In the heart of the battlefield, amidst the clamor of impending war, stood Arjuna, a warrior of unparalleled skill and renowned valor. But this wasn’t a hero surveying his domain; it was a soul in the throes of dejection, distress, and grief.
As the conch shells heralded the commencement of war, Arjuna’s eyes beheld not just an opposing force but a gathering of his own flesh and blood—teachers, mentors, revered elders, and cherished relatives. Their faces, once etched with familiarity and affection, now bore the grim determination of warriors prepared to shed blood. His limbs trembled, his mouth dried and his skin burned as if every fiber of his being recoiled from the impending carnage. The sight of his own kin, standing ready for battle, struck a chord deep within him, causing his eyes to well up with tears.
The thought of raising his bow against his own kinsmen filled Arjuna with dread. The Gandiva, the mighty bow that had never failed him, slipped from his grasp, as if protesting the impending bloodshed. The weapon that had conquered foes and won kingdoms now seemed a burden too heavy for his troubled soul.
The matriarchs who had cradled him in their arms, the patriarchs who had imparted wisdom and knowledge, and the cousins who had shared laughter and played by his side—all now assumed the guise of adversaries in the theater of war. Arjuna’s heart, typically steadfast in the face of adversity, now wavered like a flickering flame in the wind.
“I do not foresee any good in killing my own relatives in battle,” he confessed to Lord Krishna, his charioteer and confidant. The prospect of victory, the promise of power, and the allure of pleasure seemed insignificant in the face of the impending bloodshed. His turmoil mirrored the clash of conflicting emotions and the weight of the impending decisions that hung heavily on his shoulders.
What purpose, he pondered, would a kingdom or enjoyment serve when those for whom such desires were harbored stood ready to be vanquished? Arjuna grappled with the question of how happiness could emerge from an act that obliterated the very fabric of familial bonds. The impending conflict not only threatened to sever familial bonds but also promised to extinguish the very traditions and customs that defined their lineage.
Arjuna recognized the destructive nature of war, the way it tore apart families, communities, and the very fabric of society. He understood the human cost of war, the profound emotional scars that linger long after the battlefield falls silent. His mind, caught in the whirlwind of moral dilemmas, grappled with the inescapable truth that their pursuit of power would lead them to commit the gravest of sins – killing one’s own family. The prospect of such transgressions weighed heavily on his noble heart, and his voice trembled with the agony of a soul in torment.
As the realization of the impending sin washed over him, Arjuna’s resolve crumbled. He cast aside his bow and arrows and sank into the chariot. The weight of his familial love and empathy bore heavily on his conscience. The tears that had welled up in his eyes flowed freely as he surrendered to the overwhelming helplessness that engulfed him.
As Arjuna sank deeper into his dejection, he surrendered to the guidance of Lord Krishna, his charioteer and confidant. In Krishna’s presence, Arjuna laid bare his vulnerabilities, his fears, and his moral dilemmas, seeking solace and enlightenment.
SYMBOLISM
The experience of Arjuna on the battlefield, torn between duty and empathy, finds a resonance in the contemplations of a devoted seeker navigating the intricate realms of the self. Much like Arjuna, who grapples with the agony of vanquishing his own kinsmen, a devoted aspirant, in the battlefield of consciousness, confronts the dilemma of whether to annihilate his own family of senses and their tendencies.
The marching devotee thinks, “I am not even sure of a greater happiness beyond senses, so I do not want to destroy my own material tendencies even though they try to destroy me. I don’t want mastery over the three worlds of the universes so how can I try to have mastery over this little body?”
Subconscious habitual love for sensual pleasure leads the power of reason into deeper doubt. It is hard for many to give up known pleasures for unknown future spiritual happiness. To be an emperor of earth is not the highest goal because one must leave all, but to possess cosmic consciousness, oneness with God – the Creator who is able to materialize worlds out of ideas – is an everlasting power given to all supremely advanced souls in the spiritual path.
The devotee thinks, “What happiness can I gain by killing my own sense inclinations and desires? Even though these felons (ātatāyinaḥ) deserve punishment for causing a lot of suffering, it would incur sin to overcome them because these sense inclinations and desires are a result of divinely created forces of nature through which man exists. It is sinful to interfere with what is only natural to this body”
The devotee recognizes that his sense inclinations and desires are an integral part of his human experience, rather than personal flaws. He holds a false reverence for the divine plan and accepts the role these inclinations and desires play in shaping his journey. Despite their potential to lead to suffering, he perceives them as a natural aspect of his being.
The devotee therefore argues that these sense habits, although they may lead to suffering and negative consequences, are a natural part of human existence. They arise as a result of the divine forces of nature and the intricate workings of the mind. Interfering with these natural inclinations would be considered sinful or unjustifiable.
The advancing devotee thinks, “I am not justified in killing my own sense habits which are born out of the mind and through which alone the mind expresses itself”. He asserts that these habits and inclinations are inherent aspects of the mind and serve as vehicles for the expression of the mind’s desires, tendencies, and experiences.
Instead of engaging in a battle against one’s own habits, devotee believes that it may be more appropriate to understand, observe, and transform these habits through self-awareness, self-discipline, and spiritual practices.
Devotee says, “While the senses, driven by their preferences and aversions, remain unaware of the consequences of their actions, shouldn’t we, endowed with discerning knowledge, refrain from engaging in this destructive battle that will inevitably bring harm to members within our family of consciousness?” The devotee at this stage believes that the sense-indulging habits devoid of discrimination could exist side by side with the good habits and thus make the kingdom of life complete. But it is impossible to have happiness if contradictory forces work in one’s life. Though good and bad habits are the offsprings of the same family of consciousness, they manifest different results.
When a devotee is under the influence of harmful habits and moods, he will suddenly find himself identifying, justifying, and sympathizing with those unwholesome actions. When false reasoning reaches a wrong conclusion and becomes attached to it, the intelligence increasingly loses its discriminative and intuitive powers. It relies on rationalization to justify its conviction.
However, spiritually the devotee is reasoning with God as follows,
“Through the dissolution of desires and sensory inclinations in meditation, the traditional rituals guided by the senses fade away. From lack of such religious rites by the senses, the feminine force of feelings for material things will be corrupted. All the sense clan and members of the family of consciousness will similarly lose their distinctive ‘caste’ characteristics of individualized powers and functions adulterated with disarray and confusion.”
Just as a skilled musician becomes fully absorbed in playing an instrument, losing awareness of the surroundings, the devotee in meditation immerses in the divine symphony of consciousness. As the musician’s focus is solely on producing melodious sounds, transcending the distractions of the external world, the devotee’s attention is directed towards attaining union with the divine. In this state, the devotee experiences a heightened sense of spiritual connection, where the external sensory perceptions fade away, and the inner journey toward self-realization unfolds. The devotee recognizes that the temporary suspension of sensory experiences is a gateway to a deeper, more profound reality, where the soul’s connection with the divine is strengthened and expanded.
Therefore, instead of being concerned about the temporary suspension of sensory perception, the devotee should embrace the transformative power of meditation, knowing that it leads to a heightened awareness and a profound spiritual awakening.
The devotee Arjuna incorrectly concludes that if material and spiritual habits are adulterated in the family of consciousness, the senses will not only lose their natural material desires and ambitions but the wisdom-guiding soul perceptions will also suffer due to emptiness and lack of action. According to his understanding, this adulteration would not only cause the senses to lose their inherent inclinations and aspirations towards worldly matters, but it would also impede the soul’s ability to perceive wisdom and guidance.
The verses of Arjuna describe the predicament of individuals who have progressed in their spiritual journey to a point where their senses no longer engage in their usual patterns of worldly behavior. These individuals have embarked on a path of self-discipline, particularly through the practice of pranayama and meditation.
The verses alludes to the initial challenges faced by a novice yogi who begins to explore the depths of meditation. As the novice yogi engages in pranayama, the practice of controlling the breath, he is compelled to maintain a state of stillness during meditation, delving into the depths beyond the veil of darkness. During this practice, the mind becomes quieter, allowing the practitioner to delve into the realms beyond the sensory experiences. During this introspective journey, his mind, attuned to the desires of the senses, questions whether he is acting foolishly by renouncing the tangible pleasures in favor of self-discipline and monotony. The devotee thinks that if he loses the usual functioning of his senses (sacred customs of families), which are used to engage in familiar patterns of worldly behavior, he will find himself trapped in a wretched existence characterized by deep-seated ennui and an agonizing sense of emptiness.
The relinquishment of sensory indulgence, far from satisfying longings, only fuels a greater craving for more sensory experiences, akin to adding oil to a blazing fire. However, the elusive bliss of connecting with the divine, though arduous to attain, continuously unfolds into a realm of ever-fresh joy.
The marching devotee realizes that his own desires and attachments have led him astray, driven by the greed for attaining a higher state of consciousness and the bliss that it promises in meditation. However, this aspiration is accompanied by an uncertain hope, as the outcome and fulfillment of this spiritual pursuit remain unclear.
Spiritually, the devotee recognizes that his own inner faculties, represented as his sense kinsmen, are being sacrificed in this pursuit. These faculties include the senses, thoughts, emotions, and worldly attachments that he has identified with throughout his life. By choosing to abandon these familiar aspects of his being, he fears that he may be condemning himself to a state of existential anguish, boredom, and inner emptiness.
In this metaphorical context, the “sin” referred to is the consequence of neglecting one’s innate human nature and sacrificing the richness of worldly experiences. The devotee realizes that in his relentless pursuit of spiritual progress, he may be disregarding the present moment and the potential for fulfillment it offers.
The devotee expresses his disillusionment and frustration in a prayerful mode to God and contemplates refraining from engaging further in the practice of pranayama, the technique of regulating the breath and life force energy, which is instrumental in developing control over the senses and mind.
The devotee acknowledges the power of the senses and their magnetic allure. He also recognizes that these material instincts can overpower him, leading to inner turmoil and distress. Despite the potential hardships and challenges that may arise from indulging in sensory pleasures, he contemplates accepting them rather than becoming a lifeless individual devoid of all desires and aspirations.
This inner conflict reflects a common struggle experienced by seekers on the spiritual path. Arjuna’s doubts and wavering resolve depict the challenges of balancing spiritual aspirations with the realities of human existence.
Ultimately, Arjuna’s struggle symbolizes the universal conflict between the spiritual and material aspects of human existence. His doubts and concerns shed light on the challenges faced by individuals seeking higher truths while grappling with the complexities and temptations of the material world.
His reflection illustrates the internal conflict and doubt that arise when a devotee embarks on a spiritual journey. It highlights the tension between the pursuit of higher states of consciousness and the fulfillment derived from engaging with the world and embracing one’s human experience.
The devotee experiences a sense of discontentment, arising from both a perceived lack of progress on the spiritual path and a prolonged separation from familiar sensory indulgences. While initially challenging, letting go of the worldly pleasures that hinder the awakening of the soul is the only pathway to attain enduring happiness.