Bhagavad Gita
What Arjuna calls for instead of fighting?
When Arjuna is not willing to fight, it means that he has taken into account his views neglecting the selflessness to fight not because of his willingness but for what people view him as capable. Arjuna being a well-known warrior, he was capable of fighting and winning the battle since even his origin depicted that he was from a family that had a historical background of raising the best warriors. He had no fear of taking one man’s life since in any battle, for a warrior to conquer, he or she has to take others’ lives. However, Arjuna could not believe that he was to take up the responsibility and fight the Kauravas army that was comprised of his grand uncle, Bhishma, and Drona. Arjuna does not believe in taking the life of the person who is the eldest in his family as it is the case that he could not take the life of his teacher. It is that thinking makes Arjuna ask Krishna if it were for him he could take up such a responsibility and terminate the life of the eldest in one’s family. According to Arjuna, war can only lead to bloodshed and not liberation (Easwaran 13).
Vedic’s stipulation of Arjuna’s duty
Arjuna should perform his duties as stipulated in the Vedic scriptures whereby it follows the Svabava and Swadharma. Svabava obliges him to act in a manner that depicts his gifts that he has acquired naturally while making sure that he acts in line with his traits. Swadharma is the set of instructions and conducts that emanate from an individual’s Svabana.
Therefore, Arjuna is a warrior who was capable of fighting and winning the battle against Kauravas; he was supposed to fight the battle regardless of what he thought was right. The fact that Arjuna was born from a lineage of famous warriors, he was entitled to fight the battle and accomplish the sole objective of Moksha.
Arjuna’s choice to fighting.
Arjuna feels like there is a better way to resolve the war instead of fighting and taking the lives of people who are close to him. He does not only yearn for victory, but he also sees the difficulty in waging wars that he does not view as the only way of completing the focus on worldly liberation. Arjuna, therefore, pleads with Krishna to look for alternative means through which the war can be resolved and result in the restoration of peace with the Kauravas army.
On the other hand, Krishna reminds Arjuna who he is and tells him that by trying to resolve the war in alternative means, it depicts a cowardly action and therefore, Krishna is not for the opinion that the war should not take place (Easwaran 18). By doing so, they will be deviating from the original path, which follows Dharma (natural justice) and this will be viewed as if they are weak and unable to fight.
Krishna’s path
Krishna follows Dharma which is the natural justice where one is obliged to follow the path that one is entitled by nature. By nature, Arjuna is a warrior, and that meant that he had to follow the only path that he is entitled to by nature. According to Krishna, Arjuna’s engagement in the battlefield meant that he was doing what was right and failing to take on the battle said that he was violating the natural justice.
It was therefore up to Arjuna to take the responsibility and fight as there was no other way to follow since Arjuna was born a warrior to fight. It did not matter whether he was to fight relatives or strangers, all he had to do was to fight since that is what he is supposed to do according to Dharma. By the argument brought forward by Krishna, Arjuna had no option to accomplish the goal of liberation other than to fight his relatives.
Krishna view of the key to liberation
To achieve liberation from rebirth, Krishna believes that there should be a combination of one’s soul and incorporation of the heavens’ spirit. Krishna feels that through cryptic practices and the act of self-restraining cannot permit the goal of liberation to be accomplished. It is, therefore, without any doubt that to attain moksha one has to accept the duties that are laid ahead of him or her depending on what one’s designation requires. Krishna, therefore, tries to show that by Arjuna taking the battle, it is a chance for self-actualization as well as saving the liberating the rest.
Krishna upholding both the Vedic view and incorporating world view
Krishna is for the opinion that it is possible to enforce the world’s opinions as well as an individual’s interest. He urges Arjuna to know that liberation is achievable if only Arjuna has the right spirit to fight and acquire freedom. He tells Arjuna that he does not necessarily need to abandon everything that is worldly in the expense of liberation because by so doing, Arjuna will be ditching the codes of Dharma.
Works Cited
Easwaran, Eknath. The Bhagavad Gita:(Classics of Indian Spirituality). Nilgiri Press, 2007.