BHAGAVAD-GITA 18:59

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 18:59

 

yad ahankaram asritya

na yotsya iti manyase

mithyaisa vyavasayas te

prakrtis tvam niyoksyati

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

yat--if; ahankaram--of false ego; asritya--taking shelter; na

yotsye--I shall not fight; iti--thus; manyase--you think; mithya

esah--this is all false; vyavasayah--determination; te--your;

prakrtih--material nature; tvam--you; niyoksyati--will engage.

 

TRANSLATION

 

If you do not act according to My direction and do not fight, then you

will be falsely directed. By your nature, you will have to be engaged

in warfare.

 

PURPORT

 

Arjuna was a military man, and born of the nature of the ksatriya.

Therefore his natural duty was to fight. But due to false ego he was

fearing that by killing his teacher, grandfather and friends he would

incur sinful reactions. Actually he was considering himself master of

his actions, as if he were directing the good and bad results of such

work. He forgot that the Supreme Personality of Godhead was present

there, instructing him to fight. That is the forgetfulness of the

conditioned soul. The Supreme Personality gives directions as to what

is good and what is bad, and one simply has to act in Krsna

consciousness to attain the perfection of life. No one can ascertain

his destiny as the Supreme Lord can; therefore the best course is to

take direction from the Supreme Lord and act. No one should neglect

the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or the order of the

spiritual master, who is the representative of God. One should act

unhesitatingly to execute the order of the Supreme Personality of

Godhead--that will keep one safe under all circumstances.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.