Bhagavad Gita – Chapter 1, Verses 21, 22, & 23
Bhagavad Gita – Chapter 1, Verses 21, 22, & 23
TRANSLATION
TRANSLATION
Arjuna Said –
O infallible one, please draw my chariot between the two armies so that I may see those present here, who desire to fight, and with whom I must contend in this great trial of arms.
Let me see those who have come here to fight, wishing to please the evil-minded son of Dhritrashtra.
Arjuna Said –
O infallible one, please draw my chariot between the two armies so that I may see those present here, who desire to fight, and with whom I must contend in this great trial of arms.
Let me see those who have come here to fight, wishing to please the evil-minded son of Dhritrashtra.
PARAPHRASE
PARAPHRASE
The devotion of Arjuna towards Shree Krishna was so great that He agreed to be Arjuna’s charioteer. Although He is the Lord of the multiverse yet, Arjuna can be seen as giving instructions to the Supreme Lord. He uses the name Achyuta which means the most dependable One, and requests him to place the chariot in the middle of the battlefield.
In the next verse, Arjuna states the reason behind his request for the chariot to be placed amidst the battlefield. He wanted to see all those who were on the side of injustice. He tried to look at the warriors who wished to fight against them to please Duryodhana. He wanted to punish them equally, all those who had chosen the side of injustice and supported the cause of the wrongdoers.
The devotion of Arjuna towards Shree Krishna was so great that He agreed to be Arjuna’s charioteer. Although He is the Lord of the multiverse yet, Arjuna can be seen as giving instructions to the Supreme Lord. He uses the name Achyuta which means the most dependable One, and requests him to place the chariot in the middle of the battlefield.
In the next verse, Arjuna states the reason behind his request for the chariot to be placed amidst the battlefield. He wanted to see all those who were on the side of injustice. He tried to look at the warriors who wished to fight against them to please Duryodhana. He wanted to punish them equally, all those who had chosen the side of injustice and supported the cause of the wrongdoers.
Modern Interpretation of the Bhagavad Gita Verse
Modern Interpretation of the Bhagavad Gita Verse
In the previous blog, we saw how Arjuna’s chariot and the battlefield are used as metaphors in our minds. In these verses, however, we see Arjuna instructing the Lord of all the senses who is present in each being as consciousness. Yet he agrees that Krishna is the most dependable one.
A beautiful message resonates from the paraphrasing of these wonderful verses of the Bhagavad Gita. We are what we are because of our consciousness. The material nature of the world is such that it is incompetent to understand the concepts such as mind, soul, and human consciousness. The material body and consciousness are a single entity. It cannot be separated from us. An atheist might put this same idea in different words, like, Krishna and we are inseparable. We like to think that our material body and brain are in control of our lives. In truth, it is our consciousness or Krishna that actually holds the reins.
In the previous blog, we saw how Arjuna’s chariot and the battlefield are used as metaphors in our minds. In these verses, however, we see Arjuna instructing the Lord of all the senses who is present in each being as consciousness. Yet he agrees that Krishna is the most dependable one.
A beautiful message resonates from the paraphrasing of these wonderful verses of the Bhagavad Gita. We are what we are because of our consciousness. The material nature of the world is such that it is incompetent to understand the concepts such as mind, soul, and human consciousness. The material body and consciousness are a single entity. It cannot be separated from us. An atheist might put this same idea in different words, like, Krishna and we are inseparable. We like to think that our material body and brain are in control of our lives. In truth, it is our consciousness or Krishna that actually holds the reins.
Human Consciousness
The famous Law of Attraction stresses the power of human consciousness. It states that whatever we are or wish to become is a result of our own thoughts. The seat of such thoughts is our mind. For instance, we can desire something as minute as a cellphone or as big as being the CEO of a multinational company. The first step is to nurture the thought of the same. In doing so, we are both the driver of our consciousness and it is the driver of us. Both the ideas become mutually reinforcing.
In the next verse, Arjuna wants to punish those associated with injustice. He wants to look upon those who took arms against the righteous out of their personal motives. Today, we often get surrounded by those who are willing to support the wrongdoers. Such people are often motivated by personal gains or recognition by a person of significant power. However, such people forget that associating themselves with the unrighteous becomes their doom. One should never forget that standing in support of injustice is fouler than committing the actual crime.
The famous Law of Attraction stresses the power of human consciousness. It states that whatever we are or wish to become is a result of our own thoughts. The seat of such thoughts is our mind. For instance, we can desire something as minute as a cellphone or as big as being the CEO of a multinational company. The first step is to nurture the thought of the same. In doing so, we are both the driver of our consciousness and it is the driver of us. Both the ideas become mutually reinforcing.
In the next verse, Arjuna wants to punish those associated with injustice. He wants to look upon those who took arms against the righteous out of their personal motives. Today, we often get surrounded by those who are willing to support the wrongdoers. Such people are often motivated by personal gains or recognition by a person of significant power. However, such people forget that associating themselves with the unrighteous becomes their doom. One should never forget that standing in support of injustice is fouler than committing the actual crime.
