In the previous episode, we’ve had a brief summary of all whatever we’ve discussed as part of the Bhagawad Gita, which Bhagawan Krishna elaborates in detail to Arjuna. We’ve seen all the eighteen “Adhyaayas” of the Bhagawad Gita in detail for over a hundred episodes now and the previous episode marks the conclusion of the same. After narrating everything, Bhagawan Krishna says to Arjuna thus, “Oh my dear Arjuna! Please spare a thought about whatever I’ve said so far. From this, you decide which path you are comfortable to take, so as to progress towards the highest “Moksha”. I leave the choice to you!” As Bhagawan says thus, Arjuna heaves a sigh of relief! This is his initial reaction! So how is Arjuna going to approach things from now on? What is Arjuna going to do? Is he still going to run away from the battlefield or is he going ahead to fight the war? Let us see this in today’s episode!
Moving on further thus, as Bhagawan Krishna concludes His accord, Arjuna thinks for a moment. He now replies back to Bhagawan thus, “Oh Bhagawan! You’ve told me so many things which are very valuable! Now that you’re giving me a choice as to what I want to do, here’s my wish – I would refrain from fighting the war and I would want to take up “Sanyaasam”! I would not want to kill all these people standing in front of me here at Kurukshetra! This is my choice! Oh Krishna! Can I go ahead with this choice?” Upon hearing this from Arjuna, Bhagawan thinks for a moment thus, “Oh wow! Is this the purpose for which I’ve spoken continuously for the past eighteen Adhyaayas? 🙂 If I’m trying to motivate Arjuna to fight, look at what he’s talking about at the end of the eighteen “Adhyaayas”! Thinking thus, Bhagawan replies back very carefully – “Oh Arjuna! If I ask you to choose one way from whatever ways I’ve suggested you to follow, you are coming up with an entirely different way and want to go by it! This is unfair! If I’m giving you a choice, the choice is in between the ways that I’ve suggested!”
This might sound a bit funny here! For instance, if we’re writing an examination and if we’re given six questions in the question paper and if we’ve to answer any five out of those six, can we bring in a seventh question from nowhere? This is exactly what Arjuna is doing here! 🙂 If Bhagawan has given a question paper to Arjuna with five questions – “Karma Yoga”, “Karma Yoga + Gnyaana Yoga”, ”Gnyaana Yoga”, “Bhakti Yoga” and “Bhakti Maargam” and He’s asking Arjuna to choose from these, rather than making a selection from these questions in the paper, Arjuna is trying to bring a new question called “Escaping from the battlefield” which doesn’t exist in the syllabus at all! 🙂 This is what most of us do in our everyday life as well! If somebody gives us advice on how to go about things, we will end up ignoring everything and charting out a new dimension to execute our actions! We should avoid this, isn’t it? This is what Bhagawan is saying here now. So Bhagawan replies thus, “Oh Arjuna! If I’m asking you to select from the paths that I’ve suggested, you’re bringing in a new path – This is not warranted from a “Kshatrya” prince like you!” Actually, Arjuna’s point is not to escape. Initially, when the Gita commenced, Arjuna was extremely upset and disappointed, wasn’t he? Now, when the Gita is getting over, Arjuna is even more upset and disappointed! Now Arjuna replies thus, “Oh Bhagawan! I’m sad now, not because I want to escape, but for another reason – Before you commenced the Gita, I thought that I’m the decision maker. But after the Gita is over, I now understand that I’m nobody in this world and you are the one who takes all the decisions! Now, if you’re asking me to decide and choose which way I’ve to take, it seems like a joke to me! You’re the one who’s the decision maker! Rather than you taking the decision, why are you wanting me to take a decision again?”
As Arjuna says thus, Bhagawan replies back laughingly – “Oh Arjuna! These are the words I was expecting from you! For these words to come out of your mouth, I had to narrate 700 shlokas! 🙂 Had I not narrated the Gita to you, will these words of surrender come out of your mouth? Hence, I feel that I’ve succeeded in making you understand the real meaning of surrender (“Sharanagathi”) and in making you understand who I am!” So for today, let us understand up to this point, and in the next episode, Arjuna has a doubt once again! We shall witness what that doubt is, and what is Bhagawan’s assurance for that doubt going to be! Stay tuned for an interesting accord! 🙂
The Indian Dharma 