Sri Bhagwat Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 9-11

संजय उवाच-

एवम्‌ उक्त्वा हृषीकेशं गुडाकेशः परंतप । "न योत्स्य" इति गोविन्दम्‌ उक्त्वा तुष्णीं बभूव ह ॥

तम्‌ उवाच हृषीकेशः प्रहसन्‌ इव भारत । सेनयोः उभयोः मध्ये, विषीदन्तम्‌ इदं वचः ॥

श्री भगवान उवाच-

अशोच्यान्‌ अन्वशोचस्त्वम्‌ प्रज्ञावादांश्च भाषसे । गतासुन्‌ अगतासुन्श्च नानुशोचन्ति पण्डिताः ॥

THE BIG IDEAS

Sanjay narrates to Dhritrashtra –

Completely perplexed and clueless after the prolonged, overwhelming session of analysis-paralysis between the right & wrong, the ethical & unethical, moral and immoral and the just & fair, Arjun in a state of panic declares to Lord Krishna, “I am not going to fight this battle!”, and goes into complete silence.

His senses are completely numbed by the thought of killing his own kin, Gurus, distant relatives and like a capable lawyer Arjun scrutinizes various aspects of this war and puts together a brilliant case based on invincible logic & thorough evaluation of the kind of results this mass destruction is going to bestow upon the human society. Tearful, timid, emotional and awestruck Arjun reaches the final decision of not fighting this battle and put his bow and arrow down in complete state of despair.

At that moment, amidst the deafening sound of battleground packed with countless warriors on both sides, and tension reverberating in every particle, Lord Krishna gently smiles and says the following words:

Lord Krishna Says –

Hey Arjun! You are mourning for those who are not worthy of sorrow! Though you are talking like intellectuals, scholarly, learned and pundits but your behavior is in total conflict with the theory you are preaching; because the true scholarly and learned, DO NOT lament the loss of any living or dead thing in this world. They are above and beyond the tangible and live a liberated life free of all kinds of regrets and lamentation for materialism.

THE TAKEAWAYS -

Here the very first teaching of  Bhagwat Gita by Lord Krishna evokes a great thought process and acts as a catalyst to examine the following issues in our day to day lives: -

1.       The presence or absence of the art of keeping your patience, calm and self-control intact when all odds are against you and you are swimming against the tides is what makes or breaks a person in difficult times.  Only he who keeps his mind, cognitive abilities & conscience above all odds will sail through rough tides and set this life up for success.

The fact that lord Krishna could smile through the wavering, conflicting circumstances, kept the integrity in his thoughts and mind fully composed led him to successfully evaluating & resolving the situation; And the fact that Arjun let the environment & his senses take complete command over his brain and emotions, led him to the state of utter confusion, mental chaos and loss of self-confidence.

2.       We should practice what we preach. Knowledge & preaching are not to be housed in our brain or in our tone alone but needs to be constantly reflected in our ACTIONS. Knowledge is pure information until we put it to direct use for solving and interpreting day to day experiences. It has true meaning, true impact and existence only when it becomes a part of us through our behavior and help us have a positive impact on our surroundings.   

HARI OM!