Gita Class 008, Ch.2 Verses 6-11

Bhagavad Gita Class by Swami Tadatmananda

Feb 20, 2021

Youtube: 08: Bhagavad Gita Class by Swami Tadatmananda – Ch.2 Verses 6-11

Webcast every Saturday, 11 am EST.  All recorded classes available here:   • Bhagavad Gita – classes by Swami Tadatmananda  

Swami Tadatmananda’s translation, audio download, and podcast available on his website here: https://arshabodha.org/teachings/bhag…

Swami Tadatmananda is a traditionally-trained teacher of Advaita Vedanta, meditation, and Sanskrit. For more information, please see: https://www.arshabodha.org/

Note about the verses:  Swamiji typically starts a few verses before and discusses 10 verses at the beginning of the class. The screenshot of the verses takes that into consideration and also all the verses that were presented during the class, which may be after the verses discussed initially. We put the later of the two at the beginning

Note about the transcription:The transcription has been generated using AI and highlighted by volunteers. Swamiji has reviewed the quality of this content and has approved it and this is perfectly legal. The purpose is to have a closer reading of Swamiji.s teachings. Please follow along with youtube videos. We are doing this as our sadhana and nothing more.

ॐ सह नाववतु
oṁ saha nāv avatu

सह नौ भुनक्तु
saha nau bhunaktu

सह वीर्यं करवावहै
saha vīryaṁ karavāvahai

तेजस्वि नावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै
tejasvināvadhītam astu mā vidviṣāvahai

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः
oṁ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ

Welcome. Just checking this, okay. Welcome to our Saturday morning Bhagavad Gita class.

We began chapter 2 in the previous class and will begin our chanting, our recitation today. From the beginning of chapter 2, be sure you glance at the meaning before you chant after me.

We conclude our recitation there and pick up where we left off. We’ll begin here.

Last first we saw. We’re continuing in the introduction to the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita. The teachings, as you remember, begin with chapter 2, verse 11. All of chapter 1 and the first 10 verses of chapter 2 are all introductory — part of the story of the Mahabharata leading up to Sri Krishna’s teachings.

And that introduction — I don’t mistake my words — that introduction is extremely important. We’ve seen in great detail Arjuna’s inner conflict. This is one of the several meanings of the battlefield: the battle that goes on in Arjuna’s — within Arjuna’s intellect and his emotions, between his head and heart, so to speak.

Intellectually, Arjuna knows he must fight to preserve Dharma, but his intellect has been hijacked by his emotions. He’s using his intellect to justify his emotional response. And his emotional response is to do that which — the term that strikes me is — that which is emotionally comfortable.

Following Dharma is not always emotionally comfortable. For Arjuna to proceed on into that war is anything but emotionally comfortable. But Arjuna, with his intellect — Arjuna must discern and follow Dharma and not abandon Dharma and seek emotional comfort running away from the battlefield.

One comment I received, actually a couple of comments: still some confusion about this head versus heart. Please note that I’ve only used the word “heart” to represent emotions. Other spiritual teachers use “heart” to represent many other things. Ramana Maharshi was famous for his use of the word “heart” to represent consciousness. Other teachers will use “heart” for your higher wisdom or something like that. Notice I’ve only used the word “heart” to represent emotions.

So when I say “head versus heart,” it means intellect versus emotions and nothing else. Intellect is capable of determining Dharma. Emotions will seek what’s comfortable, and seeking what’s comfortable may not be consistent with Dharma.

We’ve seen all that in great length. We saw at the end of chapter one, Arjuna was incapacitated by this inner battle between head and heart.

Beginning of chapter two, Sri Krishna began with several verses of what in American English is called “tough love.” You use harsh words to motivate someone. And after that tough love, it clearly didn’t work. So Arjuna continues to struggle with his emotional conflict, and that’s where we will continue today.

We’ll continue here with verse six. You’ll remember this longer meter used for dramatic reasons:

Arjuna speaks here using the royal “we,” referring to himself. He says:

Aitat — that.
Chaitat is two words: cha (and), aitat (this).
Naha vidmaha — we don’t know, we don’t understand, we can’t discern.
Naha — the words all run together. Naha for us (using the royal “we”), nah for us meaning for me.
Kattarat — which.
Gariyas — which is better?

Arjuna says in the first line — and I’ll just put it in normal language — I don’t know which is better for me (the plural is a so-called royal “we”). What is better?

Yad vah jayema — if it’s better that we should conquer, that I should conquer, that I should go out onto the battlefield and eventually the Pandavas will be victorious.
Yad vah — or if
Naḥ jayema — jayema, they should conquer naḥ, us (again, royal “we”).

I don’t know if it’s better if I should conquer them, or they should conquer us.

What we call — Arjuna is crucial to the Pandava army. If Arjuna were to leave the battlefield, without doubt the Pandavas would lose the battle, the Kauravas would prevail, Adharma would overcome everything.

What we call is — if Arjuna was to leave the battlefield, without doubt the Pandavas would lose the battle, the Kauravas would overcome everything.
Te — them. Who are them?
Avastitaha — assembled.
Pramukhe — right in front of us.

Remember, Arjuna and Sri Krishna are in a chariot in the middle of the battlefield, and at this point Arjuna is looking across the battlefield to the Kauravas. So the Kauravas are pramukhe — they are pramukhe avastitaha, they are assembled here, pramukhe, right in front of us.

And who are they?
Dhartarah — the sons of Dhritarashtra. They are all standing there.

Notice, when Arjuna is saying, “What is better? I don’t know if this is better or that is better — if it is better to fight or if it is better to withdraw from war,” we use the term before: dharma-saṅkaṭa.Sankata means conflict in general, but a particular kind of conflict where if option A is bad, option B is equally bad. There is no easy solution to the problem. Obviously, if there was an easy solution to Arjuna’s problem, we wouldn’t have the book of a Gita. There is no easy solution.

Arjuna is struggling with this and we’ll see the solution as we continue.

Arjuna—very beautiful words he uses here. Arjuna admits. He says, Arjuna says that he is dharma-samudha-cheta. Arjuna says that he is samudha. Arjuna admits that he is cheta, at the end of the compound—his mind is samudha, confused about dharma.

So Arjuna is saying, “My mind is confused about dharma,” and Pracamitwam—”and I ask you.” The first line is one long compound word, by which Arjuna also refers to himself. He says that he is karpanya-doshya-upahata-swabhava.

Arjuna says that his swabhava, his inner condition, is upahata—overcome by the doshya, by—here meaning weakness—by the weakness of karpanya, pity. So Arjuna is overcome by sadness, anticipating the death of so many of his loved ones on the battlefield.

And he says that very beautifully. He says, “I am overcome by the weakness of pity.” My translation, but more precisely, he says, “I am overcome by the sadness of anticipating the death of all my loved ones on the battlefield.”

And he further says dharma-samudha-cheta—something crucial here. Arjuna is confused. The whole first, you know, end of the first chapter, beginning of the second chapter is all his confusion. What should I do?

And a nice observation I’ve made several times before is, there are two different kinds of confusion in life. One is to be confused and know you’re confused. The other is worse: it’s to be confused and either not to know you’re confused, or to refuse to admit you’re confused.

And a nice example of the latter is: so often a married couple will be driving someplace in a car—someplace—and they get lost. He is driving, and they’re completely lost. She says, “Why don’t we pull over here and get some directions?” And very often he’ll say, “I don’t need to pull over. I know where I’m going. We’ll get there. Don’t tell me what to do.”

This is so typical. They’re both lost. She’s confused as to the directions, and she admits she’s confused and wants to pull over and get some directions. He’s equally confused. He doesn’t know where he’s going. But he refuses to admit he’s confused—that male pride, this kind of silliness.

Anyway, obviously the second kind of confusion is worse—when you’re confused and either you don’t know you’re confused or you refuse to admit you’re confused.

Here, obviously, Arjuna does not fall into that second category. He admits: dharma-samudha-cheta. He says, “My mind is confused as to what is dharma. Therefore, Pracami Tvam—Tvam unto you, Krishna. Pracami—I ask. I ask Yat Shreya Siyat. Yat Shyat—what would be shreyas?” Shreyas means best. “What would be best for me?”

Nischitam-bruhi—Tan-me. Nischitam-bruhi—”Tell clearly.” Tan—that. Me—unto me. “Tell that clearly unto me.” Yat Shreyas, Yat Shreyas—what would be best for me? What should I do?

With these words, Arjuna admits he’s confused. He seeks Sri Krishna’s guidance, and he further says: Shishya Te Aham. Aham—I. “I am Te Shishya—I am your student.” Shadhi mam. Shadhi—teach. Mam—me. “Teach me. I am your student. Teach me.”

Tvam—Tvam prapanam. “Teach me, the one who is prapanam—having sought refuge. Tvam—from you. Having sought your refuge, having sought your advice, teach me. I admit I’m confused. Please tell me clearly what is best. I am your student. Teach me. I have resorted to you. I seek your guidance.”

To me, this is one of the most beautiful verses in the entire Bhagavad Gita, because it shows—and interesting—it’s not spoken by Sri Krishna. My favorite verse is spoken by Arjuna. But you can see why it’s my favorite verse. It conveys such a strong feeling of Arjuna admitting his confusion, admitting his helplessness, and recognizing that he is completely dependent on Sri Krishna’s guidance here.

It shows the attitude of seeking guidance from a guru. And there are many texts that describe the importance of a student’s attitude in approaching a teaching and in approaching a teacher.

I remember my own case in 1981—quite a while ago—when I first met Pujya Swami Dayananda, my guru. Prior to that time, I’d listened to many teachings. I was one of the typical American seekers going from one guru to another, one tradition to another. They call it the spiritual shopping. I was doing that for a number of years.

But then in 1981, I heard Pujya Swamiji teach. Immediately, I recognized that he had something of great value that I wanted to know. And it was very easy at that time for me to commit myself to becoming a student and to being very dedicated to those studies.

I think the fact that I had done my shopping already made it possible to be doubt-free and completely committed. The point I guess I’m trying to convey is that commitment—recognizing that the teachings and teacher have something of such tremendous value—and that that value creates in your mind the proper attitude.

We seek what we have great value for. To the extent that you see the value of these teachings, to that extent, you will be driven to seek them. That’s the importance of the attitude.

Okay. Arjuna has one more verse. Arjuna concludes here. He says:

“I do not see—he indeed—I do not see mama—for me—upanudyat—that which could remove for me. That which could remove what? Yat Shokam—the word, the spelling changes due to grammar rules—I do not see what could remove Yat Shokam—that sorrow.”

What sorrow?

Uchoshanam Indriyanam—the sorrow that Uchoshanam—dries up—Indriyanam—my senses. “My senses” is a little technical expression, but that which dries up my senses—that which, what would be a more colloquial expression—that which is wearing me out, that which is dragging me down. This sorrow, which is exhausting me. This sorrow, which is dragging me down into deep depression.

He says—Arjuna says: “I do not prapashyami—I do not see—upanudyat—anything that could remove my sadness, my sorrow.” Again, we call this anticipatory grief. Arjuna knows that so many of his beloved family members will die in a battlefield. He is already grieving their loss. Sadness—anticipatory grief.

And he says, “I do not see a solution to my problem, no matter what.” And he goes to possibilities here—what might be able to solve his problem, but can’t.

He says: Avapya—even if I gain, I gain—Bhuma, Bhuma, you have to break the words apart—Bhuma asapatnam ridham rajam.

Let me connect the words for you: Avapya rajyam—even if I gain, even having gained, rajyam—the kingdom.

So, option one is: Arjuna goes forward and fights and Avapya rajyam—having gained this kingdom—Bhuma—on this earth—having gained this earthly kingdom—and having gained it with ridham—all of its wealth—asapatnam ridham—unrivaled wealth, unrivaled wealth, no greater wealth, no greater prosperity.

So Arjuna says: Two options. One is, suppose I gain—I go ahead and fight and regain this kingdom with its unrivaled wealth. He says, even then, I don’t see what could remove my sorrow.

And one more possibility, he says: Suranam Avapya Adipatiya Adipatiya. He says even gaining—adi—so one is, there’s a little poetic device going on here—he’s comparing Bhuma—earthly happiness—to Suranam—the happiness of the gods.

So he says, earthly happiness won’t remove my sorrow. He says: Suranam Avapya Adipatiya—even gaining, even gaining adipatiya—lordship—Suranam—over the gods. Lordship over the gods means being king of heaven, means being Indra—even becoming Indra (happened to be his father, remember this story)—anyway, even gaining this supreme heavenly happiness won’t remove his sorrow.

So Arjuna says, gaining earthly happiness won’t remove my sorrow. Even gaining the supreme heavenly happiness won’t remove my sorrow.

Arjuna says—this is crucial.

This is a crucial—I call it an intellectual conversion. But here’s a point. Prior to this intellectual conversion, you may think there’s a solution to the problem somehow, somewhere. The problem is one of suffering, sadness. And everyone thinks that there is some problem—some solution to my problem—out there. “I’m struggling, I’m sad, I have so many problems. There is a solution out there, somehow, somewhere.”

There’s no solution to the problem of sadness. Right? Sadness is a normal human condition.

This is one of the—we’re going to see this in another verse also—but let me set it up right now. If you think spiritual life will remove sadness from your life, there’s a problem with that kind of thinking. Sadness is a normal human emotion. If you can’t feel sad, you’re emotionally numb inside. There’s something wrong if you can’t feel sadness.

Sadness isn’t the problem—we’re going to discuss this more in a few more verses. Sadness isn’t the problem. Suffering is the problem. And we make a distinction between the two.

Sadness is an emotion. And emotions are natural. Struggle—struggle—suffering, excuse me. Sadness is a normal emotion. Suffering is how you respond to that emotion.

You know what it is to be sad? Oftentimes, our response to sadness is: “I don’t want to feel sad. I want this sadness to go away. Why did this have to happen to me?” Commonly spoken words: “Why me?”

Those expressions—”Why me?”—that’s an expression of suffering. You can be sad without suffering. You can be sad without feeling, “Why me?” We’re going to see that much more.

But the point here is: there’s no solution to the problem of sadness, which is what Arjuna is recognizing here. Sadness is inevitable in life.

So what’s required is not—a shift of direction. Instead of looking for a solution to sadness—we just said it’s a normal human emotion—with this verse, Arjuna recognizes there is no worldly solution to the problem of sadness. Just like there’s no worldly solution to the problem of old age and death.

There’s no worldly solution. These are inevitable. Sadness, old age, and death are inevitable. There is no worldly solution.

Most people spend a lot of effort trying to solve those problems. If you have sadness, find a solution to the sadness. What is the solution? Everyone has a different kind of solution. Many people turn on a television. There’s no way to have a solution to sadness.

Some people, unfortunately, will take to drink or drugs as a solution to sadness. Very unhealthy. But in one way or another, most people seek a worldly solution to the problem of sadness.

And as long as you think there is a worldly solution to the problem of sadness, you’re going to continue watching TV or drinking or whatever is your solution to sadness—none of which works.

The point in this verse is: Arjuna has recognized there is no worldly solution to the problem of sadness. This recognition can bring about an intellectual conversion, where you recognize the futility of trying to find a worldly solution to the problem of sadness, and therefore you start looking for a spiritual.

This is the intellectual conversion. Previously, looking for a worldly solution. After this intellectual conversion, looking for a spiritual solution. In Arjuna’s words here, we can see that that intellectual conversion has taken place. Arjuna is now ready for Sri Krishna’s spiritual teachings. And we’ll see that.

First, we return to the palace. Remember, this is going on on the battlefield, and all of it is being narrated by Sanjaya to the—blanking a minute—to Dhritarashtra.

 Sanjaya narrates to Dhritarashtra. In fact, you see in the second line, parantapa. So here, Sanjaya addresses Dhritarashtra as parantapa. As parantapa, mighty one, the scorcher of foes.

So, this is the name of the Lord of the senses. So all these names we have here. Sri Krishna is Hrishikesha—Lord of the senses. Arjuna is Gudakesha—Lord of sleep, master, one who has mastered sleep.

So, Gudakesha—Arjuna—evam uktva—having spoken thus—Hrishikesham—to Sri Krishna.

Notice that we went back to the shorter meter, the Anushtubh chandas, having eight syllables per quarter, which is by far the most common meter in the entire Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita.

So, what does Arjuna—having spoken thus to Sri Krishna—then what?

So, this is a nice observation: that go also means words—in particular, the words of the Vedas. So therefore, Govinda is also the one who has attained or the one who knows the words of the Vedas—the one who is enlightened through the Vedic teachings. So, two meanings of Govinda.

But—interesting little problem here. So, Arjuna—having spoken thus to Sri Krishna—then what is his final word?

Uktva—having said Govinda, having said to Sri Krishna—na yotsya iti. Na yotsya—”I will not fight, na yotsya.”

Now, what’s interesting is: two verses back, he said, “I surrender to you, tell me what to do.” Two verses back, he said, “I will do, I seek your guidance, tell me what is best.” Two verses later, he says, na yotsya.

To put words in Arjuna’s mouth: “O Krishna, tell me what to do—but don’t tell me to fight.”

This has happened to you. You have given—no doubt—there has been a situation where you have given advice to a friend. And your friend asks for your advice, but then rejects your advice. This starts to look a little bit like that.

Of course, Arjuna is not rejecting Sri Krishna’s advice. But rather, he is still stuck in this emotional paralysis. He is still stuck in this dharma-sankata. He is frozen by inner conflict.

And at the end of this conflict, he says, na yotsya—”I won’t fight.” And tushnim babhuva—Sanjaya narrates that Arjuna babhuva—he became tushnim—silent.

Arjuna uttered these final words—”I won’t fight”—and tushnim babhuva—Arjuna fell silent.

Then what happened?

So then what happened? Hrishikeshaḥ—Sri Krishna. Arjuna—who was—Sri Krishna said, idam vachaha—this word, the statement that we will see in the next verse.

And when did this take place?

In the third line: sainayor ubhayor madhye—madhye, in the middle, standing between sainayor ubhayor—ubhayoh, both—sena—army.

So, standing between both armies, the chariot out there in the middle of the battlefield—while standing there in the chariot between both armies—Sri Krishna began to address Arjuna with the following words.

Sri Krishna’s teachings begin with the very next verse, verse 11.

The most interesting part of this verse is the second line. Bharata is Sanjaya addressing the king one more time. Bharata—”O king, O descendant of Bharata.”

“O king—prahasan iva bharata.”

This is Sanjaya’s description of Sri Krishna. And he says Sri Krishna was prahasan iva. Iva—”as though.” Prahasan—”laughing.” As though laughing means not laughing out loud, but maybe smiling or restraining a laugh.

You know what it’s like when you want to laugh, but it’s not appropriate. So you hold the laugh in. So Sri Krishna is, at a minimum, smiling—and perhaps he’s trying to restrain a laugh.

Why?

This is a horrible situation.

A terrible war is about to break out. Arjuna has been overcome by a panic attack. He’s fallen to the seat of his chariot. His bow and arrows are on. Arjuna has been crying. Arjuna is too dizzy to stand up. Arjuna is just suffering so badly. He is feeling this intense grief and sadness, anticipating the loss of his family members.

Sri Krishna is Prahasaaniva—as though laughing. Not laughing at Arjuna. Don’t make that mistake. Sri Krishna is not laughing at Arjuna, but the fact that he’s smiling shows that Sri Krishna has a radically different perspective than Arjuna. Arjuna is sunken into depression. Not Sri Krishna.

Sri Krishna has the perspective of an enlightened person. Sri Krishna is Bhagavan, as an incarnation of God. Certainly, Sri Krishna is enlightened, free from suffering.

How to put it? Sri Krishna knows. Sri Krishna sees the situation from a perspective in which Sri Krishna knows: it’s okay. There’s no problem.

When I say no problem, I’ll come to that in just a minute. There is a problem. The problem is that a terrible war is about to break out. Arjuna is very sad, very depressed. Then Sri Krishna is smiling. Not because there is no problem—let me be very clear—there is a problem. A horrible problem. Yet Sri Krishna smiles because Sri Krishna is okay in spite of the problem.

This goes back to our earlier discussion. I said there is no solution to sadness. Is it possible to be okay in spite of sadness?

Let’s explore this for just a moment. Sri Krishna is smiling here in spite of Arjuna’s sadness. How can you be okay in spite of sadness?

I love to make this observation: sadness is not your enemy. Sadness is not inherently undesirable. After all, how many sad movies have you enjoyed? You’ve walked out of a movie theater with tears coming down your cheeks, and you’ve said, “What a wonderful movie. Best movie I’ve seen in ages.” Clearly, sadness is not your enemy. Sadness is not the problem.

It is possible to be okay in the presence of sadness. How? That’s what the next 17 chapters of the Bhagavad Gita are all about.

Two verses back, we said that sadness is inevitable. You can’t run away from sadness. You can turn on the TV. You can drink alcohol. But you can’t run away from sadness. On the other hand, you can learn to be okay in the presence of sadness.

Sri Krishna is in the same situation with Arjuna on the battlefield. Arjuna is suffering terribly because of the situation, because of his sadness. Sri Krishna, in exactly the same situation, is not suffering. He’s smiling.

Why? His perspective—born of wisdom, born of knowledge, born of realization of the ultimate truth. The truth taught by the ancient Rishis, the truth which is taught through all the teachings of Vedanta, including the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita.

With that knowledge, with that wisdom, you can gain a perspective in which you are perfectly comfortable in the presence of sadness.

We call it Moksha. Moksha literally means liberation—as a common translation. Moksha means freedom. But freedom from what? Certainly not freedom from sadness.

By the way, a common misunderstanding is Moksha is only freedom from rebirth. Moksha does mean freedom from rebirth, but that comes later. You have to die, and then you can enjoy freedom from rebirth.

But right now, Moksha—the ultimate goal of spiritual life as taught by the teachings of Vedanta—Moksha means freedom now.

That freedom you enjoy now is freedom from what?

Based on everything we’ve discussed, it cannot be freedom from sadness. To feel sad is normal.

I don’t know—do any of you remember an old American television show called Star Trek? Actually, they made several movies on the Star Trek theme. If you watched any of that, do you remember a character called Spock?

Spock was half-human and half from another planet. Spock had a unique trait of not feeling emotions. When a captain was dying—what is Spock’s response? Captain—his dear friend, the captain is Captain Kirk. Captain Kirk is dying, and Spock is watching the captain die, and Spock is emotionless. “Captain, what can I do?” Which is good—but emotionless. To be emotionless is to be inhuman.

Spock was half inhuman.

Emotions are not the problem. Sadness is not the problem. Sadness is a normal human emotion. Thank goodness, Ishwara, God, gave us these emotions. Otherwise, we’d all be like Spock.

So, Moksha—liberation, freedom—cannot mean freedom from sadness. It does mean freedom from suffering. You can be sad and be content in the presence of that sadness. Like in a movie theater. In a movie theater, you even enjoy your sadness.

So the solution is not freedom from sadness. Moksha is freedom from suffering. That Moksha is gained through the wisdom of the ancient Rishis, and it is that wisdom that is going to be imparted by Sri Krishna to Arjuna.

The name of that wisdom, by the way, in this chapter is called Sankhya. Sankhya has several meanings, but in this chapter—this chapter is called Sankhya Yoga—Sankhya means spiritual wisdom.

And that spiritual wisdom will be taught to Arjuna. That spiritual wisdom allows Sri Krishna to be in this horrible situation with a smile on his lips. And Sri Krishna is now going to share that same wisdom with Arjuna so that Arjuna can cope with his horrible situation—so Arjuna can become freed from his emotional paralysis.

Let’s see the beginning of that.

Sri Bhagavan, the Blessed Lord, Uvaca—said to Arjuna.

What did he say to Arjuna?

Arjuna—first line end—Tvam—you.

Tvam anu-shochaha—good word for Sanskrit students. Second person, past tense. Arjuna, you grieve.

Tvam—you. You have to break all these words apart. Tvam, anu, asho, chaha. Tvam, you grieve after asho-chyan—those who don’t deserve your grief.

Sounds very peculiar. “You grieve after those who don’t deserve your grief.”

Arjuna is looking across the battlefield to Bhishma and Drona and so many others that he loves dearly. And yet Sri Krishna says, you’re grieving for those who don’t deserve grief.

How can Sri Krishna possibly say that?

Remember the sad movies you loved so much? You cried because characters died. So when that character dies in the movie, you feel sad, and you enjoy that sadness. You’re okay in spite of that sadness.

This is Sri Krishna’s perspective. Sri Krishna also knows that Bhishma and Drona and so many others will die in a battlefield. But Sri Krishna has this perspective where he knows that the sadness that results from the loss of loved ones—that sadness is not a source of suffering.

Please distinguish these two.

Sadness and suffering couldn’t be more different.
Sadness is movie theater.
Suffering is “why me?”

You can feel sad without that suffering—“Why me? Why did this have to happen to me?”

So based on that perspective, born of wisdom—based on that perspective—Sri Krishna says to Arjuna, “You are grieving after those who need not be grieved for.”

Sri Krishna is talking about suffering, not sadness.

So Sri Krishna says to Arjuna, paraphrase:
“Arjuna, you are suffering unnecessarily.”

It’s okay to feel sad. But you are suffering unnecessarily.

On the other hand, in the second line, he says, you speak vada—words of pragya—wisdom. You are speaking words of wisdom.

Arjuna was considering, in the end of Chapter 1, he was considering all the terrible consequences of the war. Arjuna was going through the damage to the family, to the Kula, that would happen as a result of the war.

Arjuna was speaking with great alertness, a great awareness of the tragedy of war, of the consequences of war. Arjuna was speaking with great wisdom about the consequences of war.

So, Arjuna admits that you are speaking with great wisdom—but not enough wisdom. Arjuna is wise enough to understand the consequences of war, but Arjuna doesn’t have the particular wisdom that Sri Krishna has.

Arjuna has this wisdom that allows him to be emotionally comfortable in this horrible situation. And Sri Krishna describes that.

He says—you are—the truly wise in the last line: Panditaha.

Those who are not just Panditaha—means scholarly—but here it’s referring to enlightened people. Panditaha, not scholarly people—wise people, enlightened people. Panditaha—the truly wise, the enlightened people.

Arjuna—Anu-shochanti—they do not grieve, they do not suffer.

Notice I’m not saying sadness.

Do wise people feel sad? Yes.
Do wise people suffer? No.

Enlightened people feel sadness. Otherwise, they’ll be like Spock. Why?

Enlightened people do not suffer.

So here, Panditaha—the wise people—Na Anu-shochanti—they do not suffer. Because of whom?

Gataasūn, Gataasūn cha.
Gataasu—asu means breath. Gataasu is one from whom breath has gone away—dead.
Agataasu—those from whom breath has not yet gone away. It’ll eventually go, but not yet.

So Gataasūn, for those who are dead,
Agataasūn cha, and for those who are not yet dead,
Panditaha—the truly wise, enlightened—Na Anu-shochanti—they do not grieve, they do not mourn, they do not suffer, considering what’s happening to those loved ones who have died and those loved ones who will die.

So, with this verse, Sri Krishna begins 17 more chapters of spiritual teaching.

Not “more chapters”—but the spiritual teachings begin with this verse. And through the course of the next 17 chapters, Sri Krishna will impart this spiritual wisdom to Arjuna that will enable him to be emotionally comfortable in this horrible situation.

And we’ll see that in the coming classes.

So, with this verse, Sri Krishna begins 17 more chapters of spiritual teaching.

Not more chapters, but the spiritual teachings begin with this verse.

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om Tatsat. Thank you.