Arjuna's Decisions - From Material Illusion to Spiritual Surrender
The dialogue of the Bhagavad-gītā is driven by the profound internal conflict of its central character. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that by studying Arjuna's decisions—from his initial refusal to fight, to his acceptance of a spiritual master, and finally to his total surrender—we learn the exact process of how a conditioned soul transitions from material illusion to perfect spiritual consciousness.
The Initial Material Decision
Upon seeing his relatives arrayed on the opposing side, Arjuna was overwhelmed by bodily compassion. As Śrīla Prabhupāda points out, Arjuna's first conclusion was to abandon his duty, falsely believing that giving up the kingdom would resolve his deep anxiety.
- In the beginning, Arjuna decided that he should not fight in the Battle of Kuruksetra. This was his own decision.
- Arjuna told the Lord that it was not possible for him to enjoy the kingdom after killing his own kinsmen. This decision was based on the body because he was thinking that the body was himself.
- Obligation is actually binding when the effect is good, but when the effect is otherwise, then no one can be bound. Considering all these pros and cons, Arjuna decided not to fight.
- He (Arjuna) has now (in Bhagavad-gita 1.31) decided to go into the forest and live a secluded life in frustration.
The Underlying Motive of Sense Gratification
To ordinary vision, Arjuna's reluctance to fight appeared highly noble and nonviolent. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that Lord Kṛṣṇa completely rejected this stance because it was subtly rooted in personal sense gratification rather than spiritual duty.
- Materially, it appears very nice that Arjuna is giving up his claim of kingdom for satisfying his relatives. Oh, he's very good man. But Krsna did not approve it. Why? Because the basic principle was Arjuna decided to satisfy his own senses.
- Materially it may seem very pious that he (Arjuna) is giving up his claim for a kingdom and refusing to kill his relatives, but Krsna did not approve of this because the principle for Arjuna's decision was to satisfy his own senses.
- Sri Arjuna, wanting to satisfy his senses by becoming a so-called nonviolent and pious man, at first decided not to fight.
- Arjuna wanted first of all to satisfy his own senses by his decision not to fight with his kinsmen and friends, but Lord Sri Krsna taught him the Bhagavad-gita just to purify Arjuna's decision for sense gratification.
Accepting the Supreme Spiritual Master
Arjuna's mundane arguments could not resolve his existential crisis. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes how the turning point of the Bhagavad-gītā occurs when Arjuna sets aside his friendly familiarity and makes the vital decision to accept Lord Kṛṣṇa as his guru.
- A guru is necessary. In the Bhagavad-gita, when Krsna and Arjuna were talking as friends, there was no conclusion. So Arjuna decided to accept Krsna as his guru.
- In the beginning Arjuna was arguing with Krsna to support his decision that he would not fight, but he could not convince Krsna very nicely.
- Arjuna is exampling himself that he's accepting Krsna as the spiritual master, teacher. And then Krsna began to teach the Bhagavad-gita, and he changed his decision, and he was freed from all anxieties. This is spiritual life.
- Arjuna was not the supreme knower, and his decision to fight or not to fight was confined to his limited discretion. Lord Krsna instructed that the individual is not all in all.
The Final Transcendental Decision
Enlightened by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Arjuna abandoned his material calculations. Śrīla Prabhupāda concludes that Arjuna's final decision to fight on Kṛṣṇa's behalf is the ultimate standard of devotional service that every practitioner must strive to follow.
- In the beginning, Sri Arjuna, the great fighter, declined to fight, but when he was convinced by the Lord that the fighting was necessary, Sri Arjuna changed his decision and fought for His cause.
- When he (Arjuna) was fully situated in the principles of bhagavata-dharma, culminating in complete surrender unto the will of the Supreme Lord, he changed his decision and agreed to fight for the satisfaction of the Lord.
- As a pure devotee of the Lord (Krsna), Arjuna agreed to fight in preference to his own decision, and thus Arjuna fought to assist the Lord in His mission of diminishing the burden of the world.
- This is the way of the parampara system. If we follow the acaryas we attain the same benefit as our predecessors. If one follows the decisions of Arjuna, he should be considered to be directly hearing Bhagavad-gita from the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the sequence of Arjuna's decisions provides the perfect blueprint for spiritual emancipation. Left to his own discretion, Arjuna's initial decision to abandon the battle was flawed because it was based entirely on the bodily concept of life and a desire for personal, peaceful sense gratification. However, his supreme intelligence was displayed when he recognized his own limitations and decided to submit to Lord Kṛṣṇa as a disciple. By hearing the transcendental knowledge of the Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna's consciousness was purified. He changed his decision, choosing to align his will entirely with the will of the Supreme Lord. By following this ultimate decision of Arjuna—to abandon personal motives and act solely for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa—any sincere soul can conquer material illusion and attain the supreme perfection of life.
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