1. Arjuna Vishada Yoga
Arjuna vishada yoga (Arjuna's despondency)The first chapter of Gita, though it contains no words of Sri krishna, is considered important because it sets stage for what is to come. As Arjuna puts forward his dilemma, we realize that Arjuna is none other than us! His dilemma is similar (thought not exactly...we shall see why)to the ones we keep facing day in and day out in the battle field of life. One question that must have already popped up in ur mind is, "We have heard of Gnana Yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakthi yoga..etc But what is this vishada yoga!!! How can despondency, depression and confusion be yoga! How can such a negetive state be called Yoga!"The point here is Arjuna's confusion was not in choosing between different wordly options! He is not depressed because he did not attain his wordly goal! His despondancy is not to be the object of favor for anybody or to win accolades! On the contrary, after looking at the kith n kin that he is supposed to kill in the battlefield, Arjuna says, "Oh! krishna, After having killed all my dear ones what is the use of kingdom,wealth and fame! I wouldnt even take the three lokas in exchange for my dear ones, then why fight for a small piece of earth. Let them take it if they want. If they think i am coward, let it be! But am not going to kill them!" He was ready to renounce everything, wordly objects of wealth as well as accolades for his dear ones. Such "despondancy" is supposed to be "yoga" where you dont want ANYTHING !Leaving EVERYTHING and complete surrender to God is yoga! Hence Arjuna's Despondancy is also a Yoga, whereas ours is not!One may wonder, "What Arjuna thinks is right! After all, human life is more valuable than a piece of land. Life of our revered gurus, grandfathers, uncles and beloved cousins is all the more important than wordly possessions which are anyway temporary!So why did Krishna ask Arjuna to fight?!"Because there is something more important, "Dharma!" And it is the obligation of every righteous person to stand and fight on behalf of Dharma. Krishna tells Arjuna that even human life is temporary! "All those for whom you are crying, and you and me have had thousands of births...It is only that i remember and you dont! They have been there eternally and will continue to be so. To protect Dharma, which is my prime duty, i would have to kill anyone fighting on behalf of Adharma! "I" have decided that they should be killed and that Adharma should be demolished! Come out of the foolishness of thinking that YOU are going to KILL them."Running away from such spiritual obligations–and therefore spiritual life itself–is a common activity of the awakening soul, which brings all its ingenuity to bear on justification of such avoidance. Arjuna veils his aversion with words of compassion for others, when in actuality he is the sole object of his “compassion.” He simply does not wish to see others suffer because that will make him suffer–and feel guilty for their suffering. Krishna makes this clear to him.Why was the battlefield chosen as the stage for Arjuna's instruction? The choice has tremendous literary effect, but the explanation goes deeper than that. It shows vividly that the inner warfare is to be waged on the battlefield of life, not through withdrawal from life. Krishna might have instructed Arjuna in a cave far from distractions, but no: instead a battlefield is chosen, a setting where the teaching is immediately to be put into effect by combining the most strenuous outer activity with the right attitude of mind.
The purpose of life is to discover the divine in ourselves. But at some point in the course of living even a spiritual life, we would come across characters who would disturb the harmony of the circumstances. At that time we would have no choice but to strive to restore the harmony. But ofttimes, the disharmony is so great that an individual’s efforts, howsoever powerful he is, is not enough. At such times is the need for organization. But in certain epochal times of history, the imbalance against the forces of harmony is so great, that God alone can restore the equilibrium. One such time happened during the age of the Mahabharata and Krishna came down to restore harmony (Dharma). Krishna used Arjuna for the job. This was possible due to Krishna's spiritual prowess. Arjuna, being the best of the Bharatha’s should himself have done it. But obviously he was not up to his task because he was not spiritually advanced. Nevertheless he had other qualities. Therefore Krishna chose him.
When even the best are unable to restore Dharma, God, having a stake in mankind, would descend to take over operation Dharma-restoration. This is the promise that Krishna himself has given to mankind, not to make mankind indifferent to upholding their duty in line of Dharma, but to give mankind hope even in direst circumstances that everything is not lost. Which fact actually sets everyone on the path of spirituality, for man begins his journey of life very vulnerable, unsure of the future and he turns to Krishna the hope giver. This link turns into a relationship of love between man and Krishna and then begins his journey to divinity, ever ready to uphold Dharma under all circumstances. Thus, in man’s spiritual journey, Vishada (vulnerability) is the beginning, which transforms itself into Vishada Yoga (the overcoming of vulnerability through contact with Krishna) and finally into Yoga (self realization).
Does Arjuna attain self realization at the end?
Arjuna vishada yoga (Arjuna's despondency)The first chapter of Gita, though it contains no words of Sri krishna, is considered important because it sets stage for what is to come. As Arjuna puts forward his dilemma, we realize that Arjuna is none other than us! His dilemma is similar (thought not exactly...we shall see why)to the ones we keep facing day in and day out in the battle field of life. One question that must have already popped up in ur mind is, "We have heard of Gnana Yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakthi yoga..etc But what is this vishada yoga!!! How can despondency, depression and confusion be yoga! How can such a negetive state be called Yoga!"The point here is Arjuna's confusion was not in choosing between different wordly options! He is not depressed because he did not attain his wordly goal! His despondancy is not to be the object of favor for anybody or to win accolades! On the contrary, after looking at the kith n kin that he is supposed to kill in the battlefield, Arjuna says, "Oh! krishna, After having killed all my dear ones what is the use of kingdom,wealth and fame! I wouldnt even take the three lokas in exchange for my dear ones, then why fight for a small piece of earth. Let them take it if they want. If they think i am coward, let it be! But am not going to kill them!" He was ready to renounce everything, wordly objects of wealth as well as accolades for his dear ones. Such "despondancy" is supposed to be "yoga" where you dont want ANYTHING !Leaving EVERYTHING and complete surrender to God is yoga! Hence Arjuna's Despondancy is also a Yoga, whereas ours is not!One may wonder, "What Arjuna thinks is right! After all, human life is more valuable than a piece of land. Life of our revered gurus, grandfathers, uncles and beloved cousins is all the more important than wordly possessions which are anyway temporary!So why did Krishna ask Arjuna to fight?!"Because there is something more important, "Dharma!" And it is the obligation of every righteous person to stand and fight on behalf of Dharma. Krishna tells Arjuna that even human life is temporary! "All those for whom you are crying, and you and me have had thousands of births...It is only that i remember and you dont! They have been there eternally and will continue to be so. To protect Dharma, which is my prime duty, i would have to kill anyone fighting on behalf of Adharma! "I" have decided that they should be killed and that Adharma should be demolished! Come out of the foolishness of thinking that YOU are going to KILL them."Running away from such spiritual obligations–and therefore spiritual life itself–is a common activity of the awakening soul, which brings all its ingenuity to bear on justification of such avoidance. Arjuna veils his aversion with words of compassion for others, when in actuality he is the sole object of his “compassion.” He simply does not wish to see others suffer because that will make him suffer–and feel guilty for their suffering. Krishna makes this clear to him.Why was the battlefield chosen as the stage for Arjuna's instruction? The choice has tremendous literary effect, but the explanation goes deeper than that. It shows vividly that the inner warfare is to be waged on the battlefield of life, not through withdrawal from life. Krishna might have instructed Arjuna in a cave far from distractions, but no: instead a battlefield is chosen, a setting where the teaching is immediately to be put into effect by combining the most strenuous outer activity with the right attitude of mind.
The purpose of life is to discover the divine in ourselves. But at some point in the course of living even a spiritual life, we would come across characters who would disturb the harmony of the circumstances. At that time we would have no choice but to strive to restore the harmony. But ofttimes, the disharmony is so great that an individual’s efforts, howsoever powerful he is, is not enough. At such times is the need for organization. But in certain epochal times of history, the imbalance against the forces of harmony is so great, that God alone can restore the equilibrium. One such time happened during the age of the Mahabharata and Krishna came down to restore harmony (Dharma). Krishna used Arjuna for the job. This was possible due to Krishna's spiritual prowess. Arjuna, being the best of the Bharatha’s should himself have done it. But obviously he was not up to his task because he was not spiritually advanced. Nevertheless he had other qualities. Therefore Krishna chose him.
When even the best are unable to restore Dharma, God, having a stake in mankind, would descend to take over operation Dharma-restoration. This is the promise that Krishna himself has given to mankind, not to make mankind indifferent to upholding their duty in line of Dharma, but to give mankind hope even in direst circumstances that everything is not lost. Which fact actually sets everyone on the path of spirituality, for man begins his journey of life very vulnerable, unsure of the future and he turns to Krishna the hope giver. This link turns into a relationship of love between man and Krishna and then begins his journey to divinity, ever ready to uphold Dharma under all circumstances. Thus, in man’s spiritual journey, Vishada (vulnerability) is the beginning, which transforms itself into Vishada Yoga (the overcoming of vulnerability through contact with Krishna) and finally into Yoga (self realization).
Does Arjuna attain self realization at the end?
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