In the Bhagavad-gita’s first chapter, when Arjuna saw his relatives in the opposite army, he was so  emotionally overwhelmed that his bow started slipping out of his hands (01.29). How, then, could he even speak several well-articulated points (01.31-46), leave alone discuss philosophy with Krishna throughout the Gita?

To understand, we need to consider what had caused Arjuna’s  turbulence: it was not cowardice, but ethical uncertainty. What brought about Arjuna’s ethical crisis so suddenly? On realizing that the war was about to begin and that one side wouldn’t return alive, he felt unsure about the right thing to do: should he fight against venerable elders that included his grandsire and his martial teacher? 

Arjuna’s plight was similar to that of an experienced executioner who is stepping forward to kill a respectable relative. If the executioner pauses to review the case, that shows he has a conscience. And if he is able to go over the merits of the case through a serious discussion, that shows his strength of character: his steely resolve to do whatever is necessary for ascertaining the right thing to do. 

Similarly, to gain ethical clarity, Arjuna needed to speak and discuss. And that’s what he did. That he initially broke down doesn’t mean he was weak; it just means that the crisis facing him was so huge as to temporarily blindside even a warrior of his caliber. That he subsequently pulled himself together to ask questions about ethics and to discuss serious philosophy shows that he was made of stern stuff — he had the self-discipline to subordinate paralyzing emotions to a higher purpose. 

One-sentence summary:

Arjuna’s physical inability and his verbal ability both showed his strength of character — his physical incapacity reflected his active conscience in the face of a dreadful duty; and his verbal ability reflected his resolve to gain ethical clarity. 

Think it over:

  • What brought about Arjuna’s ethical crisis so suddenly?
  • How does Arjuna’s physical inability show his strength of character?
  • How does Arjuna’s verbal ability show his strength of character?

***

01.29: My whole body is trembling, my hair is standing on end, my bow Gandiva is slipping from my hand, and my skin is burning.

How could Arjuna speak when he couldn’t even hold his bow?

To know more about this verse, please click on the image