Gita 06.39 – Doubts are natural due to our limitedness – seek the unlimited
etan me saṁśayaṁ kṛṣṇa
chettum arhasy aśeṣataḥ
tvad-anyaḥ saṁśayasyāsya
chettā na hy upapadyate (Bg 6.39)
Word-for-word:
etat — this is; me — my; saṁśayam — doubt; kṛṣṇa — O Kṛṣṇa; chettum — to dispel; arhasi — You are requested; aśeṣataḥ — completely; tvat — than You; anyaḥ — other; saṁśayasya — of the doubt; asya — this; chettā — remover; na — never; hi — certainly; upapadyate — is to be found.
Translation:
This is my doubt, O Kṛṣṇa, and I ask You to dispel it completely. But for You, no one is to be found who can destroy this doubt.
Explanation:
etan me saṁśayaṁ kṛṣṇa: This is my doubt, O Kṛṣṇa.
chettum arhasy aśeṣataḥ: Kindly dispel it completely.
tvad-anyaḥ saṁśayasyāsya: Other than You, for the removal of this doubt,
chettā na hy upapadyate: there is truly no one who can do so.
Arjuna uses the word “Kṛṣṇa” again within the span of a few verses. Earlier, in 6.34, he said, cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa, and here in 6.39, he says, etan me saṁśayaṁ kṛṣṇa. Although they are discussing profound philosophy and many esoteric truths, at its core, the Bhagavad-gītā is a dialogue between two individuals bound by love. Their mutual affection forms the foundation upon which these elevated philosophical discussions take place.
This is a deeply personal doubt that Arjuna expresses—personal in the sense that it is not a mere abstract philosophical question, but a concern about the ultimate destination of a yogic seeker. Arjuna places himself in the position of such a seeker and naturally raises this question. Thus, it becomes a heartfelt and intimate inquiry—etan me saṁśayaṁ kṛṣṇa—“this is my doubt, O Kṛṣṇa.” Chettum arhasy aśeṣataḥ—chettum means to cut, tear apart, or destroy; arhasy means “it behooves you” or “you are capable of doing so”; and aśeṣataḥ means “completely,” leaving nothing unresolved.
Earlier, Kṛṣṇa had instructed Arjuna to give up all selfish desires without exception. In 6.24, He said: sa niścayena yoktavyo yogo ’nirviṇṇa-cetasā saṅkalpa-prabhavān kāmāṁs tyaktvā sarvān aśeṣataḥ manasaivendriya-grāmaṁ viniyamya samantataḥ. By using the word “aśeṣataḥ” here, Kṛṣṇa emphasizes that one should not retain even the slightest trace of material desire—all must be completely renounced.
Now, in 6.39, Arjuna uses the same word and continues a similar theme: “Kṛṣṇa, You had told me to give up all material desires completely; now I request You to dispel this doubt entirely.” Doubts are natural to us as human beings because both our conceptions and perceptions are limited. Perceptions refer to what we perceive through our senses, while conceptions refer to what we understand through our mind—and both are inherently restricted. When we encounter something that does not align with either our perceptions or our conceptions, doubts naturally arise.
For example, imagine a group of tribals living on a remote island in the middle of the ocean who have never seen or heard of cell phones. A ship’s crew arrives there, and the captain is seen holding a cell phone and speaking into it. If someone tells the tribal people that he is talking to his wife who is 10,000 miles away, they would likely respond, “Are you joking? How is that possible?”
There is nothing in their perception or conception that can gel with the idea that such a thing could happen. They simply cannot accept it. It is said that when the first Native Americans saw a giant ship approaching, they just stood and stared. The Europeans who had arrived became unnerved because the Native Americans remained motionless, silently watching. Having never seen anything like it before, they had no prior frame of reference—no conception against which to compare or make sense of what they were seeing. They could only continue to observe in silent wonder.
Similarly, when we speak of spiritual truths—such as post-mortem destinations or realities beyond our perception—our understanding is often hazy and uncertain, because we have no direct experience of what happens after death. At such times, it is natural for doubts to arise. When we encounter doubts about statements in scripture, we need not see them as flaws either in the scripture or in ourselves. Rather, we should recognize them as a natural consequence of the limitations inherent in our perceptions and conceptions.
Scripture provides a way to progress in life despite the limitations of our perceptions and conceptions—it enlightens us. Just as nature darkens the world at night with the setting sun and overcast skies, leaving very little light, we can use a torch to create enough illumination to move forward. While we cannot alter the natural order by turning night into day, we can generate sufficient light for ourselves to navigate safely.
Similarly, we cannot change the limitations of our perceptions and conceptions, but we can illumine ourselves with knowledge that comes from the unlimited. When we receive knowledge from the unlimited, it is perfect, because His perceptions are flawless and His conceptions precisely reflect reality. Kṛṣṇa, in particular, speaks of spiritual truths and is the ultimate authority in this domain, for He knows what is true.
In many areas of life, we naturally rely on authorities. Although the postmodern ethos often emphasizes anti-authoritarianism, even within this framework, people accept the authority of those who guide them to defy authority. In that sense, authority is not rejected entirely; only certain sources are questioned, while others are still accepted as authoritative. This illustrates that we cannot escape the fundamental principle of relying on legitimate authority.
The way forward is not to reject authority altogether, but to evaluate it based on its trustworthiness. Here, Arjuna tells Kṛṣṇa that apart from Him, there is no one who can dispel this doubt. This is because Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Person—the Absolute Truth—who grants intelligence to all intelligent beings in this world. No one possesses knowledge independent of Him; whatever knowledge anyone has ultimately originates from Kṛṣṇa.
This will be revealed in the next section of the Bhagavad-gītā, where Kṛṣṇa explains that He is the intelligence of the intelligent, and that all opulent, beautiful, and glorious manifestations arise from but a spark of His splendor. This means that even the brilliance of the intelligent is but a tiny reflection of Kṛṣṇa’s infinite splendor.
Therefore, by accepting the authority of Kṛṣṇa, we can transcend the limitations imposed by our own finiteness. Just as we cannot change the structure of our eyes or the laws of nature—our eyes cannot see in darkness or the sun cannot shine at night—we can use supplementary devices, such as a torch, to provide light. Similarly, we cannot alter the limitedness of our perceptions and conceptions, but by receiving knowledge from the Absolute Truth, who is unlimited and whose perceptions and conceptions perfectly harmonize with reality, we can gain proper understanding. This enables us to make the right choices in life and attain the highest destination.
Such faith is essential, and Arjuna expresses it here by saying, “Kṛṣṇa, I am certain You can dispel these doubts, so please do so.” Kṛṣṇa’s response to this will be discussed in the next verse.
Thank you.
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