Does karshati in Gita 15.07 refer to attraction or struggle?
Prakriti Sthani Karshati The Bhagavad Gita 15.7 What does it Some commentators say it refers to struggle Others say it refers to attraction So which is true Actually both are true Essentially if we see That This is 15.7 In 13.22 in the Gita Krishna has stated that Purusha Prakriti Sthohi Bhumte Prakriti Jaan Gunaan Karanam Guna Sangose Sadasat Yoni Janmasu So there Bhumte Prakriti Jaan Gunaan So it is like the soul who is transcendental Who is a Purusha Gets caught in Prakriti because of The desire to enjoy Now It's like to give a simple example Somebody is watching a movie They think that the movie will be very nice and I will enjoy the movie That person has his own life Separate from the movie But because of the Desire to enjoy the movie Person gets Consciousness gets caught in the movie And suppose that movie turns out to be a horror movie And the person gets a whole Panorama of Fear and terror and agony All because of Their desire to enjoy So Bhumte What locks the Purusha In Prakriti is Bhumte, the desire to enjoy So now In 15.7 So 13.22 is called by Some Acharyas as the Bijya Vakya of the last Six chapters.
So because of The desire to enjoy material existence The whole material existence spreads about So now Every tree needs a root Or a seed from which it comes out So this Bhumte Is the seed. So now in this 15.7 Krishna is saying that We are his parts The part is naturally meant to harmonize with the whole But when the part becomes Separated from the whole Then our innate longing For pleasure We are pleasure-seeking creatures And if we are Not connected with God Then we don't get higher happiness in connection With him. And in that case We look for happiness In lower things.
And thus Now our consciousness Gets misdirected towards matter Through Mind and the senses And at Prakriti is Karshati So Karshati, the first meaning Can be Akarshan Because we need some source of pleasure When we are not connected with Krishna Then material things Prakriti and her products Become the source where we Look for pleasure. So they become attractive For us. But When we get attracted to them Prakriti is external To us.
And being external It is not in our control So because Of that there is struggle. Karshati So the attraction Causes the exertion Causes the struggle. So Karshati Now in different Contexts when Different commentators have Different Thought flows going on.
They are consistent with the overall Theme of the Gita. But different Thought flows going on. And because of the Particular thought flow that the commentator is emphasizing They may either use that Attraction or they may use The struggle.
But both are true. And the attraction actually causes the struggle And that's why we said two verses Three verses. Just two verses earlier Krishna has said That With the detachment You can break yourself free And cross over this whole thing.