Krishna overturns Arjuna’s argument (Exploring Gita chapter 3 series – 5)
Krishna overturns Arjuna’s argument - Through the Bhagavad-gita, Krishna exhorts Arjuna to do his difficult duty of fighting aggressors, even if they happen to be [...]
Krishna overturns Arjuna’s argument - Through the Bhagavad-gita, Krishna exhorts Arjuna to do his difficult duty of fighting aggressors, even if they happen to be [...]
Krishna’s second indirect self-revelation - In the Gita’s third chapter, Arjuna wonders whether renunciation can free him from accountability for not doing his duty. His [...]
Krishna’s first instance of educating by contrasting - Choices that seem small and inconsequential to an uninformed person are seen as sizable and consequential by [...]
03.01 Arjuna’s third question - At the start of the Gita’s second chapter, Arjuna asks a question, which essentially means: “Should he fight or [...]
Krishna’s stark self-contradiction - In the Bhagavad-gita second chapter, we encounter one of its starkest self-contradictions in two successive verses. First, it urges Arjuna to [...]
Arjuna’s second question - In the Bhagavad-gita’s second chapter, Krishna outlines the process of working with detachment (karma-yoga). He concludes by describing the state of [...]
Krishna’s first indirect self-revelation - The Bhagavad-gita develops its message gradually and systematically. It starts by stressing our spiritual identity (02.13) and concludes by proclaiming [...]
Krishna’s first words reveal the Gita’s purpose - Krishna’s first instructive words to Arjuna are: don’t lament for that which is not worthy of lamentation [...]
Arjuna’s heart-wrenching dilemma - At the Bhagavad-gita’s start, Arjuna faces a paralyzing dilemma (02.06). To better sense his agony, consider some parallels. Suppose something terrible [...]
Krishna’s verbal slaps to Arjuna - The Gita’s second chapter begins with Arjuna in tears (02.01). Till this point, Arjuna has treated Krishna as a [...]
Krishna’s puzzling smile - The Bhagavad-gita’s second chapter begins with Arjuna’s plight: he is emotionally afflicted (02.01) and ethically conflicted (02.06). Finally, he surrenders to [...]
From honor-culture to honorable action - The Bhagavad-gita’s call for honorable action (02.34) reflects a characteristic of most traditional cultures: a concern for honor. People [...]
The difference between honor and pride - Synonyms aren’t always interchangeable. They can have connotations that may lead to meanings that are differing or even [...]
Does how others perceive us matter? - The Bhagavad-gita (01.34) states that for those who have been honored, dishonor is worse than death. This verse [...]
How fear of dishonor can motivate us - Dishonor or shame can motivate us to desist from a wrong choice or persist in a right [...]
Is dishonor really worse than death? - The Bhagavad-gita (02.34) declares that for respectable people, dishonor is worse than death. This verse raises the question: [...]
Why be bothered by dishonor? - The Bhagavad-gita (02.34) declares that for those who have been honored, dishonor is worse than death. This verse raises [...]
Thoughtfulness amid crisis - Suppose the CEO of a company loses their job because their company goes bankrupt due to a recession. The CEO will [...]
How sorrow points us toward spirituality - Loss and the resulting sorrow are unpalatable yet unavoidable experiences during our life-journey. When we lose something desirable, [...]
No time to think? - The Bhagavad-gita’s first chapter describes its setting: a battlefield where two huge armies were assembled, ready to fight. Wars are [...]
From the specific to the universal - We learn best by an expert combination of the specific and the universal. Specifics catch our attention as [...]