A question about Bhagavat gita

June 23, 2005

My question was about why Krishna would urge Arjuna to war instead of ahimsa. And I think I know the answer, or at least part of it, now. Krishna's and Arjuna's discussion wasn't about an historical war as much as about the war we all have inside between good and evil. THAT internal war cannot be run away from by saying we believe in nonviolence. To do so is a lack of discipline."My dear Larry,This is one explanation that this whole episode is not historical but it is the psychology. This can be taken partially that the whole of Mahabharata and especially the Bhagavad-Gita is a very intense psychological treatise. It is very useful to look at it as psychology than religion. Though this has applicability we may face the awkward situation on several other areas. When some one makes a mistake in order to correct him if we say take the characters of Bhishma or Arjuna as an example they rebel against that idea that it is not a historical and no one has lived like that what you are expecting out of me. That is why as far as possible we should try to project it as real life recordings so that is become our guide for life.There are these three gunas into which the whole creation is divided. They are sattva, rajas, and tamas action also can be divided into these three groups. Like the way a plant is divided into three aspects namely roots is tamas trunk is rajas and flowers and foliage is sattva. When we find some thing wrong in the body we can first go with sattvic way to gently apply simple medicine. When this sattivic way fails we should now take mare violent action like giving shot of medicine which is rajasic. If this also fails the next course of action is to cut that part in surgery. This is Tamasic way of correcting. Our preference is not how we do it but it is what way to do it. Krishna tried all kinds of sattvic and rajasic methods to avoid war but now war has come and Arjuna as a Kshatriya is leading the army and because he is Kshatriya he has the responsibility to protect the dharma in the society. In order to protect dharma in the society Arjuna with the help of Krishna exhausted all possible sattvic solutions. The last of them is Krishna himself went for negotiations. But Duryodhana taking it to be their weakness rejected that out right on the very face of it. Now the next course available is to weed-out the Adharma unrighteousness by rajasic way or by war. On another occasion Krishna says in Mahabharata to Panadavas. Don’t go for war or don’t invite war. Bur if war comes don’t hesitate to face. That is the dharma of Kshatriya.So it is not the question whether war is good or bad. But an action has to be taken based on individual merit, it has to be examined and we need to find out whether the action is driven by personal preferences and how it can not only disturb the dharma but it can contribute for the cause of dharma.