Bg 18.58
mac-cittaḥ sarva-durgāṇi mat-prasādāt tariṣyasi
atha cet tvam ahaṅkārān na śroṣyasi vinaṅkṣyasi
Bg 18.59
yad ahaṅkāram āśritya na yotsya iti manyase
mithyaiṣa vyavasāyas te prakṛtis tvāṁ niyokṣyati
Bg 18.60
svabhāva-jena kaunteya nibaddhaḥ svena karmaṇā
kartuṁ necchasi yan mohāt kariṣyasy avaśo ’pi tat
Translation
58. Fixing your mind upon Me, you shall, by My grace, overcome all obstacles, but if, from egoism, you will not hear Me, you shall perish.
59. Filled with egoism, if you think, "I will not fight, " vain is this, your resolve; (for) nature will compel you.
60. O son of Kunti, bound by your own KARMA (action) born of your own nature, that which, through delusion you wish not to do, even that you shall do, helplessly.
Commentary
Lord Krishna, in essence, says: "By your thoughts, renounce all your activities in Me." All activities in the world are only expressions of the Divine Consciousness flashing Its brilliance through the body. In all activities be conscious of the Lord, without Whom no action is ever possible. Keep Him as your Goal. Make your intellect constantly aware of this "Lord of all actions." Gradually, the mind and the body will begin to work under the command of such an inspired intellect.
How will this constant remembrance of the Lord help? This is now being answered. Krishna says: "HE, WHO HAS COMPLETELY FIXED ALL HIS THOUGHTS UPON ME, WILL CROSS OVER ALL DIFFICULTIES BY MY GRACE." Most of our obstacles in life are imaginary --- created by false fears and deceitful anxieties of our own confused mind. The "grace" referred to here is "the result accrued in our mind when it is properly tuned up to and peacefully settled in contemplation upon the Infinite." It does not mean any special consideration shown by the all-loving Lord to some rare persons of His own choice. The Grace of the all-pervading is present everywhere because Grace is His form. Just as the ever-present sunlight on a bright day cannot illumine my room as long as the windows are closed, so too, the harmony and joy of life of the Infinite cannot penetrate into our life, as long as the windows of discrimination in us are tightly shut. To the extent the windows of my room are opened, to that extent the room is flooded by the sunlight; to the extent a seeker pursues his saadhanaa and brings about the above-mentioned adjustments, to that extent the Grace of the Self shall flood his within.
In the second line of the verse, the Lord warns against all those who, in their utter ignorance, disobey this Law of Life. Natural laws are irrevocable; they have neither eyes, nor ears. They just continue in their own rhythm and that man is happy who discovers the law and obeys it implicitly.
BUT IF, FROM EGOISM, YOU WILL NOT HEAR ME, YOU SHALL PERISH --- This is not a threat hurled down upon mankind by a tyrannical power, to frighten the human beings into obedience. This is not comparable with the threat of hell held out by other religions. This is a mere statement of fact; even if Newton himself were to jump from the third floor balcony of his house, the gravitational force would indeed, act upon him also! There is an inevitability in nature's laws. Man is free to choose freedom or bondage. The path of freedom is described above, and in this open and sincere statement, the Lord is only showing great anxiety, not to mince matters, but to be callously frank in His expressions.
Guidance to this true "way-of-life" always comes to us from the depth of our nature, expressed in the language of "the soft, small voice of the within." But man's ego and ego-centric desires force him to disobey the ringing voice of the Lord and such a one pursues a life of base vulgarity, seeking sense-gratification and ultimately bringing himself down to be punished by his own uncontrolled emotions and unchastened ideas. Hence the warning: "YOU SHALL PERISH."
TO WEAVE THE IDEA INTO THE VERY WARP AND WOOF OF ARJUNA'S LIFE, THE LORD SAYS:
General statements of truth are too volatile to be retained in one's understanding permanently. But the general statements of life's principles, when woven into the texture of one's own experiences, remain as one's own earned "knowledge," and they become permanent WISDOM. Therefore, Krishna is trying to bring the philosophical contents of his discourse into the very substance of Arjuna's own immediate problem.
If, due to a sense of self-importance, the self-conceited Arjuna were to think "I WILL NOT FIGHT," he shall be thinking so in vain! The temperament of Arjuna must seek its expression, and being a Kshatriya of "passionate" nature, his Rajoguna will assert itself; "NATURE WILL COMPEL YOU." One who has eaten salt must feel terribly thirsty, ere long. The false arguments raised by Arjuna for not fighting the battle are all compromises made by his ego with the situation which he is compelled to face in the crush of events around him.
Even if he were to follow his temporary attitude of escapism and desist from fighting, it is a law of nature that his mental temperament would assert itself at a later period, when, alas! he may not have the field to express himself in and exhaust his vasanas.
ALSO BECAUSE OF THE FOLLOWING REASON, "YOU MUST FIGHT."
Continuing, the Lord, in effect, says: "I am asking you to fight, not because I have no personal sympathies for you, but because that is the only course left for you. You have no other choice. Though you now insist that you "WILL NOT FIGHT," it is merely an illusion. You will have to fight, because, your nature will assert itself."
The actions, we do, are propelled by our own vaasanaas and they shackle our personality. Arjuna is essentially of the Rajoguna type, and therefore, he must fight. The Pandava Prince cannot, all of a sudden, pose to have the beauties of the Sattwic nature of heart and retire to a solitary place to live a serene life of steady contemplation and come to experience the consequent self-unfoldment.
Because of wrong thinking and miscalculations, Arjuna feels that he does not like war, and therefore, he is not ready to face it. But in spite of his determination, he will be compelled to fight by his own nature, ordered by the existing vasanas in him. This is the irrevocable law of life.
He who has no control over his mind becomes a victim of circumstances. He gets thrown up and down by the whim and fancy of things around him. But he who gains inner mastery over the mind and stands firmly rooted and unshaken by the circumstances is the one who will revel (Rati) in the Pure Light (Bhaa) of wisdom; and the country that recognises this culture has acquired its immortal name 'Bhaarata.'
In the previous two or three stanzas, we are told by Krishna, "REMEMBER ME CONSTANTLY." What does this mean? How should we remember? Does it mean meditating upon the Lord? What should be our relationship with Him? Are we to remember Him as a historical event, or remember Him as intimately connected with us as a 'Presence' expressing Itself at all times in and through us?
Sources: vedabase.com; The Holy Geeta
mac-cittaḥ sarva-durgāṇi mat-prasādāt tariṣyasi
atha cet tvam ahaṅkārān na śroṣyasi vinaṅkṣyasi
Bg 18.59
yad ahaṅkāram āśritya na yotsya iti manyase
mithyaiṣa vyavasāyas te prakṛtis tvāṁ niyokṣyati
Bg 18.60
svabhāva-jena kaunteya nibaddhaḥ svena karmaṇā
kartuṁ necchasi yan mohāt kariṣyasy avaśo ’pi tat
Translation
58. Fixing your mind upon Me, you shall, by My grace, overcome all obstacles, but if, from egoism, you will not hear Me, you shall perish.
59. Filled with egoism, if you think, "I will not fight, " vain is this, your resolve; (for) nature will compel you.
60. O son of Kunti, bound by your own KARMA (action) born of your own nature, that which, through delusion you wish not to do, even that you shall do, helplessly.
Commentary
Lord Krishna, in essence, says: "By your thoughts, renounce all your activities in Me." All activities in the world are only expressions of the Divine Consciousness flashing Its brilliance through the body. In all activities be conscious of the Lord, without Whom no action is ever possible. Keep Him as your Goal. Make your intellect constantly aware of this "Lord of all actions." Gradually, the mind and the body will begin to work under the command of such an inspired intellect.
How will this constant remembrance of the Lord help? This is now being answered. Krishna says: "HE, WHO HAS COMPLETELY FIXED ALL HIS THOUGHTS UPON ME, WILL CROSS OVER ALL DIFFICULTIES BY MY GRACE." Most of our obstacles in life are imaginary --- created by false fears and deceitful anxieties of our own confused mind. The "grace" referred to here is "the result accrued in our mind when it is properly tuned up to and peacefully settled in contemplation upon the Infinite." It does not mean any special consideration shown by the all-loving Lord to some rare persons of His own choice. The Grace of the all-pervading is present everywhere because Grace is His form. Just as the ever-present sunlight on a bright day cannot illumine my room as long as the windows are closed, so too, the harmony and joy of life of the Infinite cannot penetrate into our life, as long as the windows of discrimination in us are tightly shut. To the extent the windows of my room are opened, to that extent the room is flooded by the sunlight; to the extent a seeker pursues his saadhanaa and brings about the above-mentioned adjustments, to that extent the Grace of the Self shall flood his within.
In the second line of the verse, the Lord warns against all those who, in their utter ignorance, disobey this Law of Life. Natural laws are irrevocable; they have neither eyes, nor ears. They just continue in their own rhythm and that man is happy who discovers the law and obeys it implicitly.
BUT IF, FROM EGOISM, YOU WILL NOT HEAR ME, YOU SHALL PERISH --- This is not a threat hurled down upon mankind by a tyrannical power, to frighten the human beings into obedience. This is not comparable with the threat of hell held out by other religions. This is a mere statement of fact; even if Newton himself were to jump from the third floor balcony of his house, the gravitational force would indeed, act upon him also! There is an inevitability in nature's laws. Man is free to choose freedom or bondage. The path of freedom is described above, and in this open and sincere statement, the Lord is only showing great anxiety, not to mince matters, but to be callously frank in His expressions.
Guidance to this true "way-of-life" always comes to us from the depth of our nature, expressed in the language of "the soft, small voice of the within." But man's ego and ego-centric desires force him to disobey the ringing voice of the Lord and such a one pursues a life of base vulgarity, seeking sense-gratification and ultimately bringing himself down to be punished by his own uncontrolled emotions and unchastened ideas. Hence the warning: "YOU SHALL PERISH."
TO WEAVE THE IDEA INTO THE VERY WARP AND WOOF OF ARJUNA'S LIFE, THE LORD SAYS:
General statements of truth are too volatile to be retained in one's understanding permanently. But the general statements of life's principles, when woven into the texture of one's own experiences, remain as one's own earned "knowledge," and they become permanent WISDOM. Therefore, Krishna is trying to bring the philosophical contents of his discourse into the very substance of Arjuna's own immediate problem.
If, due to a sense of self-importance, the self-conceited Arjuna were to think "I WILL NOT FIGHT," he shall be thinking so in vain! The temperament of Arjuna must seek its expression, and being a Kshatriya of "passionate" nature, his Rajoguna will assert itself; "NATURE WILL COMPEL YOU." One who has eaten salt must feel terribly thirsty, ere long. The false arguments raised by Arjuna for not fighting the battle are all compromises made by his ego with the situation which he is compelled to face in the crush of events around him.
Even if he were to follow his temporary attitude of escapism and desist from fighting, it is a law of nature that his mental temperament would assert itself at a later period, when, alas! he may not have the field to express himself in and exhaust his vasanas.
ALSO BECAUSE OF THE FOLLOWING REASON, "YOU MUST FIGHT."
Continuing, the Lord, in effect, says: "I am asking you to fight, not because I have no personal sympathies for you, but because that is the only course left for you. You have no other choice. Though you now insist that you "WILL NOT FIGHT," it is merely an illusion. You will have to fight, because, your nature will assert itself."
The actions, we do, are propelled by our own vaasanaas and they shackle our personality. Arjuna is essentially of the Rajoguna type, and therefore, he must fight. The Pandava Prince cannot, all of a sudden, pose to have the beauties of the Sattwic nature of heart and retire to a solitary place to live a serene life of steady contemplation and come to experience the consequent self-unfoldment.
Because of wrong thinking and miscalculations, Arjuna feels that he does not like war, and therefore, he is not ready to face it. But in spite of his determination, he will be compelled to fight by his own nature, ordered by the existing vasanas in him. This is the irrevocable law of life.
He who has no control over his mind becomes a victim of circumstances. He gets thrown up and down by the whim and fancy of things around him. But he who gains inner mastery over the mind and stands firmly rooted and unshaken by the circumstances is the one who will revel (Rati) in the Pure Light (Bhaa) of wisdom; and the country that recognises this culture has acquired its immortal name 'Bhaarata.'
In the previous two or three stanzas, we are told by Krishna, "REMEMBER ME CONSTANTLY." What does this mean? How should we remember? Does it mean meditating upon the Lord? What should be our relationship with Him? Are we to remember Him as a historical event, or remember Him as intimately connected with us as a 'Presence' expressing Itself at all times in and through us?
Sources: vedabase.com; The Holy Geeta
