Arjunas Universal Question – Gita Verses 14 Gita 2.07

Here, there are many key points but apart from the words itself, let’s try to understand the significance in context. So in one sense, if you consider Arjuna’s mood, it’s in one sense changing.
It was, he was raising objections, why I should not be fighting and he made some good arguments but the arguments for fighting are also there in his mind, at the back of his mind and they also come to the forefront and as he says, I just don’t know what is the right thing to do and from, so this is, you could say, this is more of an argumentative mood. It’s not argumentative, it’s at least advancing his case and then now from there his mood is becoming more inquisitive. So earlier he was asking rhetorical questions.
Somebody says, who in their right mind would even consider doing such a thing and what would you have done in this situation? They’re two very different questions. Would you have done this in the situation? That’s also a milder question. So earlier he was saying that who would fight against their elders but now he’s saying what’s the right thing to do? So he says, I am confused and the key word in this verse is, in this text is the word dharma.
The word dharma began the Bhagavad Gita, dharmakshetra was the first word and while the word has many different meanings, here it’s the right thing to do. What’s the right thing to do? I’m asking you about it and the right could be in the sense of morality but right could also be in the sense of meaning. What is the meaningful thing to do in such a situation? So the subsequent verses will say that Arjuna is asking more in terms of morality although the moral aspect is definitely there but he’s asking, I just want to know what I should do or what I should do over here and he states that this emphasis on dharma, you consider any book that is written, I mentioned repeatedly that the Bhagavad Gita is a part of the Mahabharata.
Every book has a driving question. Now what is this book trying to answer? So for example, if we consider a particular novel, if it’s a romantic novel, is that you know, okay will these two people get together at the end? If it’s a mystery novel, then it’s who did the crime? It’s whatever it is. There is some driving question.
So the Mahabharata’s driving question is about dharma. What is the right thing to do? The Mahabharata, it analyzes this in the light of stories. Okay, in this story this person did this, in the situation this person did that.
So was it the right thing to do? Now within that, the Gita is also a part of the Mahabharata and Gita also has the same question but it analyzes the question more in terms of metaphysics. It is, we’re going to discuss about the nature of reality and by discussing the nature of reality, then it will, the nature of duty, the nature of responsible action will be brought forth. So that’s what is happening over here.
So here he’s saying that, I ask you, what is the right thing to do? I’m confused about it and therefore I ask. And he himself voluntarily changes the dynamic of their relationship. In one sense, if both of them are in chariot, in the chariot, the charioteer is seated in a slightly lower position and the warrior is seated in a slightly higher position.
That’s the way the chariot is constructed. Now in that sense, Arjuna is, you could say, above Krishna. But if you consider that they’re just friends and Krishna is not an actual charioteer.
Krishna is just a friend who has taken the role of a charioteer. And friends would be that they have more or less of an equal relationship. If you consider that relationship but whatever be the mode of the relationship, Arjuna is saying that I want to change the terms of the relationship.
The term is that I accept you as my guru. Or rather he says, I become your disciple. So it’s like, can you become my guru? That is, okay, can you take this role? But can I become your disciple? That means I want to take this role.
This is I’m taking this role. And not only saying that, I’m not just a disciple for name’s sake. I want you to instruct me.
So he is changing the terms of the relationship. And that’s why I said that here we see an Arjuna who wants to know. And here also is the transition of the Gita or the beginning of the transition of the Gita.
The Gita happens at a particular circumstance. And there has been circumstantial discussion. Circumstantial reasons, circumstantial levels of discussion has been happening.
But now from there, it will actually move towards universal themes. And most of the Gita will talk at the universal level till at the end of the chapter, end of the book. So universal principles will be discussed.
And that transition of the discussion is happening by this 2.7 question. The question itself, it’s not should I fight? It’s not even what is my duty? What is the right thing for me to do? These are not his questions. His question is very general.
What is duty? What is dharma? And I’m roughly translating duty as dharma. But the very universal nature of the question indicates that the answer he’s speaking also is universal. So that’s how the Gita’s discussion gets elevated to a much loftier level over here.
Intelligence can have two aspects. With our intelligence, we know what to do. But intelligence also means to know what to do when we don’t know what to do.
So it might seem funny or paradoxical. But this idea, if somebody is a good driver, they’re an intelligent driver, they know how to drive to get to the destination. And if they don’t know how to get to the destination, they know what to do at that time.
I should look at my map. Maybe I should talk with some people, some other people who are driving by or people who are on the road and ask somebody who knows, who looks like they know their business. I could just ask a pedestrian, but if I could ask a cab driver who seems to have been driving there a long time, then that person might be authority over there.
So Arjuna is showing this second kind of intelligence over here. I don’t know what’s to be done, but I want to know. So both are required in our life.
We can’t expect to always know what to do. Okay, I’m feeling sick. Yeah, you know, when I get a little fever, I know what to do.
I should just take some rest. But this fever is not going away. I took some rest for two or three days.
Maybe there’s something more I need to do. Maybe I need to talk with a doctor. So both are signs of intelligence.
And Arjuna is exhibiting the second sign of intelligence over here. From the perspective, you could say in terms of whatever was the dynamic of the relationship, I would say the friendship was generally the dynamic of the relationship. But contextually, he was a warrior, the warrior charioteer.
So if you see most of the times in the Bhagavad Gita, in the subsequent war that will happen, it’s Krishna, Arjuna telling Krishna, no, let’s just attack that warrior. Can you take my chariot there? Can you take my chariot there? Sometimes Krishna says, yeah, maybe you shouldn’t be fighting with that person right now. You’re much more needed over here.
But most of the times, it is that the warrior gives directions to the charioteer. So in that sense, if you see in 1.24, also Krishna told Arjuna, sorry, Arjuna told Krishna, please take my chariot in between the two armies. And Krishna complied.
So in that sense, we could say, whatever, either they are equals or Arjuna is slightly superior. But the dynamic definitely changes with Arjuna. Arjuna accepts that I would like to be at a lower position, I would like to learn.
Even if we accept that there is some kind of ultimate reality, there’s some God, and normally the way if our interaction, our relationship with God evolves, it’s initially, it’s like, please do my will. We may not phrase it like that. But that’s what we are praying to God.
Please do my will. This is what I want to do. Please make it happen.
So it’s a you do my will. And that is Arjuna’s position at the start of the Gita in 1.24 at least. And then towards the end, as we evolve in our relationship with God, as we understand his wisdom and his compassion and his love, then it becomes, I will do your will.
And that is where Arjuna will be at the end of the Gita as mentioned in 1873. So this is evolution. So sometimes that contrast is highlighted.
In that sense, Arjuna, Arjuna had put himself at a slightly higher position where he was giving directions to God. He was having expectations from God that this is what you should be doing. And Krishna had voluntarily taken that role.
But Krishna changed when Arjuna wanted him to change. And Krishna will take a higher position. As we’ll see, the position of instructor Krishna will take in subsequent texts.
We feel safe in a particular relationship only when the dynamics are in a particular way. And is it a relationship coming, is the safety coming from the specific dynamics of the relationship or is the safety coming from the person? But even if the dynamics change, then it’s okay. You know, I’m okay to function this way also.
But it’s, it’s fine. It’s like, say, a couple of siblings, they just maybe they’re twins, they’re both friends, and they’re a friendly relationship. But say one twin is really good at football.
And the other twin says that, I also want to learn to play football. Can you teach me? Okay. So you really want to put yourself in a position where you will, that I will tell you what to do and what not to do? Not really, but okay.
So there is some hesitation. If there is really a safety in a relationship, now, where does it come from? It comes from dynamics of the relationship, the specific dynamics, or it comes from the trust in the nature of the person. Okay, even if I put myself in a busy position, this is not, my twin is not a mean person.
He’s not just going to make me run laps for the sake of, for making fun of me, for having a laugh at my expense. So that is the trust in the relationship. That’s why Arjuna is able to voluntarily seek to change the dynamics.
And we just discussed this one text 2.7. And I discussed three points, basically. The first point was that how the Gita is moving here. The Gita and the Mahabharata are similar in that in the sense that they have the same driving question.
What is Dharma? What is the right thing to do? The Mahabharata is approaching it from the perspective of narratives, stories, whereas Gita is going to approach it from the perspective of metaphysics. And the second point we discussed is the Gita’s ascent. So Arjuna’s questions from the circumstantial level to the universal level.
Arjuna’s question is not what is, what should I do? Should I fight or not? What should I do? His question is universal about Dharma. It is not my duty. It is not should I fight.
So in one sense, this shows the limited nature of the discussion that is going to follow. And lastly, we talked about the dramatic change in relational dynamics. It happens over here where Arjuna becomes from a friend to a student.
And he’s comfortable because he is really eager to learn. And that shows the trust in their relationship. It’s trust in Krishna, trust in the relationship with Krishna.
Thank you very much. The question is that should we focus more on direct