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GITĀ, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. II 869
[The Blessed Lord is now going to give advice on the question of one's duty in this world, to Arjuna, who was pulled on one side by the inherent duty of the Ksatriyas, and on the other side by the fear of the sin of killing one's elders, and causing the extinction of families; and who was engulfed in the doubt whether he should kill or be killed', and was prepared to give up the fight and live the life of a mendicant. Arjuna's objection was that his Ātman would not be benefited by a terrible act like war. Therefore, the advice in the Gītā starts by showing how those great men, who have attained the fullest bliss of their Ātmans by Realising the Parabrahman, live in this world. The Blessed Lord says that if one scrutinises the affairs of the world, one sees that from times immemorial there are two ways in which persons, who have acquired the Knowledge of the Brahman, have been leading their lives. (See Gītā, 3 3; and Gītā-Rahasya, Chap. XI). After acquiring the Knowledge of the Self, men like Suka, gave up worldly life and led the lives of mendicants, whereas, other men like Janaka, who had also acquired the Knowledge of the Self, spent their time in numerous worldly activities according to their own dharma, even after the Acquisition of Knowledge, for the universal good. The first mode of life is known as the 'Samkhya', or the Sāmkhya-nisthā, and the other is known as 'Karma-Yoga' or 'Yoga' (cf. stanza 39). But the Gītā has laid down the doctrine that though both these modes of life were in vogue, the Karma-Yoga was the superior mode, as will be shown later on (Gi. 5. 2). Out of these two Nisthās, the mind of Arjuna was inclined towards the Samnyāsa (Renunciation) -Nisthā. Therefore, the Blessed Lord has first brought home to him his mistake, on the basis of the philosophy relating to that path of life; and then, from the 39th stanza onwards, He has started the exposition of Karma-Yoga. Though the followers of the Sāmkhya path do not take part in Action after the Acquisition of Knowledge, yet, there is no difference between the Knowledge of the Brahman according to the Sāmkhya path and according to Karma-Yoga. Therefore, the Blessed Lord has first explained to Arjuna in a
