Krishna and Arjuna

The story of Krishna and Arjuna is part of the popular epic the Mahabharata called the Bhagavad Gita, meaning "the song of our blessed Lord."

The Gita is a short conversation comprising only 711 Sanskrit verses. It is set on a Kurukshetra battlefield as two armies of cousins competing for the throne ready for war - the Pandavas and the Kurus. The Pandavas wanted to settle it peacefully, but all mediation by Krishna and others failed and war became inevitable.

Krishna (an avatar of Vishnu) was amicable with both sides and impartial, offering his army to one side and himself to the other. He agreed not to fight but offered to drive their chariot.

Arjuna was a great Kshatriya archer for the Pandavas, meaning it was his duty to fight. As he looked to both armies and saw friends and family members on both sides, he threw his bow down and decided to withdraw, preferring inaction to being responsible for the death of the people he loved.

Krishna sees Arjuna withdrawing and begins to persuade Arjuna that he should stick to his duty as a warrior. That the body is temporary but varnadharma is Vedic and timeless.

Atman + Varnadharma

Krishna teaches Arjuna of two main concepts: atman and varnadharma

The atman is the individual soul of a human, not affected by the elements. When a person is killed, the atman lives on, and only the body dies. Krishna introduces death as a normal part of the process of life, and inevitable, comparing it to casting off worn-out clothes.

Varnadharma - duty based on caste - has to be done and adhered to, and to do otherwise is an immoral act. All beings are beholden to it, and to ignore it will result in dishonour.

Dharma is one of the four Purpusharthas (macro-duties/aims of human life):

- Dharma (duty for righteousness, moral values)

- Artha (duty for prosperity, economic values)

- Kama (duty for pleasure, love, psychological values)

- Moksha (duty for liberation, spiritual values)

Other dharmic duties include

- Ahimsa (non-violence)
- Satya (truthfulness)
- Asetya (not stealing)
- Sauca (pursue purity)
- Bhakti (divine devotion)
- Sadhna (performance of rituals)

Dharma refers to any behaviour that is in accord with rta, the order that makes life and the universe possible, It includes duties, rights, laws, conduct, and virtues that govern society and ethics. It includes religious duties, moral duties, and individual duties, as well as behaviours that enable social order. All living beings must accept and respect it to sustain harmony and order in the world. It is neither the act nor the result, but the natural laws that guide the act and create the result. It is an innate characteristic of living things.

The dharma of the bee is to make honey, of cows to give milk, of suns to radiate, of rivers to flow. Human dharma is found to be in reference to society and the world of the time.

It leads you to higher rebirths and moksha, as well as allowing society to run smoothly and causing personal and universal happiness.

Hinduism itself is sometimes referred to as Sanatana-Dharma (the eternal way of life), referring to duties that are spiritual in nature, referring to the atman, and therefore not varying from person to person.

The Manusmriti (Laws of Manu) discuss the creation of the universe, dharma, varna, and jati (social position based on occupation) in detail:

- Brahmins (priests, teachers) "recite the Vedas, conduct rituals, act as ethical role models in society and embody a dharmic lifestyle."

- Kshatriyas (soldiers, rulers) "offer protection, commission public rituals, and study the Vedas."

- Vaishyas (merchants, traders, farmers) "tend cattle, cultivate land, trade, lend money, offer sacrifices, and study the Vedas,"

- Shudras (servants, skilled workers) "serve the upper three classes"

Untouchables/Dalits are not mentioned in the text.

Samkhya

Samkhya is one of the oldest and most prominent Hindu philosophies, based on the Upanishads in the Vedas and founded by the sage Kapila. It involves Yoga as an application of its theories, thinking of it as a mental discipline that changes consciousness and awareness, increasing spiritual depth.

Samkhya can be described as dualistic realism. It recognizes two ultimate realities - Prakriti (nature/matter) and Purusha (self/spirit) - considering both of these facets equally real.

It explores the relationship between the objective world and the subjective self as part of the physical world. 

Prakriti (nature/matter) is made up of three gunas (strands):

- sattva (purity)

- rajas (passion)

- tamas (inertia)

The atman lives in the world of Prakriti (nature/matter) and is trapped there because of its enjoyment of the three gunas. It forgets its true nature and reflects the characteristics of these gunas. It is because of this, it becomes subject to karma and trapped in the cycle of samsara. 

Yoga attempts to deal directly with this and disentangle the atman from Prakriti, attaining moksha (liberation).

Patanjali - the composer of the yoga sutras (writings) brought together these beliefs an practices into what is known today as Samkhya Yoga. he developed a new system that not only looked at the nature of the universe but also gave practical advice on improvement. The goal is to bring the self into a state of pure consciousness where it has no interaction or awareness of the empirical world. 

This is his understanding of moksha from samsara - not the atman's absorption into something greater, but permanent, isolated bliss.

Paths to Liberation outlined by Krishna

Jnana Yoga - the path of knowledge

This is the most advanced form of yoga in the BG and in the past was only practiced by Brahmin. Krishna explains that jnana (knowledge) consists of understanding kshetra (the body) and kshetrajna (the soul or atman) and the relationship between them. The goal is liberation from the illusionary world of maya by being able to distinguish the eternal from the transient, and the true from the false, in order to remove the ignorance binding people to the material world, attaining Moksha.

Krishna, BG: "They who understand the difference between the creation and the creator know the technique of liberation from the trap of Maya, with the help of knowledge, attain the Supreme, who is devoted to Me, is dear to Me."

Four pillars of knowledge:

- Viveka (discrimination between real and unreal)
- Vairagya (detachment from worldly possessions and the ego)
- Shatsampat - (six virtues which develop the ability to see beyond maya: calmness, restraint, renunciation, endurance, faith, concentration)
- Mumukshutva (intense and passionate desire to achieve liberation)

It involves converting intellectual knowledge into practical wisdom by allowing the mind to inquire into its own nature, leading the devotee into unity with G-d. The person who practices it correctly reaches the Supreme Being and attains moksha.

 Karma Yoga - the path of selflessness

Krishna tells Arjuna that action done out of a sense of duty without attachment has no karmic effects, and is in effect a path to liberation.

Karma Yoga is the yoga of unselfish action, purifying the heart through acting selflessly without desire for reward or gain. It is action in accordance with dharma without consideration of the results or fruits of the actions.

Krishna argues that every action must be selfless and seen as a service to the divine. Fulfilling your own potential for the good of society is considered to be the path of karma yoga. In this way, Gandhi is the ideal karmic yogi.

Bhakti Yoga - the path of devotion

Bhakti is the belief that a personal relationship with G-d is possible based on love and devotion, expressed through service. Worshippers surrender every aspect of their lives and self to their deity. It leads to moksha and stresses inner feelings, rather than formality.

Swami Vivekananda: "Bhakti yoga is a path of systematized devotion for the attainment of union with the absolute."

Kinds of bhakti:

- Sakamya-bhakti - devotion in desire for material gain
- Nishkamya-bhakti - the worshipper tries to be with G-d to receive spiritual blessings like wisdom or power)
- Apara-bhakti - for beginners, believing G-d is Supreme, present in an image, and can only be worshipped in that form
- Para-bhakti - the highest form, worshippers see G-d and feel G-d's power everywhere

Based on the teaching that "G-d is love, love is G-d" but still more than just emotion, involving discipline and training. Everything is done to create an atmosphere for bhakti - cleaning rooms, lighting incense and lamps, and keeping a clean seat. Worshippers bathe, wear clean clothes, put holy ash on their foreheads, and concentrate only on their deity.

QUOTE BANK!!

Prasad: "The central teaching of the Gita is the attainment of freedom or happiness from the bondage of life by doing one's duty."

Arjuna: "Bad omens and portents too I see."

Arjuna: "I will be striking down my own folk>"

Arjuna: "We have no moral right to kill."

Arjuna: "Evil and only evil will come to dwell with us."

Arjuna: "To ruin a family is wickedness."

Arjuna: "Collapse the eternal law."

Bhagavad Gita Ch3: "Not by non-performance of actions does a man attain freedom from actin; nor by mere renunciation of actions does he attain his spiritual goal."

Bhagavad Gita Ch3: "Do your allotted work, for action is superior to non-action."

Bhagavad Gita ch3: "A man doing his work without attachment attains to the highest goal."

BG: "A man does not retain freedom from the results of action by abstaining from actions."

BG: "You are qualified simply with regard to actions, never with regard to its results."

BG: "Recognising your inherent duty, you must not shrink from it... it is a door to heaven."

BG: "It is better to practice your own inherent duty deficiently than another's duty well."

Bimal Krishna: "Hinduism endorses the need for commensurate rights and responsibilities However, it stresses responsibilities. If a person performs his or her duties, then another's rights are automatically fulfilled. However, the current trend toward demanding our rights is creating a culture of blame, compensation, and irresponsibility. Placing the emphasis on dharma tends to promote responsibility. It's not wrong to demand legitimate rights, but with a culture of responsibility, it creates problems. and it begins from the top, with the leaders. That is why many Hindu stories explain how leadership is based on character, not merely position."

Garbe: Samkhya is "the most significant system of philosophy that India has produced."

Rodrigues: "The Laws of Manu lays down details prescriptions for the appropriate behaviour for each of the varnas."

Brahmins (priests, teachers) "recite the Vedas, conduct rituals, act as ethical role models in society, and embody a dharmic lifestyle."

Kshatriyas (soldiers, rulers) "offer protection, commission public rituals, and study the Vedas."

Vaishyas (merchants, traders, farmers) "tend cattle, cultivate land, trade, lend money, offer sacrifices, and study the Vedas,"

Shudras (servants, skilled workers) "serve the upper three classes"

BG: "They who understand the difference between the creation and the creator know the technique of liberation from the trap of Maya, with the help of knowledge, attain the Supreme, who is devoted to Me, is dear to Me."

Swami Vivekananda: "Bhakti yoga is a path of systematized devotion for the attainment of union with the absolute."