Chapter
2 - Transcendental Knowledge
Sanjay
said:
Sri
Krsn then addressed the following words to
Arjun, who was overwhelmed with pity,
whose eyes were filled with tears and
agitated and who was full of sorrow.
(2.01)
The
Blessed Sri Krsn said:
Arjun,
how has this dejection come to you at this
juncture? This is not fit for an Aryan. It
is disgraceful and shunned by noble souls;
neither will it bring heaven, nor fame to
you. (2.02)
O
Parth, yield not to unmanliness. It does
not befit you. Cast off this petty faint
heartedness and wake up, O vanquisher of
foes. (2.03)
Arjun
said:
How,
Krsn, shall I strike Bhism and Dron with
arrows in battle, who are worthy of my
worship? (2.04)
It
is better, to live on alms in this world
than to slay these noble elders, because,
even after killing them I shall enjoy only
wealth and sense-pleasures stained with
their blood. (2.05)
We
do not know which is preferable for us -
to fight or not to fight ; nor do we know
whether we shall win or whether they will
conquer us. The sons of Dhrtarastra, by
killing who we do not even wish to live,
are arrayed against us. (2.06)
My
nature is weighed down with the vice of
the faint heartedness and my mind is
confused with regard to duty. I entret
you, tell me what is decidedly good for
me. I am your disciple. Do instruct me who
has taken refuge in You. (2.07)
For
even on obtaining undisputed sovereignty
and an affluent kingdom on this earth and
lordship over the gods. I do not see any
means that can drive away the grief which
is drying up my senses. (2.08)
Sanjay
said:
O
King, after speaking like this to Sri
Krsn, the mighty Arjun again said to Him:
"I shall not fight," and became
silent. (2.09)
O
Bharat (Dhrtarastra), Sri Krsn, the Lord
of the senses, as if smiling, addressed
these words to the desponding Arjun in the
midst of the two armies. (2.10)
The
Blessed Sri Krsn said:
Arjun,
you grieve for those who should not be
grieved for and yet speak like the
learned; wise men do not sorrow over the
dead or the living. (2.11)
In
fact, there was never a time when I was
not, you or these kings did not exist; Nor
it is a fact that hereafter we shall cease
to exist in the future. (2.12)
Just
as boyhood, youth and old age are
attributed to the soul through this body,
even so it attains another body. The wise
man does not get deluded about this.
(2.13)
O
son of Kunti, the contacts between the
senses and their objects, which give rise
to the feelings of heat and cold, pleasure
and pain, etc., are transitory and
fleeting; therefore, Arjun, ignore them.
(2.14)
Arjun,
the wise man to whom pain and pleasure are
like and who is not tormented by these
contacts, becomes eligible for
immortality. (2.15)
The
unreal has no existence and the real never
ceases to be; truth of both has been
perceived by the seers of truth. (2.16)
Know
that to be imperishable by which all this
universe is pervaded; for none can bring
about the destruction of the
indestructible. (2.17)
These
bodies of the imperishable, indefinable
and eternal soul are spoken of as
perishable. Therefore, O Arjun, fight,
(2.18)
They
both are ignorant, he who knows the soul
to be capable of killing and he who takes
it as killed; for verily the soul neither
kills, nor is killed. (2.19)
The
soul is never born nor dies; nor doesit
exist on coming into being. For it is
unborn, eternal, everlasting and primeval;
even though the body is slain the soul is
not. (2.20)
How
can a man who knows this soul to be
imperishable, eternal, free from birth and
decay, O Parth, slay anyone or cause
anyone to be slain? (2.21)
As
a man discarding worn-out clothes, takes
other new ones, likewise the embodied
soul, casting off worn-out bodies, enters
into others which are new. (2.22)
Weapons
cannot cut it nor can fire burn it, water
cannot wet it, nor can the wind make it
dry. (2.23)
This
soul is uncleavable incombustible and
neither can it be wetted, nor dried up. It
is eternal, all pervading, stable,
constant and everlasting. (2.24)
This
soul is unmanifest, unthinkable, and
immutable. Therefore, knowing it as such,
you should not grieve. (2.25)
O
mighty armed even if you regard this soul
as constantly undergoing birth and death,
you should not grieve. (2.26)
For
in that case the death of him who is born
is certain; and the rebirth of him who is
dead is inevitable. Therefore, you should
not lament over the inevitable. (2.27)
All
beings, O Bharat, are unmanifest before
they were born and will become unmanifest
again when they are dead; they are
manifest only in the intermediate stage.
What is the point then to grieve about?
(2.28)
One
perceives the soul as marvellous, another
speaks of it as marvellous, another hears
of it as marvellous; while there are some
who know it not even on hearing of it.
(2.29)
Arjun,
this soul that dwells in the body of all
beings is eternally indestructible.
Therefore, you should not mourn for
anybody. (2.30)
Besides,
considering your duty, as a warrior, you
should not waver. For there is nothing
more auspicious for a warrior than a
righteous war. (2.31)
Only
the fortunate warriors, O Arjun, get such
an opportunity for an unsolicited war that
is like an open door to heaven. (2.32)
Now,
if you will not wage such a righteous war,
then, abandoning your duty and losing your
reputation, you will incur sin. (2.33)
Nay,
people will talk about your disgrace
forever, and infamy brought on a man
enjoying popular esteem is worse than
death. (2.34)
The
great chariot warriors who held you in
high esteem, will hold you lightly,
thinking that you have desisted from the
war out of fear. (2.35)
And
your enemies, disparaging your might will
speak many unmentionable words and scorn
your ability. What could be more painful
than this? (2.36)
Either
slain in battle you will attain heaven, or
if victorious you will enjoy sovereignty
of the earth. Therefore, get up with a
determination to fight, O Arjun. (2.37)
Treating
alike pleasure and pain, gain and loss,
victory and defeat, Get ready for the
fight, then; fighting thus you will not
incur sin. (2.38)
O
Parth, this attitude of mind has been
presented to you from the point of view of
Jnana Yoga (discipline of Knowledge); now
hear the same as presented from the point
of view of Karma Yoga (the discipline of
Selfless-Action). Equipped with this state
of mind, you will be able to shake off
completely the shackles of Karma (Action).
(2.39)
In
this path of Karma-yoga (of disinterested
action) there is no loss of effort, nor is
there any adverse result. Even a little
practice of this discipline protects one
from great fear (of birth and death).
(2.40)
O
joy of the Kurus, in this blessed path,
the intellect is determinate and one
pointed, whereas the intellect of the
undecided (infirm) is scattered in many
directions and is endlessly diverse.
(2.41)
Arjun,
those who are obsessed by desire and
devoted to the letter of the Vedas, who
look upon heaven as the supreme goal and
argue that there is nothing beyond heaven
are unwise. They utter flowery speech
recommanding many acts of various kinds
for the attainment of pleasure and
prosperity with rebirth as their fruit.
Those whose minds are carried away by such
words, and who are carried away by such
words and who are deeply attached to
pleasure and worldly prosperity, cannot
attain the determinate intellect
concentrated on God. (2.42 - 44)
Arjun,
the Vedas thus deal with the three states
of mind or nature, and their evolutes in
the form of worldly enjoyments, as well as
the means of attaining such enjoyments; be
thou indifferent to these enjoyments and
their means, rising above pairs of
opposites like pleasure and pain, etc.,
established in the External Existence
(God), absolutely unconcerned about the
supply of wants and the preservation of
what has been already attained, and with
the mind completely under control. (2.45)
To
a Self-realized person the Vedas are as
useful as a reservoir of water when there
is flood water available everywhere.
(2.46)
Your
right is to perform your duty only, but
never lay claim to its fruit. Let not the
fruit of action be your object, nor let
your attachment be to inaction. (2.47)
O
Arjun, perform your duties dwelling in
Yoga, relinquishing attachment, and
indifferent to success and failure,
equanimity is called Yoga. (2.48)
Work
done with selfish motives is inferior by
far to the selfless service or Karma-yoga.
Therefore be a Karma-yogi, O Arjun, do you
seek refuge in this evenness of mind; for
poor and wretched are those who crave for
fruit of action. (2.49)
Endowed
with equanimity, one sheds in this life
both good and evil. Therefore, exert
yourself, for this Yoga of equanimity.
Skill in action lies in the practice of
this Yoga. (2.50)
Wise
men endowed with equanimity, renouncing
the fruits of actions, freed from the
shackles of births, attain the blissful
supreme state. (2.51)
When
your intellect will completely pierce the
veil of delusion, then you will become
indifferent to what has been heard and
what is to be heard (from the scriptures).
(2.52)
When
your intellect transcends the mine of
delusion you will then gain indifference
to what has been heard and what is yet to
be heard (about this world and the next).
(2.53)
Arjun
said:
O
Kesava, what is the mark of a God-realized
soul, stable of mind and established in
Samadhi (perfect tranquillity of mind)?
How does the man of stable mind speak, how
he sits, how walks? (2.54)
The
Blessed Sri Krsn said:
O
Parth, when a man abandons all the desires
of the mind and is satisfied in the self
by the self, he is said to be stable in
wisdom. (2.55)
He
whose mind remains unperturbed in sorrows,
who does not crave for pleasures, and who
is free from passion, fear and anger is
called the sage of stable wisdom. (2.56)
He
who is unattached every where, who is
neither delighted at receiving good, nor
dejected at receiving evil, is poised in
wisdom. (2.57)
When
like a tortoise, which draws in its limbs
from all directions, he withdraws his
senses from the sense objects, his mind
has become stable. (2.58)
Sense
objects cease for him, who does not enjoy
them with his senses; but the taste for
them persists. This relish also disappears
in the case of the man of stable mind when
he intuits the Supreme. (2.59)
The
turbulent senses, O son of Kunti, forcibly
carry away the mind of even a wise man who
is practising self control. (2.60)
Having
controlled all the senses a striver should
sit for meditation, devoting himself heart
and soul to Me. For his wisdom is stable
whose senses are under control. (2.61)
The
man dwelling on sense objects develops
attachment for them; from attachment
springs up desire, and from desire
(unfulfilled) ensues anger. (2.62)
From
anger arises infatuation; from infatuation
confusion of memory; from confusion of
memory, loss of reason; and from the loss
of reason one goes to complete ruin.
(2.63)
A
disciplined self controlled person, while
enjoying the various sense objects with
his senses that are under disciplined and
free from likes and dislikes, attains
tranquility. (2.64)
All
sorrows are destroyed upon attainment of
tranquility. And the intellect of such a
tranquil person soon withdrawing itself
from all sides, becomes firmly established
in God. (2.65)
He
who has not controlled his mind and senses
can have no determinate intellect; nor can
such an undisciplined man have the sense
of duty. The man without having the sense
of duty can have no peace; and how can
there be happiness for one lacking peace?
(2.66)
As
the wind carries away a barge upon the
waters, even so of the wandering senses,
the one to which the mind is joined takes
away his discrimination. (2.67)
Therefore,
O Arjun, he whose senses are completely
restrained from their objects, his mind is
stable. (2.68)
That
which is night to all beings, in that
state (of Divine Knowledge and Supreme
Bliss) the self controlled person keeps
awake. And that (the ever changing wordly
happiness) in which all beings keep awake
is night to the seer. (2.69)
As
the waters (of different rivers) enter the
ocean, which though full on all sides
remains undisturbed, likewise he, in whom
all enjoyments merge themselves, attains
peace; not he, who hankers after such
enjoyments. (2.70)
He
who gives up all desires and moves free
from attachment, egoism and thirst for
enjoyment, attains peace. (2.71)
O
Arjun, such is the state of the
God-realized soul; having reached this
state, he overcomes delusion. And
established in this state even at the last
moment, he attains Brahmic Bliss. (2.72)
Thus,
in the Upanisad sung by the Lord, the
science of Brahma, the scripture of Yoga,
the dialogue between Sri Krsn and Arjun,
ends the second chapter entitled
"Sankhyoga" "The Yoga of
Knowledge"
Swami Veet Chintan T'Zorba-Krsna
Jyotish
Shastracharya
& Vedic Astrologer of India
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