Bhagavad Geeta: Arjuna’s transformation from the Pleasant to the Good

Bhagavad Geeta: Arjuna’s transformation from the Pleasant to the Good

Sri Krishna and Arjuna are eternal companions. They are kith and kin. A closer relationship than theirs cannot be conceived of. It is indeed an objective representation of the relationship between the Paramatman and the Jivatman. In whatever stage of evolution the individual soul happens to be placed, its origin from and connection with the Cosmic Soul can in no way be gainsaid. Support, sustenance and inducement to self-fulfillment come constantly and in abundance from the Cosmic Self to the individual self. This cosmic function is reflected in these two personalities. Sri Krishna continues to help Arjuna at all levels whenever he stands in need. If Arjuna distinguishes himself in education, culture, administration, statesmanship, the art of averting danger, combating the enemy, accumulating wealth and such other accomplishments, the contribution that Sri Krishna makes in all these respects is not of a small measure. Sri Krishna’s sister Subhadra is snatched away by Arjuna. Though the entire family is up against him for the time being, Sri Krishna alone is a party to the elopement. Thus directly or indirectly Sri Krishna is behind every step in the progress that Arjuna makes.

All that Arjuna has gained so far is termed Preyas-things that bring prosperity, pleasure, power and glory to life. Souls incarnate many times in order to acquire and enjoy these pleasures. This enjoyment has a place in the cosmic plan.

Sooner or later comes a turning point in life when the individual self sees the vanity and emptiness of Preyas, and hankers after something permanent. The slow, steady, and imperceptible mental evolution that Arjuna underwent, the transitory nature of the earthly pleasures that he enjoyed, the conviction that came to him of the vanity of earthly splendour, the all-destroying effect of the cruel war all these contributed to Arjuna’s change over from Preyas to Sreyas.

All human endeavours fall under two categories, the Preyas and the Sreyas. Among the human acquisitions and experiences there is not a single aspect that lies outside the pale of these two. Pleasures that are sense-bound and prone to mutation come under the category of Preyas. The generality of mankind are seekers of Preyas. To them anything beyond the ken of the senses and the intellect is unbelievable. Any endeavour to obtain Sreyas, cannot be looked for in them. But there are a rare few who aspire for the transcendental, hard though it is to achieve. Scriptures designate this transcendental experience as the Sreyas. All virtue, strength, self-denial and sublimity are born of Sreyas. Arjuna was till then the seeker of Preyas. The crisis had now brought a sudden transformation in him. Sri Krishna had patiently waited for this turning-point in his life. All that came under Preyas might be imparted to one who claimed kinship and equality of status with the teacher. But that kind of relationship was not sufficient for bestowing Sreyas. The reverential attitude of a disciple was quite essential for it. Now Arjuna has perforce taken to the attitude of a true disciple. Sri Krishna is happy over it. With love and compassion he imparts the Sreyas to him. Yoga and spiritual enlightenment are all contained in this Sreyas.

The sacred act of conferring the Sreyas does not take place piecemeal. It comes as a sudden outburst of illumination metamorphosing the recipient into a divine being. At the outset this experience may seem to daze the disciple. But worthy of the enlightenment as he has become, he gets spontaneously attuned to it. As a newly hatched duckling takes to water, the enlightened soul identifies itself with the Cosmic Whole. The Upanishads are intended to awaken cosmic consciousness in the aspirant. One of their revelations runs as follows: ‘‘What is beyond the universe is Infinity, what has apparently become the universe is Infinity. Infinity alone is in the manifested and unmanifested states.” These sacred books aim at driving home this all-consuming truth in the mind of the novice. In varieties of pattern it is this grand truth that is proclaimed by one and all of them. A student who has undergone the required mental purification catches the message in an instant and merges his individual consciousness into the Cosmic Consciousness, which is Reality.

In this process of imparting Self-knowledge the Bhagavad Gita has a uniqueness and a sublimity of its own. The first chapter in it is merely the setting. No utterance of the Lord finds a place there. But in and through the second and third verses of the second chapter His message in its entirety is delivered. It runs as follows: “At this crisis, wherefrom has this dejection come upon you, O Arjuna, depriving you of your manliness, debarring you from heaven and debasing your earthly career? Son of Pritha, yield not to cowardice. It ill becomes you. Scorcher of foes, cast off this base faint-heartedness and wake up.”

The clue is hereby given to a life of triumph and conquest. This is the core of the teaching of the Gita. Each of the subsequent chapters in the book is an elaboration of this idea from a particular angle. The strong and the virile alone are fit for a life of great consequence. Achievements both here and hereafter are born of competence and manly action. Strength nurtures life. Weakness wears it away. Potency drives away disease; debility aggravates it. Virtue and righteousness are the outcome of strength. Vice and wickedness have their origin in weakness. Cowardice creates crookedness; it is the feeble that resort to foul play. Action born in manliness leads to freedom, and it’s opposite to bondage. Strength and Sreyas are identical. This is the teaching of the Gita.

Source: Srimad Bhagavad Geeta-Commentary by Swami Chidbhavananda