When we have to do something difficult, it’s helpful if we are prepared for it. Suppose we have to lift a heavy suitcase, a timely warning about its weight will protect us from injuring ourselves by lifting it nonchalantly.

In the Bhagavad-gita, Arjuna has the difficult duty of fighting against relatives. Krishna prepares him by stating that distress is inescapable — the world is itself a place of distress (08.15). But distresses come in many forms. When something unpleasant happens to us, it’s tough: still, all we need to do is just accept it. But when we ourselves have to do something unpleasant as an unavoidable duty, that’s far tougher. 

Suppose someone’s favorite horse has become fatally wounded in an accident. They will find watching that horse die painful. But suppose the horse’s wound is such that its death is inevitable but not imminent. If they have to put the horse out of its misery by killing it, that will be far more painful. If the horse is still strong enough to resist, then forcibly subduing it first and then killing it will be most painful. 

Similar is Arjuna’s painful duty. He has to put down other human beings, even people whom he cares for, because they have become severely wounded — not physically, but psychologically. That is, their inner world has become inflicted by the misleading drives of lust, anger and greed or by their misdirected commitment to those misled by lust, anger and greed. For their and the world’s good, they need to be neutralized. 

Krishna girds Arjuna for such a painful duty by reminding him that all work involves faults just as handling fire sometimes entails dealing with smoke (18.48). 

One-sentence summary:

Through the smoke-fire metaphor, Krishna urges Arjuna to accept the painful killing of relatives as an unavoidable part of his duty as a kshatriya.

Think it over:

  • When we have to do something difficult, what is helpful?
  • What are two broad kinds of distresses? Which is tougher? Why?
  • How does Krishna steel Arjuna to do his difficult duty?

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18.48: Every endeavor is covered by some fault, just as fire is covered by smoke. Therefore one should not give up the work born of his nature, O son of Kunti, even if such work is full of fault.

How Krishna prepares Arjuna for his difficult duty

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