Gita 01.37 – Greed Gives Us A Tunnel Vision Of Reality

 

Audio Link 2: https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/gita-01-37-greed-gives-us-a-tunnel-vision-of-reality/

 

yady apy ete na paśyanti

lobhopahata-cetasaḥ

kula-kṣaya-kṛtaṁ doṣaṁ

mitra-drohe ca pātakam 

 

Word-for-word:

yadi — if; api — even; ete — they; na — do not; paśyanti — see; lobha — by greed; upahata — overpowered; cetasaḥ — their hearts; kula-kṣaya — in killing the family; kṛtam — done; doṣam — fault; mitra-drohe — in quarreling with friends; ca — also; pātakam — sinful reactions

 

Translation:

Even if these men, whose consciousness is overpowered by greed, do not see the fault in destroying a dynasty and the sin of betraying friends—

 

Explanation:

In this verse, Arjuna continues his reasoning about why he should not fight the war. Previously, he argued that there is no value in winning a war if it means losing all his relatives. To the obvious counterpoint—that refusing to fight would mean losing his own life—Arjuna responds that even if they kill him, it is still better than him killing them. He emphasizes that he should not kill them.

 

Anticipating the argument that his enemies will kill him if he does not fight, Arjuna explains that while they may act out of blindness caused by greed, he does not wish to be blinded in the same way. This is the key point he conveys in verses 1.37 and 1.38.

 

yady apy ete na paśyanti : “If these people are not able to see

lobhopahata-cetasaḥ : because their consciousness has been abducted by greed,

kula-kṣaya-kṛtaṁ doṣaṁ : the grievous wrong in destroying the dynasty,

mitra-drohe ca pātakam : and the extreme sin of betraying friends, which will bring severe reactions.”

“Mitra-drohe” specifically refers to rebellion or betrayal, highlighting the conflict among friends. Such betrayal involves fighting among allies, which is a grave fault. Destroying the dynasty through familial strife and engaging in battles with friends goes against the principles of virtue and dharma. A virtuous, dharmic person is meant to stand by their relatives and friends. However, when consciousness is clouded and abducted by greed, one loses the ability to discern right from wrong, becoming willing to fight and kill without restraint.

 

In the next verse, Arjuna asserts that while others may act in this blinded state, he and his side need not fall into the same delusion.

 

Normally, the word ‘greed’ is seen as negative, but in contemporary culture, while the term itself may not be glamorized, the concept of greed is often portrayed in a positive and glamorous light. Consumerism promotes the idea of possessing more, enjoying more, and controlling more, portraying such desires as markers of success and fulfillment. When attention focuses on one thing, it naturally shifts away from another. Greed focuses our attention solely on the objects of our craving, causing blindness to other, often more important, considerations.

 

To illustrate this in an unfortunate and distressing example—when a person becomes consumed by lust and seeks to physically violate a woman, their attention narrows to viewing the woman solely as an object for gratifying their desire. In such a state, they fail to recognize the grievous sinfulness of their actions or the violation of the woman’s autonomy and dignity. They disregard the fact that the woman is a person with free will, emotions, and individuality, not an insentient object. Lust distorts consciousness to the point where only the bodily form associated with gratification is perceived, blinding the individual to the moral, legal, and ethical violations involved. The awareness of the personhood of the other—their individuality and rights—is completely overshadowed by this obsessive focus.

 

Similarly, Duryodhana was so consumed by greed that his attention was fixated solely on his perverse ambition of seizing the kingdom. In pursuing this ambition, nothing else mattered to him. He was willing to dispossess his own cousins—who were like brothers to him—leaving them penniless and exiled to the forest, forced to live like beggars.

 

His greed and cruelty reached such a peak that he dared to dishonor their wife, Draupadī, by attempting to strip her in public—a heinous act that even the lowest courts of society would not inflict upon women of the night. Even prostitutes, despite their marginalized status, are entitled to basic human respect and dignity. The treatment Duryodhana attempted to impose on Draupadī was unthinkable, utterly violating all norms of decency and humanity.

 

Why did he stoop to such depths? His greed blinded him to all considerations of morality, honor, and respect for others.

 

Duryodhana’s vision was so consumed by greed that he became blinded to everything else. Similarly, Arjuna observes that the Kauravas are unable to see the gravity of their actions—they are preparing to kill their own relatives and friends. Their consciousness, overpowered by greed, has rendered them blind to the grievous consequences of their deeds.

 

However, Arjuna’s point is clear — ‘we’ are not blinded in this way, and therefore, ‘we’ should not act as they do. He elaborates on this idea in the next verse and continues to develop his reasoning through a series of subsequent verses.

 

However, we can deeply consider and reflect on the grievous blinding of consciousness caused by anarthas. These anarthas create a dangerously narrow tunnel vision of reality. Tunnel vision implies that one sees only what lies directly ahead while everything else is obscured in darkness. Just as a physical tunnel conceals everything outside its path, anarthas limit our perception, shrinking our consciousness and distorting our understanding of reality.

 

For those consumed by greed, like the Kauravas, this tunnel vision makes it impossible to think about their spiritual well-being, liberation, or higher happiness. They cannot even genuinely consider ethical or moral principles. At best, they might pay lip service to these ideals—engaging in charity or rituals—not out of virtue, but because such actions bolster their power and fuel their schemes to satisfy their greed.

 

Within the tunnel vision of greed, if a segment of religion aligns with one’s selfish desires, it may be accepted, but everything else will be disregarded. For example, if performing religious rituals could enhance Duryodhana’s prestige and power, he would willingly do them. However, if religion required surrender to the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu—who had manifested as Kṛṣṇa during his time—Duryodhana had no patience for such a religion.

 

This tunnel vision, imposed by anarthas, becomes the cause of the soul’s degradation. The soul becomes so deeply covered by ignorance and delusion that it may take many lifetimes before it once again attains the human form and finds an opportunity to escape the darkness of this tunnel vision.

 

Although this prospect may seem sobering, what is truly enlivening is the reality that the tunnel vision cannot be imposed upon us if we choose to resist it. The scriptures provide us with a holistic vision, a vision far broader than the confines of greed, lust, or anger. The more we study scripture and associate with those who are learned in it—those who live by its principles—the more we break free from this tunnel vision.

 

In such a state, there is no ‘lobhopahata-cetasaḥ’ (consciousness overpowered by greed), ‘kāmopahata-cetasaḥ’ (consciousness overpowered by lust), or ‘krodhopahata-cetasaḥ’ (consciousness overpowered by anger). Instead, there is ‘kṛṣṇa-cetasaḥ’—consciousness centered on Kṛṣṇa. At the highest level, we could even say ‘kṛṣṇopahata-cetasaḥ’, where our consciousness is captivated entirely by Kṛṣṇa.

 

This elevated vision enables us to see everything in connection with Kṛṣṇa, recognizing that everything is His energy. Such perception brings the highest satisfaction, liberating us from illusion and guiding us toward the ultimate reality—eternal life with Kṛṣṇa.