(24) Dhritraashtra asked - "Hey Sanjaya, tell me that what my sons and Paandav did on the holy land of Kurukshetra gathered with the desire of war?" Sanjaya said - "Seeing Paandav's army Duryodhan approached Drone and said - "See this Paandav's army organized by your disciple Dhrishtdyumn. There are many warriors equal to Bheem and Arjun - Yuyudhaan (Saatyaki), Viraat, Drupad, Dhrishtketu, Chekitaan, Purujit, Kuntibhoj, Shaibya, Yudhaamanyu, Uttamaujaa, Abhimanyu and Draupadee's five sons. Now I tell you about the warriors at our side - you, Bheeshm, Karn, Kripaa, Ashwatthaamaa, Vikarn, Somdatt, Jayadrath and many others. You protect Bheeshm from all sides." At the same time Bheeshm blew his conch. Then from the golden chariot of Arjun, first came the sound of Krishn's Paanchjanya conch then Arjun's Devdatt conch. Then Bheem blew his Paundrak conch, then Yudhishthir blew his Anantvijaya, then Nakul blew his Sughosh and Sahadev blew his Manipushpak conch. After them all others blew their conchs.

The Bhagvad-Geetaa-1
[Here Geetaa is given in brief, otherwise it contains 18 chapters of Bheeshm Parv - from Sec 25-42. Read full   Bhagvad-Geetaa]

(25) When all blew their conchs to declare war open, Arjun said to Krishn - "Krishn, Take my chariot in the midst of the two armies I want to see all great warriors who are standing against us." Krishn took it a little more forward and parked it where Arjun could see them all. He said - "Look Arjun, Look them very carefully. This is Bheeshm, your grandfather; this is Drone, your Guru; this is Kripaa, your Kul Guru." Arjun cast a look on all these warriors ready to fight with him. He found that they were all dear to him. They were his grandfathers, uncles, brothers, sons, dear friends etc. He looked at them again and again the he felt a sudden compassion for all of them. Arjun trembled to see all his relations, friends, well wishers standing at the opposite side ready to fight. He got very sad, he dropped his bow and arrow and sat in the back part of his chariot saying "Krishn, I will not fight."

Krishn asked - "But why this after blowing the conch." Arjun said - "Hey Krishn, Because now there is no doubt in war." He said - "Krishn, They are all my relations or friends. What I will do after killing them? I am doing this only to get material pleasures, I don't want that pleasure at this cost, i.e. after killing so many people who are near and dear to me. I just cannot fight with them, I would rather prefer not to fight instead of ruling the Earth. I do not see any use of these materials. I will prefer to be killed by Duryodhan than fighting this war with him."

Krishn said - "Why is it now? Throw away your momentary weakness and get up and fight. Don't be a coward. Do not forget that you are a Kshatriya. Come, get ready for fight." Arjun said - "Krishn, How can I send my arrows at Bheeshm and Drone? Both are worth worshipping for me, how can I kill them? This is not my weakness, nor I am a coward, but I don't see any use of the kingdom and riches after killing our own people. I don't want even the kingdom of Swarg after killing them. I am confused, tell me what should I do?"

Krishn said - "Hey Arjun, For whom you are grieving? For those who are not to be grieved for? A wise man never grieves for the living or for the dead. Because this soul is imperishable and the body is never permanent. Who has come in this world, has to go. If you weep for the soul that is also foolishness, and if you weep for body that is also foolishness; because soul is immortal so why to weep for it, and the body is mortal so why to weep for it. This soul changes the body as a man changes his old dirty clothes and wears new clothes.

And if you are thinking that you are killing them then also you are wrong, because neither you are killing them nor they are killed. What is not born can never die, i.e. the soul is never born thus can never die. Weapons cannot hurt it, fire cannot burn it, water cannot wet it, and air cannot dry it; it is eternal, that is why the wise do not grieve for souls. Even if you don't know the eternal Truth, then also you should not grieve for them, because as you know that the death is written on the same day as a person is born. As soon as a thing is born, it has sure to die, so why to grieve for a mortal thing? And the soul which is immortal is also not be grieved, thus both, body and soul, are not to be grieved. Then1 = for who do you grieve?

Karm Yog ----
Even if you do not comprehend this, then also it is your duty to do your Dharm. You are a Kshatriya, it is your duty to fight, so you must fight. If you do not fight then you are not following your path of Dharm which is shameful for you. If you survive the fighting, you will reign, and if you do not, then you will go to Heaven. Therefore you must get up and fight.

If you are afraid of the sin attached to this killing, I tell you the way how you can escape that. Be a Sthitpragya Yogee ( detached or stable-minded person). If you feel the pain and pleasure, gain and loss, and defeat and victory in your Karm, then only you will be attached to that Karm's results, benefits or fruits. This is called the "bondage of Karm". All Karm have their results, so in one way or other one is attached to that Karm's result; but whoever is not attached to them, he is not attached to that Karm. He is called Sthitpragya Yogee. He is neither attached to any sin nor to any Punya. So you be a Sthitpragya Yogee and do your Karm. In this way no effort is ever lost and no harm is ever done. Think about only soul and nothing else.

Your duty is only to work, you have no control on their results, that is why never think of the result while doing any Karm. But if you think that "if I do not do any Karm it should be better", this is also incorrect because every living being has to do his duty and thus Karm. It is only attachment to that Karm brings the happiness or sadness, so do it with a detached mind.

Arjun asked - "Hey Krishn, Tell me more about this Sthitpragya Yogee. How does he sit, how does he walk, how does he sleep and how does he work? Krishn said - "Listen, His first characteristic is that he has cast off all the desires from his mind, thus he doesn't feel any sorrow and happiness. He has no desire, no anger and no fear. He is never attached to anything or anyone. He is stable-minded. He lives in the world like a tortoise. As a tortoise withdraws its limbs inside his shell, he also withdraws his Indriyaan (senses) from world's pleasures and sorrows. Once the Indriyaan are withdrawn from world's pleasures and sorrows, the soul loses appetite for their objects. (see Note 1) Even the taste for them is lost when the Supreme is realized.

By no means it is easy. But if you meditate on Me it is possible. Thus controlling your Indriyaan is very important to be a Sthitpragya Yogee. Because attachment produces desires, and desires breed anger (on not getting fulfilled). The next he is deluded, his mind gets confused, and his understanding is lost. When there is no understanding, his destruction is certain. Thus who controls his all desires, attains peace. This is the Divine state and Braahmic state from where no man can fall.

Gyaan Yog and Karm Yog ----
Arjun again asked - "Hey Krishn, You said that the realization of Braahmic state is the highest state, then why do you drag me in this dreadful task?"

Krishn said - "Hey Kuntee-Putra, There are two ways to achieve that state. One is knowledge by meditation for Yogee and the other one is work for men of actions. Remember no man can be still, even for a moment, he has to work. It is the law of the nature that a man has to work. You may find a man inactive, just doing nothing, but his mind will still be wandering among the objects of the Indriyaan (senses) (see Note 1). He is hypocrite. Then there is another kind of man, the Sthitpragya Yogee (detached or stable-minded man) whom I have already talked about. He has controlled all his senses with his mind, and he does all the work, but that is all without attachment. He is definitely superior to the first kind of man. So you must do your duty. By not working you cannot live. Even you will not be able to sustain your body without work.

Then how to escape the bondage of work? Do your duty as a sacrifice, do not feel any attachment to anybody or anything. This is the secret of being free from the bondage of work. You should not work for your own happiness, or benefit, or for your own cause, but for other's happiness, for other's benefit and for other's cause. Detach your mind from your desires and self and dedicate all your work to me, then all the sins or Punya attached to it will go to me, not to you, you are free from all of them.

Page 2 of Geetaa