Gita Flow – Ch. 2

Gita Support

Note: A footnote at the end of a verse indicates there is evidence related to it, which you will find below in the list of evidences.

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2.1-3: Krishna scolds Arjuna

(1-2) Sanjaya said, “When Krishna saw Arjuna so upset about killing his relatives, he said, “How have you become so foolish? As a godly man, you should know what is right. Your refusal to fight will not lead to heaven. Instead, everyone will condemn you.

(3) “You are my aunt Pritha’s son. Don’t act like a coward. It’s not like you. Don’t be misled by foolish sentimentality. You are powerful enough to conquer your enemy.”

2.4-9: Arjuna surrenders

(4) Arjuna replied, “Krishna, you kill godless atheists like Madhu, who hated you, but you are asking me to kill my respectable elders, Bhishma and Drona, who are neither atheistic nor hate me. How can that be right?¹

(5) “I would rather live as a beggar than kill such saintly men who have taught me everything I know. Even if they are materially motivated, they are still my elders. How could I enjoy the kingdom after killing them?

(6) “I don’t know what would be worse, winning or losing the battle. Dhritarastra’s sons are my cousins. I couldn’t live with myself if I killed them, but that’s the only way I can win, as they have all come out to fight.

(7) “Although I can fight, I am unwilling. Selfish desires have slackened my determination, and I have thus become confused about what to do. Please tell me what is best. I accept you as my spiritual master and won’t argue any more. Please instruct me. ²

(8) “I cannot see a solution which won’t leave me miserable. I don’t think I can ever be happy again, even if I win this prosperous kingdom and rule it unchallenged.”

(9) Arjuna put down his weapons and said he would not fight.

2.10-15: Krishna begins his instruction.

(10 11) Arjuna unhappily sat in the chariot between the two armies. Krishna smiled as he chastised Arjuna. “You speak as if you were wise, but no truly wise person would be sad about the body, alive or dead.

(12) “You, me and everyone else are individual spirit souls, existing in the past, now and in the future.

(13) “Death is only a change of body. Even during our life, we change bodies, from a baby to a child to a youth, and when we leave this body, we get a new one. Knowing this, a self-realised person is not disturbed by death. ³

(14) “Arjuna, try to understand that happiness and distress follow each other, just like summer and winter. We experience these dualities due to our bodily senses. To become free of the bodily conception, we must tolerate dualities and continue to do our duty.

(15) “Arjuna, as my pure devotee, you are a perfected soul. You should know that by remaining steady in executing your duty in all circumstances, you will attain immortal life, free from the cycle of birth and death.” ⁴

2.16-25: The Difference Between the body and soul

(16) “Those who are enlightened realise there is no permanent existence for the material body and no change for the soul. ⁵

(17-18) “The soul is eternal and indestructible; although it is very small, its influence spreads throughout the body. However, the material body that it inhabits will undoubtedly be destroyed. Therefore, Arjuna, do not hesitate to fight. ⁶

(19-21) “No one can truly be killed nor kill anyone else since the soul never dies. There was never a time when the spirit soul did not exist, and it will never stop existing. The soul does not take birth like the material body or die along with the body. The soul always exists. If you understood this, Arjuna, you would not think that you are killing anyone, nor that I, who am urging you to fight, am causing you to kill anyone. ⁷

(22) “Death is just like a change of clothes. When our garments wear out, we change them for new ones. Similarly, when the material body becomes worn out, we change it for a new one.

(23) “None of your weapons can hurt the soul. You cannot cut it with anything, nor can fire weapons burn it, water weapons make it wet, or wind weapons dry it out. ⁸

(24) “The soul cannot break, dissolve, burn or shrivel up. It lasts forever; it can live anywhere and everywhere. It never changes its nature and does not move around in the body but remains in the region of the heart. ⁹

(25) “It is neither visible nor understandable by logic. It never changes like the body. By becoming convinced of this, you will never be depressed. ¹⁰

2.26-28: what if there is no soul

(26) “If you think that the body itself is the cause of life symptoms and that life will end with the body, you still need not lament.

(27) “Whether you are a spirit soul or just a combination of chemicals, everyone who takes birth must die and after death be born again. In other words, if you think you are a soul, you will reincarnate. However, if you are merely a combination of chemicals, know that these will continue to exist and form another body. Whatever we believe, everyone must follow God’s laws. Therefore, stop grieving and do your duty.

(28) “All created material bodies appear and disappear, but neither the soul nor the atoms that make them up are ever lost. They reappear in a new material body. So, there is no need to be unhappy.

2.29-30: the eternal soul is inconceivable

(29) “The soul is truly astonishing and difficult to understand. Yogis who see it are amazed, authorities who lecture on it find it astounding, and their students who hear about it are also astonished. Some misunderstand the soul despite seeing it, speaking about it or hearing about it. For example, some yogis who perceive the soul mistakenly think it is the one all-pervading Supreme Brahman. ¹¹

(30) “Nevertheless, Arjuna, know that within the body of all living beings is an individual soul that cannot be killed. Therefore, do not grieve for anyone.”

2.31-38: To be happy, Arjuna must do his duty and fight

(31-32) “Furthermore, for a kshatriya, there is nothing better than fighting to protect religious principles. Kshatriyas welcome the chance to fight in a religious war, for by so doing, they can go to heaven.

(33-34) “On the other hand, if you do not do your duty and fight, you will commit a sin and forevermore be branded a coward. If you have any self-respect, you would rather die than let that happen. ¹²

(35-36) “If you leave the battlefield, the great generals who currently think you are a mighty hero will lose all respect for you and think you left out of fear for your life. Your enemies will relentlessly mock and insult you. Nothing could be more painful for you, Arjuna.

(37) “On the other hand, if you fight, you will benefit whether you win or die in the battle. If you win, you will gain the kingdom, and if you die, you will go to heaven. Therefore, fight.

(38) “Don’t worry if you will win or lose. If you fight just because fighting is your God-given duty, you will not get any sinful reaction.¹³

2.39-41 Krishna recommends buddhi-yoga.

(39) Krishna said, “Arjuna, so far I have explained right action by analysing the difference between the soul and the body. Now I will explain buddhi yoga, or in other words, how to always think of the Lord within your heart. Then, guided by him, your work will not accrue any karmic reactions, and you will be freed of your previous karma.¹⁴

(40) “Even a little progress in buddhi yoga is never lost and will save you from taking a dangerous and fearful birth in your next life. ¹⁵

(41) “Those who are fixed in buddhi yoga only strive to satisfy the Lord, whereas the neophytes still have many other desires which they also pursue.

2.42-46: Arjuna should transcend the modes of nature

(42-44) “Such unintelligent neophytes are drawn to those Vedic statements which recommend worldly dominance and enjoyment. Because they are strongly attracted to such things, they do not think there is anything greater. Even if they superficially take to buddhi yoga, they cannot become steady.¹⁶

(45) “Therefore, most of the Vedas teach one how to be happy in the material world. However, you should give up selfish desires. Stop worrying about the pleasures and pains of the material body and strive for self-realisation.

(46) “The ultimate purpose of the Vedas is to know God and your eternal relationship with him. Any other benefit the Vedas promise will be automatically attained by one who achieves this.

2.47-53: Buddhi yoga is the way to transcend
the modes of nature

(47) “You do not have to abandon duty or stop work to achieve self-realisation. In fact, it is sinful to give up duty. However, don’t mistakenly think you are the cause of the results and therefore try to enjoy them.

(48) “If you remain steady in your duty, regardless of success or failure, your work will be yoga and will help you realise your relationship with the Supreme Lord.

(49) “By acting in yoga, you will not get karmic reactions. Instead, you will attain the Lord. Those who waste this opportunity for the sake of fleeting material enjoyment are selfish and short-sighted. ¹⁷

(50) “In fact, by buddhi yoga you will free yourself of all your accrued karmic reactions, good and bad, in this very life. Therefore, always act in this perfect way.

(51) “By thus satisfying the Lord, the intelligent devotees become free of all material bondage and attain his eternal abode, which is beyond all suffering.

(52) “By practising buddhi yoga, your intelligence will become sufficiently purified to not be attracted by material enjoyment. Then you will no longer be interested in Vedic rites and rituals. They will become irrelevant to you.

(53) “When you are no longer attracted by the Veda’s promises of material enjoyment but are only interested in satisfying the Lord, then you will have attained self-realisation. ¹⁸

2.54: Arjuna asks four questions:¹⁹

What are the general characteristics of a self-realised person?
How does he speak?
How does he sit? In other words, how does he keep his senses under control?
How does he walk? In other words, how does he engage his senses.

2.55 – 72: Krishna answers the four questions

(2.55) Krishna said, “The primary characteristic of a self-realised person is that he has no desire for material enjoyment, which arises from the mistaken idea that one is either the body or mind. Rather, he understands his spiritual identity as the Lord’s servant and is fully satisfied by that service.”

In the next two verses, Krishna explains how the self-realised person speaks both internally to himself and to others.

(2.56) “Such a sage never expresses anger or fear in times of distress, nor elation in times of happiness. In either situation, he thinks and speaks of everything as the Lord’s mercy.²⁰

(57) “He does not speak of the material world in terms of good and bad, praising some things and cursing others.
In the next six verses, Krishna explains how the self-realised person sits, or in other words, restrains his senses. (BVB)

(58) “The self-realised person can restrain his senses as easily as a tortoise withdraws his limbs into his shell.²¹

(59) “Even materialistic people sometimes restrain their senses for reasons like illness, but they still desire sense enjoyment. A self-realised person, however, doesn’t desire sense enjoyment because he experiences a higher spiritual happiness.²²

(60) “The senses are very strong and difficult to control. Even those trying to advance on the spiritual path are sometimes overcome by them.

(61) “But a self-realised person can fully control his senses because out of love he is absorbed in thought of me.²³

(62-63) “Those who don’t love me are attracted to the sense objects and develop an irresistible desire to enjoy them. When they can’t satisfy their lust, they become angry and lose their discrimination, forgetting the warnings in scripture. Thus, they engage in sinful activity and entangle themselves in karma.”
In the next eight verses, Krishna answered Arjuna’s last question: how does a self-realised person engage his senses?

(64) “A self-realised person is neither attached nor averse to anything for himself. He is, therefore, able to control his senses and follow scriptural injunctions, and thus, he attracts Krishna’s complete mercy.²⁴

(65) “From this stage of brahma-bhuta wherein one is fully satisfied serving the Lord and no longer experiences the material miseries, one quickly progresses to the higher stages of bhakti wherein one can see the Lord and thus his intelligence is freed from even the possibility of doubt.²⁵

(66) “On the other hand, one whose mind is not fixed on the Supreme by the process of buddhi yoga will not understand what should or should not be done and will always be disturbed by material desires. How can one be happy if the mind is disturbed?

(67) “The senses are very powerful and can carry away one’s mind from his service just as a strong wind sweeps away a boat.

(68) “In summary, sense control is the defining characteristic of a self-realised person.

(69) “The interests of the self-realised soul and the materially absorbed person are as different as night and day. What appeals to one is of no interest at all to the other.

(70) “Everyone experiences sensual urges, but a person absorbed in love of God is not at all disturbed by this. He is like the ocean, which stays at the same level despite many rivers flowing into it. Only a lover of God feels truly peaceful, and not those who try to satisfy their sensual urges.

(71) “Such a person has no inclination for sense gratification, nor any selfish desire whatsoever. He has no sense of being the master of anything, nor does he identify with the material body. Thus he attains everlasting peace.

(72) “These are the characteristics of one who serves the Lord on the spiritual platform. If one is able to attain this stage even at the last moment of his life, he will go back home to Godhead.”²⁶

CHAPTER SUMMARY:

Chapter 2 opens with Krishna rebuking Arjuna for his weakness and urging him to fulfil his duty as a kshatriya. Arjuna, recognising his confusion, formally surrenders to Krishna as his spiritual teacher.

Krishna begins by giving spiritual instruction on the difference between the ephemeral body and the eternal soul. Even if Arjuna doubts the soul’s existence, he should not lament, since death is inevitable for all embodied beings.

He then instructs Arjuna on the religious duty of a kshatriya, stressing that fighting in a righteous war is glorious, while retreating would bring dishonour and sin. Performing one’s duty leads to either worldly success or heavenly reward; therefore, Arjuna should act without attachment to the outcome of the war.

Next, Krishna introduces Buddhi Yoga — action guided by spiritual intelligence — and highlights its benefits. He explains the obstacles that prevent most people from practising it, encourages Arjuna to rise above them, and outlines the key qualities and rewards of one who follows this path.

Arjuna then asks about the characteristics of a person who has perfected his practise of Buddhi Yoga. The chapter concludes with Krishna’s description of the perfected Buddhi Yogi.

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Footnotes:

Verse 2.4: “Kṛṣṇa is addressed “Madhusūdana.” Madhusūdana means… Madhu was Kṛṣṇa’s enemy, a demon. So He killed. So “You are Madhusūdana, You are killer of Your enemies. Can You give me any evidence that You have killed Your guru? So why You are asking me?” This is the purport. Iṣubhiḥ pratiyotsyāmi pūjārhāv ari-sūdana. Again ari-sūdana. Ari means enemy. Madhusūdana, particularly “the killer of the Madhu demon.” And next is Arisudana. Ari means enemy.” Aug. 5, 1973 – London
Verse 2.7: What does ‘miser’ (krpanah) mean? “Actually my behavior should be exactly like a kṣatriya, to fight for the just cause, but in this case I am denying. Therefore I am kṛpaṇa.” Kṛpaṇa means one who does not properly use his position. One man is very rich, but he does not use his money, simply sees the money, he is called kṛpaṇa. Similarly, Arjuna is powerful, he can fight, he is a kṣatriya, but he is denying his ability. Therefore he is thinking that “I have become kṛpaṇa, miser. Although I have got strength, I am denying to fight.” “Although I have got money, I do not spend.” These are called kṛpaṇa. ” Bg lecture in Johannesburg in 1975

“Don’t be miser. Don’t be miser.” Miser… We have already explained in our last meeting what is the miser and what is a brāhmaṇa. The opposite word is brāhmaṇa. Miser means this valuable body, who does not properly utilize it; simply they utilize this body for sense gratification and nothing more. They are kṛpaṇa. Kṛpaṇa means miser. Miser, who does not utilize the asset given to him, he’s a miser. Miser. He’s not liberal. One should be liberal.” Bg lecture in New York, 1966

“Anyway, we should always be in conscious that everything that we have in our possession, even our body, even our mind, even our energy, everything, that is God-gifted. One who has got this conception of life, he is brāhmaṇa. He is the one who knows Brahman. One who does not know this and simply lives for sense gratification, he is called the miser. So we shall not be miser. We shall be the brāhmaṇa.” Bg lecture in New York in 1966
Verse 2.13: A dhira is a self-realised soul: “A dhīra is one who is not disturbed by material illusion. No one can be undisturbed unless he is perfectly spiritually realized, at which time one neither hankers nor laments for anything. A dhīra realizes that the material body and mind he has acquired by chance through material association are but foreign elements; therefore he simply makes the best use of a bad bargain.” Isopanisad, verse 10 purport
Verse 2.15: O best of men, Arjuna: “So Kṛṣṇa is addressing Arjuna puruṣarṣabha, the best of the men. “O the best of the men.” Certainly, Kṛṣṇa (Arjuna) is the best of the mankind. Because he is directly friend of Kṛṣṇa, who can be better man than him? The best of the men. So the best of the men, why he’s distressed in executing his duty? Therefore this very word is used, that “You are the best of the men.” Actually, the best of the men should not be disturbed by any material condition. He should discharge his duties. And what is the duty? Duty is to become immortal. This is the duty. The lowest of the men does not know how to become immortal, amṛta. Mṛta means death, and amṛta means no death.” Bhagavad-gita lecture, 1973
Verse 2.16: “This verse describes the results for those who have attained the level of discrimination.” VCT 2.16 commentary
Verse 2.18: “Because the jiva and his body have such natures (eternal and destructible respectively), neither the jiva nor his body is worthy of lamentation.” BVB 2.18 commentary

“The possessor of the body (saririnah), the jiva is beyond measurement, or difficult to understand, because it is very, very small (aprameyasya).” VCT 2.18 commentary
Verse 2.21: “With this knowledge, neither you who are fighting nor I who am urging you to fight have any fault.” VCT 2.21 commentary
Verse 2.23: “Also, it is not possible to injure the soul at all by the weapons used by you in the battle.” VCT 2.23 commentary
Verse 2.24: What does Krishna mean when He calls the soul ‘immovable’? “Immovable in this sense = when he is fixed up in a certain body, then he is immovable from that body. Acalo ‘yam sthanuḥ. Sthanuḥ. Just like we’re speaking of transplanting the heart. That does not mean you move the soul. That is immovable.” Morning Walk, Philadelphia 1975
Verse 2.25: “The atma is not perceptible by the material senses (avyaktah). Beyond logic (acintyah), it is understood only through scriptures.” BVB 2.25 commentary
Verse 2.29: “In Visvanatha’s commentary, he takes the meaning of ascarya as ‘astonishing’ in the sense of ‘hard to understand,’ modifying enam, the atma. Thus, they misunderstand it as a material object, a temporary spiritual element, or one all-pervading soul.” VCT note to 2.29
Verse 2.34: “Sambhāvitasya, one who is very reputed, famous man, if he does something wrong, then it was better to die before such infamy is grown. This is advised…..So sambhāvitasya cākīrtiḥ. “And if you don’t fight now, what people will say? Better you die.” Kṛṣṇa is advising that “Instead of becoming a very good man, nonviolent, you lay down your life. That is My advice. You die. I shall see that you have died, I will be very much pleased.” This is Kṛṣṇa advising.” September 3rd 1973, London
Verse 2.38: “Lord Kṛṣṇa now directly says that Arjuna should fight for the sake of fighting because He desires the battle.” Bg 2.38 purport
Verse 2.39: What is buddhi yoga? “So that is called buddhi-yoga. When you act according to the direction of the Supreme, Kṛṣṇa, or His representative, that is called buddhi-yoga. That is real… Buddhi means intelligence, and yoga means linking, connecting.” Lecture on Bg in London, 1973 (7:49 to 8:14)

“So there are different processes of yoga system, but the best yoga system, as it is described in the Bhagavad-gītā: always think of Kṛṣṇa within your heart. Always think.” Srimad Bhagavatam lecture 1972

“Similarly, if we can join our consciousness with the Supreme Consciousness, then our whole life becomes successful. That is the point.” Bg class in New York in 1966 (31:01 to 31:12)
Verse 2.40: “‘As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (2.40), svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt: “Even a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear.’ …. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is anxious to serve human society by teaching people to perform devotional service, which can save a human being from being degraded again to animal life.” Srimad Bhagavatam 7.6.1 purport

“Ajāmila, for example, was saved by the Supreme Personality of Godhead from the greatest danger, that of going to hell.” Srimad Bhagavatam 8.5.48 purport
Verse 2.42: VCT says that this verse is talking about the irresolute neophytes referred to in 2.41. “This verse speaks of the persons with wavering intelligence, involved in sakama karma, who are very dull witted.”
Verse 2.49: See verse 2.7 regarding the word ‘krpanah’.
Verse 2.53: VCT writes in his commentary on this verse: “At that time, you will become detached from hearing about all sorts of material and Vedic subjects, because of being adverse to the agitation created by these subjects (niscala).”

BV writes in his commentary: “When your intelligence, completely perfected (vipratipanna), through statements of sruti….”
Verse 2.54: In this verse, Arjuna asks 4 questions about the sthita-prajna. “Arjuna, wanting to know the characteristics of the sthita-prajna mentioned in the previous verse, a person situated in realization of atma, asks questions. There are four questions in this verse. One concerns the situation in samadhi or realization. The other three are concerning the same person in samadhi when subjected to agitating circumstances.” BV 2.54 commentary
Verse2.56-57: According to Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, these two verses answer Arjuna’s question regarding how the self-realised person speaks.
He never complains nor gets excited about his circumstances. Visvanatha writes in his commentary to 2.56: “When someone asks about himself, he says imply that this suffering is his prarabdha karma which he must unavoidably endure. He is not agitated with suffering. He does not say anything to himself or out loud to others. This absence of disgust at his situation is understood by the intelligent person to be the symptom of an undisturbed person.”
Similarly, in the face of opportunities for material happiness, he “says to himself or others that it is simply his prarabhda karma which he must tolerate.”
In verse 2.57 commentary Visvanatha writes: “On receiving something favorable to himself, through respect or feeding for instance, he does not approve, and receiving disrespect, such as a punch of the fist, he does not disapprove. He does not say, ‘Oh, you are so religious, serving a great devotee. I bless you with happiness.’ Nor does he curse the disrespectful person saying, ‘Go to hell, you sinful creature.’”
In other words, the two symptoms of speech is that the self-realised person neither praises nor complains about his situation, nor the external instruments of his situation.
Verse 2.58 – 63: According to Baladeva Vidyabhusana’s commentary, Gita Bhusana, these six verses answer Arjuna’s question, “kim asita“. “Six verses now answer the third question ‘How does he remain, suppressing his senses? (kim asita)?” Gita Bhusana 2.58 commentary
Verse 2.59: “ ‘But we can see that the fool who is sick also restrains his senses. How can this be the outstanding quality of the sthita-prajna?’ ‘For a person (dehina), even if he is a fool, who does not eat out of fear of getting sick (niraharasya), the experiences of sense objects (visaya) are also annulled, but not the thirst or attraction for them (rasa-varjam).’” Baladeva Vidyabhusana 2.59 commentary
Verse 2.61: “Now who can think of Kṛṣṇa always within himself? That is also very easy to understand. If you love somebody, then you can think of him always within yourself. Otherwise it is not possible. If you love somebody, then naturally you’ll think of him always.” July 29th 1971, Gainesville “Without devotion to me, one cannot conquer the senses.” VCT 2.61 commentary
Verse 2.64: “In eight verses the Lord answers the last question, ‘How does the stitha-prajna engage in action of the senses?” Baladeva Vidyabhusana 2.64 commentary
Verse 2.65: This verse baffled us. The person being described is already fixed self-realisation, and is no longer experiencing material miseries. What does it mean that from this point, his intelligence will soon be well established. In exploring this, we referred to Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.16-21 where the different stages of bhakti from sraddha to prema are systematically described. Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.19 describes the first stage of self-realisation which Srila Prabhupada refers to as brahma-bhuta in his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.19, and which Vishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura refers to as asakti in his commentary to Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.20. Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.20 tells us that after attaining asakti, bhava and then prema quickly develop. At these stages one sees the Lord’s form and all doubts are completely eradicated.
“However, by direct perception of the Lord, thoughts about non-existence of the Lord and contrary thoughts are both destroyed.” Jiva Goswami’s Krama Sandarba commentary to Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.21
We finally concluded that Bg 2.65 is alluding to the transition from the brahma-bhuta stage of self-realisation to the higher stage of bhava wherein one sees the Lord’s form and thus the intelligence becomes completely free of all remnants of doubt.
Verse 2.72: “This verse praises the state of the sthita-prajna.” Baladeva Vidyabhusasna 2.72 commentary.

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