Sānkhya View on why Arjuna should fight the war.

·         You are grieving over those which are not worthy of lamentation and speaking the language of a Prajñā. The Panditah never laments over life which has passed or life which has not-passed. 

·         But certainly (it is) not (a fact) that I did not exist at any time; nor you, nor these rulers of men. And surely it is not that we all shall cease to exist after this. 

·         As the dehinah (embodied or ātmā) acquires

·         kaumāram (teenage),

·         yauvanam (youth) and

·         jarā (old age) in this body,

·         Similarly, (it) achieves the change of the body (to a new one).

·         A dhirah (sober person) is not bewildered (by such a change).

·         Sense Perceptions like heat, cold, happiness and sorrow appear and disappear. They are non-permanent. Bear them.

·         The Puruṣaḥ to whom all these (sense perceptions) do not torment. One who is patient and is unaltered in happiness or sorrow is certainly eligible for amŗtatvāya (liberation).

·         There exists no bhāvah (nature of being) of the asatah (unreal). There exists no abhāvah (without nature) of the satah (real). Certainly both the observation and conclusion of them are done by the Tattva-darśi (Seers of the Truth).

·         That which pervades the entire body, know it to be indestructible. No one is able to destroy that imperishable (ātmā).

·         All these material bodies are perishable. Śarīriņah (ātmā) is said to be nityasya (eternal in existence), indestructible and immeasurable.

·         One who considers this (ātmā) as the killer, and also, one who believes this (ātmā) is killed. They both do not possess knowledge. This (ātmā) neither kills nor is killed.

·         This (ātmā) neither takes birth nor dies at any time. Neither this (ātmā) has taken birth nor will it born again. 

·         It is unborn, eternal, ever-lasting and primeval. 

·         The ātmā is not killed when the body is killed.

·         One who knows this (ātmā) to be indestructible, eternal, unborn and imperishable, how can that Puruṣaḥ hurt anyone or kill anyone?

·         As a naraḥ (Man) giving up old garments, accepts other new ones. Similarly giving up the old bodies, the dehī (ātmā) accepts different new bodies.

·         This (ātmā) can

·         not be cut to pieces by weapons,

·         not be burnt by fire,

·         not be wet by water,

·         not be dried by the wind.

·         This (ātmā) is

·         unbreakable,

·         unable to be burned,

·         unable to be wetted,

·         unable to be dried.

·         nityaḥ         (everlasting),

·         sarva-gatah (all-pervading),

·         sthāņuḥ     (unchangeable),

·         acalaḥ       (immovable),

·         sanātanaḥ (eternal),

·         avyaktaḥ   (unmanifest),

·         acintyaḥ    (inconceivable),

·         avikāryaḥ   (unchangeable)

·         Therefore, thus knowing this (ātmā), you should not grieve.

·         If however, you believe that this (ātmā) is perpetually, always takes birth or dies. Still then you should not grieve like this.

·         Certainly death is a fact of the birth; (similarly re-)birth is also a fact of the death. Therefore you should not lament on the matter which is unavoidable.

·         All beings are unmanifest in the beginning, become manifested in middle and certainly become unmanifest again when they die. Therefore what is there to lament?

·         Some

·         see this (ātmā) as an amazing thing,

·         some describe it as amazing,

·         some hear of the ātmā as amazing.

·         even having heard this, some never know for sure.

·         That which eternally dwells in the body (dehī or ātmā) can never be killed. This (ātmā) is in the body of everyone. Therefore you should not grieve. 

·         Even considering your own dharma as well, you should not hesitate, as nothing better than fighting for dharma exists for a kșatriya.

·         Happy are the kșatriyas, when they get to be in a war like this, which approaches on its own, along with the open door of svarga.
  

·         Therefore if you do not act in this dharmyam-sangrāmam, then losing your own dharma and kirti, you will incur sin.

·         Also bhutāni (living beings) will speak of your akīrti forever. For a respectable man, akīrti is worse than death.

·         The Mahā-rathāḥ will consider that you have fled from battlefield out of fear. Also among whom you have been popular (highly estimated), your popularity will decrease.

·         Your enemies will say many hurting words (to you) while denigrating your ability. What could be more sorrowful than that?

·         Either you will be killed on the battlefield and attain svarga, or you will win and enjoy the earthly kingdom. Therefore, get up with determination and fight.

·         Remaining equipoise towards

·         happiness and sorrow,

·         gain or loss,

·         victory or defeat.

·         thereafter, engage in fighting for the sake of war (yuddha).

·         In this way you will never incur sin.

Buddhi-Yoga View on why this war needs to be fought.

·         All this I described to you, in terms of Sānkhya, but hear this in terms of Buddhi Yoga, by being buddhi-yukta, you will be released from the bondage of karma.

·         There is no loss in this effort/attempt/endeavour (associating with buddhi), there exists no diminution. Even a little of this dharma, releases (you) from great fear.

·         The buddhi of those who are firmly determined in this (Buddhi Yoga) have only one (path/aim). The buddhi of those who are not determined are multi-branched and unending.

·         All these flowery words are said by men with little knowledge, who are engaged in following Veda.

·         Thus they say that there is nothing else. (other than svarga)

·         The supreme desire of their ātmānah (Self) is to achieve svarga.

·         They perform various specific activities giving (them) janma and karma results.

·         And they move towards bhoga (sense enjoyment) and aiśvarya (opulence).

·         For those

·         who are attached to bhoga (enjoyment) and aiśvarya (opulence),

·         whose ceta (consciousness) in deluded by such things,

·         They can never procure Buddhi of firm determination (vyavasāya-atmikā) in Samādhi (meditative state).

·         The three guņa are the subject matter of Veda. You should rise above these three modes of guņa and be transcendental to all of them.

·         Be free from all dualities and always remain situated in sattva (reality or God), absolutely unconcerned about the fulfilment of desires and the preservation of what has been already attained. Be established in the self (ātmavān).

·         One who knows the purpose of a well, knows the purpose of all the oceans (or, great water reservoirs), similarly the purpose behind all Veda is known to a person who has Jñāna of Brahma (i.e a brāhmana).

·         Certainly you have a right to perform your Karma, but (you) never (have any rights) in its results. Never become the cause of your karma-phala. Never be attached to akarma..

·         Perform your karma remaining steadfast in yoga.

·         Abandoning attachments, consider success and failure as same. This evenness of mind is called Yoga.

·         Discard abominable activities using Buddhi Yoga. In such buddhi fully give up all your desires.

·         Those who desire the fruits of their actions are misers.

·         Buddhi-Yukto (one associated with Buddhi Yoga) rids himself of both good and bad actions even in this life. Therefore engage in yoga.

·         Yoga is the art/technique (Kauśalam) in all Karma.

·         The person who is Buddhi-Yuktāh renounces the results of his Karma and frees himself from the bondage of birth and attains a state that is beyond all miseries.

·         When your Buddhi has passed out of the dense forest of illusion at that time you will become indifferent to all that is to be heard and all that is already heard (referring to sense perceptions).

·         When your Buddhi remains unmoved and is not influenced upon hearing conflicting statements of śruti (Vedas) and remains transcendental and unflinching. At that time you will achieve Yoga.

Features of a Stitha Prajña

·         Arjuna asks,

·         “What are the features of a sthita-Prajña who is established in samādhi?

·         How does a sthita-dhīḥ (person of stabilised mind) speak, sit and walk?”

·         When a man

·         gives up all desires which arises from mental concoction and

·         when his ātmanā (mind)  finds satisfaction in ātmani (his Self - ātmā) alone.

·         Then he is said to be Stitha-Prajña (in pure transcendental consciousness).

·         One who remains unperturbed amid sorrows and is not elated in happiness.

·         One who is free from

·         Rāga (attachment),

·         Bhaya (fear) and

·         Krodha (anger)

·         is called a Stitha-Dhiḥ Muni (a sage established in wisdom)

·         He who

·         has no affection anywhere,

·         Achieving good or evil, neither praises nor envies.

·         His Prajñā (knowledge/wisdom) is firmly established.

·         One who withdraws his senses from the sense objects (just as a turtle withdraws all its limbs into its shell), his Prajñā is firmly established.

·         Through restrictions the dehinah (ātmā of a Stitha Prajña) practises refraining sense-objects. Even after renouncing the sense of enjoyment, still his sense of enjoyment remains. (However) Upon experiencing the Supreme (in the process), he (eventually) ceases from (the sense enjoyment). 

·         While doing the effort (described above), the turbulent sense organs forcibly carry away the mind even of a vipaścitaḥ Purușa (man of discriminating knowledge).

·         Keeping all those under control,

·         situated in association with ‘Me-Supreme’,

·         one whose senses are in full subjugation,

·         his Prajñā is firmly established. (is known as a man of steady intelligence)

·         When a person dwells on sense objects,

·         he develops attachments for them.

·         From such attachment, desire develops,

·         from desire develops anger

·         From anger, delusion arises and

·         From delusion, bewilderment of smŗti (memory) occurs.

·         When the smŗti is bewildered, Buddhi is lost.

·         When buddhi is lost, his downfall occurs.

·         But one

·         who has become free from rāga and dveșa (attraction and repulsion),

·         whose sense objects act under his control.

·         one whose ātmā follows regulated freedom

·         he attains the blessings (of the Supreme).

·         For such blessed ones, all their sorrows are destroyed. In such a happy – conscious state, very soon his Buddhi gets fully established.

·         There  

·         Cannot exist buddhi (transcendental intelligence), if a person is ayuktasya (not associated with Buddhi Yoga).

·         One also cannot have bhavanā (the right thought process), if he is ayuktasya.

·         If he is not having the right thought process (abhāvayatah), he cannot attain Śanti.

·         And without Śanti, where is Sukham?

·         Certainly while the senses are wandering, the mind becomes attached to them, carrying away his Prajñā (wisdom), as the wind sweeps away a boat on the water.

·         Therefore one whose senses are restrained from their sense-objects, his Prajñā is firmly established.

·         What is night (dark) for all living beings is awakening for a saḿyamī (self-controlled person). (Refers to transcendental consciousness).

·         That which arouses (awakens) all living beings is night (dark) for a sage (self-controlled person). (Refers to sense gratification).

·         As the ocean (which is) always filled, (still remains) steadily established, when (more) water enter (into it), similarly the person (who remains undisturbed) when all kāma enter (into him), achieves śanti, not who desires to fulfil desires. (kāma-kāmi).

·         A person who

·         has given up all desires, lives a desire-less life,

·         one who is without a sense of proprietorship and

·          is devoid of ego

·         attains peace.

·         After attaining this transcendental (brāhmi) state, a person is never bewildered. Being situated in this state when a person dies, he attains Brahma-Nirvāņam (Oneness with Brahma).

·         Arjuna asked,

·         “If Buddhi is better in your opinion than Karma, then why you are engaging me in this ghastly Karma (war)?

·         My Buddhi is certainly bewildered by (your) equivocal statements.

·         So please tell precisely one (path) through which I may excel.”

·         There are two kinds of nişţhā in this loka, as previously said by Me.

·         By Jñāna Yoga of Sānkhya.

·         By Karma Yoga of Yogis.