Arjuna Vishada Yoga
Chapter 1, Verses 38-39
yady-apyete na paÅyanti
lobhopahata cetasaįø„
kula-kį¹£aya-kį¹tamā doį¹£aį¹
mitra-drohe ca pÄtakam
kathaį¹ na jƱeyam asmÄbhiįø„
pÄpÄd asmÄn nivartitum
kula-kį¹£aya-kį¹taį¹ doį¹£aį¹
prapaÅyadbhir janÄrdana
Although these, with a consciousness clouded with greed, see no guilt in
the destruction of the family, no crime in hostility to friends, why should we
not have the wisdom to recoil from such a sin, O Janardana, we who see the evil in the destruction of the family?
Here again, Arjuna addresses Krishna as Janardana, the killer of evil people. Arjuna says, āWe who see the evil in the destruction of the family.ā Arjuna sees that such evil action by Duryodhan and his friends is most reprehensible, but that it is not unnatural for them, because their greed has fully destroyed their power of discrimination. They
canāt discriminate between āgoodā and ābadā. They donāt have any feeling: they donāt have any family-oriented feeling; they donāt know how to do good for others.
Duryodhan was always and only concerned about himself and nobody else. He used the people around him for personal gain. Even Duryodhanās counsellors couldnāt see the great evil which this war would create for themselves, for their own families, for the race. If one is just concerned about personal gain for oneself in a very
egoistic, greedy and arrogant way, one canāt even think of his mother, of his father or anyone ā only of himself. Even if this war would bring complete destruction to the race and great sin to themselves, they didnāt care.
Arjuna and his brothers are not blinded by greed. There is no presence of greed in Arjuna. He is not doing this for personal gain. If he will fight, he will fight to serve the Kauravas! He says, āI want to serve these people: there is Bhishma, the grandsire, Dronacharya is my teacher, Kripacharya is my teacher. We should worship them.ā
Arjuna is saying that everything we do is for the sake of serving others. A mother serves her child. Even if the mother sees it as a duty, it is serving. Also when you work, you are serving someone. There is service from the beginning to the end, because life itself is service. Then you learn that you have to serve a greater cause. You have to
serve to attain the Grace of God, to attain the Grace of Krishna, to attain the Grace of Narayana. Otherwise service is fruitless. Arjuna continues, āThey are blind, they canāt see. But we can clearly see the evil and the disaster which this war will bring to the family and the race. Thatās why I donāt want to fight.ā
Bhagavad Gita
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