Bhagavad-Gita: Second Teaching

"You grieve for those beyond grief,

and you speak words of insight;

but learned men do not grieve

for the dead or the living.

Never have I not existed,

nor you, nor these kings;

and never in the future

shall we cease to exist.

...

Contacts with matter make us feel

heat and cold, pleasure and pain.

Arjuna, you must learn to endure

fleeting things–they come and go!"

(page 33)

Arjuna is very odd to me. A man that is there to fight in war, but doesn't wish to do so. He does not see war as the way out or the way in. You never see in bloody war movies or books someone who is there to fight and his purpose is to fight, but he is completely opposed to fighting. Arjuna seems to regret having this position, and feels bad for all the death that occurs during wars. The quote above (which was said by Lord Krishna) is said to inspire Arjuna to simply move on! That it won't make a difference, that you live and you die, and that is the way it is.

"Death is certain for anyone born,

and birth is certain for the dead;

since the cycle is inevitable,

you have no cause to grieve!"

(page 35)

Lord Krishna slowly manipulates his own words turning them into something else. Not only should Arjuna not grieve the deaths of those he kills, but it is his duty to kill them! And if he doesn't accomplish his duties, he will be shameful. But of course, all of this makes perfect sense. And all of this will make Arjuna overcome his fears. Arjuna seems fascinated by this speech, and he seems like a character that doesn't know what he should do or who he should be, all he knows is he does not agree with war. He wants to know what to be. Krishna answers that he should give up his desires and overcome his fears and of course, his insight is sure.

"Krishna, what defines a man

deep in contemplation whose insight

and thoughts are sure? How would he speak?

How would he sit? How would he move?"

(page 39)