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2.1: Sañjaya said: Arjuna began to weep at the thought of hurting his family members. Seeing His friend so distraught, Kṛṣṇa, who is celebrated as Madhusūdana, the killer of the demon Madhu, spoke to dispel the ignorance that had bewildered Arjuna.

 2.2: The Supreme Lord said: How have you lost your good sense at this critical moment? You are not acting like one who understands the higher purpose of life and how to attain it. If you renounce your kṣatriya duty by leaving the battlefield, you will attain neither liberation nor the heavenly planets. Besides, you will destroy your good reputation—and with it any chance of happiness in this life.

 2.3: Don’t succumb to unmanly cowardice, Arjuna. I don’t expect such behaviour from my aunt Pṛthā’s son—it is out of character for you. Give up this foolish sentimentality. This is a momentary lapse in your resolve to do your duty. Stand up, Parantapa—destroyer of your enemies.

 2.4: Arjuna said: How can I raise my weapons against Bhīṣma and Droṇa? They deserve to be worshipped by me, not attacked with arrows. You are known as Madhusūdana, the killer of the demon Madhu. You strike down Your enemies, not those who deserve to be  honoured by You—so why should I do otherwise?

 2.5: 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, and thus anything I enjoy as a result of killing them would be sinful.

 2.6: I don’t know which is worse, winning this war or losing. How could I live with myself after killing Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons—my own cousins? But that is the only way I can win, since they have all come out to fight against us.

 2.7: I must be forgetting my spiritual nature—how else could I identify with my body and bodily relations? This weakness in my judgement is overpowering my heroic kṣatriya nature. I am confused about what is the right thing to do. Please tell me clearly what I should do. I accept You as my spiritual instructor, and I want to learn from You. Therefore, please instruct me.

 2.8: I cannot discern what course of action will relieve my grief, which is draining my physical and mental vitality. Even regaining my kingdom and enjoying undisputed sovereignty over the earth, with prosperity like that of the celestials, would not remove this sorrow.

 Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s eyes lit up with hope. If Arjuna refused to fight, his sons’ victory was assured.

 2.9: Noting Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s reaction, Sañjaya said: Arjuna, who is capable of destroying his enemies, then addressed Kṛṣṇa, who is Hṛṣīkeśa, the controller of the senses: “Kṛṣṇa, I turn to You because You are famous as Govinda—the knower of the Vedas and giver of pleasure to the senses. Until I am certain, on the authority of the Vedas, what truly satisfies the senses, I will not fight.” Then he became silent.

 2.10: Sañjaya said: O King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, descendant of the great King Bharata, as Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna stood in the middle of the two armies, Kṛṣṇa smiled slightly at the despondent Arjuna before replying.

 2.11: The Supreme Lord said: You speak as if you have realised the ātmā. For example, you talk about detachment, ethics, and concern for karmic consequences. However, your lamentation is misplaced—you are grieving for that which does not deserve grief. No spiritually enlightened person grieves for the body, whether it is alive or dead.

 2.12: There was never a time when I, you, and each of these warriors did not exist; nor will any of us cease to exist in the future.

 Arjuna’s unspoken comment: Although the soul is eternal, it is natural to lament for the body the soul inhabits, because we have relationships with the body.

 2.13: Kṛṣṇa said: Just as the embodied soul passes from childhood to youth and then to old age within the same lifetime, it similarly passes into another body at death. Just as no one laments these changes of the body, a self-realised person does not lament when the soul enters a new body.

 2.14: Material happiness and distress are temporary. Just as the seasons change from winter to summer, the conditioned living entity similarly fluctuates between happiness and distress. O son of Kuntī, since you enjoy a great heritage from both your mother’s and your father’s lineages, it behoves you to tolerate these disturbances and remain steady in your duty.

 2.15: Furthermore, due to our friendship, you are celebrated as the best among men. Therefore, it is unbefitting of you to lose your composure in this way. You must apply your intelligence to understanding your God-given duty, for then you will remain undisturbed by happiness and distress. By remaining steady in the performance of your prescribed duty, you will become qualified for liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

 2.16: One becomes equipoised in all circumstances upon realising the difference between the material body and the soul. Confusion and lamentation arise when the eternal soul misidentifies with the temporary gross and subtle material bodies. Since gross and subtle matter are ephemeral, the wise do not consider them to be real. Only the eternal soul is accepted as real.

 2.17: Furthermore, the soul pervades the entire body through consciousness. No one can destroy it, for it is eternal and never decays nor diminishes in any way.

 2.18: The material body, however, is destined for destruction, whereas the soul which inhabits the body is eternal. The Vedas state that the soul cannot be destroyed, nor can it be measured or perceived by any material means. Therefore, since the body is destined for destruction and the soul is indestructible, you should fight, O descendant of Bharata.

 2.19: It is ignorance to either think you can kill anyone, or that anyone can kill you. Neither is possible, since the soul cannot kill another soul nor be killed.

 2.20: The soul is not born when the body is born, nor does it die when the body dies. It did not come into being in the past and will not come into being in the future, nor will it ever cease to be. The soul never took birth; it exists eternally and continuously, without transformation. Nor is it killed when the body it inhabits is killed.

 2.21: I have already explained that the soul cannot be destroyed—that it is eternal, never takes birth, always exists, and never changes. Now that you understand this about the soul, O Pārtha, how can you think that I, the Supreme Lord, am instructing you to kill anyone? And why do you think that by killing the body, you are killing the self?

 2.22: When one’s clothes are worn out, one accepts new clothing. Similarly, when warriors die in a righteous battle, they immediately attain a new celestial body without undergoing the discomfort of gestation in a womb.

 Arjuna’s unspoken doubt: When a house is destroyed, the person within it is also harmed. Similarly, my powerful weapons may harm their souls.

 2.23: Kṛṣṇa said: Arjuna, you cannot cut the soul with your weapons. Your fire weapons cannot burn it, your water weapons cannot moisten it, nor can your wind weapons dry it.

 2.24: The soul is described as unbreakable, inflammable, insoluble, and undryable. It is also said to be all-pervading, for it accepts all types of bodies. It is eternal, cannot be artificially displaced from its position, and never changes its nature. And let Me once more emphasise that it is eternal.

 2.25: The soul is imperceptible by any of the material senses. It is inconceivable, for it defies logic that an infinitesimal soul can pervade the entire body with consciousness. It can only be known through the authority of the scriptures. Though the body it inhabits undergoes six changes such as birth, growth, maintenance, reproduction, dwindling and death, the soul itself undergoes no change. The Vedas say that when one realises these truths about the soul, one will no longer lament.

 2.26: Even if, like the Lokāyatas and Vaibhāṣikas, you think that what we call the self is born and dies with the body, there is still no reason to lament the loss of the body. O mighty-armed Arjuna, as you are a powerful warrior trained in the Vedic conclusions, I do not expect you to hold such false views.

 2.27: If one accepts the eternality of the soul, there is no need to lament, because one who takes birth is certain to die, and one who dies is certain to be reborn according to one’s karmic reactions. Therefore, since it is not possible to avoid birth and death, and since society cannot function properly without its citizens performing their duties, you should give up your lamentation.

 2.28: But even those who do not accept the existence of the soul, and instead think the self is the body, have no reason to grieve. The body is constituted of atoms that first exist in an unmanifest, dispersed state. When those atoms come together, Arjuna, they manifest a form. After some time, they disperse and again become invisible, yet they are never destroyed. They will come together again and manifest a new form.

 2.29: The soul is truly amazing. Even yogīs who directly perceive it are astonished. What to speak of those who either lecture on it or hear about it from others. Some people are unable to grasp the truths about the soul, even after hearing about it.

 2.30: O descendant of Bharata, the self within every material body is indestructible. Therefore, there is no need to grieve for anyone.

 2.31: Furthermore, since you are a kṣatriya, you should not hesitate to do your duty and fight. Do not think that by fighting you will be degraded to hell; rather, you will be elevated to heaven. Even if your goal is spiritual enlightenment, doing your duty and fighting for this righteous cause is the best course for you.

 2.32: Indeed, O Pārtha, since you are a kṣatriya, you should be happy. After all, it is very fortunate for a kṣatriya to have such an opportunity. Whoever is killed in the battle—whether you or your opponents like Bhīṣma and Droṇa—will immediately attain heaven.

 2.33: On the other hand, by not fighting in this righteous battle, you will be abandoning your prescribed duty as a kṣatriya and thereby both lose your good reputation and incur sin.

 2.34: People will continuously speak badly of you, calling you a coward. For you, who have enjoyed a high reputation as a powerful warrior and the privileged position of being My intimate friend, it would be better to die than to dishonour yourself in this way.

 2.35: All the great generals on both sides, including your enemies, currently respect you for your prowess and courage. However, if you leave, even your friends will hold you in contempt, thinking you a coward, what to speak of your enemies.

 2.36: Your enemies will hurl many insults at you, disparaging your valour and prowess as a kṣatriya. What could be more painful than that for you?

 2.37: Whatever the outcome of this battle, fighting is your best option. If you are killed, you will immediately attain the heavenly realms, and if you win, you will enjoy sovereignty over the earth. Therefore, get up, Arjuna, and fight with determination.

 2.38: Better still, fight simply because it is your prescribed duty. By fighting without regard for personal gain or desired outcomes, you will not incur any sinful reactions.

 2.39: So far, I have spoken in terms of sāṅkhya-yoga, which analyses the difference between the body and the soul, to explain why you should do your duty and fight. If, due to impurities in the heart, you are not yet able to act on this knowledge, then listen as I explain the process of buddhi-yoga—regulative devotional service. By acting according to the regulative principles of devotional service, you will purify yourself of the fruitive mentality that makes your work binding.

 2.40: Unlike other yoga processes, the benefit gained from executing regulative devotional service is never lost. Nor are there any adverse reactions or reductions in benefit if one makes procedural mistakes, such as incorrect pronunciation of mantras. And even just a short period of practice or limited progress in executing these devotional principles will protect one from descending into the lower species of life—a most fearful and hellish existence.

 2.41: O beloved of the Kurus, the intelligence of those who are firmly established in buddhi-yoga is focused on one aim: Viṣṇu. Whereas the intelligence of those who do not practice buddhi-yoga is drawn to many different goals.

 2.42: Those who foolishly think the material body to be all-important are attracted to the poetic mantras and elaborate rituals of the Vedas which promise fulfilment of material desires and elevation to the heavenly planets. They think there is no greater achievement than this.

 2.43: Being attracted to material enjoyment and opulence, they continually discuss methods for attaining the heavenly planets, as well as how to secure greater wealth and enjoyment in this world while also securing a better birth in the next life. In this way, they immerse themselves in elaborate Vedic rituals meant to secure such rewards.

 2.44: Even when those addicted to sense gratification and attracted to wealth try to engage in buddhi-yoga, they are distracted from their practices by these other allurements. Thus, they are unable to remain steady in the practices of buddhi-yoga—regulative devotional service—and do not attain spiritual absorption.

 2.45: Therefore, Arjuna, give up all desires for material acquisition and enjoyment. Do not concern yourself with those sections of the Vedas which mainly deal with fulfilling such desires governed by the modes of material nature. Instead, be interested only in the real self—the soul. Then, you will attain the spiritual platform and transcend material dualities such as happiness and distress.

 2.46: Even if you still have lingering desires for material enjoyment, elevation to heaven, or liberation, all these desires will be fulfilled by properly understanding those sections of the Vedas that deal with self-realisation. For when one understands the true purpose of the Vedas, one realises that all other sections—such as karma-kāṇḍa and jñāna-kāṇḍa—ultimately aim at self-realisation. Just as a villager may use different small wells for different purposes—some for drawing drinking water and others for washing—one who has access to a large lake can use the same water for all purposes.

 2.47: Arjuna, the paths of sāṅkhya-yoga and buddhi-yoga are both from those parts of the Vedas dealing with self-realisation. Currently, you are not eligible to practise sāṅkhya-yoga. It is better for you to practise buddhi-yoga. Buddhi-yoga includes niṣkāma-karma-yoga—performing your prescribed duty without wanting to enjoy the outcome. It also involves giving up the false conception that you are the doer and the inclination to abandon prescribed duties.

 2.48: Buddhi-yoga teaches two things: to act without attachment to a particular outcome, and to give up the reluctance to act out of fear of failure. By working in buddhi-yoga, one gradually becomes free from disturbance and agitation in both success and failure. Since inner equilibrium arises from yoga, it is referred to as yoga—communion with the Supreme Lord.

 2.49: Actions motivated by personal desire are far inferior to niṣkāma-karma-yoga—performing one’s prescribed duties without selfish motivation. Arjuna, when such work is offered to the Supreme Lord, it becomes buddhi-yoga. Therefore, take shelter of buddhi-yoga, for it leads one toward transcendental loving service to the Lord. One who lives only for personal happiness wastes the rare opportunity of human life and ultimately attains nothing but misery.

2.50: One who acts exclusively for the Lord’s pleasure is freed from all karmic reactions—both good and bad—within this very lifetime. Therefore, commit to engaging in buddhi-yoga, for it is the best way to act.

 2.51: One becomes wise by cultivating spiritual understanding through discussion of scripture.  Such wisdom empowers one to act in buddhi-yoga—performing one’s duties without selfish attachment or false ego. Thus one becomes free from the bondage of birth and death and attains My spiritual kingdom, where there is no suffering.

 Arjuna’s unspoken question: How will I know when my intelligence has become firmly fixed on the Supreme Lord and is no longer being influenced by personal desire?

 2.52: Kṛṣṇa replied: You will know that your intelligence has become firmly fixed on the Supreme Lord when it is no longer influenced  by the dense network of material desires stored within the subtle body. At that time, you will cease to engage in topics unrelated to the Lord—whether you have already heard about them or will hear about them in the future.

 2.53: And when your mind is no longer even slightly attracted by the Vedas’ promises of material enjoyment but remains steadily absorbed in a meditative trance on the Supreme Lord, you will have attained self-realisation.

 2.54: Arjuna said: O Keśava, killer of the Keśī demon, please tell me the defining characteristic of one absorbed in self-realisation—the sthita-prajña. Also, how does such a liberated person speak? How does he withdraw from material sense enjoyment, and how does he interact with the world?

 2.55: The Supreme Lord said: O son of Pṛthā, the conditioned mind has invented objects for increased sense gratification which are not required for a healthy and wholesome life. When one realises this and becomes purified of addiction to such things, one can focus one’s time and energy on devotional activities such as śravaṇaṁ, kīrtanaṁ, and viṣṇu-smaraṇam, which are natural activities of the soul, and thus experience deep inner satisfaction. This ability to derive full satisfaction from spiritual activities is the defining symptom of one who has attained self-realisation.

 2.56: Now regarding how the philosopher-sage—the sthita-dhīra muni—would speak: rather than boasting or complaining, he speaks of both happiness and distress as either the result of past karma or the Lord’s mercy. The same is true of his internal dialogue. When faced with suffering, he thinks, “This is my karma,” or, “This is the Lord’s mercy encouraging me to take greater shelter of Him.” And when things go well, he sees such circumstances as temporary results of past karma or as the Lord’s mercy encouraging him in devotional service. Such mental equanimity in all circumstances—even distressing ones—is possible because he is free from attachment to material enjoyment, free from fear in the face of danger, and free from anger when things do not go his way.

 2.57: The sthita-prajña, who is steady in self-realisation, is not partial to anyone. Rather, he treats everyone kindly. When encountering circumstances or people favourably disposed towards him, he does not flatter them, and when faced with those who treat him poorly, he does not condemn them, for he is neither elated by pleasurable circumstances nor disturbed by difficulties.

 2.58: Now regarding your third question—how does the self-realised transcendentalist, the sthita-prajña, withdraw his senses from the sense objects? He can do this as effortlessly as a tortoise withdrawing its limbs into its shell. In other words, one can recognise who is firmly established in self-realisation by the ease with which he refrains from indulging his senses.

 Arjuna’s unspoken comment: Everyone naturally refrains from sense gratification when they are very ill. How, then, is this a characteristic of self-realisation?

 2.59: It is true that under certain conditions, such as illness, one naturally refrains from sense gratification. Nevertheless, such a person still retains a taste for sense enjoyment. However, when one sees the beauty of the Supersoul, one loses all attraction for sense gratification.

 2.60: However, Arjuna, the thoughtful sādhaka should not imitate the self-realised sage, for a spiritual practitioner does not possess the same ability to resist temptation. Even though he is striving to attain self-realisation, his mind can easily be carried away by the turbulent senses.

 2.61: One who properly understands the science of self-realisation knows that the only way to restrain the senses from pursuing material enjoyment is by keeping the mind constantly absorbed in Me.

 2.62: Even a self-realised person with controlled senses must keep his mind focused on Me. For if he allows his mind to dwell on sense objects, he will become attracted to them, want to enjoy them, and experience anger—a defiant inner resistance towards any restriction.

 2.63: This defiant inner resistance—anger—clouds one’s good judgement. One begins to justify behaviour that contradicts one’s spiritual principles, thinking, “What I want to do is not that harmful.” In this way, one forgets the importance of one’s duties and obligations. By repeatedly neglecting one’s spiritual practices and responsibilities, one loses the determination to pursue transcendental realisation. Eventually, one returns to a life centred on material enjoyment and thus remains bound within the cycle of birth and death.

 2.64: When, however, one absorbs the mind in Kṛṣṇa through the regulative principles of freedom—hearing and discussing His teachings and glorifying His Holy Names—the Lord mercifully purifies one’s mind so that one can increasingly submit to His instructions. The more one follows His guidance, the more purified and peaceful the mind becomes. When one is completely purified of attraction and aversion to the sense objects, one can live in this world and engage with the sense objects while keeping the senses controlled in the Lord’s service.

 Arjuna’s unspoken comment: What happens after the mind is fully purified?

 2.65: By hearing about, glorifying, remembering, worshipping and serving the Lord, one comes to see everything that happens as the Lord’s mercy and thus feels fully satisfied. After achieving this consciousness, one soon attains self-realisation, at which time one is no longer disturbed by the three types of material miseries which afflict conditioned souls: miseries arising from one’s own body and mind, miseries arising from natural phenomena, and miseries inflicted by other living beings.

 2.66: Without being fully absorbed in My teachings, one can neither develop the transcendental intelligence to see My mercy in all circumstances, nor attain self-realisation. Consequently, one cannot feel peaceful. Without peace of mind, one cannot be happy.

 2.67: If the mind is not fixed on Me, it will follow the wandering senses as they pursue their objects. In this way, one’s intelligence is swept away from the path of self-realisation, just as a strong wind carries a boat off course.

 2.68: Therefore, O mighty-armed Arjuna, just as you have always conquered your enemies, you must now conquer your senses. Only by absorbing the mind in the Supreme through the practices of regulative devotional service can the senses be restrained from the sense objects. Once they are controlled, you will definitely attain self-realisation.

 2.69: After attaining self-realisation, one’s entire consciousness becomes transformed. Having attained this state, one becomes awake to varieties of transcendental happiness, which conditioned living beings are asleep to. Conversely, the material pleasures which enliven conditioned living beings are like night to the self-realised sage, absorbed in transcendental happiness, for he has no interest in such pleasures.

 2.70: While still embodied, a self-realised transcendentalist may experience impulses for material enjoyment, but he is not attached to acting on those impulses. Sometimes, due to past karmas, he may experience sense enjoyment that comes unsought; yet even this does not deviate him from devotional service to Me. Just as the ocean remains undisturbed by the flow of rivers into it, the self-realised transcendentalist remains unaffected by such impulses or experiences. Thus he remains free from anxiety and lamentation, unlike those who hanker for material enjoyment.

 2.71: While executing his duties, the sthita-prajña does not hanker for any material result. He is free from all longing, does not claim anything or anyone to be his, and does not identify with his material body. Having given up all desires for material happiness, he is peaceful and free from all anxiety.

 2.72: In summary, Pārtha, one who becomes absorbed in Me through hearing, discussing, and engaging the senses appropriately in My service becomes firmly fixed in transcendental realisation. Such a person no longer identifies with the material body and is therefore neither allured nor disturbed by any material circumstance. If one attains this state before the time of death, one enters the spiritual realm.

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CHAPTER SUMMARY:
Chapter 2 begins with Kṛṣṇa rebuking Arjuna’s weakness and urging him to fulfil his duty as a kṣatriya. Arjuna then asks Kṛṣṇa for spiritual instruction.
Kṛṣṇa first explains the difference between the eternal soul and the temporary body, teaching that lamentation arises when the eternal soul misidentifies with the temporary body. He instructs that the soul benefits by performing his prescribed duty without attachment to external success or failure.
Kṛṣṇa then introduces buddhi-yoga as the means by which Arjuna can develop the inner strength to do his duty and fight. He glorifies the many benefits of buddhi-yoga, explaining that it is the easiest and most effective process for becoming free from material attachment and attaining self-realisation.
Kṛṣṇa concludes the chapter by describing the key characteristics of one who has attained self-realisation, emphasising that success is achieved by absorbing the mind in Him through the regulative practices of devotional service.