit. At the beginning there are numerous desires but eventually there remains only a longing for the realization of God. The fulfillment too of this wish also marks the end of desire. Had there been something higher, greater or more precious than God one would surely have craved for it. But when there is nothing beyond or above him, what else can be desired? When all things that can be had are achieved, the very roots of desire are destroyed and delusion perishes utterly. This is Bhishma's death by wish Thus defended by Bhishma, Duryodhan's army is invincible in every respect. Ignorance is present as long as there is delusion. When delusion is dead, ignorance also dies. The Pandav army on the contrary defended as it is by beam is easy to conquer Beam is the very image of sentiment God dwells in feeling Ka has described it as devotion it lays hold on even God the sentiment of devotion is a pious impulse of flawless perfection it is a protector of righteousness on the one hand so resourceful that it brings about realization of the Supreme Spirit on the other hand it is also so delicate and fragile that this day's fidelity and adherence often turn into nothingness and even outright privation on the next day Today we admire a sage for his virtue but the very next day we grumble and cavil because we have seen him relishing delicacies Devotion is shaken by suspicion of even the slightest flaw in the loved one the impulse of righteousness is undermined and the ties with the object of affectionate devotion are broken so it is that the Pandav army defended by Bhim can be conquered with ease Maharshi Patanjali has given expression to a similar view in the following Only meditation practiced for a long time with constant devotion and reverence can be firm now let us listen to the flourish of the warrior's conscience.
Speaker C
Tatsya Sanjanayan Harsham Kuru Vrittamah Shankam Dadmau Prata.
Speaker A
To Duryodhan's delight then his mighty grandsire and the eldest of the Kaurav Bhishma blew his conch to blare forth a lion like roar Conches are blown after the Kaurav have taken stock of their strength the trumpeting of conches is a declaration of the intention of each of the chiefs of what he can offer after conquest the mighty grandsire Bhishma the eldest of the Kaurav blows his conch to produce a lion like roar which gladly Duryodhan's heart the lion represents the terrible tooth and claw aspect of nature Our hair stands on end and our hearts beat violently when we hear the roar of a lion in a still solitary forest even though we are miles away from the beast Fear is a property of nature not of God Bhishma is the very image of delusion if delusion prevails it will enwrap the material world's forest of fear which we inhabit in yet another shroud of fear to make the existing dread even more frightening Delusion cannot offer anything else except this so renunciation of the material world is the right step for one who quests for self realization Worldly inclinations are like a mirage a mere shadow of ignorance and the Kaurav have nothing to declare against this, numerous conchas from their side are trumpeted simultaneously but they altogether inspire no other feeling except fear. Fear, although in varying degrees, is born out of each perversion. Similar is also the message of the conchas of the other Kaurav chiefs. Then there abruptly arose a two tumult of conchas and kettle drums, tabors, drums and cowhorns. After Bhishma's blowing of his conch, numerous other conchas, drums and trumpets are sounded together and they make an awesome noise. The Kaurav have no message other than that of fear. Intoxicated with a sense of false success, the outward looking impulses that offend and demean the human soul render the bonds of infatuation yet stronger. Now the Pandava, representing righteous impulses that are in harmony with the divine character of the self, respond to the Kaurav challenge with their own declarations, the first of which is made by Yogeshwar Krishna himself.
Speaker C
Tata Shve Thair Hayayukte Mahati Syandanisthitao Madhava Pandavash Chaiva Divya Shankao Pradhadmatu.
Speaker A
Then too Madhav Krishna and Pandu's son Arjun seated in the magnificent chariot to which white steeds were yoked, blew their celestial conches after the Kaurav Krishna and Arjun, riding in their magnificent sacred chariot drawn by flawlessly white horses White here symbolizes purity also blow their celestial conches. The word celestial here means beyond the material world. Yogeshwar Krishna's transcendental message is a promise to render unto souls the most auspicious unworldly existence that is beyond the worlds of both mortals and gods and verily the whole universe which are all afflicted with the fear of birth and death. The chariot under his charge is not made of gold and silver and wood. Everything about him is celestial the chariot, the conch and therefore also his message. Beyond these worlds there is only the one unique and indescribable God Ka's message is of establishing a direct contact with this supreme being but how will he effect this state?
Speaker C
Panchajanyam Rishi Kesho Devadattam Dhananjayah Poundram Dad.
Speaker A
While Rishikesh Krishna blew his conch Panchjana and Danan J Arjun the conch named Devdut the Vrikodar beam of awesome deeds blew the great conch Paundra. So Rishikesh Krishna, Master and Lord of the senses who knows all the mysteries, mysteries of the human heart belows the conch. This is A declaration of his intent to restrain the five organs of perception which correspond to word, touch, form, taste and smell, and to transmute their inclinations into devotion. Exerting control and mastering the wild senses and dis disciplining them into faithful servitors is the gift from an accomplished teacher. The gift indeed from the admired God. Ka is a yogi, an accomplished teacher. As Arjuna says in the Gita, lord, I am thy disciple. It is only a noble teacher who can make us relinquish all objects of sensual pleasure and to seek and listen to and touch nothing except the desired God. Dananjay, a name given to Arjun which means the victor of wealth, is the affectionate devotion that attains to the state of divine exaltation. This devotion is a feeling of tenderness for the desired object which includes within itself all the experiences of devotees, even pangs of separation and occasional disenchantment and tears. There should be nothing for a devotee except the longed for God. If the devotion to him is perfect, it embraces the virtues that provide access to the supreme Spirit. Dananjay is another name of this faculty. One kind of wealth is the external riches which are nature needed for physical sustenance, but that has nothing to do with the self. The really lasting wealth of man which he can truly call his own is realization of his self, the God within. In the Upanishad Brihadharanyak, Yajavalkya teaches the same to his wife Maitreya. When she asks my Lord, if this whole earth belonged to me with all its riches, should I, through its possession attain immortality? The sage replies, no, your life would.
Speaker B
Be like that of the wealthy.
Speaker A
None can possibly hope to be immortal through wealth. Bheem, the warrior of awesome deeds and one of Arjun's four brothers, blows his great conch Ponder, which denotes sentiment. The heart is the spring as well as the habitat of feeling. This is why Bheem is called Vrikodar the Large Hearted. You are attached to a child, but that attachment belongs essentially to your heart. It only manifests itself in the child. Sentiment is fathomless and mind. And this sentiment is Bheem's great conch that is now blown. The affection that he represents is embodied in sentiment. That is why Bheem blows the conch named Pandra. However, although sentiment is mighty, it can be so only through the medium of love. Goswami Tulsidas admits that he has known the omnipresence of God only through its manifestation in love. King Yudhishthir, the son of Kunti blew the conch Anant Vijay, whereas Nakul and Sahadev blew their conchas. Sukhosh and Manipushpak. King Yudhishthir of the Pandav, one of the brothers of Arjun, bellows the the conch Anantvi j, which means endless conquest. Kunti, his mother, is the very image of dutifulness, and Yudhishthir the embodiment of Dharma or natural piety. If one's adherence to Dharma is steady, Anant Vijay endless conquest will bring about the absorption of the self in the boundless God. The one who is firm in battle is Yudhishthir, one who is unshaken by the conflicts between self and the material world, between the body and the transcendental soul, and to whom the essence of the sphere of action has been revealed. He is enabled eventually by God, who alone is real, ceaseless and immutable, to overcome all the contradictions. Nakul, who is a symbol of restraint, blows the conch named Sughosh. As restraint grows firmer, evil is subdued and the dominance of righteousness is proclaimed. Sahadev, the adherer to truth, blows on the conch which bears the name of Manipushpak. Sages have described each breath as a precious ruby. As is said, what a pity that we squander the jewels of our breath on idle gossip. One kind of satsang is the moral discourse we hear from noble men, realized sages, accomplished teachers. But the real spiritual discourse is internal. According to Ka, the self alone is true and eternal. True satsang comes about when the mind reigns itself in from all externals and dwells with the self. This adherence to truth is cultivated by incessant reflection, meditation and samadhi. The more joy one feels in dwelling with the one reality, the more restraint one gains over each breath, the mind and the instrument by which objects of sense affect the self. The day they are totally restrained is the day when we are absorbed in the ultimate essence. Providing, like a good instrument, harmonious accompaniment to the song of the self is true. Satsang, the physical ruby, is hard, but the jewel of breath is even more tender than a flower. Flowers fall and wither soon after they bloom, and we can never say that we shall live until the next breath. But if there is true adherence to the self, it leads us to realize the highest goal through providing control over each breath. There is nothing to proclaim beyond this, although each device is helpful in traversing a certain stretch of the path of spiritual perfection. Sanjay further speaks on the subject. The King of Kashi, a Great bowman Shikhandi who dwells in the Supreme Spirit. The unvanquished Dristajum, Virat and Satyaki, Drupad and the sons of Draupadi and Subhadra's son of powerful arms, Abhimanyu, all blue, O Lord of the Earth. Their own conscious. The sacred city of Kashi is an emblem of the sacredness that resides in the physical body. When a man withdraws his mind and sense organs from all physical things and concentrates on the self within his body, he is privileged to merge with and dwell within God. The body which is capable of such a union is Kashi. The supreme Spirit dwells in and pervades every single body. So Parma Svasa here means dwelling in the Supreme Spirit. Rather than a mighty warrior. Shikhandi represents the rejection of Shikha Sutra, sacred signs traditionally worn by Hindus. There are people who believe they have achieved renunciation just because they have got.
Speaker B
Their heads shaved clean, cast away their.
Speaker A
Sacred threads and stopped lighting fire.
Speaker B
But they are mistaken.
Speaker A
For as a matter of fact, Shika symbolizes a goal which has to be attained and sutra the merits of action in a previous existence.
Speaker B
Sanskar.
Speaker A
The chain of Sanskar is intact.
Speaker B
So long as God has yet to.
Speaker A
Be realized, how can there be true renunciation till the moment of that fulfillment? Till then we are only wayfarers. Delusion subsides only when the desired God is attained and the merits of previous deeds are reduced to nothing. So it is Shikhandi who proves to be the undoing of Bhishma, the image of delusion and self deception. Shikhandi represents the unique quality that is essential for the man who chooses the path of reflection. A truly mighty fighter on his side. Dristidyum, one of the great warriors on the Pandav side, represents the steadfast mind that treasures faith in the universal immutable divinity and the warrior Virat capable of perceiving the omnipresence of the great God. These two are the main constituents of sacred excellence. Satyaki is truthfulness. There can never be a fall from piety as long as there is truthfulness or the desire to ponder over truth. It always protects us from being routed in the war between spirit and matter. Drupad, representing the ideal of consistency and steadfastness in the performance of duty. The five sons of Meditation, like Draupadi, symbols of compassion, tenderness, beauty and spiritual repose, who are all great warriors providing assistance to the quest for the desired goal and the long armed Abhimanyu, all below their separate conscious. The word Arm, as used here, is a symbol of the sphere of action. When the mind is freed from fear, its reach is immensely enlarged. So Sanjay once again addresses the blind king Dhritarashtra and acquaints him with how the chiefs of the Pandav army have made their own proclamations with their conscience. Each one of them is a prerequisite of the skill of traversing a certain length of the way to spiritual liberation. Their observance is necessary and that is why they are enumerated in detail. However, there is after these preliminary stages that stretch of the path which is beyond the perceiving mind and intellect. This is the length along which one is enabled to travel only by the blessedness of the great God's awakening within the self. He stands up from the self as vision and is self evident.
Speaker C
Nabhasha Prithvim Chayva Tumulo Vyanunadayan.
Speaker A
The loud tumult reverberating through heaven and earth pierced the hearts of Dhritarashtra's sons. The great tumult echoing through heaven and earth rends the hearts of Dhritarashtra's sons. There is the Pandav army also but the hearts that are rent are only those of the Kaurav of Dhritarashtra's sons. When the mana of Panchjana made up of true knowledge, realization of the infinite destruction of evil and affirmation of piety begins to flow the Kaurav hearts with their unrighteous and outward looking impulses can only be rent. Their power wanes by and by and if the process meets with success, infatuation ceases to exist altogether.
Speaker C
Yavadeham Yudhu Kamana Vastitan.
Speaker A
Then, O King, after viewing the sons of Djtrashtra in array, when the discharge of missiles was about to commence, Kunti's son Arjun, whose ensign bore the image of Hanuman, raised his bow and spoke to Rishikesh. O Achut Ka, keep my chariot between the two armies so that I may watch those who are formed up for combat and know whom I have to fight in the ensuing battle. Sanjay, an epitome of self restraint, endeavors to enlighten the mind of Dhritarashtra, lying under a pall of ignorance by pointing out that apart from the other exemplary captains of the Pandav army, there is the Hanuman ensign of Arjun. Hanuman, a symbol of true renunciation, disenchantment with the world and the desire to renounce it are the mark of the Arjun's battle standard. Some interpreters have named this standard the monkey ensign because of its frenzied fluttering but this is unacceptable for the primate exhibited on the ensign is no common monkey but the God Hanuman himself who has risen above all distinctions to him honor and dishonor are the same Giving up lust for material material objects which have been heard or seen of worldly objects and sensual pleasures is renunciation. So after having seen Dhritarashtra's sons arrayed just when missiles are about to be launched Arjuna, whose distinctive motto is renunciation lifts his bow and speaks to Rishikesh the Lord and Master of the senses and knower of the mysteries of the heart Addressing him as the infallible he requests his charioteer Krishna to station the chariot between the two armies his words, however, are not words of command to a charioteer but a prayer by a devotee to the worshipped one a noble sage and accomplished teacher but why does he want Ka to park the chariot? Are junior Jun wants to ascertain well who the warriors intent upon battle are whom he has to fight in this business of warfare because I wish to observe those who have assembled here to fight for pleasing Dhritarashtra's wicked minded son Duryodhan in the battle Arjun wants the chariot to be parked in front of the Kaurav so that he may see the kings desirous of battle who have joined the evil minded Duryodhan for the sake of his happiness For Duryudhan who represents excessive attachment Arjun wishes to observe well the kings who have assembled to fight in the war for the cause of infatuation of Duryodhan the usurper king.
Speaker C
Samavitan Kurunithi.
Speaker A
Thus addressed by Gutakesh O descendant of Bharat Dhrita Rishikesh parked the unique chariot between the two armies in front of Bhishma Dron and all the other kings and said behold, O son of Prita Arjun, the assembled Kuru Sanjay thus informs Dhritarashtra how, on being requested by Arjuna who has mastered sleep Ka, who knows all that is to know of the mind and heart parks the chariot of unexcelled beauty in the midst of all the kings who have staked out claims on the earth which is the body in macrocosm and asks part Arjun to behold the assembled the excellent chariot in question is made of neither gold nor silver nor of any material substance Excellence is defined in this world in terms of its agreeableness or disagreeableness to the mortal body but such a view is misleading for that alone is excellence which is always one with the real, the self and which has no unrighteousness or impurity about it.
Speaker C
Putran, Patran, Sakhin, Statha, Shvashuran, Surya Bhay.
Speaker A
Parth Arjun then saw mustered in the two armies uncles, granduncles, teachers, maternal uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons and friends as well as fathers in law and well wishers Seeing all these kinsmen assembled together, overwhelmed by intense pity he spoke thus in great sorrow Part Arjun, the perfect marksman who has made a chariot of his earth formed body looks at the army and sees his kinsmen what is noteworthy here is that in the two armies he sees only his own family the families of maternal uncles and of course fathers in law, friends and teachers. According to scholarly estimates the two armies of the Mahabharata consisted of 18 Akshahini chariots, elephants, horses and foot soldiers which is approximately 650 million a very large number indeed. It hardly needs saying how the world is faced today with numerous grave problems of food and housing on account of overpopulation. So what are we to make of it when we are told that just three or four families of Arjun's kinsmen are so large in number? Is it possible for any family to be so huge? The answer must be in the negative. So what we have here is a portrayal not of physical armies but of the sphere of the mind and heart. Overcome with deep compassion when he sees all his kinsmen mustered for battle Arjun speaks in grief he grieves because he sees that he has to fight his own family.
Speaker C
Samup.
Speaker A
Arjun said, seeing these kith and kin mustered with the purpose of waging war O Ka My limbs grow weak, my mouth is dry, my body trembles, my hair stands on end the Gandiv Arjun's bow slips from my hand My skin is burning all over I am unable to stand and my mind is bewildered Looking at the gathering of his kinsmen Arjun is unnerved his body grown inert, his mouth is parched, his limbs tremble and his hair stands erect the Gandhiv falls from his hand and his skin is hot he is sorely distressed by the prospect of a war in which his own kinsmen face him he is confused. He bewails that he cannot even stand properly and look ahead.
Speaker C
Nimittani Chapashami Viparitani.
Speaker A
I see O Madhav Ka inauspicious portents and I can perceive no profit in the idea of slaughtering kinsmen. In the battle Arjun sees adverse signs of the impending ending war he does not see anything propitious in the slaying of his own family. How can any good result from such killing?
Speaker C
Natura Jam Sukhanicha Kinura.
Speaker A
I aspire, O Ka, after neither victory nor a realm and its pleasures. For of what avail is sovereignty to us, O Govind Ka, or enjoyment or even life itself? Arjun's whole family is on the brink of war so he does not wish for either victory or the kingdom that this victory may bring him or even the pleasures of that kingdom of what use will be a kingdom or enjoyment or life to him? He then states the reasons for his reluctance to fight in the war. They for whose sake we crave for a kingdom, pleasures and enjoyments are formed up here, putting at stake both their life and wealth. The family for whose sake Arjun has desired the happiness of a kingdom and other pleasures is now mustered on the battlefield despite despairing of its life. If he had desired a kingdom, it was for them. If he had hungered for the pleasures of wealth and indulgence it was because he wanted to enjoy it along with his kith and kin. But he now desires neither a kingdom, nor pleasures nor enjoyment because he sees his kinsmen standing against him without any hope of life. Whatever he had desired was due dear to him for their sake. But he does not need these things if he has to get them at the cost of his kinsmen. Desires remain as long as there are family ties. Even a poor man, having only a wretched hovel to live in will not accept an empire extending over the length and breadth of the world if for this he has to kill his family, friends and kinsmen. Arjun says the same same thing. He is fond of pleasures and he loves victory but of what good can they be to him if the very people for whom he desires these rewards are no longer with him? Of what use will enjoyment of pleasures be in their absence? After all, who are the people he will have to kill in the war?
Speaker C
Acharya, Pitara, Putra, Tathai, Vachapitamah, Matula, Shvashura, Patra, Shala, Sambandhi, Nastata, Etanhant.
Speaker A
Teachers, uncles, nephews as well as granduncles, maternal uncles, fathers in law, grand nephews, brothers in law and other kinsmen. Though they might slay me, I yet have no desire to kill them, O Madhusudhan Ka. Even for a realm made up of the three worlds, still less for this earth alone. The people to be slain are Arjuna's own flesh and blood. As he tells Krishna sorrowfully he does not wish to harm his kinsmen although in doing so he might lose his own life at their hands. Even for ruling over all the three worlds in an army formed of 650 million men, Arjun can see only his own family. Who really are these innumerable kinsmen? Arjun verily is an image of tender devotion. His dilemma is the one that faces every devotee when he sets out on.
Speaker B
The path of worshipful adoration or bhajan.
Speaker A
It is everyone's desire that he should attain the highest reality by reverence and worship. But he is filled with despair when, under an experienced and accomplished teacher's tutelage, he comes to understand the fundamental nature of the conflict between the material body and the divine self and realizes against whom he has to wage his war. He wishes that his father's family, his wife's family, his maternal uncle's family, people who love him, friends and teachers should all live with him in happiness and that while providing for all of them, he should also attain to God. So he is confused when confronted with the facts that in order to forge ahead in his task of worship, he has to abandon his family because of his attachment. The prospect of severing the bonds of kinship confuses and unnerves him. My noble teacher, the revered Paramahans Paramandaji used to to be a sadhu is the same as to die. Even in even if the universe has beings whom he regards as living, there is no one whom the sadhu can regard as belonging to his own family. As long as there is such a one, the feeling of attachment remains. As for this weakness, the one who is striving to realize his self is a winner only when he rejects and destroys his attachment as well as all the other associated feelings. What is this world but an extension of the ties of attachment? What is there in it for us in the absence of these bonds? The world as we know it is only an extension of the mind. Yogeshwar Krishna has portrayed the same extension of the mind as the world. The man who has withstood and subdued its power has conquered the whole universe. Ka tells our Jews in the 19th verse of chapter 5. The whole cosmos is overcome even in this world by those whose minds repose in equality. Such a state of calm, of mental equipoise and equanimity is made possible by the complete annihilation of ego. This frees the mind from its self centered subservience to the material world. After ego has ceased to exist, only the self remains in a pure state. So this is the way to attainment of salvation and final beatitude, Brahma Vasta, which transcends the transitory life of nature. It is thus that those who have realized this state are not subject to the limitations of the material world. It is. It is not that only Arjun is confused Affectionate attachment resides in every heart and everyone with such a feeling is in a state of confusion Kith and kin are always in the foreground of a person's consciousness at the beginning, a person believes that his sacred adoration will be helpful in his endeavor to make his kinsman happy A person looks forward to enjoying his acquisition along with them but what shall the person do with the happiness if his own people are no longer with him? So it is with Arjun his vision has so far been limited to the pleasures that can be had from a kingdom and heaven he has till now envisioned the ultimate happiness in terms of Heaven and a realm composed of the three worlds if there is any reality beyond that, this Arjuna yet has no inkling of it what happiness can we have, O Janardan Ka, from slaying these sons of Jatrashtra? Only sin will fall to our lot if we kill even these wicked men what happiness can Arjuna gain from killing Dhritarashtra's sons? Dhritarashtra denotes the insolent or profligate nation and born from it is Duryodhan, the image of infatuation, the usurper king but shall even the slaying of such an evil kinsman make Arjuna and Ka happy? The Kaurav are unrighteous but the Pandav will be only guilty of sin if they kill them we call men evildoers if they adopt impious ways for their livelihood in fact, however, the worst felons are those who put obstructions in the way of the self the gravest offenders in this respect are lust, anger, avarice and inordinate attachment which obstruct one's realization.
Speaker C
Of the self Samantha.
Speaker A
So it is not for us to kill Dhritrastra's sons For how indeed can we be happy, O Madhav Ka, if we slaughter our own kinsmen? Is it not surprising that the Kaurav are at this moment seen as kith and kin? Did they not come to the battlefield as foes? In truth, physical relationship arises from ignorance he is my maternal uncle here is my wife's family this is the community of my own people what are all these but ignorance? We have people who are affectionate to us and we have our family and we have our world but all these we have only as Long as there is attachment, all such ties are not demolished when there is no attachment. That is why even sworn enemies now appear to Arjuna as kinsmen. He asks Krishna how they can be happy by killing their kinsmen. Without ignorance and attachment, the idea of family cannot exist. Paradoxically, however, it is this ignorance that also provides the initial urge for knowledge. Some great men like Bhartri, Hark and Tulsidas were driven to renunciation by their spouses, whereas there are examples of many others who have gone the same way because of their disillusionment with the conduct of a stepmother. Although with their minds vitiated by greed, they, the Kaurav, have no awareness of the evil they do in destroying families and in being treacherous to friends. Why should we, O Gonardan, who know that it is evil to destroy families, not turn away from the sinful act straying from righteousness because of their arrogance and avarice, the Kaurav are blind to the sin they commit by destroying families and practicing treachery against friends. This is their error. But why, Arjun wants to know from Ka, should they themselves, knowing the evils of destroying families, not desist from the crime? What deserves special notice here is Arjuna's belief that not only he but Ka also is about to make the same error. So he is also indirectly accusing Ka. Every novice taking refuge in an enlightened teacher reasons in the same way. Arjuna is under the impression that perhaps the problem that is bothering him has not yet occurred to Krishna. All the same, they are both reasonable men, and it is required of them to think of the evil consequences of destroying a family.
Speaker C
Kulakshay, Prana, Shanti, Kuladharma.
Speaker A
In case of the destruction of a family, its eternal sacred traditions are lost, and impiety afflicts the whole family with the loss of its values. Until now, Arjun has viewed family traditions as the eternal truth, the Sanatan Dharma. And he also believes that with the loss of these traditions, families are laden with sin. When sin prevails, O Ka, women of the family stray from virtue, and when they are unchaste, O descendant of the Vrishnis Varshneya Ka, there is generated an unholy mixture of classes. When unrighteous ways dominate a family, its women lose their chastity, and there arises an intermingling of different classes, of incompatible cultures and ways of living. According to Arjuna, this sinful intermingling occurs when women lose their virtue. But Ka contradicts this by saying, I am fully contented in the self, and there is Nothing more precious which is beyond my reach. Yet I continue to practice meditation and renunciation and urge others to the same. But these are only means and not the goal. And when the goal is achieved, who cares for the means? So if the achiever such as I neglects the means, his followers of an inferior merit will emulate him, and they too will give up the required means. Confused and misled from the path of self realization, they then perish. Lacking in true achievement. They only swagger emptily, as if they were perfect. This imitation creates a chaos. There remains no distinction between the deserving and the undeserving. This confusion is warnasankar, and the teacher himself is held responsible for this disorder. That is why an ideal teacher always teaches by his own conduct. For a while, however, he chooses to remain silent, and Arjun goes on with his elaboration of the evils of Varna Sankar. The unholy intermingling of classes condemns the destroyer of the family as well as the family itself, to hell. For their ancestors, deprived of the offerings of obsequial cakes of rice and water libations, fall from their heavenly abode. It is a quality of Varnasankar to dispatch families and their destroyers to Hell. Divested of obsequial gifts of rice cakes, their forefathers also lose their heavenly home. The present is destroyed, the ancestors of the past fall, and the posterity to come will also descend to hell. Not only this, but in Arjun's view.
Speaker C
Do Shayare.
Speaker A
The sin committed by destroyers of families which causes an intermingling of classes, puts an end to the timeless Dharma of both caste and family. According to Arjuna, the evils of Varnasankar destroy the traditions of both families and their destroyers. He holds the view that family traditions are changeless and eternal. But Ka refutes this later by asserting that self alone is the changeless and eternal Sanatan Dharma, that immutable eternal divine principle that animates all things and beings and which enables them to realize themselves. Before a man has realized the essence of this eternal Sanatan Dharma, he gives credence to some tradition or the other. Such is Arjuna's belief at the moment, but in KA's view it is a mere delusion. We have heard, O Junard and Krishna, that hell is indeed the miserable habitat for an infinite time of men, the traditions of whose families have been destroyed. Men whose family traditions are destroyed have to dwell in hell endlessly. What is significant, though, is that Arjuna has only heard so as he believes, with the destruction of a family, not only its traditions but also its own changeless, everlasting Dharma is destroyed. He thus equates traditions with the eternal Sanatan Dharm. It is well known, he says, how a man has to suffer in hell for the loss of his Dharm. But he has only heard so, not seen, but only heard of it. Tempted by the pleasures of temporal power. Alas, what a heinous crime have we resolved to commit by killing our own kith and kin. How regrettable that although possessed of wisdom, they are yet determined to commit a grave sin by being intent upon killing their own family because of greed of regal power and its pleasures. At this point Arjuna regards his knowledge as in no way less than that of Ka. All seekers, as it has already been said, feel this way at the outset. According to Mahatma Buddha, so long as a man has only partial knowledge, he regards himself as a repository of great wisdom. But as as he begins to learn the second half of the knowledge he has to acquire, he regards himself as a great fool. Arjun considers himself a wise man. In the same way, he takes the liberty of persuading Ka that it is simply not possible that their sinful act can have any propitious outcome and also that their resolve to destroy their family is motivated by sheer greed of such sovereignty and its pleasures. They are really committing a terrible error. Convinced that the error is not only his, he has a dig at Ka when he remarks that the error is also KA's. And at last he delivers his final view of the matter to Ka.
Speaker C
Yadimam pratikaram Ashastram Shastra Panayu.
Speaker A
I shall indeed prefer the prospect of being slain by the armed sons of Dhritarashtra, while I myself remain unarmed and unresisting. Arjun's death at the hands of Dhritarashtra's armed sons while he himself remains unarmed and unresisting will be, according to Arjun, a fortunate event. History will then remember him as a magnanimous man who had averted a war by sacrificing his own life. People forsake their lives for the happiness of tender, innocent children so that the family may thrive. People go abroad and live in luxurious mansions, but after two days they begin to pine for their discarded hovels. Such is the strength of attachment. It is behind Arjun's feeling that it will be propitious even if he is killed unresisting by the armed sons of Dhritarashtra, for it will ensure the children of the family a prosperous and happy life.
Speaker C
Samuktvarjuna San Vigna Manasah.
Speaker A
Sanjay said. Speaking thus and smitten by grief in the midst of the battlefield, Arjun put aside his bow and arrows and sat down in the chariot. In other words, Arjun withdraws from the conflict between the physical body, the sphere of action, and the self within with his awareness of God. Conclusion Looking at the armies on the battlefield of life, we see our own families, and they have to be destroyed. The world is but an extension of attachments. Attachment to the family proves an obstacle in the primary stage of the worshipper's devotion to the desired goal. He is shaken when he discovers that he shall have to part with his name near and dear ones and treat them as though they had never existed. He finds nothing but unpropitious harm in his act of destroying his own people. Like Arjun, he looks for an escape into prevailing traditions. Arjun says that family traditions are the Eternal Sanatan Dharma. Destruction of family and caste traditions by war is thus destruction of the eternal Dharm and itself. And when Dharam is lost, women of the family grow unchaste, and there is a sinful intermingling of classes which must drive both the family and its destroyers to hell for an indefinite time. With this limited knowledge and wisdom, Arjuna is desperate to protect the family traditions which he regards as the Eternal Sanatan Dharma. So he pleads with Krishna and wishes to be enlightened on why they, Ka and he, men of sagacity, should be bent upon committing the heinous sin of destroying their family. According to his view of the issue at hand, even Ka is about to become an accessory to the crime. Finally, Arjuna asserts adamantly that in order to save himself from the sin, he shall not fight. Saying this, he sinks despairingly in the rear of the chariot. In other words, he turns his back on the precious enterprise of the perennial conflict that rages between matter and spirit, between godly and ungodly impulses, between forces that drag a man down to gross nature, and forces that elevate and finally take the soul to the Supreme God. Thus concludes the first chapter in the Upanishad of the Rmad Bhagavad Gita on the Knowledge of the Supreme Spirit, the Science of Yog, and the dialogue between Ka and Arjuna entitled Sanchay Vishad Yog or the Yog of Irresolution and Grief. Thus concludes Swami Adgaananda's exposition of the first chapter of the Rmad Bhagavad Gita in Yatart Gita Hari Om Tatsat.