Bhagavad

Bhagavad-Gita Essay The Bhagavad-Gita begins with the preparation of battle between the two opposingsides: on the left stands the collected armies of the one hundred sons ofDhritarashtra and on the right lies the soldiers of the Pandava brothers. Warring relatives feuding over the right to govern the land of Kurukshetra, bothforces stand poised and ready to slaughter one another. The warrior Arjuna,leader of the Pandava armies, readies himself as his charioteer, the godKrishna, steers toward the opposition when the armies are ready to attack. Arjuna stops Krishna short before the two sides clash together. Hesitation andpity creeps into Arjunas heart as he surveys his family and relatives on theother side; he loses his will to win at the cost of the lives he still loves. AsArjuna sets down his bow and prepares for his own death, the god Krishna beginshis council with Arjuna, where Krishna uses various ideas on action,self-knowledge, and discipline to reveal to Arjuna the freedom to be attainedfrom the suffering of man once Arjuna finds his devotion to Krishna. BeforeKrishna begins his teachings, Arjuna analyzes his emotions and describes toKrishna the way his heart feels. Krishna, I seek no victory, or kingship orpleasures (The Bhagavad-Gita, p. 25). Arjuna admits that he stands to gainnothing of real worth from the war. He knows he cannot consciously triumph overfamily for his own wealth and glory. We sought kingships,delights, and pleasures for the sake of those assembled to abandon their livesand fortunes in battle (Th e Bhagavad-Gita, p. 25). Arjuna continues on tostate that once the family is destroyed and family duty is lost, only chaos isleft to overcome what remains. He goes so far as to describe how chaos swells tocorrupt even the women in the families, creating disorder in society. Arjunatells Krishna that the punishment for men who undermine the duties of the familyare destined for a place in hell. Finally, Arjuna asks Krishna which is right:the tie to sacred duty or reason? Krishna begins his explanation by stating thatall life on earth is indestructible. Never have I not existed, nor you, northese kings; and never in the future shall we cease to exist (TheBhagavad-Gita, p. 31). Because life has always been, reasons Krishna, then howcan man kill or be killed when there is no end to the self? Also, Krishna tellsArjuna that his emotions of sorrow and pity are fleeting, and that endurance isall that is necessary to outlast the temporary thoughts. If you fail to wagethis war of sacred duty, y ou will abandon your own duty and fame only to gainevil (The Bhagavad-Gita, p. 34). Krishna reinforces the idea of dharma,reminding Arjuna of the consequences faced when one does not fulfill the dutyset before him. Your own duty done imperfectly is better than another mansdone well. It is better to die in ones own duty, another mans duty isperilous (The Bhagavad-Gita, p. 46). Doing ones job poorly is preferableto doing anothers well. Even if talents lie in a different area, the duty oneis assigned to is the responsibility of the individual. Failure of Arjuna toabide by his duty would have a profound effect on his worldly life as well. Enemies would slander Arjuna and companions would lose faith and respect in theman they once held in such high favor. If Arjuna loses his life, then he gainsheaven and if he wins then he gains the earth; thus there is no need for Arjunato fear for his own fate. To complete his sacred duty, Arjuna must perform thenecessary actions for the duty to be achieved. Be intent on action, not onthe fruits of action; avoid attractions to the fruits and attachment toinaction! (The Bhagavad-Gita, p. 36). In the third teaching, the abstinencefrom action fails because one cannot merely reject ones actions and findsuccess. Inaction threatens the well-being of the physical body, warns Krishna. Walmart EssayKrishna also identifies the evil man as a slave to his own desires. Controlledand dictated by futile efforts, they hoard wealth in stealthy ways to satisfytheir desires (The Bhagavad-Gita, p. 134). The god also warns against threegates of hell: desire, anger, and greed. The renunciation of these allows forthe release of the self. In the seventeenth teaching, Krishna discusses thedifferences in the nature of man. As stated before, these three aspects (alsothought of as aspects of faith) are lucidity, passion, and dark inertia. Thelucid man sacrifices to the gods, eats of the rich and savory foods, andsacrifices with all the traditions met. The man of passion sacrifices to thespirits and demons, eats harsh and bitter food that cause suffering, andsacrifices only to gain. The man of dark inertia sacrifices to the dead andghosts, eats food that has long spoiled, and sacrifices void of faith or anyreal emotion. Into one of these three types fits every human on earth. Krishn apraises the lucid while warning of the passionate and the darkly inert. Thediscussion comes to a close when Krishna begins to summarize and conclude thepoints he has already mentioned. He specifies the difference betweenrenunciation and relinquishment. Renunciation is the refusal ofaction grounded in desire, while relinquishment is the rejection of the fruit ofaction. In death, the relinquishing of the fruits allows the self to lose allties to the body and the desires that go with it. Krishna reminds him thatresistance to his duty, that is, refusal to go into battle is futile becauseArjunas nature compels him to it. Krishna spurns Arjuna to go against hiswill and do what his heart forbids. Arjuna learns to take refuge in Krishna andto commit fully to him. Krishna vows that Arjuna will be received to him in goodtime. Arjuna, have you listened with you full powers of reason? Has thedelusion of ignorance now been destroyed? Krishna, my delusion isdestroyed, and by your grace I have re gained memory; I stand here, my doubtdispelled, ready to act on your words. (The Bhagavad-Gita, p. 153) ThusArjuna, through his discourse with the god Krishna, accepted his duty withdevotion and learned how to overcome his desire, while freeing himself from allworldly suffering.