BHAGAVAD GITA - THE COMPLETE YOGA SASTRA -Ch.1.Sl.46-47 - Is Arjuna fit to be taught Yoga Now? Why not?

BHAGAVAD GITA

(THE COMPLETE YOGA SASTRA)
 

 

CHAPTER.1.VERSE.46
 

Yadi Maam aprateekaaram asastram sastrapaanayah |

Dhaartaraashtraa rane hanyuh tanme kshemataram Bhaveth   ||

Arjuna was now in his  utmost sorrowful state and was expressing his final wish on  what should happen now :

 

 

Meaning :

 

"It would even be better for me to  remain unarmed and unresisting when the sons of Dhritaraashtra slay me wit their weapons in their hands!"

Dhritaraashtra's sons were determined to wage the war against Arjuna and all his brothers and kinsmen on his side. They have no dilemma in their heads as Arjuna was entertaining in his head. They were wearing the best of their weapons in the war field. Given a chance, they would unhesitatingly kill Arjuna and all his army with their weapons. 

Their mindset was of course clear to Arjuna. But, he said that in such an event, he would better die under their weapons, without resisting them and without using any of his weapons.


Arjuna was thus in a high state of despondency and unwillingness to wage war or kill the Sons of Dhritaraashtra and others on their side.

 

CHAPTER.1.VERSE.47

Sanjaya Uvaacha (Sanjaya said  to Dhritaraastra as follows :)

Yevam ukthvaa Arjunah samkhye rathopastha Upaavisath  |

Visrujya Sasaram chaapam  Soka samvigna maanasah  ||  

Meaning :

"With a mind that is acutely distressed with Sorrow, Arjuna, after having said all that he had said so far, cast away his Bow and arrow and sat down on his chariot."

Arjuna's mind was now totally submerged in a sea of sorrow. It was not allowing him to think further and gear up the intention and energy to  wage the inevitable war on the Sons of Dhritaraastra. 

 

Therefore, he left his divine Bow, Gaandeevam   and the arrow from his hands, clearly indicating his decision to get away from the war.

He then sat down on his chariot in deep distress.

With this Verse, ends the First chapter titled "Arjuna Vishaada Yoga"; or, the Yoga of Arjuna's Distress.

Bhagavad Gita is widely considered as an Upanishad, a part of Vedas; Like other Upanishads, Gita also teaches "Brahma Vidya", or Supreme knowledge. In that Brahma Vidya, Gita teaches "Yoga Saastra" as a dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna.

Yoga Saastra is not taught to any one and every one. The deserving person must have certain qualities, many of which Arjuna already has. But, Yoga is not taught to some one who kills others purely out of greed. Yoga is also not for some one who wants to annex kingdoms, rule over them and enjoy all worldly pleasures.

Yoga is also not for some one who protects his kinsmen who are known to be sinners.

Yoga needs a certain vairagya or turning away from likes and dislikes both; from greed and pleasures; 

Yoga  needs a state of mind which is strictly on the path of Dharma.

Arjuna has now seen the futility of kingdoms and their pleasures to be achieved by greed and killing of people. But, he is also not on the path of Dharma. He will kill anyone in the war, if only he is not a kinsman or "Svajanam."

His problem is that, - all the people on the other side are also his kinsmen, his Gurus, His Grand fathers and so on. He knows that they are on the side of Adharma right now. But, he is distressed that, even though they are thus sinners, he must not be killing them - because, these sinners are his kinsmen!

His love for his "Svajanam" is creating immense distress in him and blinding him to his Kshatriya Dharma. He is deeply "immersed" in his distress. 

Yoga means - becoming one with. In this Chapter, Arjuna is becoming one with Distress or Vishaada. Therefore the title of the chapter is Arjuna Vishaada yoga.

Readers of this Blog might remember the first sutra of Patanjali, in the series on Patanjali Yoga Sutras -  "atha yogaanusaanam" - which means, "now the discipline of yoga".

Patanjali implies that only when one is deeply disenchanted with worldly pleasures and sorrows, and one's own likes and dislikes, then, is the time for the discipline of yoga for him. Patanjali does not teach Yoga to anybody who has not come out of his likes and dislikes and is not wedded to truthful, greedless living.

Krishna, as we can see, has not uttered a single word to Arjuna so far as solace or pity. Arjuna clearly is not, as yet, fit for being taught the science of Yoga. His mind needs to clear its cobwebs a lot more.

But, Lord Krishna gives him a helping hand, tests him in many ways and guides him through his mental confusions in a peculiar way - as we shall see from the next chapter onwards.

.....Will Continue.