Book Title: World of Philosophy
Author(s): Christopher Key Chapple, Intaj Malek, Dilip Charan, Sunanda Shastri, Prashant Dave
Publisher: Shanti Prakashan
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Arjuna appears to raise his dilemma in the form of four related apprehensions and the Lord clarifies it systematically;
(i) Krishna shares His own knowledge: Arjuna cannot kill (soul) even if he kills (the body).
न त्येवाहं जातु नासं न त्वम् न-इमे जनाधिपाः ।
न चैव न भविष्यामः सर्वे वयमतः परम् ॥ (2/12) देह्वि-अस्मिन यथा देहे कौमारं यौवनं जरा। तथा देह-अन्तर-प्राप्तिः धीरः - तत्र न मुह्यति ।। (2/13) नासतो विद्यते भावो नाभावो विद्यते सतः । (2/16) वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय नवानि गृह्याति नरोऽपराणि ।
तथा शरीराणि विहाय जीर्णानि-अन्यानि संयाति नवानि दैही ॥ (2/22) The Lord testifies to the friend-disciple Arjuna, based on this own knowledge. Lord says, "Arjuna, there was no such time when I was not there, or you or all these kings were not there. There will be no time in future when we will not be there. The holder of the body (Dehi, the soul) holds the body in childhood, moves to youth & old-age and similarly moving on further, leaves the body. Hence wise do not get attached to it (the body). The unreal cannot come into existence & the real can never become non-existent."
What is, it 'was' and 'will remain'; what is not', it 'was not' & 'will not be'. "The holder of body leaves old body & acquires a new one as a man discards old cloth & puts on the new ones." The arguments appear rational. Arjuna is listening intently.
(ii) Krishna allows Arjuna to go by his own belief: If Arjuna can kill well, than that is nature's way, why mourn?.
अथ चैनं नित्य-जातम् नित्यम् वा मन्यसे मृतम । तथापि त्वम् महबबाह्ये न एनम्-शोचितुम् अहेसि ॥ (2/26) जातस्य हि ध्रुवो मृत्युः - ध्रुवम् जन्म मृतस्य च । तस्मात् -अपरिहार्ये-अर्थे न त्वम् शोचितुम अहिर्स (2/27) अव्यक्त-आदिनी भूतानि व्यक्त मध्यानि भारत ।
अव्यक्त-निधनानि-एव तल का परिवेदना ।।(2/28) Lord says to Arjuna, "If you believe that the 'dehi' (the soul) dies (with
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