Arjuna submits to Lord Krsna as His disciple, and Krsna begins His teachings to Arjuna by explaining the fundamental distinction between the temporary material body and the eternal spiritual soul. The Lord explains the process of transmigration, the nature of selfless service to the Supreme and the characteristics of a self-realized person.
- Death is just a matter of the soul changing bodies, so it's not a big thing. (BG 11-13, BG 16-25)
- Performance of duty must not be affected by sense perceptions (14-15) (Includes the basic principle of yoga - detachment)
- The soul cannot be killed and the body can't be saved, so fight. (BG 26-30)
FIGHT! THERE IS NO DEATH FOR THE SOUL (BG 11–30)
As guru, Krsna rebukes Arjuna for his misplaced compassion. Krsna begins His instructions by describing the individual, eternal nature of the soul, contrasting it with the temporary nature of the body. Krsna describes the
characteristics of the soul in detail. He then introduces additional points to further defeat Arjuna‘s first argument,
whereby he appeals to the virtues of compassion.
Death is just a matter of the soul changing bodies, so it's not a big thing. (BG 11-13, BG 16-25)
- Krishna again shows He doesn't appreciate Arjuna's ideas - calls him a fool. "The wise don't do what you are doing, so you are not wise." (BG 2.11)
- "Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be." (BG 2.12) -Establishes personal nature of spiritual life and refutes Mayavad right at beginning of BG.
- Arjuna was so worried about killing Bhisma, Drona etc., but Krishna is saying "you won't be killing them." (BG 2.13)
Arjuna might say that that is ok, but my relationship with them is while they're in these bodies. Ifthey leave these bodies and go away then I'll miss their association, even if they are eternal.
Performance of duty must not be affected by sense perceptions (BG 14-15)– It Includes the basic principle of yoga i.e. detachment
- Krishna says, "so you have to be tolerant. These things happen anyway." (BG 2.14)
- This is the basic principle of yoga— detachment. Essential in all yog as. (BG 2.15)
In 1973 Srila Prabhupada’s Formula to Become Immortal, Callous toward Dualities & Inconveniences. But one who is serious about making his life perfect surely adopts the sannyäsa order of life in spite of all difficulties.Refers To Controlling the Mind (Happiness & Distress). Unless the senses are controlled, there is no chance of elevation to the platform of knowledge, and without knowledge and devotion there is no chance of liberation. (POF 2.6)
Characteristics of Soul - Krishna gives very clear definition of the soul. (BG 2.20)
- na jayate na mriyate : no birth or death
- nayam bhutva : never came into being
- bhavita : will come into being
- bhuyah : will again come into being
- aja : unborn
- nityah : eternal
- sasvatah : permanent
- puranah : oldest
- Aprameyasy : immesurable
- Hanti :kills
- Can never be cut to pieces
- Nor burned by fire
- Nor moistened by water
- Nor withered by wind
- Present everywhere
- Unchangeable
- Immovable
- Eternally the same
- Na hanyate - is killed
- Pura … nava iti purana : One which is ancient but still new is Purana
- Aja :doesn‘t mean – it is not existing only– but is beyond time domain
If we have misunderstood our own identity, how can we understand Krishna or anyone else! Therefore science of soul Krishna dedicates 20 verses of BG. Compassion for the eternal soul is self realisation. Anyone walking on the path of self realisation should first show compassion on oneself and then on others as spirit souls.
Condition of Arjuna was miserable
- Kept the Gandiva down– that same Gandiva that he had taken vow not to keep down and was ready tokill Yudhishtira (later in Mahabharata) when he asked him to do so.
- He was crying tears (BG 2.1)
Unless one is convinced that he is suffering in this world, one will not be eager to go out of this world. Exampleof a blind man– we would be miserable, but he has adjusted to the situation to find happiness in the materialworld. That becomes the lifestyle.
The story Indra becoming hog and trying to enjoy is the story of every conditioned soul. It‘s very difficult toaccept that I am miserable in this material world and then to approach the right person to come out of thismiserable situation.
This philosophy is thus very important– you are not the body, you are the soul. You are not from this world,you are from spiritual world.
ANALOGY: Because they are atomic individual souls eternally (sanatana), they are prone to be covered bythe illusory energy, and thus they become separated from the association of the Supreme Lord, just as thesparks of a fire, although one in quality with the fire, are prone to be extinguished when out of the fire. In theVaraha Purana, the living entities are described as separated parts and parcels of the Supreme. They areeternally so, according to the Bhagavad-Gita also. So, even after being liberated from illusion, the living entityremains a separate identity, as is evident from the teachings of the Lord to Arjuna. (2.23) - DEFEATMAYAVADISM
Soul can't be killed and body can't be saved, so fight! (BG 2.26-30)
A change of subject to make the same point from a different point of view. This is a type of "checkmate" by Krishna - "if you think there is a soul you should fight. And if you think there is no soul, that we are only bodies, you should also fight." (BG 2.26)Krishna is bringing this up because (as Prabhupada explains) there is always a class of philosopher who is like the Buddhist - don't believe in soul, but can't deny "symptoms of life."In BG we find Krishna is defeating all opposing philosophies - all the other opinions found in the Vedas, plus even non-Vedic viewpoints.
From point of view of those who accept soul
The Battle of Kurukshetra, being the will of the Supreme, was an inevitable event, and to fight for the right cause is the duty of a kñatriya. Why should Arjuna be afraid of or aggrieved at the death of his relatives since he was discharging his proper duty? He did not deserve to break the law, thereby becoming subjected to the reactions of sinful acts, of which he was so afraid. By avoiding the discharge of his proper duty, he would not be able to stop the death of his relatives, and he would be degraded due to his selection of the wrong path of action.As it is an unavoidable duty, why to give it up.
We also see that sometimes our duty others are not happy with. Krishna– even if you don‘t do your duty, you will not be able to stop their death. So don‘t give up your duty. Here, the first part of Krishna‘s proposal seems reasonable. But the later part doesn‘t seem to be reasonable. So,Krishna takes the athiestic viewpoint in BG 2.26. But here he comes back to the previous understanding.
WHY IS THE SOUL DESCRIBED AS AMAZING? (BG 2.29)
The fact that the atomic soul is within the body of a gigantic animal, in the body of a gigantic banyan tree, andalso in the microbic germs, millions and billions of which occupy only an inch of space, is certainly very amazing.So men look at the soul proper as wonderful either by constitution or by description. Summarizes basic points of this section. (BG 2.30)Once, one gets atma jnana, then one has to talk about its application. First level application is karma kanda.