The first chapter in Bhagavad-Gita is known as Arjuna Vishada Yoga (Arjuna’s despondency). Where is this despondency coming from? Lots of our daily activities go unnoticed. We do not pay attention to them so much and we just do them. Minutes, Days, years pass by without our knowledge. Not everything goes as we planned. Some of the incidents cause painful memories, long lasting impressions and cause sorrow. People around us, situations, and sometimes our loved ones may be the cause of our sorrows. Are they really problems or antagonistic situations?
What we can learn from the first chapter in Bhagavad-Gita?
To understand the meaning of love, Attachment and Delusion in the battlefield of life.
What are the reasons for the Attachment to be transformed to the level of Delusion?
How this so called Attachment and delusion leads to fear, anger and sorrow?
How can we face these difficult situations in life without losing our sanity?
Love: This is the purest of all. Just love itself does not cause sorrow or unhappiness because pure love does not expect anything in return. Pure love only knows giving. People can feel the love from someone but they are afraid that they might lose this.
Attachment: This happens through our senses or through the mind. Unborn in the womb of a mother already has some kind of attachment before he comes out into this world. After we are born, we are attached to people by relation, friendship, region etc. This attachment also does not pose problem as long as we are bound by our limitations and follow the rules of society. We just need to fulfill our responsibilities. There is another kind of attachment that is more powerful than any of these attachments and is the root cause of all the other attachments. That is the attachment with the body. When we usually talk about ourselves we are talking about the Body. This feeling of “Me and Mine” is kept beyond all the relationships. We can offer all kinds of advice until the problem hits us. Then problem appears to be too big and there begins of battle of life.
Moha (delusion): The real persona comes out when the feeling “Me and mine” is expressed. From this evolves anxiety, anger, fear, jealousy, revenge, helplessness and complacency. Our life will depend on our responses during these special circumstances. These feelings will cause long lasting impressions and they cripple us in this life and future births. That’s why Arjuna said “Krishna! My moha is removed after listening to your teachings”. He was then able to participate in the war without any reservations.
The first verse in Bhagavad- Gita goes as follows.
Dharmakshetre Kurukshetre samavetaa yuyutsvah!
Maamakah Pandavaashaiva kimakirvata sanjaya!!
Here Dhrutharashtra used the word “Maamakah” which means his sons, his allies and whoever is representing him in the battlefield. The Pandvas also belong to him and they are his brother’s children. He is related everyone but he has delusional kind of attachment towards his own. He knows that his side is not following the dharma. But he felt Pandavas did not follow the dharma that’s why he said DharmaKshetre – Kurukshetre. He was asking the Sanjaya indirectly, what adharma was done by Pandavas in defeating Bhishma. He was attached to his body after his side lost the war. He could not leave the luxuries of palace life. Here we have to understand that his love towards his side is because of his own infatuation of himself. In a similar way, we all become delusional because of this “Me & Mine” feeling. This in turn creates deeper sorrow and despondency.
Arjuna fought so many wars prior to the battle of Mahabharata. He killed so many out siders in previous wars but when it came to kill his own kith and kin, he was worried about sins. He became despondent all of a sudden. Sri Krishna could have told him to just fight but he had to reveal all the inner secrets of our Upanishads.
If we want to solve our problems we have to learn to change ourselves to the core. The world around us is not going to change but our view of the world has to change. We have to see the world as it is created. Then only we will be closer to the truth. We should never shy away from the truth. So many came and left in this world but the world never stops.
The fundamental principle that we have to learn in this process:
We have to understand our role in every aspect of our life, every relation, every job, and how much our involvement should be in each interaction. Each interaction needs to be righteous. The so called “Me and Mine” feelings should not trip us into a delusional state. Then only we will realize the ultimate truth that is absolute bliss.
OM SRI SAMARDHA SAINATH MAHARAJKI JAI!
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