CHAPTER 2a: THE YOGA OF ANALYTIC KNOWLEDGE
On the
knowledge of the soul (2.1-2.38)
(1) Sañjaya
said: "Unto him [Arjuna], who was thus overwhelmed by compassion,
having his eyes full of tears and lamenting, Madhusûdana [Krishna
as the killer of Madhu] spoke the following words:
(2) The Supreme
Lord said: 'Wherefrom came this impurity of lamentation at this hour of
crisis? This practice of the uncivilized that does not lead to a better
world, is the cause of infamy, o Arjuna. (3) Do not take to this impotence, o son of
Prithâ, this pettiness and weakness of the heart does not befit
you - give it up and stand up, o chastiser of the enemy!'
(4) Arjuna said:
'How can I counterattack Bhîshma and Drona with arrows in the
fight, o Madhusûdana - they are worthy of worship, o killer of
the enemies! (5)
Even begging in this life on the planet is certainly better than to
kill those superior great souls, even though those teachers desire
worldly gain - surely our enjoying the pleasures of life will be
tainted with blood! (6)
Nor do we know what would be better for us: that we may conquer them or
they may conquer us - certainly of those who do so by killing we would
never want to live, all of us as we are positioned in front of the sons
of Dritharâshthra. (7)
Being afflicted by the characteristics of miserliness and weakness, I
ask You, confused in the heart about my duty, what would be all-good -
please tell me that in confidence; instruct me as I am surrendered
toYou as Your disciple. (8)
I do not clearly see what would dispel the sadness drying up my senses
in achieving [this way the] unrivaled prosperity of a kingdom on earth
or even the supremacy of the godly.'
(9) Sañjaya
said: "Thus addressing Hrisîkes'a, Gudâkes'a [Arjuna as the
master of curbing ignorance], the chastiser of the enemies said: 'I
shall not fight.' After saying this to Govinda he then fell silent. (10) O descendant of Bharata, there between the
armies of both parties Hrisîkes'a spoke smiling to the lamenting
one the following words.
(11) The Supreme
Lord said: 'You are lamenting about what is not worth the lamenting and
you speak learned words as well - whether lives are lost or not, the
wise never lament. (12)
I never really did not exist whenever, nor did you; you nor any of all
these kings - never shall also surely all of us not exist hereafter. (13) Of being embodied one knows the physical of
boyhood, youth and old age - similarly does attaining to the beyond of
the body never delude the sober ones. (14) It is only sense perception, o son of
Kuntî, like summer and winter, happiness and pain given, appear
and disappear; none of them are permanent, just try to tolerate it, o
descendant of the Bharata dynasty. (15) The person who is then never upset by all of
this, o best among men, and is equal to and steady in distress and
happiness, is considered fit for liberation.
(16) Never is
there of falsehood [asat, the temporal form] any durability nor
can one expect of the eternal [sat, the true, the soul] any
cessation, thus stress the seers who concluded to the study of both. (17) Know that that by which the whole body is
pervaded is imperishable and that no one is able to destroy it. (18) All these material bodies are perishable
while of the embodied soul it is said that it is never destroyed and
immeasurable, therefore fight o descendant of Bharata. (19) Anyone who supposes that this [soul] is the
killer and also anyone who thinks that it can be killed, will of either
of both positions never be in knowledge; never does it kill or can it
be killed. (20)
It is never born, nor does it ever die; never it came into existence
nor will it cease to be - it will not take rebirth, it is unborn,
eternal and permanent; it is the oldest and is never killed when the
body is killed. (21)
One who knows that this [soul] is the indestructible, always existing,
which is unborn and immutable - how can that person, o Pârtha, be
the cause of killing or be killed? (22) Just like giving up worn out garments and
accepting new ones, does the embodied [soul] the same way give up old
bodies and verily accept different new ones. (23) Never can this soul be cut to pieces, be
burnt by fire; nor can it drown in water or wither in the wind. (24) This unbreakable soul that cannot be burned,
dissolve in water or dry up, is surely everlasting, all-pervading,
unchangeable, unmovable and primordial.
(25) As one speaks
like this of it as being invisible, inconceivable and stable, you
should know very well that this soul never deserves lamentation. (26) If, however, you think of it as always
taking birth or finding death, still, o mighty armed one, it never
deserves lamentation. (27)
Death is a certain fact for the one who is born and also is birth
certain for the ones who died; they are matters unavoidable that
therefore do not deserve your lamentation. (28) In the beginning all are unmanifest, they
are manifest in the middle, and in the end, o descendant of Bharata,
they are all gone, therefore why complain when it is all like that? (29) Some see it as amazing, some speak of it as
amazing and others surely come to know about it as being amazing, while
still others, even having heard about this soul, certainly never come
to understand it. (30)
This soul, the eternal owner of the body of everyone, cannot be killed
and therefore, o descendant of Bharata, you should not grieve for any
living being.
(31) Also, indeed
in considering your own duties you should not hesitate to fight for the
sake of the religion, as for a ruler truly there is no better
engagement than that. (32)
O son of Prithâ, happy are the rulers who do achieve to the war
that came on its own accord, as to them the gates of heaven are opened
wide. (33) Therefore you
should do this fighting as a religious duty - not acting according to
your own nature, you will lose your reputation and fall in sin. (34) About your infamy people will always be
speaking as for a respectable man infamy is worse than death. (35) Ceasing out of fear leaving the battlefield,
the great generals who are also holding you in great estimation, will
consider you as someone lower in value. (36) Many of your enemies will speak unkind words
of you deriding your ability. What of course, is there more painful
than that? (37)
Either, being killed, you will attain the heavenly kingdom, or,
conquering, you will enjoy the world; therefore get up, o son of
Kuntî, and fight with the certainty of determination. (38) Equanimous in happiness and distress, gain
and loss, victory and defeat; thereafter engaging for the sake of
fighting, this way you will never incur any sin.'
Spoken by Anand Aadhar Prabhu
to the text offered below