Sankhya Yoga: Shlokas 31 to 37
If you have not already done so, I would request you to review the Chapter 1, Arjuna Vishada Yoga before studying chapter 2 as that would help set the right context.
You can find the explanation of shlokas 25 to 30 here. Please go through that to get better understanding of the context.
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स्वधर्ममपि चावेक्ष्य न विकम्पितुमर्हसि |
धर्म्याद्धि युद्धाच्छ्रेयोऽन्यत्क्षत्रियस्य न विद्यते || 31||
swa-dharmam api chāvekṣhya na vikampitum arhasi
dharmyāddhi yuddhāch chhreyo ’nyat kṣhatriyasya na vidyate
स्वधर्मम् svadharmaṁ own duty अपि api also च ca and अवेक्ष्य avekṣya looking at न na not विकम्पितुम् vikampituṁ to waver अर्हसि arhasi (thou) oughtest धर्म्यात् dharmyāt than righteous हि hi indeed युद्धात् yuddhāt than war श्रेयः śreyaḥ higher अन्यत् anyat other क्षत्रियस्य kṣatriyasya of a Kshatriya न na not विद्यते vidyate is
As a warrior, it’s your duty to stay steadfast and unwavering. In fact, there’s no greater calling for a warrior than to fight for the sake of righteousness (dharma).
यदृच्छया चोपपन्नं स्वर्गद्वारमपावृतम् |
सुखिन: क्षत्रिया: पार्थ लभन्ते युद्धमीदृशम् || 32||
yadṛichchhayā chopapannaṁ swarga-dvāram apāvṛitam
sukhinaḥ kṣhatriyāḥ pārtha labhante yuddham īdṛiśham
यदृच्छया yadṛcchayā of itself च ca and उपपन्नम् upapannaṁ come स्वर्गद्वारम् svargadvāraṁ the gate of heaven अपावृतम् apāvṛtaṁ opened सुखिनः sukhinaḥ happy क्षत्रियाः kṣatriyāḥ Kshatriyas पार्थ pārtha O Partha लभन्ते labhante obtain युद्धम् yuddhaṁ battle ईदृशम् īdṛśaṁ such
O Partha, happy are the warriors to whom such opportunities to fight for the sake of dharma come unsought, opening for them the gateway to the heavens.
अथ चेतत्त्वमिमं धर्म्यं संग्रामं न करिष्यसि |
तत: स्वधर्मं कीर्तिं च हित्वा पापमवाप्स्यसि || 33||
atha chet tvam imaṁ dharmyaṁ saṅgrāmaṁ na kariṣhyasi
tataḥ sva-dharmaṁ kīrtiṁ cha hitvā pāpam avāpsyasi
अथ चेत् atha cet but if त्वम् tvaṁ thou इमम् imaṁ this धर्म्यम् dharmyaṁ righteous संग्रामम् saṁgrāmaṁ warfare न na not करिष्यासि kariṣyasi will do ततः tataḥ then स्वधर्मम् svadharmaṁ own duty कीर्तिम् kīrtiṁ fame च ca and हित्वा hitvā having abandoned पापम् pāpaṁ sin अवाप्स्यसि avāpsyasi shall incur
But if abandoning your own duty and honor you will not fight this righteous war, you will incur sin.
अकीर्तिं चापि भूतानि, कथयिष्यन्ति तेऽव्ययाम् |
सम्भावितस्य चाकीर्ति, र्मरणादतिरिच्यते || 34||
akīrtiṁ chāpi bhūtāni, kathayiṣhyanti te ’vyayām
sambhāvitasya chākīrtir, maraṇād atirichyate
अकीर्तिम् akīrtiṁ dishonour च ca and अपि api also भूतानि bhūtāni beings कथयिष्यन्ति kathayiṣyanti tell ते te thy अव्ययाम् avyayāṁ everlasting सम्भावितस्य saṁbhāvitasya of the honoured च ca and अकीर्तिः akīrtiḥ dishonour मरणात् maraṇāt than death अतिरिच्यते atiricyate exceeds
People will speak of you as a coward and a deserter. For a respectable person, infamy is worse than death.
भयाद्रणादुपरतं मंस्यन्ते त्वां महारथा: |
येषां च त्वं बहुमतो भूत्वा यास्यसि लाघवम् || 35||
bhayād raṇād uparataṁ mansyante tvāṁ mahā-rathāḥ
yeṣhāṁ cha tvaṁ bahu-mato bhūtvā yāsyasi lāghavam
भयात् bhayāt from fear रणातू raṇāt from the battle उपरतम् uparataṁ withdrawn मंस्यन्ते maṁsyante will think त्वाम् tvāṁ thee महारथाः mahārathāḥ the great car-warriors येषाम् yeṣāṁ of whom च ca and त्वम् tvaṁ thou बहुमतः bahumataḥ much thought of भूत्वा bhūtvā having been यास्यासि yāsyasi will receive लाघवम् lāghavaṁ lightness
The great generals who hold you in high esteem will think that you fled from the battlefield out of fear, and thus will lose their respect for you.
अवाच्यवादांश्च बहून्वदिष्यन्ति तवाहिता: |
निन्दन्तस्तव सामर्थ्यं ततो दु:खतरं नु किम् || 36||
avāchya-vādānśh cha bahūn vadiṣhyanti tavāhitāḥ
nindantastava sāmarthyaṁ tato duḥkhataraṁ nu kim
अवाच्यवादान् avācyavādān words that are improper to be spoken च ca and बहून् bahūn many वदिष्यन्ति vadiṣyanti will say तव tava thy अहिताः ahitāḥ enemies निन्दन्तः nindantaḥ cavilling तव tava thy सामर्थ्यं sāmarthyaṁ power ततः tataḥ than this दुःखतरम् duḥkhataraṁ more painful नु nu indeed किम् kiṁ what
Your enemies will defame and humiliate you with unkind words, disparaging your might. What could be more painful than that?
हतो वा प्राप्स्यसि स्वर्गं जित्वा वा भोक्ष्यसे महीम् |
तस्मादुत्तिष्ठ कौन्तेय युद्धाय कृतनिश्चय: || 37||
hato vā prāpsyasi swargaṁ jitvā vā bhokṣhyase mahīm
tasmād uttiṣhṭha kaunteya yuddhāya kṛita-niśhchayaḥ
हतः hataḥ slain वा vā or प्राप्स्यसि prāpsyasi (thou) will obtain स्वर्गम् svargaṁ heaven जित्वा jitvā having conquered वा vā or भोक्ष्यसे bhokṣyase (thou) wilt enjoy महीम् mahīṁ the earth तस्मात् tasmāt therefore उत्तिष्ठ uttiṣṭha stand up कौन्तेय kaunteya O kaunteya युद्धाय yuddhāya for fight कृत निश्चयः kṛta niścayaḥ resolved
If you fight, you will either be slain on the battlefield and go to the celestial abodes, or you will gain victory and enjoy the kingdom on earth. Therefore arise with determination, O son of Kunti, and be prepared to fight.
Swa-dharma, Para dharma and Apara dharma
Kṛṣṇa starts these verses with the term Swa-dharma, which means one’s duty as an individual, in accordance with the Vedas. There are two kinds of swa-dharmas, Para dharma, or spiritual duties, and Apara dharma, or material duties. In alignment with every human being’s ultimate purpose of God-Realization, the duty to love and serve God with devotion is our fundamental and primary duty and it is called Para dharma. The Vedas also prescribe duties based upon one’s Ashrama (stage in life), and Varṇa (occupation). These duties are called Apara dharma, or material duties.
By occupation, Arjuna was a warrior, and so his occupational duty as a warrior was to fight for the protection of Dharma. Shree Kṛṣṇa is reminding Arjuna of this duty of his.
He then tells Arjuna that a righteous war is actually a great opportunity for a Kshatria like Arjuna to earn glory and good Karma. This is a very important concept. Performing our duties is essential and it is also essential that we get the required opportunities to perform our duties. A doctor’s duty is to heal the sick and having many sick people around should be considered as an opportunity to perform the duty. Just like that, this dharmic war needs to be considered by Arjuna to be an opportunity to perform his duties as a Kashatriya Soldier. Performing our prescribed duties will help generate good karma.
So what is good karma and bad karma? How do you determine whether what you are doing is indeed good karma? The chapter 3 of Bhagavad Gita is all about Karma yoga and we will go into more details there. For now, let us understand that the law of karma states that actions result in consequences. Good actions, aligned with dharma, termed as Punya, results in happiness (sukha). Whereas, bad actions, aligned with adharma, termed as Paapa, results in unhappiness (dukha).
Sanchit Karma, Prarabdha Karma, and Kriyamana Karma
Karma is the principle of cause and effect that governs the universe. Every action we perform, whether good or bad, creates a reaction or consequence, which determines our destiny. Karma is divided into three categories: Sanchit Karma, Prarabdha Karma, and Kriyamana Karma.
Sanchit Karma: Sanchit Karma refers to the accumulated karma of all our past lives. It is the sum total of all the good and bad actions that we have performed in our previous lives. These karmas are stored in our soul as impressions, which shape our present life and our future destiny.
For example, if someone has accumulated a lot of good karma in their past lives by performing selfless deeds and helping others, they may be born into a wealthy and prosperous family in their next life. On the other hand, if someone has accumulated a lot of bad karma by committing immoral actions, they may be born into a difficult and challenging life in their next incarnation.
Prarabdha Karma: Prarabdha Karma refers to the portion of our Sanchit Karma that has already been activated and is bearing fruit in our current life. It is the karma that we have to experience and cannot be avoided.
For example, suppose someone has accumulated a lot of good karma in their past lives through acts of charity and kindness towards others. As a result, they are born into a wealthy and prosperous family in their current life. However, they also had accumulated some bad karma in some of their past lives which gets transferred to this current life and despite their wealth and status, they suffer from a chronic health condition.
In this example, the chronic health condition is an example of Prarabdha Karma which has been carried over for resolving in the present life. The individual may have no control over their health condition, but they can choose how they react to it.
It’s important to note that Prarabdha Karma doesn’t necessarily have to be negative or unpleasant. It could also manifest as positive experiences or situations that we are destined to encounter in our current life due to our past actions. Ultimately, the purpose of understanding Prarabdha Karma is to help us accept and deal with our current life circumstances and to make conscious choices in our present actions to shape our future karma.
Acceptance of our hardships and acknowledging that these are due to our own past karmas is a very empowering act and this in itself reduces our karmas to a big extent. This is what the learned saint Rumi meant when he said “The moment you accept what troubles you’ve been given, the door will open”.
Kriyamana Karma: Kriyamana Karma refers to the karma that we are currently creating in our present life through our thoughts, words, and actions. It is the karma that is being created right now and will bear fruit in our future lives. For example, if someone volunteers at a charity and helps others in need, they are creating positive Kriyamana Karma, which will bring them good fortune in their future lives. Conversely, if someone engages in negative activities such as lying or stealing, they are creating negative Kriyamana Karma, which will have negative consequences in their future lives.
In summary, Sanchit Karma, Prarabdha Karma, and Kriyamana Karma are three categories of karma that shape our destiny. Understanding these concepts can help us become more conscious of our actions and their consequences, and help us to make better choices in our present life to create a more positive future.
Our prarabdha and sanchita karma are fixed and they determine our destiny. However, our kriyamana karma is not fixed. That is entirely in our hands. We decide whether we create good karmas or bad karmas in our current life. And our kriyamana karma can offset our sanchita karma and prarabdha karma.
How we choose to respond to situations determines our future destiny.
By constantly practicing goodness and doing good karma, we can slowly change the course of our life. Destiny determines the situations that come to us. How we respond to it is our choice, that is free will. And how we choose to respond determines our future destiny.
Karna and Arjuna face similar challenges but respond differently and get very different experiences and karmas. Karna was very skilled in archery and very generous in nature, but he was also known for his arrogance and pride. He is considered to be from a low-caste family, and this becomes a source of constant discrimination for him. Karna spends all his life seeking other people’s approval of his virtues. Arjuna was also very skilled in archery, but he was known for his humility and respect for others. He faced similar challenges to Karna. Even though he was not considered from a low-caste family, he still faced hatred and constant discrimination by the Kuru princes. But he chose to respond differently.
Arjuna chose to respond with humility and patience, recognizing that his worth was not determined by the approval of others. He also formed strong relationships with his allies and respected other warriors, even when they were enemies. In contrast, Karna responds with anger and resentment towards those who reject him, and he aligns himself with the Kuru prince Duryodhana, fully knowing that he was adharmic. Karna’s only priorities were respect and recognition.
Their different responses lead to very different experiences and karmas. Arjuna became a hero and loved and respected by his allies and enemies alike. Karna’s arrogance and pride lead to his eventual downfall in the Kurukshetra War. In this example, karma or destiny determines the situations that came to Karna and Arjuna. They both faced similar challenges of discrimination and rejection, but how they chose to respond was based upon their own free will. Arjuna chose to respond with humility and respect, while Karna responded with anger and resentment.
Their choices determine their future destiny and karmas. Arjuna’s humble and respectful actions lead to positive experiences and karmas, while Karna’s arrogant and resentful actions lead to negative experiences and karmas.
There is a wonderful movie called the GroundHog day where the main actor is shown as being forced to repeat living the same day of his life again and again. Each day he tries different things, both good and bad and finds himself stuck in the endless cycle of the same day repeating again and again. Only when he actually learns the value of life and what is important in life, like sincerity, compassion, love, etc, does the cycle stop and he finds peace. It is kind of similar for all of us where we will keep getting born in the material world again and again until we learn our lessons and clear our karmic accounts.
Instead of adopting a victim mindset, we should adopt a mindset of empowerment. Anytime we face difficulties, we shouldn’t blame God or the situation. Instead we should realize that this is a result of our own karma and choices, learn the lesson we have to learn, ask what improvements we need to make in ourselves, and try to change the course of our life. That will change everything. We have to believe it.
Avoid bad karma by aligning with the will of God
Actions aligned with Dharma and sattva gunas like truthfulness, non-violence, compassion, etc would constitute good Karma. As said in many scriptures, we should strive to align with the will of God. Then we will avoid generating any bad karma.
There was a landlord in a small village in south India who had a beautiful house and a compound wall surrounding it. He would keep painting the compound wall and get very angry at anybody who scribbled anything on it or made it dirty in any way. He used to threaten the children of the village that he would beat them up if they dared dirty his wall or wrote anything on his wall. The villagers were very scared of him and stayed away from the wall. However, one small boy once had the courage to actually go and scribble something on the wall. Very surprisingly, the sarpanch actually looked happy and rewarded him for doing that. The villagers were even more surprised at this change in behavior of the sarpanch and they went to inspect the wall and see what this boy had scribbled. They saw that the boy had scribbled “Please keep this wall clean and do not dirty it”.
You see, the act of scribbling in itself doesn’t determine good or bad karma. The intent matters. In this instance, the boy’s actions were aligned with the will of the sarpanch and so it did not cause him any misery. Similarly, as long as our actions are aligned with Dharma and the will of God, we will avoid sinning in generating bad karma.
A very important aspect to understand here is that we don’t incur bad karma by just doing something wrong. We incur bad karma even if we refuse to do what is required of us, what is our duty. If a warrior chooses to run away from the battlefield, it will be dereliction of duty, and hence, a sinful act. Hence, Shri Kṛṣṇa tells Arjuna that if he abandons his duty, he will be committing a sin. Shri Kṛṣṇa reminds Arjuna that if he runs away from the battlefield, he will lose his honor and that would be worse than death. In Kali yuga, people have stopped giving importance to honor and are happy to sacrifice it for material gains. It should be kept in mind that leading an honorable life is in alignment with our higher self and we should always strive to do so.
Why suicide is considered a sin
In Verse 37, Shri Kṛṣṇa is addressing Arjuna as Kaunteya, son of Kunti, to remind him of his Kshatriya lineage and tells Arjuna “give up this cowardice and face up to your problems”. This applies to all of us. When faced with problems it is natural to feel afraid, however we should remind ourselves that fear is not a virtue and we should strive to rise above our fears and face our problems head on.
It has to be kept in mind that Arjuna was the fiercest of warriors of his time. He had even defeated Lord Shiva once and Shiva was very pleased with Arjuna and gifted him with the powerful Pashupatastra. Such a warrior is also becoming a victim of fear. So fear is indeed a very powerful enemy, we should be aware of it and make sure we do not fall victim to it.
Shri Kṛṣṇa is also saying that if you face your problems and overcome them (fight and win the battle), you will enjoy the benefits in this world. If you face your problems and die fighting, then you will enjoy the benefits in the spiritual world. So either way, Arjuna has nothing to lose. Arjuna will lose only if he chooses to run away from the battlefield. This applies to all of us, we lose out only when we run away from our problems. This is one of the reasons why suicide is considered a big sin.
Shravan, Manan and Nidhidhyasan
This is divine knowledge coming directly from Kṛṣṇa . We can utilize this knowledge to progress in the spiritual path and attain liberation. However, just knowledge alone is not sufficient. As described in the vedas, we need a three step process to any spiritual knowledge to purify the mind and help attain self realization. These are:
- Shravan (hearing or reading divine knowledge)
- Manan (repeatedly thinking about deeply understanding the divine knowledge)
- Nidhidhyasan (developing firm faith and conviction in God and the divine knowledge)
We are all getting together regularly and going through the BG verses, this is Shravan. We then need to think deeply about it, ask questions, introspect and try to really understand the various aspects of this knowledge. This is Manan. Then we should have complete faith in that knowledge and we should practice it in our daily lives. We should also have complete faith that when we reach out to God with a pure heart, God will also reach out to us and take care of us. This is Nidhidhyasan. If we do all three, we can be certain of spiritual progress leading to self realization.
As an example, when we read Shri Kṛṣṇa’s instruction that one should always do their duty, we should then think deeply and try to understand what our duty really is? What kind of activities are in alignment with our duties and which ones are not in alignment, etc. And then we should start practicing doing our duties with the firm belief and faith that it will lead us towards spiritual progress and self realization.
From verse 38 onwards, Kṛṣṇa will start explaining his original philosophy based on practical Vedanta and how we can apply it for human development.
The next set of shlokas, 38 to 44 can be found here.
kṛṣṇadaasa
Servant of Krishna
Aka +Vinayak Raghuvamshi