One who is completely surrendered to the activities of Krishna consciousness is no longer obliged to anyone, nor is he a debtor to anyone, as in the ordinary course of activities.
No obligation or debts to demigods, sages, people in general, kinsmen, humanity, forefathers.
4. Indirect hint given to Arjuna by this verse
By acting in Krishna consciousness, one is beyond all mundane obligations.
1. Ksatriya – This is the second of the four social orders. It is meant for good administration
2. Literal meaning of Ksatriya (2.31 purport) – One who gives protection from harm (‘ksat’ – hurt / ‘trayate’ – give protection)
3. Duty of Ksatriya – Ref. Parasara Smriti explains the duty of ksatriya (2.32 purport)
To protect citizens from all difficulties
Apply violence for law and order
Conquer inimical kings
Rule the world according to religious principles
Ksatriyas are never meant for directly accepting the order of sannyasa
Non-violence in politics may be diplomacy, but it is never a factor or principle
4. Training of a Ksatriya (2.31 purport)
Trained for challenging and killing because religious violence is a necessary factor
How they are trained – Would go to forest, challenge tiger face to face with a sword and offer tiger for royal order of cremation
5. Ref. Religious law books on ‘violence’ (2.31 purport) – The following are not acts of violence:
Sacrificial animal killing by brahmanas – Animal immediately gets a human body without evolutionary cycle / Brahmana gets heavenly planets
Ksatriyas fighting on religious principles – Get heavenly planets if killed
6. Result of avoidance of duty by Ksatriyas
Infamy (2.31 purport)
Sinful Reaction – Hellish planets
7. Fighting benefits both ways (2.32 purport) – Win or Lose – (Refer to main theme above)
8. Two types of ‘Sva-dharmas’ (Specific duties) – ‘Material’ and ‘spiritual’
Spiritual ‘sva-dharma’ – Attained after liberation
Material ‘sva-dharma’ (Varnashrama-dharma) o Definition – Duties which are performed in accordance with the religious principles, according to particular body, to gradually achieve liberation o Must for humanity ▪ Human civilization begins at this point ▪ As long as one is not liberated, these duties are very important to perform o Ordained by the Lord (Clarified further in Bg. Chapter 4) ▪ They are unavoidable (Man’s stepping stone for spiritual understanding) o Benefit – If done in accordance with higher authorities, it elevates one to higher states of life
PLEASE NOTE: The remaining points of these purports are covered under the Common Theme above.
LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 2.37 & 2.38 : Krishna’s arguments give here are meant to inspire Arjuna to fight. They are a particular set of instructions that address material enjoyment (based upon identifying oneself with one’s body) as the motivating force behind Arjuna’s performance of duty. Krishna ends this section in the next verse and then takes the discussion (in Text 2.39) to the higher level of working in knowledge.
Text 2.38
THEME : Fight for the sake of duty – Krishna concludes this section by saying that Arjuna should not make decisions based on material happiness or distress, rather fight for the sake of his duty and thus be purified. Which is sinful: “Fighting or not fighting”?
Arjuna reasoned earlier that fighting the battle would cause him to suffer prolonged sinful reactions, but here Krishna explains that no sin will be incurred by one who executes his duty in the proper consciousness.
Learnings from Purport 2.38
1. Transcendental consciousness
Everything is performed for the sake of Krishna
No consideration of happiness or distress, profit or gain, victory or defeat
Applying to Arjuna’s case – ‘Fighting for the sake of fighting because Lord desires the battle’
2. Material consciousness – To act for one’s own sense gratification either in goodness or in passion
One who is completely surrendered to the activities of Krishna consciousness is no longer obliged to anyone, nor is he a debtor to anyone, as in the ordinary course of activities.
No obligation or debts to demigods, sages, people in general, kinsmen, humanity, forefathers.
4. Indirect hint given to Arjuna by this verse
By acting in Krishna consciousness, one is beyond all mundane obligations.
1. Ksatriya – This is the second of the four social orders. It is meant for good administration
2. Literal meaning of Ksatriya (2.31 purport) – One who gives protection from harm (‘ksat’ – hurt / ‘trayate’ – give protection)
3. Duty of Ksatriya – Ref. Parasara Smriti explains the duty of ksatriya (2.32 purport)
To protect citizens from all difficulties
Apply violence for law and order
Conquer inimical kings
Rule the world according to religious principles
Ksatriyas are never meant for directly accepting the order of sannyasa
Non-violence in politics may be diplomacy, but it is never a factor or principle
4. Training of a Ksatriya (2.31 purport)
Trained for challenging and killing because religious violence is a necessary factor
How they are trained – Would go to forest, challenge tiger face to face with a sword and offer tiger for royal order of cremation
5. Ref. Religious law books on ‘violence’ (2.31 purport) – The following are not acts of violence:
Sacrificial animal killing by brahmanas – Animal immediately gets a human body without evolutionary cycle / Brahmana gets heavenly planets
Ksatriyas fighting on religious principles – Get heavenly planets if killed
6. Result of avoidance of duty by Ksatriyas
Infamy (2.31 purport)
Sinful Reaction – Hellish planets
7. Fighting benefits both ways (2.32 purport) – Win or Lose – (Refer to main theme above)
8. Two types of ‘Sva-dharmas’ (Specific duties) – ‘Material’ and ‘spiritual’
Spiritual ‘sva-dharma’ – Attained after liberation
Material ‘sva-dharma’ (Varnashrama-dharma) o Definition – Duties which are performed in accordance with the religious principles, according to particular body, to gradually achieve liberation o Must for humanity ▪ Human civilization begins at this point ▪ As long as one is not liberated, these duties are very important to perform o Ordained by the Lord (Clarified further in Bg. Chapter 4) ▪ They are unavoidable (Man’s stepping stone for spiritual understanding) o Benefit – If done in accordance with higher authorities, it elevates one to higher states of life
PLEASE NOTE: The remaining points of these purports are covered under the Common Theme above.
LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 2.37 & 2.38 : Krishna’s arguments give here are meant to inspire Arjuna to fight. They are a particular set of instructions that address material enjoyment (based upon identifying oneself with one’s body) as the motivating force behind Arjuna’s performance of duty. Krishna ends this section in the next verse and then takes the discussion (in Text 2.39) to the higher level of working in knowledge.
Text 2.38
THEME : Fight for the sake of duty – Krishna concludes this section by saying that Arjuna should not make decisions based on material happiness or distress, rather fight for the sake of his duty and thus be purified. Which is sinful: “Fighting or not fighting”?
Arjuna reasoned earlier that fighting the battle would cause him to suffer prolonged sinful reactions, but here Krishna explains that no sin will be incurred by one who executes his duty in the proper consciousness.
Learnings from Purport 2.38
1. Transcendental consciousness
Everything is performed for the sake of Krishna
No consideration of happiness or distress, profit or gain, victory or defeat
Applying to Arjuna’s case – ‘Fighting for the sake of fighting because Lord desires the battle’
2. Material consciousness – To act for one’s own sense gratification either in goodness or in passion
One who is completely surrendered to the activities of Krishna consciousness is no longer obliged to anyone, nor is he a debtor to anyone, as in the ordinary course of activities.
No obligation or debts to demigods, sages, people in general, kinsmen, humanity, forefathers.
4. Indirect hint given to Arjuna by this verse
By acting in Krishna consciousness, one is beyond all mundane obligations.
BY PERFORMING PRESCRIBED DUTY – GAIN MATERIAL ENJOYMENT
LINK WITH PREVIOUS SECTION : In the previous section Krishna used arguments based on jnana to induce Arjuna to fight. Now Krishna will use less elevated principles, ones which promise a material reward. This section elaborates on Text 2.2, in which Krishna says that avoidance of duty leads not to higher planets but to infamy.
REFUTATION :This section refutes Arjuna’s second and third arguments raised in 1.31 – 1.38
Text 2.31 – 2.38
COMMON THEME: Happiness comes from prescribed duty – By performing prescribed duty one gains material enjoyment.
1. Benefits of Fighting (which is the prescribed duty in this case) (2.31 – 2.32)
Refutes Arjuna’s arguments of “Loss of Enjoyment” as mentioned in Texts 1.31 – 1.35
Fighting gives ‘real enjoyment’ in all ways o “If you win” – You get an unrivaled kingdom on earth o “If you lose” – You go to the heavenly planets
2. Losses by avoiding the prescribed duty of fighting – (2.33 – 2.37)
Refutes Arjuna’s arguments of “Fear of Sinful Reactions” as mentioned in (1.36)
3 losses are described: (i) Sin and infamy – Not fighting and avoiding the prescribed duties will be the real sin and cause of infamy (2.33). e.g. Loss of fame which was gained by: (3 examples quoted) ▪ Fight with Lord Shiva – Lord Shiva gave him ‘Pasupata-astra’ ▪ Credits from Dronacarya and ▪ Credits from Lord Indra – His adopted father (ii) Dishonor – “For a respectable person dishonor is worse is death” (2.34) (iii) Ridicule – “Your enemies will laugh at you, saying that you ran away” (2.35 – 2.36)
Learnings from Purport 2.31 – 2.37
1. Ksatriya – This is the second of the four social orders. It is meant for good administration
2. Literal meaning of Ksatriya (2.31 purport) – One who gives protection from harm (‘ksat’ – hurt / ‘trayate’ – give protection)
3. Duty of Ksatriya – Ref. Parasara Smriti explains the duty of ksatriya (2.32 purport)
To protect citizens from all difficulties
Apply violence for law and order
Conquer inimical kings
Rule the world according to religious principles
Ksatriyas are never meant for directly accepting the order of sannyasa
Non-violence in politics may be diplomacy, but it is never a factor or principle
4. Training of a Ksatriya (2.31 purport)
Trained for challenging and killing because religious violence is a necessary factor
How they are trained – Would go to forest, challenge tiger face to face with a sword and offer tiger for royal order of cremation
5. Ref. Religious law books on ‘violence’ (2.31 purport) – The following are not acts of violence:
Sacrificial animal killing by brahmanas – Animal immediately gets a human body without evolutionary cycle / Brahmana gets heavenly planets
Ksatriyas fighting on religious principles – Get heavenly planets if killed
6. Result of avoidance of duty by Ksatriyas
Infamy (2.31 purport)
Sinful Reaction – Hellish planets
7. Fighting benefits both ways (2.32 purport) – Win or Lose – (Refer to main theme above)
8. Two types of ‘Sva-dharmas’ (Specific duties) – ‘Material’ and ‘spiritual’
Spiritual ‘sva-dharma’ – Attained after liberation
Material ‘sva-dharma’ (Varnashrama-dharma) o Definition – Duties which are performed in accordance with the religious principles, according to particular body, to gradually achieve liberation o Must for humanity ▪ Human civilization begins at this point ▪ As long as one is not liberated, these duties are very important to perform o Ordained by the Lord (Clarified further in Bg. Chapter 4) ▪ They are unavoidable (Man’s stepping stone for spiritual understanding) o Benefit – If done in accordance with higher authorities, it elevates one to higher states of life
PLEASE NOTE: The remaining points of these purports are covered under the Common Theme above.
LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 2.37 & 2.38 : Krishna’s arguments give here are meant to inspire Arjuna to fight. They are a particular set of instructions that address material enjoyment (based upon identifying oneself with one’s body) as the motivating force behind Arjuna’s performance of duty. Krishna ends this section in the next verse and then takes the discussion (in Text 2.39) to the higher level of working in knowledge.
Text 2.38
THEME : Fight for the sake of duty – Krishna concludes this section by saying that Arjuna should not make decisions based on material happiness or distress, rather fight for the sake of his duty and thus be purified. Which is sinful: “Fighting or not fighting”?
Arjuna reasoned earlier that fighting the battle would cause him to suffer prolonged sinful reactions, but here Krishna explains that no sin will be incurred by one who executes his duty in the proper consciousness.
Learnings from Purport 2.38
1. Transcendental consciousness
Everything is performed for the sake of Krishna
No consideration of happiness or distress, profit or gain, victory or defeat
Applying to Arjuna’s case – ‘Fighting for the sake of fighting because Lord desires the battle’
2. Material consciousness – To act for one’s own sense gratification either in goodness or in passion
One who is completely surrendered to the activities of Krishna consciousness is no longer obliged to anyone, nor is he a debtor to anyone, as in the ordinary course of activities.
No obligation or debts to demigods, sages, people in general, kinsmen, humanity, forefathers.
4. Indirect hint given to Arjuna by this verse
By acting in Krishna consciousness, one is beyond all mundane obligations.