What Krishna’s analysis of divine and demonic natures means for Arjuna-Throughout the Bhagavad-gita, when Krishna makes any point, Arjuna thinks how that point applies to him. Thus, when Krishna mentions anger as one of the defining qualities of the ungodly nature (16.04), Arjuna immediately worries, “I am fighting a war, and people usually fight because of anger. Do I have an ungodly nature?” Krishna quickly senses Arjuna’s apprehension and assures him, “You are born with a godly nature” (16.05). The implication is that not all fighting arises from anger; the godly fight for virtuous causes such as protecting dharma Bhagavad Gita
Later, when Krishna describes how the ungodly act out of lust, anger and greed, Arjuna can picture those actions in a living person: Duryodhana. That Kuru prince had been angry right from his birth, “Why was I not born the undisputed sole heir to the Kuru kingdom? Why did I have a blind father who couldn’t inherit the kingdom? Why was I not born before Yudhishthira?” Driven by greed for the kingdom, Duryodhana had persecuted the Pandavas repeatedly, by sidelining, maligning, defrauding, exiling, poisoning and burning. Maddened by lust, he had tried to publicly disrobe Draupadi, his sister-in-law and a lady of his own royal family, whose honor he was expected to protect.
Lust, anger and greed are meant to be curbed (16.21-22), by following scriptural injunctions (16.24). But the ungodly like Duryodhana reject scripture and pander to these vices indiscriminately. Because they don’t curb their vices themselves, they need to be curbed by others, specifically by the godly. Otherwise, their misdeeds will open the doors for hell to come into this world. That’s why punishing such predators is the primary duty of godly kshatriyas like Arjuna.
One-sentence summary:
By describing the godly and ungodly natures, Krishna prompts Arjuna to act according to his godly nature and do his kshatriya duty of neutralizing those with an ungodly nature like Duryodhana.
Think it over:
- Why does Krishna’s description of the ungodly nature worry Arjuna?
- How did Duryodhana embody the ungodly nature?
- How does Krishna’s description of the ungodly nature prompt Arjuna to do his duty?
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16.24: One should therefore understand what is duty and what is not duty by the regulations of the scriptures. Knowing such rules and regulations, one should act so that he may gradually be elevated.Bhagavad Gita
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Yes, now I can see the difference between fighting out of anger and fighting out of duty to establish or re-establish dharma.