The hero of India’s epic Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna, is at a crossroad. He is intelligent, well-intending, and overwhelmed by a dilemma we all might recognize: the apparent incompatibility of worldly responsibilities and other-worldly aspirations. Arjuna is a warrior who feels the call to a more peaceful, non-invasive life. On the verge of a mammoth war he refuses to fight, even though the enemy is an aggressor who must be brought down. Like Arjuna, once we acknowledge the call to a more enlightened life we may also find mundane duties distasteful. Is it possible to attend to such obligations without compromising our higher self? Is it possible to live in the material world without becoming overwhelmed by it? The Gita responds by analyzing our dilemma through the eyes of a soldier preparing to do battle.
Chapter Four begins with Arjuna doubting Krishna’s claim that he taught yoga to the Sun God millions of years before. It is a common ploy: when we don’t want to do something we rationalize it away. One of Arjuna’s many excuses for not fighting is to doubt Krishna’s authority. (Doubts, samsayam, as referred to in this verse are not healthy skepticism, which is commendable, but the toxic variety that impede worthy action.) If Krishna is inventing a personal history, then his instructions are suspect and Arjuna can feel justified withdrawing from battle. Patiently, Krishna explains that “Many births you and I have taken, I remember them all but you do not.” He does not dwell on Arjuna’s challenge but brings the discussion back to the real issue, namely Arjuna’s unwillingness to confront the difficult task ahead.
A simple summary of Krishna’s advice would be: Do good without coveting the results of what you do, and you will avoid the noxious effects of selfish behavior. That is, if you fight because it is your duty and not for egoistic ends, then your actions take place under a mantle of karmic immunity. The drawback to such simplistic summaries is that they gloss over the psychic complexities of Arjuna’s dilemma. Look beneath the Gita’s surface narrative, and we discover much deeper insights into the human condition. Implicit in this verse, for instance, is a reminder that pain and painful duties are inevitable. A discerning yogi does not allow pain or discomfort to interfere with executing righteous work. As described by the Yoga Sutras (2.1): “Accepting pain as help for purification constitutes yoga in practice.”
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