Arjuna's Moral Crisis

Bhagavad-Gita Second Chapter

Part Two: The Path of the Wise

by Michael Dolan/B.V. Mahayogi

A Moment of Weakness

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As he faces a great moment of crisis, Arjuna has succumbed to grief and cowardice. He cannot face the struggle. In his moment of weakness, Arjuna is clinging to the conventions of morality. He is using the arguments of scriptures as a shield to keep from doing his duty. Now, he has asked about the symptoms of a wise man.  But he is interested in wisdom from a materialistic point of view.  Many people construe the idea of wisdom as something like "street smarts," or the practical way to profit in this material world. From this point of view the most cynical of cheats is really "wise," since he knows how to exploit others. But this sort of wisdom is based entirely on attachment to the goods and passions of this world.

Detachment

Kṛṣṇa, on the other hand,  has emphasized detachment from the material condition. Arjuna’s weakness is based on attachment. He faces a moral crisis, but cannot act. His struggle represents our own in important ways: it is the struggle between the flesh and the spirit. It has often been said “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” We know what is in our own spiritual interest, but we fail to act, weakened by material attachment.

Kṛṣṇa reminds Arjuna, then, of his spiritual nature. Arjuna disguises his attachment by appealing to the Vedas, to dharma. He wants to claim some religious purpose for his inaction and cowardice. Kṛṣṇa points out that all this is temporary. The soul is eternal. A wise man understands this and does his duty accordingly, without attachment to the results. Arjuna wants to control the outcome, but Kṛṣṇa tells him it is in God’s hands. Effectively he tells him, “Control yourself; don’t try to control the environment.”

Control Yourself, not the Environment

This is really the sum and substance of his advice in the second chapter of the Bhagavad-Gita. “Don’t try to control the environment; it is beyond your power. Control yourself; that is possible for you. That is the only possibility you have for freedom. Try that and automatically, the environment will become your friend.”

This is not an exercise in the dry stoicism of Marcus Aurelius and the Romans. Renunciation is another kind of trap as Kṛṣṇa will explain later. We are not to hate the world or the things of this world. Neither is this the so-called “fatalism” of the Hindus, where inaction follows the jaded understanding that everything is an illusion. Arjuna is to act--and to act powerfully, but with nonattachment.

Right vision and right understanding are the basis of this nonattachment. Right vision and wisdom mean to understand one’s position as eternal atma subordinate to Supreme atma. This is the primordial truth that Kṛṣṇa inculcates throughout the second chapter. But once one has achieved proper vision--the wisdom of buddhi-yoga--detached action should follow along with sense control.

Uncontrolled, the mind and senses will lead one astray. Animals behave according to the caprice of mind and senses. But human beings guided by wisdom should strive for a higher truth--that of the atma. Those who have such vision will act accordingly.

Kṛṣṇa warns Arjuna that he should not be guided by material attachment to the mind and senses, but through higher wisdom.

“The wise yogis withdraw the senses from their passions just as the turtle withdraws his limbs within his shell. Remember, Arjuna-- The senses are strong and their passions can charm the hearts and minds of the learned. The wise control these sensual impulses and fix their minds in the spirit, by meditation on divinity, God Himself. While avoiding sensual pleasure a realized soul will discover a higher pleasure in dedication and divine love.” [1]

Kṛṣṇa reminds Arjuna of His divinity, concluding, “So it is that one who learns to control his senses in this manner, dedicating himself to Me, is truly wise in the science of the atma.”

“Contemplate divinity. Otherwise, while contemplating sensual pleasures one becomes attached to such ideas. From material attachment, desires come. Unfulfilled desire provokes anger in the heart. Anger generates illusion and forgetfulness of who we are. We lose our purposes and fall further into madness. You must use the wisdom I have taught you to practice purposeful detachment. If you can understand these principles as I have explained them, you will become free from both exploitation and renunciation of this world. This wisdom will give you strength and enlightenment, and there is no doubt you will attain not only spiritual peace, but the mercy of God.”[2]

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[1] यदा संहरते चायं कूर्मोङ्गानीव सर्वशः इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यस् तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता २.५८

विषया विनिवर्तन्ते निराहारस्य देहिनः रसवर्जं रसोप्य् अस्य परं दृष्ट्वा निवर्तते २.५९

यततो ह्य् अपि कौन्तेय पुरुषस्य विपश्चितः इन्द्रियाणि प्रमाथीनि हरन्ति प्रसभं मनः २.६०

तानि सर्वाणि संयम्य युक्त आसीत मत्परः

वशे हि यस्येन्द्रियाणि तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता २.६१

yadā saṃharate cāyaṃ kūrmoṅgānīva sarvaśaḥ

indriyāṇīndriyārthebhyas tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā 2.58

viṣayā vinivartante nirāhārasya dehinaḥ

rasavarjaṃ rasopy asya paraṃ dṛṣṭvā nivartate 2.59

yatato hy api kaunteya puruṣasya vipaścitaḥ

indriyāṇi pramāthīni haranti prasabhaṃ manaḥ 2.60

tāni sarvāṇi saṃyamya yukta āsīta matparaḥ

vaśe hi yasyendriyāṇi tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā 2.61

[2] तानि सर्वाणि संयम्य युक्त आसीत मत्परः

वशे हि यस्येन्द्रियाणि तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता २.६१

ध्यायतो विषयान् पुंसः सङ्गस् तेषूपजायते

सङ्गात् सञ्जायते कामः कामात् क्रोधोभिजायते २.६२

क्रोधाद् भवति संमोहः संमोहात्

स्मृतिविभ्रमः

स्मृतिभ्रंशाद् बुद्धिनाशो बुद्धिनाशात् प्रणश्यति

२.६३

रागद्वेषविमुक्तैस् तु विषयान् इन्द्रियैश् चरन्

आत्मवश्यैर् विधेयात्मा प्रसादम् अधिगच्छति २.६४

tāni sarvāṇi saṃyamya yukta āsīta matparaḥ

vaśe hi yasyendriyāṇi tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā 2.61

dhyāyato viṣayān puṃsaḥ saṅgas teṣūpajāyate

saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ kāmāt krodhobhijāyate 2.62

krodhād bhavati saṃmohaḥ saṃmohāt smṛtivibhramaḥ

smṛtibhraṃśād buddhināśo buddhināśāt praṇaśyati

2.63

rāgadveṣavimuktais tu viṣayān indriyaiś caran

ātmavaśyair vidheyātmā prasādam adhigacchati 2.64