Gita 01.35 – Arjuna’s profit-loss calculations miss the most important factor

Bhagavad Gita 1.35 अपित्रईलोक्य राज्यस्यो एतो हो किम्न महीकृते। निहत्यधार्तराष्ट्रान्नः काप्रीति स्याज्ञार्धना। So Arjuna is continuing his description of why he will not fight and is describing here api trailokya rajasya that even if I were to get all the three words heto ho kim namahe krute what then to speak of this earth nihatya dhartarastran if we have to kill the dhartarastran sons of dhartarastran kaapriti what pleasure will we get by it syaj janardhana oh krishna who are janardhana who are the protector of the people why are you asking me to kill the citizens kill dhartarastran now the question here is primarily of priority actually arjuna is very strongly expressing his opposition to killing the kauravas and he is telling that if one is to think in terms of profit loss calculations so you are going to gain a kingdom sometimes some hard decisions have to be taken in life just as said at a very simple level a student who wants to get a bright education and gets admission in a far away college has to go away from loving family members loving parents or a person who wants to excel in a particular sport may have to sacrifice eating some favorite food in order to maintain the fitness required for the sports so in this way actually achieving anything in life requires taking some hard decisions and we often take those decisions based on profit loss calculations if the profit is greater than the loss then we take up that decision now in that trade off what is considered valuable by whom will sometimes be subjective some people may fail in that more high paying job with brighter career prospects may not be worth being away from my family for most of my most of the month or most of the year or whatever or some other people may feel I can be away after all I am working for them only I will send them the money so the point is that when we come to real life profit loss calculations there is an inevitable element of subjectivity because different people value different things based on their individual natures and their mentalities so now Arjuna is giving his subjective valuation and he is saying that if someone argues that okay you will get the kingdom and getting the kingdom is definitely worth fighting and killing some relatives I don't think it to be that worth at all what to speak of the kingdom even if someone to offer me all the three worlds even if all the three worlds were offered I would not accept that because I don't think all the three worlds are also worth killing my relatives it's significant that he uses the word Dhartharashtra Dhartharashtra so he is not just referring to Bhishma and Drona to whom he has natural affection because they are his venerable elders he is also referring to the Kauravas and that decision is governed not just by considerations of affection becomes evident in the next verse when he will talk about how the Pandava about how there will be sinful reactions if one kills one's relatives that is also a consideration that is coming up heavy sinful reactions he feels we will discuss that in the next verse but the point is Arjuna is trying to put a categorical end to an argument based on profit loss calculations by stating that such calculations won't work for him because for him the loss of, the killing of relatives far outweighs the gaining of any kingdom even the three worlds what to speak of earthly kingdom now is he valuing people over possessions and is that laudable well at one level he is and it is laudable if the situation was that simple actually Krishna will reveal to him that the battle is being fought not just for gaining the kingdom but it is being fought for a much higher purpose and that higher purpose will be revealed in due course as the battle moves on as the Bhagavad Gita moves on rather and that higher purpose is actually doing spiritual welfare for everyone involved by acting according to Krishna's will so in terms of profit loss calculations if it is to be done then actually doing his duty in service to Krishna brings the greatest profit not only to him to Arjuna but also to others because they otherwise will do bad karma continue to act against Krishna's will and will have to endure the consequences in the long run so there is a factor in the discussion that Arjuna has not yet considered and that's why his argument no matter how well reasoned and how emotionally rebutting it may seem emotionally commanding it may seem still his argument is flawed now he said the Mahabharata and it is also said by Chanakya that for the sake of a family one family member can be sacrificed for the sake of a village a family can be sacrificed for the sake of a kingdom a village can be sacrificed but for the sake of the soul the world can also be sacrificed so here in this hierarchy our spiritual welfare is given the highest importance and even in the Biblical tradition it is said what profiteth a person if he get the whole world but loses his eternal soul because even if one gets the world it will be temporary when we attain eternal life we gain something which is going to last forever so gain the eternal soul of course means to realize our spiritual identity and ascend to the spiritual level of reality which is eternal so anyway Arjuna is making his reasoning and Krishna will use that same line of thought but expose the flaw in Arjuna's reasoning by showing how he has left out extremely important factors so actually even in practicing spiritual life that which is favorable we accept and that which is unfavorable we reject so in one sense this is actually a symptom of surrender the first two elements of surrender and that means we have to be in one sense considering circumstances and deciding what to do and what not to do so it's not exactly profit loss calculations in mundane terms but in spiritual terms a devotee also considers that how can I best serve Krishna so we can have a profit loss consideration not for our sake but for Krishna's sake and for the good of our service to Krishna of our relationship with Krishna and we think in terms of what will take us closer to Krishna and what will take us away from Krishna and accordingly we make decisions so the question is not of whether one wants kin or kingdom kin is relatives kingdom is the possession it is not a question of kin or kingdom which is what Arjuna is thinking it to be it is a question of going closer to Krishna or going away from Krishna and in that particular circumstance which Arjuna was in the Gita's wisdom will reveal how fighting is the best course of action for Arjuna and how that will be revealed we will discuss in the future.