Gita 01.24 – Conquer Lethargy To Attain Excellence In Service

 

Audio Link 2: https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/gita-01-24-conquer-lethargy-to-attain-excellence-in-service/

 

sañjaya uvāca

evam ukto hṛṣīkeśo

guḍākeśena bhārata

senayor ubhayor madhye

sthāpayitvā rathottamam 

 

Word-for-Word:

sañjayaḥ uvāca — Sañjaya said; evam — thus; uktaḥ — addressed; hṛṣīkeśaḥ — Lord Kṛṣṇa; guḍākeśena — by Arjuna; bhārata — O descendant of Bharata; senayoḥ — of the armies; ubhayoḥ — both; madhye — in the midst; sthāpayitvā — placing; ratha-uttamam — the finest chariot.

 

Translation:

Sañjaya said: O descendant of Bharata, having thus been addressed by Arjuna, Lord Kṛṣṇa drew up the fine chariot in the midst of the armies of both parties.

 

Explanation:

Although Sañjaya is narrating the entire Bhagavad-gītā, the text is framed as a conversation between Sañjaya and Dhṛtarāṣṭra. While the Bhagavad-gītā itself is a dialogue between Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, its recording in the Mahābhārata presents it as a subset of the conversation between Sañjaya and Dhṛtarāṣṭra.

 

When Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna are speaking, we see phrases like “Śrī Bhagavān uvāca” or “Arjuna uvāca.” However, during pauses in their conversation, when some action is taking place or being reported, the phrase “Sañjaya uvāca” appears to clarify who is narrating the action. Imagine a drama being written: the phrase “the narrator says” is used. Technically, everything is spoken by the narrator as it appears in the text. However, when the narrator describes someone speaking, it is noted, “this person spoke” or “that person spoke.” When none of the characters are speaking but the onward flow of the narrative through the action needs to be described, it is said that the narrator speaks. Thus, while everything is spoken by Sañjaya to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, when it is not someone else’s words being reported, it says “Sañjaya uvāca.”

 

“Evam ukto hṛṣīkeśaḥ”: In this way, the Lord who controls the senses, Hṛṣīkeśa, spoke. But who is narrating this? Sañjaya is the one reporting it. The name “Hṛṣīkeśa” appeared earlier in Bhagavad-gītā 1.20 and is now being repeated. The point is that Kṛṣṇa, the controller of the senses, may temporarily and circumstantially act as a charioteer, but He remains the ultimate counselor and controller. Out of affection, He may have taken the role of a charioteer, but that affection does not alter His true position.

 

The reference here is to Hṛṣīkeśa, the Lord and supreme controller of all the senses, to whom these words were spoken. The term “Hṛṣīkeśa” indicates that He was the recipient of the words previously spoken by Arjuna. Therefore, the one who spoke those words is described in the following verse.

 

“Guḍākeśena bhārata”: Here, three names are used, which might cause some confusion. “Guḍākeśa” refers to Arjuna. In certain places, the term “Bhārata” is used to refer to Arjuna, as in Bhagavad-gītā 2.14, where “Bhārata” clearly refers to Arjuna as a descendant of Bharata and a member of the Bharata dynasty. However, since both Arjuna and Dhṛtarāṣṭra belong to the same dynasty, in this context, “Bhārata” refers to Dhṛtarāṣṭra. Sañjaya is speaking to Dhṛtarāṣṭra and is respectfully addressing him as “O descendant of Bharata” or “O Bhārata.”

 

The word “Guḍākeśa” has several meanings. One interpretation is “one who has conquered sleep,” where guḍāka means sleep and īśa means controller. Thus, Guḍākeśa refers to one who has conquered sleep. Sleep, of course, represents the mode of ignorance, and Arjuna, being a transcendental pure devotee, had transcended the mode of ignorance, as evidenced by his conquering of sleep.

 

Another aspect of the significance of the name “Guḍākeśa” is that Arjuna was so eager to master archery that he practiced even at night. Initially, like the other students, he would practice during the day and stop at night because of the darkness. One night, while eating in the dark, the lamp in his room was suddenly extinguished by a gust of wind. Arjuna realized he could still continue eating, and it struck him: “I can eat even in the dark! My hands know where my mouth is, and I don’t need my eyes to see it. If I can eat without seeing, I should also be able to shoot in the dark. Just as my sense of touch helps me perceive where my mouth is and how my hands should move to reach it, I can similarly rely on other senses beyond sight. I don’t need to depend solely on vision to practice and perfect my archery skills. I can train and sharpen my sense of hearing and sound perception to hit targets, even in the dark.”

 

Inspired by this realization, Arjuna began practicing at night, sharpening his sense of hearing and other non-visual perceptions to locate targets. Soon, by perfecting his ability to perceive sound and other cues, he excelled in hitting invisible targets, mastering the art of shooting even in complete darkness.

 

When the Kṣatriyas fought, their opponents often did not fight fairly—especially when they were Rākṣasas or other beings with mystic powers. These opponents would frequently turn invisible and attack unseen. Fighting an enemy you cannot see is extremely difficult, but even when the Rākṣasas became invisible, they would make sounds while moving or shooting.

 

Through tireless practice at night, when other students were sleeping, Arjuna continued honing his skills. This relentless effort made him not just a super excellent warrior but a matchless one. He conquered sleep so that he could conquer even invisible enemies in his service to the Lord. Such was the illustrious expertise Arjuna acquired through his unwavering zeal.

 

When we see someone who excels in a particular field, we might either be awestruck by their excellence or feel envious of it. However, what we often don’t realize is that excellence rarely comes automatically—it is the result of countless hours of practice. Whether it’s a cricket player who is an expert batsman or bowler, an orator who is a skilled speaker, or a musician who excels as a singer or instrumentalist, all such achievements require tremendous effort.

 

To follow in Arjuna’s footsteps, we should aim to not only develop devotion as he did but also cultivate the diligence necessary to excel in our own area of service. This will enable us to offer meaningful service to the Lord. The spirit of devotion and the desire to use our talents in Kṛṣṇa’s service are laudable. We need to learn this most because, in this world, we are often driven by an enjoying mentality, where we seek pleasure independent of Kṛṣṇa. While we wish to serve Kṛṣṇa, we should also strive to serve Him competently. Thus, we should not flinch from industrious labor if it is required to excel in our skills.

 

Of course, even if we cannot excel due to certain circumstances or limitations, Kṛṣṇa will still accept our service. This is a testament to Kṛṣṇa’s magnanimity. We should never be discouraged if our service is not of the highest quality. It’s important to remember that we are doing our best, and Kṛṣṇa, in His kindness, will accept our efforts.

 

However, just as relationships are two-way, Kṛṣṇa expresses His love by accepting our service in whatever form we offer it. We, in turn, express our love for Kṛṣṇa not merely by offering service in any way we can, but by striving to give our very best and continually working to improve the quality of our service.

 

Thus, Arjuna conquered sleep so that he could serve Kṛṣṇa better as an archer. Similarly, we too can strive to overcome our laziness—not just by giving up sleep but also by overcoming the inner inertia that makes us reluctant to work hard. We should work to the best of our ability so that we can offer the best possible service to Kṛṣṇa.

 

In this context, as per Arjuna’s request, Kṛṣṇa took the magnificent, excellent, and celestial chariot that Arjuna had received from Agnideva. This chariot is referred to as “rathottamam.” As the action progresses, Kṛṣṇa, in response to Arjuna’s request, has now taken the chariot and placed it between the two armies. What happens next will be explored in future sessions.

 

Thank you.