The battlefield is silent for a moment. Arjuna still trembles, his bow Gandiva resting upon his knees. The conches have been blown, the armies are waiting, and yet the mightiest warrior of the age cannot rise. His voice is broken, his heart consumed by sorrow. He has surrendered to Krishna, begging for guidance, and now the charioteer who is no mere man but the eternal Bhagavan prepares to reveal the wisdom of ages.
Krishna looks upon Arjuna with compassion, yet also with the fire of truth. His words will cut through despair like the edge of a sword, not to wound but to awaken.
Krishna speaks.
You grieve, Arjuna, for those who deserve no grief. You speak words of wisdom, but your vision is clouded. The truly wise do not mourn for the living or the dead. For never was there a time when I was not, nor you, nor these kings. And never will there be a time when we cease to be. The body may perish, but the soul is eternal, indestructible, unborn, undying.
Just as a man casts off worn-out garments and takes on new ones, so does the soul discard the body and enter another. Weapons cannot pierce it. Fire cannot burn it. Water cannot wet it. Wind cannot dry it. The soul is beyond change, beyond destruction, beyond death.
Why then do you weep, O Arjuna? What is there to fear? Those you see before you are not slain when their bodies fall, nor do they vanish when you grieve. They are eternal, as you are eternal.
Arjuna listens, yet still his confusion lingers. Krishna continues, His words rolling like thunder across the battlefield.
Even if you believe the soul to be born and to die with the body, even then, why grieve? For what is inevitable should not be lamented. Death is certain for the born, and birth is certain for the dead. In the face of this truth, lamentation is folly.
Therefore, do your duty. For a warrior, there is nothing higher than righteous battle. Blessed are the warriors to whom such an opportunity comes, opening the gates of heaven. If you fail to fight this battle of dharma, your honor will be lost, your duty abandoned, your name stained. Men will speak of your disgrace forever, and for a man of honor, dishonor is worse than death.
Krishna’s voice grows firmer, sharper, cutting into Arjuna’s despair.
If you are slain in battle, you will attain heaven. If you triumph, you will enjoy the earth. Therefore, arise with determination, prepared for gain or loss, victory or defeat. Fight, not with attachment to outcome, but with devotion to duty. Such equanimity is yoga, O Arjuna.
This is the wisdom of Sankhya — to see truth beyond illusion, to know that the eternal self cannot be bound, and to act with clarity, unshaken by the dualities of life.
Arjuna raises his head, his eyes searching Krishna’s. The words stir something deep within, yet the fog of sorrow is not gone. Krishna, with patience, continues to weave wisdom.
Perform your duty, Arjuna, without attachment. Action is unavoidable. None can remain without acting, for even to breathe, to live, to exist, is action. But act with discipline, without craving reward, without clinging to result. Such action purifies.
When you act for the sake of duty alone, without desire for fruit, you find peace. When you act only for reward, you are bound to the chain of karma, tossed between pleasure and pain, success and failure.
Therefore abandon attachment, and act with balance. To be even-minded in gain and loss, success and failure, that is yoga. That is the path to liberation.
The battlefield seems to shift. The armies wait still, but here, between Krishna and Arjuna, eternity itself unfolds. The sound of Krishna’s voice is like the current of a great river, carrying Arjuna from darkness toward light.
Arjuna whispers, But Krishna, what if my mind strays? What if I act, but doubt still burns?
Krishna smiles, gentle yet unyielding.
Doubt arises when the mind is enslaved by desire, when vision is clouded by attachment. But he who surrenders his actions to dharma, who offers them to the eternal, is free. Knowledge cuts through doubt as a sword cuts through tangled vines. With knowledge, you will see the eternal within all beings.
The one who sees the same eternal self in all creatures, who does not waver in sorrow or joy, who acts without selfishness — such a one is the true yogi.
Understand this, Arjuna. To act without attachment is greater than mere renunciation. To renounce the world but sit in inaction is delusion. But to act, fulfilling one’s dharma, without craving reward, offering all to the eternal — that is true renunciation, that is yoga.
So rise, O Arjuna. Embrace the discipline of action. Be firm in balance. See pleasure and pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat as equal. In such equanimity lies freedom. In such yoga lies peace.
The words flow like a river of fire and nectar, scorching away fear, nourishing courage. Arjuna begins to breathe steadier, though confusion still grips him. Krishna’s voice is both command and comfort, both thunder and gentle rain.
Fix your mind upon wisdom. Discipline yourself with determination. When your mind is steady, free from doubt, when it stands unshaken in meditation, you will know peace beyond measure. Such a mind is like a lamp sheltered from the wind, steady, unwavering, clear.
Arjuna’s bow still rests on his knees, but his heart is stirring. He feels the pull of truth, the awakening of courage, though shadows still remain.
Krishna concludes this chapter of wisdom with a voice that touches both Arjuna and every soul listening across time.
Therefore, O Arjuna, take refuge in wisdom. Abandon doubt, abandon fear, abandon attachment to fruit. Act in dharma, act with clarity, act as a yogi. For the one who acts with wisdom is never bound. By such discipline, the soul attains freedom.
Stand up, warrior. The path is before you. Walk it with courage, and I shall guide you.
Closing Reflection in Krishna’s Voice
To you who listen, know this: the battle you face is not Kurukshetra, but the battlefield of your own life. Your enemies may not wield swords, but they are doubts, fears, cravings, illusions. They will tempt you to abandon your path, to give in to despair, to live without purpose.
But you are Arjuna. You are the warrior of your own destiny. Do not shrink. Do not flee. Perform your dharma — whatever it may be — with balance, with clarity, without attachment. This is Sankhya Yoga, the wisdom of knowledge and action.
Do not fear failure. Do not crave reward. Offer your effort to the eternal, and walk forward. This is the path to freedom. This is the eternal voice of Krishna.
Soft Call to Action
If Krishna’s words brought clarity to your path, support this Dharma work with a symbolic offering of eleven dollars. Or unlock the Dharma Vault, through the link. Walk this journey fully, with Krishna’s wisdom as your eternal guide.