Srimad Bhagavad Geeta Chapter 2 Part 4 by Thirukallam Narasimha Raghavachariar

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Arjuna: "Oh Govinda! Is it possible for those under the misconception

that the body is the soul, to avoid grieving over the separation of the

soul from the body?"

 

Sri Bhagavaan: "Oh Strong-armed One! Even if you consider the soul to

be the body that is caught up in the never ending cycle of birth and

death, there is no reason to fear either your own death or the prospect

of killing others. The soul cannot be destroyed. If you accept the

concept of the eternality of the soul, then there is no reason to fear

hell as a result of killing of Bhishma and the others. Even if you

consider the body to be the soul, then how can an object that is

destroyed here in the battle field or elsewhere on earth proceed to

hell? In that case why do you fear the prospect of killing Bhishma and

the others?"

 

Arjuna: "Oh All knowing One (Sarvajna)! You say that the soul is

totally separate from the body. But there is no discernable evidence of

the soul being separate from the body."

 

Sri Bhagavaan: "Oh Phalguna! The soul is an object that is totally

different in nature from the body we experience. It is eternal and

wondrous. It can be experienced only by one practicing a lot of

austerities (tapas). The result of such austerities causes sin to be

almost destroyed and a great accumulation of pious deeds (punya). Only

such a person can perceive the soul. Only a person who has accumulated

so much pious deeds even gets to hear the Srimad Bhagavad Geeta. One

who speaks of the soul and one who hears about the soul are both rare.

Even after hearing about it, one does not come to know about the nature

of the soul."

 

Arjuna: "One can discern considerable difference in species and

attributes of the bodies of living entities from the demigods down to

insignificant creatures. Similarly we can see differences in the way

souls experience pleasure and pain through various bodies. The souls

occupying the position of the demigods, humans and the like are called

divine, for example. Is it therefore, similarly possible that some

souls may have eternal existence whereas other souls may have finite

existence?"

 

Sri Bhagavaan: "The perceived difference between various categories of

beings from the demigods downwards is confined to the body. Even if

pleasure and pain is experienced by the soul, varies from soul to soul,

it is caused by the connection of the soul with the body. Therefore,

the soul is eternal and indestructible. Statements that refer to souls

occupying the position of gods as being divine merely give importance to

the inseparable nature of the soul form the body.

 

"Oh Arjuna! Understand that for your caste, killing the enemy is the

highest duty just as performance of the Agnishomiya sacrifice is

understood to be auspicious though it results in a violent death to a

cow. For a soul that has obtained the body of a human being in the

Kshatriya class there is no greater opportunity to attain perfection,

than to fight in a war that has chanced upon it as a duty. (Arjuna did

not seek this war. It was his elder brother's duty to request the

Kauravas to return the kingdom, after they had fulfilled their end of

the bargain in the second game of dice. Sri Krishna Himself went as the

Paandavas' ambassador. This mission failed. It was now Arjuna's duty

to help his elder brother and the king of Indraprastha regain his lost

kingdom, as it was his elder brother who supported Arjuna all these

years.) Get up and fight! This battle is getting delayed because you

have not made an effort to fight. This is the way for you to attain

pleasures unmixed with pain. It is by securing a great deal of merit

(punya) in previous lives, that you have chanced upon such an

opportunity."

 

Arjuna: "What will be the consequences of a Kshatriya refusing to fight

in a war?"

 

Sri Bhagavaan: "Oh Paartha! If as a Kshatriya you abandon a battle

which has begun, considering it to be a sin, even though it is your

highest duty, you lose the opportunity to gain limitless pleasure

unmixed with pain (after this life) and fame as a result of victory in

this life. Instead you accrue sin, which is the cause of pain. Not

only will you lose fame. You will earn notoriety. Notoriety is worse

than death (for a Kshatriya). It will be the cause for hellish

experiences.

 

Arjuna: "Keshava! I am not refusing to fight them because of fear. It

is only my affection for them which is making me refuse to fight them."

 

Sri Bhagavaan: "Arjuna! Even if your thought process takes you in that

direction, this is not the time to display affection to your relatives.

Wouldn't everybody else think and gossip - He (Arjuna) got frightened

and ran away from the battlefield, after seeing the Kaurava army

comprising of eleven akshownis and led by Mahaarathis like Karna, from

in between the two armies? What can cause you more pain than hearing

such words from the sons of Dhritaraashtra, who bear nothing but hatred

towards you? Therefore, get up and fight. If you get killed by your

enemies, you will go to Svarga and enjoy happiness. If they were to get

killed by you, you will inherit a kingdom with no enemies and enjoy

comforts. It does not behoove you to avoid fighting, after having taken

birth in an elevated princely family."

 

Arjuna: "Oh Madhusoodhana (the killer of the demon Madhu)! Even if one

were to offer me Lordship of the three worlds, I will decline such

temporal pleasures. I am only interested in Moksha."

 

Sri Bhagavaan: "Dhananjaya (winner of wealth)! If you consider fighting

in this war to be a mere duty, because you have taken birth in a

Kshatriya family, and fight without consideration of fruits like

elevation to the land of Svarga, and without worrying about victory or

defeat, you will be relieved from the ocean of nescience, or suffering

as a result of ignorance."

 

Arjuna: "Kanna! You say that fighting in a war is performance of karma

Yoga for a Kshatriya. I wish to hear about the glories of such an

elevated path. Please tell me more about this method of attaining

liberation (moksha)."

 

Sri Bhagavaan: "If one has started performance of Karma yoga, but is

unable to continue it because of residence in inauspicious places or the

current time is not suitable for practicing this yoga, one does not lose

the fruits of what one has practiced till now. You do not run the risk

of any negative consequences of incomplete practice. Even a feeble

attempt at practicing this Karma Yoga relieves one from the fear of

Samsaara (a state of existence without the knowledge of oneself and

one's relationship with God)."

 

Arjuna: "Oh Devakinandana (Son of Devaki)! Is one allowed to practice

rites to fulfil one's desires, or is one prohibited from doing so?"

 

Sri Bhagavaan: "Paartha! One who performs rites to obtain comforts and

wealth, is unable to concentrate his mind on the goal of liberation.

Therefore, those desirous of liberation (moksha) should not be attracted

to the performance of rites that will only give material benefits."

 

 

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