Krishna's Response!

Chapter 2

verse 1: Sanjaya said: Lord Krishna thus spoke these words unto griefstricken Arjuna, whose saddened eyes were brimming with tears being overhelmed by compassion

verse 2: Lord Krishna said: O Arjuna from where has this illusion of yours appeared in this moment of crisis? This is not befitting honorable men nor conducive to the attainment of heavenly spheres and is the cause of infamy

verse 3: O Arjuna do not yield to unmanliness, this is not worthy of you. O chastiser of enemies giving up this base weakness of heart rise up.

verse 4: Arjuna said: O Krishna how can I counterattack with arrows in battle, Bhisma and Drona who are worthy of respect, O annihilator of enemies

verse 7: Now my natural qualities are beseiged by weakness and apprehension and my thinking bewildered regarding righteousness. I am asking you to please state what is definitely good for me. I am your disciple, surrendered to you, kindly instruct me.

verse 11: Lord Krishna said: you are mourning for those who are not worthy of sorrow, yet speaking like one knowledgeable. The learned neither laments for the dead or the living

verse 12: Certainly never at any time did I not exist, nor you, nor all these kings and certainly never shall we cease to exist in the future

verse 13: Just as in the physical body of the embodied being is the process of childhood, youth and old age; similarly by the transmigration from one body to another the wise are never deluded.

verse 14: O Arjuna, only the interaction of senses and sense objects give cold, heat, pleasure and pain. These things are temporary, appearing and disapperaing; therefore try to tolerate them

verse 15: O noblest of men, that person of wise judgement equipoised in happiness and distress, whom cannot be disturbed by these is certainly eligible for liberation.

verse 16: In the unreal there is no duration and in the real there is no cessation; indeed the conclusion between both the two has been analyzed by the knowers of the truth

verse 17: But know that by whom is this entire body is pervaded, is indestructible. No one is able to cause the destruction of the imperishable soul.

verse 18: The embodied soul is eternal in existence, indestructible and infinite, only the material body is factually perishable; therefore fight O Arjuna

verse 19: Anyone who thinks the soul is the slayer and anyone who thinks the soul is slain both of them are in ignorance, the soul never slays nor is slain

verse 20: The soul never takes birth and never dies at any time nor does it come into being again when the body is created. The soul is birthless, eternal, imperishable and timeless and is never destroyed when the body is destroyed.

verse 21: Oh Arjuna, one who knows the soul as eternal, unborn, undeteriorating and indestructible; how does that person cause death to anyone and whom does he slay?

verse 22: Just as a man giving up old worn out garments accepts other new apparrel, in the same way the embodied soul giving up old and worn out bodies verily accepts new bodies

verse 24: The soul is indestructible, the soul is incombustible, insoluble and unwitherable. The soul is eternal, all-pervading, unmodifiable, immovable and primordial

verse 26: O mighty armed one, even if you think the soul always takes birth or is always subject to death even then you should not lament

verse 27: For one who has taken birth, death is certain and for one who is dead, birth is certain; therefore you ought not to lament for an inevitable situation.

verse 28: O Arjuna, of created beings before birth is unknown, between birth and death is known and after death is again unknown; therefore what is the cause of lamentation.

verse 31: Moreover considering your righteousness you should not falter; indeed for upholders of justice there does not exist a more appropriate endeavour than a battle of righteousness

verse 33: However if you do not engage in this war of righteousness then abandoning your natural spiritual duty and reputation you will incur sinful reaction.

verse 35: The mighty chariot warriors will consider that you retired from the battlefield out of fear and for those whom you have been held in great esteem you will fall into disgrace.

verse 37: Either being slain you will attain the heavenly worlds or by gaining victory you will enjoy the Earth; therefore O Arjuna, confident of success rise up and fight.

verse 38: Being equipoised in happiness and unhappiness, profit and loss, victory and defeat; thereafter prepare for battle and this way you will not incur sinful reaction