Bhagavad Gita - Adhyay 2 - Yoga of Knowledge (Sankhya Yog) - post 3

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Let's start our journey towards the second chapter. This is a very important chapter of Bhagavad Gita. It contains many of-quote called verses of Gita, which shows variety of topics that we shall get to see. In this chapter we will see many aspects of practicality as well as spirituality, because Gita teaches all such aspects as integral to live our lives correctly. 

This chapter begins at the battlefield of the Kurukshetra, when Arjun surrenders to Shri Krishna and requests Shri Krishna to guide him in the tough situation. But Shri Krishna begins to oppose Arjun's objections and starts teaching him about the difference between temporary material body and the eternal spiritual body. Shri Krishna explained the process of transmigration - of the nature, of selfless service to the supreme personality and the characteristics of a self-realized person.

First Shri Krishna explained Arjun that fighting is his duty and he has to fix his duties, also told him to ignore his mind's desires. 

Shri Krishna explains why Arjun should fight and also glorifies both Buddhi -Yoga, that is intelligence used in the spiritual advancement of knowledge and Karma- Yoga that is work. Here Arjun was confused and wanted Shri Krishna to instruct him to perform his Buddhi-Yoga for no excuse from the battlefield. 

Arjun submits himself as Shri Krishna's follower and asks for the instructions and says "I am confused about my duties and I have lost all composure because of weakness. In this situation, I am your disciple and my soul is surrendered to you. Please tell me clearly which is best for me." In this case, Shri Krishna begins his teaching by presenting Sankhya philosophy, which means analytical study of matter and spirit. 

Arjun had fear of killing his relatives. Shri Krishna made Arjun aware about his real self, that is eternality of the soul with the temporary body. Soul can never be born nor be dead. Shri Krishna says that the soul exists even after the death of the material body. At death, the soul transmits to another new body, same as the person puts up new clothes and removes the old one. Similarly, the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old useless ones. The wise man who knows himself to be the eternal soul, is never disturbed by the change in the body and he is not concerned about the temporary changes or pleasures and pain of the material body. Kshatriya Dharma is eligible for the liberation from material body. We should understand that real self is eternal and never subject to death. The duty of Arjun is to fight in the battle in terms of religious principles and there is no need of hesitation.

After this, Shri Krishna explains Karma -Yoga (art of work) and says that when you perform selfless duty to the supreme personality of godhead, one attains liberation from the material bondage. 

In the next level of this chapter, Shri Krishna describes the Sthita-Prajna (refers to a man of steady wisdom) and speaks about the consciousness of the supreme personality of godhead. 

In this way, a person connects his identity with his awareness and gets consciousness of the spiritual identity and finally gets separateness from the materialistic world. The person with controlled senses, with mind and intelligence, is unaffected by material dualities such as happiness and distress, loss and gain. Such a person can attain the spiritual state of mind. Arjun was instructed not only to arise physically but also lift his mind from the depth of delusion to a higher intelligence. 

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