Gita : Ch-2. Slo-7.

Srimad Bhagavad-Gita :  


Chapter-2. ( Samkya-yogam )


Slokam-7. (  Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me. )





Karpanya-doshopahata-svabhavah


Prcchami     tvam    dharma-sammudha-cetah


Yat   sreyah   syanniscitam     bruhi      tan  me


Sishyasteham     sadhi     mam    tvam    prapannam.





karpanya-doshopahata-svabhavah   =    I  am  (Arjuna )  spoiled  by   two dhoshams  ( evils ),  viz;  Dainyam ( weakness ),  
chapalyam  ( confusion  to take decision  to fight or not ) ( Karpanya -dhosham )  and  my conduct  is under the control of these two 
evils;        


dharma-sammudha-cetah    =    as    I  ( Arjuna )    could   not    discriminate   between    dharmam    and    adharmam;  


aham    tvam      Prcchami   =    I  am   asking    you  ( Sri  Krishna );


yat     me    =   what   it  is   to   me;


sreyah    syat    =    Superior, highly  valued,  ( to my uplift  );


tat    niscitam    bruhi    =    ( That one )   please   confirm    and    advise   me;


aham    te     sishyah   =   I  am    your    disciple;


tvam    prapannam    =    I  surrender  me   at   your  feet;


mam     sadhi     =    ( Please )  Instruct   me.




Therefore Arjuna is saying that with his natural qualities of valour and courage subdued by a feeling of helplessness in not having the desire even to live and in sinfulness for even considering to deign to participate in the destruction of a dynasty. When ones mind is perplexed regarding duty and responsibility one should definitely take direction from higher authority. In the case of Arjuna, who was in doubt as to whether or not it was righteous or unrighteous for a ksatriya to give up fighting and take to begging; therefore without hesitation he fully surrendered unto the Supreme Lord and beseeched Him to instruct what was in his best spiritual interests to engage in. 



If as in the previous slokam Arjuna has determined that life would not be worth living even if winning the battle then it might be questioned what destined designation does he assign for himself? To this query Arjuna has now determined in his mind that unconditional surrender to the Supreme Lord Krishna is the greatest panacea than any other means prescribed in Vedic scriptures. The Vedic scriptures reveal that He who originated the entire creation, from whose breath emanated the eternal Vedas for Brahma to speak, that Supreme Personality, omniscient and effulgent is He who should be sought for shelter. Also in the books of law in the Vedic culture it is written that He who originated Brahma and protects the eternal Vedas is He the Supreme Lord Krishna, all knowing and effulgent who should be sought for shelter. Those who seek shelter of the Supreme Lord Krishna are never deluded. Lord Krishna is known as Janardana or He who always removes the ignorance of His devotees. Arjuna has lost the power of discrimination in knowing what is beneficial for himself and what is not. So realizing this he tells Lord Krishna that he is surrendering to Him whose power is not known by Brahma or Siva and whose attributes and potencies are transcendental to the material existence. Who is an ocean of qualities such as compassion and mercy and this Lord Krishna has descended Himself and incarnated in the Vrsni dynasty in the family of Vasudeva for the benefit of His devotees and all those who follow righteousness in accordance to the Vedic scriptures who are eligible to receive the mercy and compassion of the Supreme Lord.



According to Vedic scriptures one who dies in this world without becoming self-realized is a miser. One is called a miser who is desitute of knowledge of the nature and qualities of their immortal soul. In worldly parlance one is known as a miser who is extremely stingy with their money. Miserliness here is the affliction of weakness regarding ones spiritual identity and integrity. Discriminatory power weakened by vices forms the delusion which bewilders the intelligence. Arjuna whose ignorance was removed due to the compassion of the Lord for His devotees, realized this and unconditionally surrendered to Lord Krishna with the words tvam prapannam meaning surrendered unto you and asks the Lord for spiritual guidance as confirmed by the words sadhi mam instruct me. Arjuna qualifies his own fitness to receive these instructions from Lord Krishna by the words sisyah te aham meaning I am your disciple. This was stated by Arjuna so that Lord Krishna would understand that he was serious and not doubt his intentions that he was a fit recipient for the Lords mercy and give him instructions out of His causeless compassion. 



By nature's own way the complete system of material activities is a source of perplexity for everyone. In every step there is perplexity, and therefore it behooves one to approach a bona fide spiritual master who can give one proper guidance for executing the purpose of life. All Vedic literatures advise us to approach a bona fide spiritual master to get free from the perplexities of life which happen without our desire. They are like a forest fire that somehow blazes without being set by anyone. Similarly, the world situation is such that perplexities of life automatically appear, without our wanting such confusion. No one wants fire, and yet it takes place, and we become perplexed. The Vedic wisdom therefore advises that in order to solve the perplexities of life and to understand the science of the solution, one must approach a spiritual master who is in the disciplic succession. A person with a bona fide spiritual master is supposed to know everything. One should not, therefore, remain in material perplexities but should approach a spiritual master. This is the purport of this verse.


Who is the man in material perplexities? It is he who does not understand the problems of life. In the Garga Upaniṣad the perplexed man is described as follows:


"yo   va   etad   aksharam   gargy    aviditvasmal    lokat    praiti     sa     'krpanah' ".


"He is a miserly man who does not solve the problems of life as a human and who thus quits this world like the cats and dogs, without understanding the science of self-realization." This human form of life is a most valuable asset for the living entity who can ultilize it for solving the problems of life; therefore, one who does not utilize this opportunity properly is a miser. On the other hand, there is the brahmana, or he who is intelligent enough to utilize this body to solve all the problems of life.


The krpanas, or miserly persons, waste their time in being overly affectionate for family, society, country, etc., in the material conception of life. One is often attached to family life, namely to wife, children and other members, on the basis of "skin disease." The krpana thinks that he is able to protect his family members from death; or the krpana thinks that his family or society can save him from the verge of death. Such family attachment can be found even in the lower animals who take care of children also. Being intelligent, Arjuna could understand that his affection for family members and his wish to protect them from death were the causes ot his perplexities. Although he could understand that his duty to fight was awaiting him, still, on account of miserly weakness, he could not discharge the duties. He is therefore asking Lord Krishna, the supreme spiritual master, to make a definite solution. He offers himself to Krishna as a disciple. He wants to stop friendly talks. Talks between the master and the disciple are serious, and now Arjuna wants to talk very seriously before the recognized spiritual master. Krishna is therefore the original spiritual master of the science of Bhagavadgeeta, and Arjuna is the first disciple for understanding the Geeta. How Arjuna understands the Bhagavadgeeta is stated in the Geeta itself. And yet foolish mundane scholars explain that one need not submit to Krishna as a person, but to "the unborn within Krishna." There is no difference between Krishna's within and without. And one who has no sense of this understanding is the greatest fool in trying to understand Bhagavadgeeta.

To be continued