Respecting others while refuting their misconceptions- When Arjuna surrenders to Krishna, seeking guidance about dharma, Krishna begins his response with words that can seem like a strong chastisement: “Your words are educated, but your emotions aren’t – you are lamenting that which isn’t worth lamenting.”(Bhagavad-gita 02.11)

Given that Arjuna has just publicly humbled himself before Krishna, why does Krishna have to chide him? Krishna’s strong words are not meant to humiliate Arjuna, but to jolt Arjuna into realizing the incompleteness of his knowledge — due to that inadequacy, his words are being betrayed by his emotions.

Arjuna is not an utterly ignorant person; he has studied scripture and he bases the arguments he makes in the Gita’s first chapter on what he has heard from great souls (01.43). The problem was that his knowledge was bereft of an understanding of the overall purpose of that knowledge: spiritual evolution. He was thinking long-term in terms of future generations of his dynasty and even his future lives, but he was still thinking in material terms; he was oblivious to the eternal spiritual identity of everyone, which Krishna stresses in the next verse (02.12).  

Despite Arjuna’s present misconceptions, Krishna respects Arjuna’s character and caliber, which he conveys by referring to him just three verses later (02.15) as the “best among men” (purusharshabha) And throughout the Gita, he uses similar honorifics: not just generic honorifics about Arjuna’s glorious ancestry, but specific attributes about his personal attributes such as “chastiser of enemies” (parantapa 04.05)  and “tiger among men” (purusha-vyaghra 18.04). Thus, Krishna shows a healthy respect for Arjuna even while correcting his conceptions..

One-sentence summary:

Even if we are duty-bound  to refute the misconceptions of those we guide, don’t forget to convey our respect for them.

Think it over:

  • Why does Krishna speak strong words to Arjuna soon after he surrenders?
  • While exposing Arjuna’s misconceptions, how does Krishna convey his respect for Arjuna?
  • While correcting someone you are guiding, how can you convey your respect for them? 

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02.11: The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: While speaking learned words, you are mourning for what is not worthy of grief. Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor for the dead.

 Respecting others while refuting their misconceptions

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