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Geeta Chapter 2 Verse 4

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 Verse 4

कथं भीष्ममहं संख्ये द्रोणं च मधुसूदन ।
इषुभिः प्रति योत्स्यामि पूजार्हावरिसूदन ॥२-४॥

katham bhishmam aham sankhye dronam cha madhusudan,
ishubhih pratiyotshyami pujarhavarisudana ॥ 2-4 ॥

Transliteration

When Krishna repeatedly exhorts Arjuna to pick arms and fight the enemy... Arjuna addresses Krishna as Madhusudana (killer of demon Madhu) and says in the battlefield where both sides are prepared for war... how could Arjuna face his maternal grandfather Bhishma Pitamah and guru Dronacharya, even if they were in enemy camp. In Hindu scriptures, status of grandfather and guru is considered sacrosanct as they always were well-wishers. The thought of facing such revered personalities in war overwhelmed Arjuna. He truly was overcome with grief and sorrow.

Arjuna further addresses Lord Krishna as Arisudana (destroyer of enemy)! Arjuna thought... Lord Krishna (who himself was Dharmaraja) would understand meaning of all what Arjuna said. Being Lord Krishna, knower of all... he would understand predicament of Arjuna. Even if Bhishma Pitamah and guru Dronacharya attacked first... how could he reply back? For Arjuna, both maternal grandfather Bhishma Pitamah and guru Dronacharya were adorable. As a grandchild, his Dharma (power of righteousness) did not permit him to lift arms against elders.

Arjuna addressing Krishna as Arisudana was a way of expressing his distress. If Krishna faced the same dilemma as Arjuna, would Lord Krishna fight his maternal grandfather and guru? Would the law of nature be applicable to both in same measure? Arjuna expected Krishna to reply based on his experience. Arjuna had full faith in Lord Krishna as he was Dharmaraja himself (the upholder of Dharma, righteousness). Arjuna knew well that Lord Krishna would advise Arjuna based on established dharmic principles of life and at no stage Krishna could ever go wrong.

The Explanation

In the battlefield of Mahabharata facing his enemy when Arjuna realized that enemy side consisted of his maternal grandfather Bhishma Pitamah and guru Dronacharya... he refused to fight! A feeling of great grief overcame him. Even if maternal grandfather Bhishma Pitamah or guru Dronacharya initiates the fight... how he would hit back those whom he revered deeply! He was in a dilemma how to break free from clutches of war.

He addresses Krishna as Madhusudana and Arisudana with the hope that if Lord Krishna had to undergo the same peril he was in... Then what would be his advice to Arjuna! As Krishna represented Dharma (righteousness) on mother earth, he could never speak untruth to Arjuna! Infact Arjuna wanted to prepare self to fight his enemies prompted by dictates of Lord Krishna. That way he would escape the blame of fighting his own maternal grandfather and guru. Instead of drowning in sorrow... he wanted to face the enemy, but how!

Arjuna thought, if Lord Krishna faced the same situation of fighting his maternal grandfather and guru... then how would have Krishna reacted to same. He was also going to follow the same diktat which Lord Krishna would deliver to him. By no means was Arjuna a coward. Only he was not prepared to fight his dear maternal grandfather Bhishma Pitamah and guru Dronacharya. Arjuna did not wish any harm to maternal grandfather Bhishma Pitamah and guru Dronacharya. How could he escape the perils of war in such a situation?

Arjuna realized that throughout life, his maternal grandfather Bhishma Pitamah and guru Dronacharya had been his well-wishers. Now because they were siding with adharma (lawlessness)... should he prepare self to fight them! Arjuna thought, his fight was with his cousins consisting of Duryodhana and others. Maternal grandfather Bhishma Pitamah and guru Dronacharya were not directly to blame. By siding Duryodhana, had they committed as big a crime to be fought head-on with bows and arrows?

Arjuna inherently knew that all his pleadings with Krishna would go in vain! As this was a fight between dharmic forces of nature and adharma (evil forces of nature)... Lord Krishna would only advise that was right! As per Krishna, one who sides with the enemy was also an enemy. By breaking shackles of Moha (extreme emotional attachments) towards his loved ones... Krishna could convince Arjuna to fight the battle of Mahabharata. The whole essence of bhagavad gita chapter 2 verse 4 is... how to make Arjuna abandon his love for those he loved dearly.

As teachings of entire Bhagavad Gita were an allegory to happenings in human life... the message conveyed in Bhagavad Gita chapter 2 verse 4 was loud and clear. To undertake spiritual journey, how could one abandon Moha (extreme emotional attachment) towards those whom we loved dearly. For the sake of spiritual path, why feelings of Moha (attachment) had to be crucified forever! Can we not undertake spiritual journey while living material life! Why nuances of material world were an obstacle on spiritual path.

Every man god like Mahavira, Gautama Buddha, Jesus Christ, Prophet Mohammed, Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa or Maharishi Ramana had to abandon family ties in order to reach God in their lifetime. Cutting across shackles of Moha was an extremely difficult task. Why?

Abandoning our parents, brothers and sisters was no ordinary task. At every stage of life our parents’ brothers and sisters supported us with true love. Instead of repaying back their love... we were thinking of abandoning them for the sake of reaching God in present life. How could we even think of it... no matter what our goal of life! Since our birth, our parents took care of us. And now we wanted to go in search of God leaving them midway. This predicament of overcoming family ties is the biggest hurdle of spiritual path. Most human beings world over failed on this juncture. Quitting the family midway, would it not make us a sinner in eyes of God Almighty!

How could we even think of leaving our brothers and sisters, close relatives and friends for the sake of spirituality? For a serious seeker of spirituality, at this point of time... it was our soul atman, the spirit within that came to our rescue. Then what was the message conveyed to us by our soul atman, the spirit within.

Our soul atman, the spirit within all the time says... I took human form to reach cosmic end of life, 8.4 millionth manifestation... last in cosmic life cycle! I am the true essence of life, and not the manifest physical human form. It was not for a human being to decide the goal of life. The goal of life always was decided by me. Ever since I started my cosmic journey, my goal of life was fixed... regain my pure prime pristine primordial form at the earliest. This became possible when human beings undertake spiritual journey in right earnestness.

For me as a soul atman, the spirit within... the human form, the human garb was but clothing that I shed again and again when mortal death of body occurred. I shall keep doing it until I reached 8.4 millionth manifestation. As per dictates of our soul atman, the spirit within... the real journey of human life belonged to our soul atman, the spirit within... and not the manifest physical human form! When human beings started travelling spiritual path... I felt at ease! It was only then I could regain my lost original pure prime pristine primordial form at the earliest.

As human form is only clothing for our soul atman, the spirit within... it is imperative for all human beings to undertake spiritual journey and reach God Almighty at the earliest! And to travel spiritual path effectively and sincerely... abandoning of family ties in the materialistic world was an absolute must. As no two souls atmans were connected to each other, the relationships existed only in physical manifest world... not world of souls' atmans! To explain this very vital fundamental of life, Lord Krishna gave sermon of Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna vide bhagavad gita chapter 2 verse 4. To reach God in present life... we have to kill family ties, no matter what!

Commentary by: Vijay Kumar "Atma Jnani"... The Man who Realized God in 1993 - Aug 30, 2014

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