​Gita 11.28 The life and the death of the dharmic is auspicious

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Bhagavad Gita 11.28 Here Krishna, his universal form is being revealed and Arjuna is describing the universal form. In the previous verses he described about how all the warriors are entering into the mouth of the Vishwaroopa.

Bhagavad Gita 11.28 He says that foremost the Kauravas as well as the other warriors on the Kaurava side as well as the warriors on his own side, they are all entering into the Vishwaroopa. Bhagavad Gita 11.28 They are all rushing into the mouth of Vishwaroopa and some of their heads are getting smashed as they get caught in the space between the teeth and thus there is total destruction. And further it is stated that in this verse that as this destruction is happening, now Arjuna is noting some certain difference and he will talk about two modes of destruction within what he sees.

Two modes of destruction means we will see that, we will use two metaphors to describe that. So in this verse he gives one metaphor. This is a river.

The various streams within it move onwards with the force of the current of water they move onwards. The water within it rushes towards the ocean. And similarly Similarly O Lord All the Veera, the heroes among the warriors in this earth, Narloka Veera, the earthly heroes unto your mouth They are entering into your blazing mouth.

So there is death but there are different ways of death. There are different reasons for that and there are different destinations after that. This verse talks about those who are going to die but they are they are going to die by the course of nature.

They are not dying because their own sins are condemned to death. They are not chosen to act in obstinacy that invites death upon them. That category will be talked about in the next verse.

Here The metaphor is significant. That when the river moves towards the ocean, what happens? Actually the river, it flows along towards the ocean. The river actually does benefit to others.

Isn't it? That the river waters the plants and the shrubs on both sides, on both its banks. And so much life is sustained, not just the flora and fauna but also human life. And agriculture is maintained through irrigation.

So the river as it flows towards the ocean, it benefits many many people. Actually this metaphor, this explanation of the river-sea metaphor is given by Vedanta Desika. In his sub commentary in the Bhagavad Gita.

Vedanta Desika is a prominent Acharya in Rishi Sampradaya after Ramanujacharya. And he explains that actually although the devotees and non-devotees, although spiritualists and materialists, all of them have to die, the mood of their death is different. And the difference in their moods of death that is highlighted over here.

So when he says this verse, the point of this verse is that although even the virtuous people, the virtuous people are compared here to rivers and death is compared to the ocean. So even the virtuous people will also be propelled by the power of time towards death. Just as a river by the force of gravity, by its natural flow, the river will move towards the ocean.

So here it is stated that actually we simply need to move onwards in our journey, in our life journey, trying to live as dharmically as possible and eventually whatever result comes, we accept that and we move on. So if we are living dharmically, even if we eventually have to die like everyone else, actually our dharmic life will have made constructive contributions in others' lives. So although Bhishma and Drona and others also have to die eventually, they will be dying in this war, but they have lived lives of virtue and contribution.

Just like a river when it moves towards the ocean, it actually benefits those who are along the way to the ocean and then further when the river actually reaches the ocean also, the river's nature does not change, the river actually remains, the water in the river remains still water. It may not be present in the same form. We may be able to identify a river water initially when it is in the river, but as the river water joins with the ocean, merges in the ocean, then we may not be able to identify this is the river water and this is the ocean water.

But the water is still remaining water. The water has not lost its essential nature. So like that, those who live the path of dharma, they never lose their essential nature.

That means that whatever they do, they are actually living according to dharma in this life and their essential nature won't be changed by the transition that occurs at the time of death. Death as we know is not a termination, it is a transition and that transition when it happens, it actually does not mean, it is a significant transition, but those who are living dharmically, whether it is this life or the next life, they will continue to live dharmically and by living dharmically in this life as well as the next life, they are actually not changing their essential nature. Yes, the external bodily form may change, the way in which the exact kind of service that they are going, that may change.

The circumstances in that sense may change significantly, whether it be the social circumstances, where they are living or the physical circumstances, what kind of body they have. But still they themselves will remain the same because they were dharmic in this life and they will be dharmic in the next life. Just as the water does not change its nature at the time of death, similarly, the event of death does not change the essential nature for people who are living on the path of dharma.

So, similarly, it has been shown that the warriors on the Pandavas' side are also going to die. Arjuna said that, saha asmadhyair apiyodhamukhyai, even the warriors on my side also I am seeing that they are dying. So many of the warriors on the Pandavas' side, they are of course virtues and thus they have chosen the side of virtue.

And although they will die, that is not caused by their sinfulness, their obstinacy. They are just by the higher force of nature, by the force of time, they are embracing death. They are going towards death, but they have lived a life of dharma and contribution.

And because they live dharmically now, they have created the dharmic orientation in their consciousness and even in the next life, they will continue to live dharmically. And thus they will move onwards from this life to the next life, leading a life of dharma. The essential nature will not be changed.

So, similarly, that point is conveyed here through the example that the river moves towards the ocean. Similarly, Arjuna is saying, I am seeing some warriors move into your mouth. So, although the destruction and the destruction is quite destructive, but the destruction is not happening to their essential nature.

They are dharmic and they are going to continue to be dharmic. And in that sense, this kind of death is very different from the death that will be described in the next verse.