More Contents of the Gita Summarized Ch2:20-38

[Guest guest]

Namaste, Jyotishis

 

This is a continuation of previous post: Krsna's comments to the grieving

Arjuna (straight out of BG translated by Prabhupad):

 

" For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not

come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal,

ever-existing and primeval. He is not slane when the body is slain. O

Arjuna, how can a person who knows that the soul is indestructible, eternal,

unborn and immutable kill anyone or cause anyone to kill? As a person puts

on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material

bodies, giving up the old and useless ones. The soul can never be cut to

pieces by any weapon, nor burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor

withered by the wind. The individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and

can be neither burned, nor dried. He is everlasting, present, everywhere,

unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same. It is said that the soul is

invisible, inconceivable, and immutable. Knowing this you should not grieve

for the body. If, however, you think that the soul (or the symbol of life)

is always born and dies forever, you still have no reason to lament, O

mighty-armed Arjuna. One who has taken his birth is sure to die, and after

death one is sure to take birth again. Therefore, in the unavoidable

discharge of your duty, you should not lament. All created beings are

unmanifest in the beginning, manifest in their interim state, and

unmanifested again when annihilated. So what need is there for lamentation?

Some look on the soul as amazing, some describe him as amazing, and some

hear him as amazing, while others, even after hearing about him, cannot

understand him at all. He who dwells in the body can never be slain.

Therefore you need not grieve for the living being. Considering your

specific duty as a (warrior) you should know that there is no better

engagement for you than fighting on religious principles; so there is no

need for hesitation. O Arjuna, happy are the (warriors) to whom such

fighting opportunities come unsought, opening for them the doors of the

heavenly planets. If, however, you do not perform your religious duty of

fighting, then you will certainly incur sins for neglecting your duties and

thus lose your reputation as a fighter. People will always speak of your

infamy, and for a respectable person, dishonor is worse than death. The

great generals who have highly esteemed your name and fame will think that

you have left the battlefield out of fear only, and thus they will consider

you insignificant. Your enemies will describe you in many unkind words and

scorn your ability. What would be more painful for you? Arjuna, either you

will be killed on the battlefield and attain heavenly planets, or you will

conquer and enjoy the earthly kingdom. Therefore, get up with determination

& fight. Do thou fight for the sake of fighting, without considering

happiness or distress, loss or gain, victory or defeat- and by so doing you

shall never incur sin.

 

(Maybe I am just typing this for my own solace......I don't know about all

of you, but even as a pacifist hippie from the 60s, this sure helps me

transcend, get out of a speculative-judgemental mode!)

 

Love & blessings,

Hare Krsna!

Tara

 

 

p.s copies of "Jyotishi's in Crisis" available to anyone who wants an

attachment doc sent

[Guest guest]

hare krishna tara

this is blissful to read admidst all the mundane turmoil we have to go

through in our daily lives...are you also an ISKCON devotee?

blessings to you

hare krishna

stavavali devi dasi