![]() ![]() (Shortform note: Below even the shudras are the untouchables or outcastes, who do distasteful work such as street sweeping and latrine cleaning.) The lowest caste is the shudras, or servants, who do the bidding of all others.) Below that are the vaishyas, who are merchants and landowners. Kshatriyas like Arjuna are just below them, the caste of warriors and rulers. Brahmins are the highest caste, the priests and spiritual leaders. (Hindu tradition divides people into four castes. Great heroes on both sides of the battle would think that Arjuna had withdrawn out of cowardice or weakness, and his reputation would be irreparably damaged. Doing so would hurt his chances of reaching heaven and-possibly even worse for a kshatriya-disgrace him in life. On the other hand, if Arjuna refuses to fight, he’d be going against his dharma. Fighting this battle will nearly guarantee Arjuna entrance to heaven while he waits for his next life. He should be excited for the chance to wage war against evil, as there’s no higher calling for a kshatriya. He’s of the kshatriya caste, a warrior and a leader, and therefore it’s his duty to fight in this battle. Next, Krishna reminds Arjuna of his dharma. This is another important lesson between Arjuna and Krishna in The Bhagavad Gita. These men will die whether or not Arjuna kills them, and there’s no point in mourning the inevitable. Such people have taken a key step toward breaking the cycle of reincarnation.Įven if Arjuna can’t currently separate his ideas of the temporary bodies from the true souls that inhabit them, Krishna points out that death and rebirth happen to everyone. People who understand the difference between the real and the illusory will remain calm in any situation, unaffected by either hard times or good times. Knowing that, Krishna asks rhetorically, how can Arjuna kill or be killed by them? Similarly, the temporary bodies of the men Arjuna will fight against aren’t real their true selves are eternal and immutable, and change bodies as a living person changes clothes. Pain and pleasure, heat and cold, and even life and death are temporary. Krishna explains that temporary things shouldn’t be considered real. You wouldn’t say that a person became someone else after growing up, and in the same sense, you shouldn’t think of someone who’s been reincarnated as becoming a different person. Krishna compares reincarnation to the changes that a person goes through over a single lifetime, from childhood to adulthood to old age. Therefore, Arjuna wouldn’t be killing anybody, and there would be no reason to grieve for them. This is an important conversation between Krishna and Arjuna in The Bhagavad Gita. Although physical bodies can be destroyed, a person’s essence will be reborn again and again, unchanged, through the process of reincarnation. Krishna replies that, though Arjuna is speaking from the heart, he is also speaking from ignorance. Arjuna says that it would be better to lay down his weapons and let the Kauravas kill him. He also says that there are great heroes and respected scholars on the other side, and Arjuna questions how he could ever live with himself if he killed them in battle. He tells Krishna that he doesn’t want to fight against his own family, and that his family fighting within itself will lead to chaos in the kingdom. When he sees the people in the Kauravas’ army, he recognizes many of them as his own family and friends.Īrjuna is overcome with despair. (Shortform note: “Sri,” sometimes spelled “Shri,” is a term of respect that doesn’t have a direct translation.)Īs Arjuna sees that the fighting’s about to start, he asks Krishna to drive his chariot in between the two armies so that he can take a closer look at his enemies. Leading the army is Arjuna’s dharma-his duty and destiny. Krishna has been Arjuna’s friend and advisor throughout his life, but he can’t fight this battle. His chariot is driven by Sri Krishna, an incarnation of the god Vishnu, who has taken a mortal form in The Bhagavad Gita. Krishna and Arjuna in The Bhagavad Gita are two of the most important figures in the text. Read more about Krishna and Arjuna in The Bhagavad Gita. Arjuna, a prince is deeply conflicted about a battle, and Krishna, a god, helps him understand important lessons about himself and his spirituality. Krishna and Arjuna in The Bhagavad Gita have an important connection. Who are Krishna and Arjuna in The Bhagavad Gita? Why are they so important to the story? Like this article? Sign up for a free trial here. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading. This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "The Bhagavad Gita" by Eknath Easwaran. ![]()
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