Bhagavad Gita Chapter Two: The Divine State

(This title was assigned by the translator on the basis of verse 72 of this chapter.)

“Sanjaya said: To him who was overcome with pity, whose eyes were filled with tears, who was perplexed and saddened with hopelessness, the killer of Madhu spoke this response: (2.1) The Blessed Lord said: How has this sickly emotion come to you at a crucial time? It is not suitable for a cultured man. It does not facilitate heaven in the hereafter. It causes disgrace, O Arjuna. (2.2) O son of Pṛthā (or O Partha), you should not entertain cowardly behavior. This is not suitable for you. Give up this degrading emotional weakness. Stand, O scorcher of the enemy. (2.3) -Arjuna said: How will I attack in battle, Bhishma and Droṇa, who are worthy of reverence, O Krishna? (2.4) In fact, it is better to eat by begging in this world than by killing the revered teachers who are great-natured. But having slain the venerable teachers on the basis of impulsive desires, I would enjoy blood-stained luxuries here on earth. (2.5) And this we do not know, which of the alternatives is better; whether we should conquer or if they should triumph over us. It concerns these sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra who stand armed before us, and whom we would not desire to outlive, if they are killed. (2.6) As a mercy-prone man, overcome by these feelings of pity, with my sense of duty clouded by mental confusion, I ask You to tell me with certainty, what is preferable. I am a student of Yours. Instruct me, who am submitted to You. (2.7) In fact, I do not see, what would remove the sadness that absorbs my enthusiasm, even unrivaled rulership and prosperity on earth or sovereignty over the angelic kingdom. (2.8) Sanjaya said: O Dhṛtarāṣṭra, scorcher of enemies, after appealing to Krishna, Arjuna said to Govinda, the chief of cowherds, “I will not fight.” Having said this, he became silent. (2.9) Then, in the middle of both armies, Krishna, who was smiling, spoke this speech to the dejected Arjuna. (2.10) The Blessed Lord said: You mourned for that which should not be regretted. And you expressed intelligent statements. Educated persons mourn neither for those who are embodied or departed.(2.11) There was never a time when I did not exist, nor you nor these rulers of the people. Nor will we cease to exist from now onwards. (2.12) As the embodied soul endures childhood, youth and old age, so another body is acquired in sequence.” ~Bhagavad Gita

Cowardly Arjuna

First, let me remind my readers that I am interpreting the Bhagavad Gita through the eyes of a student of the Cosolargy school. If you have not read the first post in this series, it is highly recommended that you read it first. Secondly, I am reading a translation, not the original Sanscrit.

The Bhagavad Gita is attributed to the sage Vyasa, who is also credited with writing the Vedas and Upanishad. The second chapter begins with Arjuna being called a coward and told that his attitude is “not suitable for a cultured man.” Really! Warmongering is now a sign of being cultured? I don’t think so. Yet this is the response to Adjuna expressing in the first chapter that he is reluctant to fight against friends and relatives in the opposing army, including Bhisma, who Adjuna extols as courageous, and Drona, a general of the opposition army. Arjuna replies with a question, asking how can he attack in battle those who are “worthy of reverence”. He further states that it is better to live as a beggar than by killing revered teachers. He goes on to say that he is confused, and begs for clarification.

Lord Krishna joins the conversation by telling Arjuna that he should not mourn the dead or those living who may soon die in battle. Krishna adds that he is immortal, and so is Arjuna’s imperishable soul, called Brahman, as is everyone else’s So he seems to be telling Arjuna that the death of the physical body is irrelevant, as it is only temporary and an illusion. It is the permanent spirit and soul that matters. Krishna refers to Arjuna as “mighty-armed” at one point, which I believe means that he is armed with knowledge and wisdom. So Krishna is telling Arjuna to practice Sankhya yoga, which is to understand the difference between matter and spirit.

Sri Krishna, also known as Madhusudan, adds that “mundane sensations” such as hot and cold, pleasure and pain come and go. We must cope with them and continue on with our lives. While that all makes some sense, it is still wrong to kill the physical body of others, even if they do have an immortal spirit. Secondly, not all people have awakened their immortal spiritual self, and killing them before they have had the chance to do that is indeed wrong, as Arjuna believes.

No Enduring Existence

It is true that there is no eternal existence for the material body, or for anything else material. That doesn’t change the fact that the material body has a spirit so killing it is not acceptable behavior. Spirit is the “indestructible factor” that is in everything, as mentioned in this chapter. It is also true that spirit cannot be destroyed. Nonetheless, it is wrong to kill the physical body before the person has awakened and developed that spirit, and that is probably the condition we will find most people who fight in wars to be in.

The Soul Doesn’t Kill

Arjuna is told that the eternal soul does not kill, nor does it die. This truth is used to justify the idea that killing others in war is acceptable. But while it is true that the soul doesn’t kill or die, it can leave the body and return to heaven with no human attached to it. It will do that when it is greatly stressed, such as by the evil of killing other humans. Once the soul separates in that way, the person in which that soul dwelled is no longer immortal. When their physical body dies, they will be truly dead, because that lost soul will know nothing of them. Only those who awaken and integrate their entire being: body, mind, and soul while living on earth in physical form can truly achieve immortality.

Attached to Emotions

Arjuna is further warned that emotional attachments are not good for the spirit. That is true but misleading. Not being attached to worldly things in an emotional way, or in any other way is a great aid to spiritual growth. Being unattached, however, doesn’t mean you are free to do whatever you want. Burning, pillaging, plundering, and murdering are the acts of despots and villains, not those who are truly spiritual. Spiritual people value love, peace, sharing, and caring above all else. They can be unattached to the material but completely attached to the spiritual hiding behind it.

Take Shelter in Mystic Insight

We should turn to the mystical to awaken our true Self, our Spiritual self. And the awakened Self will teach us to not become attached to the material. I still say that non-attachment does not forgive murder, fighting in wars, and other violent acts against humans and animals, even if their physical forms are temporary. Another thing to note is that when Krisna advises practicing Yoga, he is not talking about the Western Yoga of today. That Yoga has thrown out all the spiritual and religious aspects which is what the physical part was supposed to help develop. If you take out everything except the physical exercise, you have just an exercise program, not real Yoga. Jnana Yoga in Hindu teachings is probably the most important as it is the yoga of self-realization.

Contentment is Required

Contentment comes with non-attachment and humility, with practicing real Yoga, which is just another name for mysticism. Like many other aspects of the spiritual person, this is not required to start on your journey of spiritual growth, but like love, humility, and Divine Knowledge (Gnosis), this contentment will develop as we grow in equanimity, and we can help by working to reach such goals as quickly as possible, but without being aggressive about it, or with trying to compete with others. Spiritual Growth is definitely not a matter of competition, but rather one of cooperation. As created beings ourselves, we must start on the physical level, and work our way up.

Summary

So as with chapter one, I think there is much spiritual truth that can be found in chapter two of the Bhagavad Gita, but the acceptance of war and killing should not be one of them. As I said in part one, I have to assume that the real war being discussed is the eternal war between the forces of Darkness and those of Light (or God), and in that war, the dark ones are not conquered by killing them, but by changing them.

The major point of chapter two seems to be that attachment to the material is not good for spiritual growth, as is taught in karma yoga. While that is true, being unattached doesn’t mean being indifferent. We can be unattached to the beggar in the streets, yet feal for his plight. So don’t think that being unattached means that we are indifferent to everything happening in the material world around us. On the contrary. While maintaining a lack of attachment, the spiritual person is still involved with the physical world because we still have a material nature. But having self-control brings self-realization, without the need for indifference. Transcendence comes to those who transcend the material, not those who abandon it. Besides, if you are not attached to the material, you would have no reason to fight in a war, unless it is the war of Light against Darkness, and that war doesn’t involve killing. Lord Krishna, as an incarnation of the Supreme Lord, should not be capable of errors, but a listener may misunderstand his meaning.

Another interesting point made in this chapter is that you are not entitled to the “fruits of action”, a philosophy that has guided many Hindus. It basically means that you should do your work without the expectation of a reward. Do the work because it should be done, not because you will be rewarded for it.