Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2

Introduction | Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2

What is vital to understand at this juncture in Holy Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 is that God Kaal possessed Shri Krishna at this stage. God Kaal subtly entered in to the body of Shri Krishna and then imparted the rest of the knowledge of Holy Bhagavad Gita. Readers should understand who this Kaal is. There is a God by the name of “Kaal” who is above Brahma, Vishnu & Shiv in hierarchy. Kaal is also known as Brahm. He is the father of Brahma, Vishnu & Shiva. Only after understanding the position of Kaal, one can comprehend Bhagavad Gita in entirety.

Verse 1 - 16 | Holy Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2

Verses 1 – 3: On seeing crying and sad Arjuna, Shri Krishna explains to Arjuna that your cowardly behaviour at this point in time is not going to grant you heaven or any fame. Stop being a eunuch and get ready for the battle.

Verses 4 – 6: Arjun says, that Lord, instead of committing sin by killing our respected elders, brothers, and relatives, I consider it better to eat begged food. Enjoying such blood stained kingdom will only incur sin.

Verses 7 – 9: Arjun further says, “I am your disciple and am in your refuge. My mind has stopped working. Advise me whatever is in my interest. Even if someone grants me the kingdom of the whole Earth and makes me the king of gods, even then I would not like to fight and carry the burden of this heinous sin on my head”. Arjun thus says that no matter how much you may persuade me, but I do not perceive that any teaching of yours will prepare me for the battle. Arjun thus retreats to the back of the chariot

Verses 10 – 16: on seeing grief-stricken Arjun, Shri Krishna says that Oh Arjun! You are unnecessarily grieving. Learned people do not worry about death. It is not that you, all these soldiers, and I were never there before or will never be. Therefore, gather the courage to bear sorrow-joys and we all are in the cycle of life-death.

Shri Krishna, clarifies here that he himself is in the cycle of birth & death.

- Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 Verse 12 & 13

Holy Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 | Verse 17 – 30

Verses 17 – 30: The essence of Holy Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 Verse 17-25 is that All living beings are in birth and death. But know Him (Supreme God) as eternal & immortal, from whom the whole world has pervaded. No one is capable of destroying that Eternal God. That God lives with the soul like the smell in air.

Supreme God is Immortal & likewise Soul is Immortal because soul is a part of Supreme God
- The Bhagavad Gita Quotes Chapter 13, Verse 22-23

Good soul is fragrance and evil soul is foul smell. But fresh/pure air is detached; still both have an inseparable relationship. Likewise, the soul has the same qualities as God. Nevertheless, it experiences the results of its deeds. Like, after casting off worn-out clothes, new clothes are worn, consider this body as same. A soul does not die, can neither be cut, nor put on fire, nor can be drowned in water, nor can air make it dry, it is immortal. A soul according to its deeds, experiences happiness and suffering in heaven-hell and 84-lakh species of life, but God has no sufferings. Therefore, do not grieve.

Holy Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 | Verse 31 - 38

Verse 31 – 37: In these verses Shri Krishna says to Arjun that it is against the duty of a Kshatriya (person belonging to a warrior clan) to behave like a coward. If you die in the battle, then you would go to heaven but if you win, you will enjoy the kingdom of Indraprasth.

Verse 38: Shri Krishna says that consider the victory or loss to be the same, joy or sorrow to be the same, gain or loss to be the same. In this way you will not incur sin.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 | Verse 39 - 45

Verse 39 – 45: Shri Krishna says to Arjun that those with wavering mind never attain success. Therefore denounce worldly attachments, rise above the three gunas and become dependent upon Supreme God. Those souls who remain dependent upon the mantras of the Vedas and consider heaven to be their final goal, remain in the cycle of birth and death. These do not have a resolute mind in the concentration of Supreme God.

Worship the Supreme God & then one will escape the cycle of Birth & Death
- The Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 Quotes

Holy Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 | Verse 46 – 54

Verse 46 – 53: In these verses it is said that in reality, forgetting about sin and virtues, get engrossed in the worship of Supreme God.

Among actions, it is wise to do yog (worship). Therefore, get engrossed in yog (worship of Supreme God).

Wise devotees, even abandoning the fruits of actions, become liberated from the bondage of birth. When you will become free from attachment, you will attain the same vairagya (freedom from worldly desires). When your mind, instead of being confused by the knowledge of various types of conflicting scriptures, will become focused on one Tatvagyan (True Knowledge), then you will become a yogi (devotee). For example, one’s mind itself gets distracted from a small pond after obtaining a bigger reservoir of water. Similarly, after becoming aware of the Supreme God, the mind gets distracted from the smaller gods i.e. Brahma, Vishnu, Shiv, gods-goddesses, Mother Durga, Kaal (Brahm) and ParBrahm. And after doing worship of Supreme God, one becomes completely liberated from the cycle of birth-death. Therefore, you become a devotee of Supreme God. Then you will be a yogi i.e. a right devotee.

Only after attaining Tatvagyan (true Knowledge), One becomes a yogi i.e. true devotee
- The Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2

Verse 54: In Holy Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 Verse 54, Arjun asks, ‘what are the characteristics of a devotee who is completely dependent on one Supreme God i.e. what are the characteristics of a devotee who has a steadfast mind in Supreme God? How does he speak, walk or sit etc?

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 | Verse 55 - 68

Verse 55-68: In Holy Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 verses 55-68, it is mentioned that when a devotee (yogi), free from desires, is contented with destiny, at that time he has a steadfast mind. He considers sorrow-joy to be same and is free from love-hatred. He has subdued the senses.

Desires arise from bad thoughts. Then, from anger arises bewilderment, from bewilderment arises foolishness, and then because of destruction of knowledge, mind becomes corrupt, after which decline is certain. A Tatvagyani (knower of the truth) who is endowed with yog, he, even while performing the scripture-based act of worship, is not overpowered by the senses. Soon, his mind becomes steady and all his miseries end.

How can a person be happy until he is free from desires? Senses overpower the mind like a boat in water is overpowered by the wind i.e. he whose senses are under control, know his mind to be stable.

Holy Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 | Verse 69 - 72

Verse 69-72: In these verses it has been said that two types of persons try to remain awake at night.

• One, lover of sensual pleasures (overpowered by lust and a thief or one who wants to collect lot of money), engrossed in evil habits remains awake. For him, it is not night; it is like a day.
• The second type of person who remains awake is a lover of God. He makes full use of that night.

Like, all the rivers automatically fall into a sea; similarly, the two types of persons automatically go to hell and heaven on the basis of their bad and good deeds.

One who has become aware of the truth about God (Parmatam tatva), he has become free from sensual enjoyments and remains balanced in joys-sorrows and gain-loss. Like the rivers even after falling into the sea do not disturb the sea. That person, free from all desires, free from affection and pride, attains peace.

A devotee, who becoming free from the evil habits of sensual enjoyments, represses senses by overcoming mind, puts an end to lust, anger, passion, greed, pride and does not become unsteady even at the time of death, only that person can achieve Supreme God. Otherwise, because of being incompetent can not attain Supreme God.
- The Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2

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