Nature's Impact
Driven by repulsion for war Arjuna wants to quit the battle, but it was the attraction of the battle that brought him face to face with the enemy. Unless he gets over these twin traits his judgment will be clouded and he will not be able to get over the pangs of anxiety that has robbed him his peace. In our life also if we do not rise above these twin tendencies, we’ll find ourselves in similar confusion and will be devoid of peace without knowing with certainty what to do.
To link the previous assertions of the Lord, one can only rise above these twin enemies if one performs action for the sake of it, without desiring the fruits. The attraction for success and revulsion for failure will not cloud our judgment. By surrendering the fruits of actions to God, by not being attached to the actions performed, we’ll be able to overcome our nature.
Lord Krishna then says that in order to overcome nature one should always act in conformity with it. Even if a different nature may seem more appealing and actions related to it may be performed with ease, it is far more sensible to die performing actions related to one’s own nature than adopt another. Going against one’s very nature does not help one in overcoming nature, but rather results in disharmony and inner conflict.
Arjuna is a Kshatriya and therefore to fight a righteous battle against a vicious enemy is his nature. Even if non violence is a better way, it is not suited for him as it is against his nature. If he tries to perform something which does not gel well with his inherent traits, the consequences are disastrous. If we take the war into consideration, adoption of non violence by Arjuna would mean that his brothers will not stand a chance against Bhisma, Drona, Karna and other great warriors of the Kuru clan. The evil reign of Duryadhana will continue to flourish. Moreover Arjuna’s own nature will not leave him in peace if he adopts such a course of action or non action. Nature was the primary basis for classification and categorization of the four Varnas and Ashramas. Everybody is bound by certain duties which are in conformity with his/her nature. Unless one performs those duties with utmost sincerity, one goes against the nature and thereby begets sin. Any disquietude of mind is sin and nature will create major problems for him if he tries to go against it.
The Lord then says that everybody tries to act according to his or
her nature, even those who are wise about the nature’s influence on individuals.
It’s the nature that drives individuals, what would any form of repression do?
This is directed towards Arjuna, who
despite being a Kshatriya, does not
wish to fight. The nature of a warrior is to fight in a battle. We’ll see in the
later chapters that Krishna bluntly
tells Arjuna that even if the latter
does not wish to fight, his nature will impel him to fight.
In the senses and in the objects of the senses are the twin traits
of attraction and repulsion. One would love a sweet fragrance of a flower while
he would detest the foul odour coming from a dustbin. Thus the sense of smell
and the objects in the form of flower and garbage are responsible for triggering
the twin traits of attraction (of sweet fragrance) and repulsion (from the foul
odour). These are the enemies in the path of wisdom and therefore one aspiring
to be perfect should not capitulate to these twin tendencies.
In fact attraction and repulsion are just the two sides of
the same coin. It is seen that things which generated attraction at one point of
time may become object of repulsion in later periods or in a different context.
If one suffers from dyspepsia can one enjoy the good food which was so tasteful
even a few years back? Our nature enjoins us to love or hate the objects of
senses. We should understand this ploy of the nature and should not yield to the
tendencies generated.Driven by repulsion for war Arjuna wants to quit the battle, but it was the attraction of the battle that brought him face to face with the enemy. Unless he gets over these twin traits his judgment will be clouded and he will not be able to get over the pangs of anxiety that has robbed him his peace. In our life also if we do not rise above these twin tendencies, we’ll find ourselves in similar confusion and will be devoid of peace without knowing with certainty what to do.
To link the previous assertions of the Lord, one can only rise above these twin enemies if one performs action for the sake of it, without desiring the fruits. The attraction for success and revulsion for failure will not cloud our judgment. By surrendering the fruits of actions to God, by not being attached to the actions performed, we’ll be able to overcome our nature.
Lord Krishna then says that in order to overcome nature one should always act in conformity with it. Even if a different nature may seem more appealing and actions related to it may be performed with ease, it is far more sensible to die performing actions related to one’s own nature than adopt another. Going against one’s very nature does not help one in overcoming nature, but rather results in disharmony and inner conflict.
Arjuna is a Kshatriya and therefore to fight a righteous battle against a vicious enemy is his nature. Even if non violence is a better way, it is not suited for him as it is against his nature. If he tries to perform something which does not gel well with his inherent traits, the consequences are disastrous. If we take the war into consideration, adoption of non violence by Arjuna would mean that his brothers will not stand a chance against Bhisma, Drona, Karna and other great warriors of the Kuru clan. The evil reign of Duryadhana will continue to flourish. Moreover Arjuna’s own nature will not leave him in peace if he adopts such a course of action or non action. Nature was the primary basis for classification and categorization of the four Varnas and Ashramas. Everybody is bound by certain duties which are in conformity with his/her nature. Unless one performs those duties with utmost sincerity, one goes against the nature and thereby begets sin. Any disquietude of mind is sin and nature will create major problems for him if he tries to go against it.
The Lord thus addresses directly the question asked by a confused
Arjuna at the beginning of this
chapter after explaining in depth his assertion.
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