What afflicted Arjuna ?

Dear Mrs.Chitvish,
When I was in India for the vacation, my parents and myself used to listen to the 'Kananin Aaramudhu' by Velukkudi Krishnan daily from M-F.
From your posts, I think I am not going to miss any of them, here.
Keep going!
Sriniketan

 

Dear Chithra,
I wish to say only one sentence. You are humility personifyed!
Love,
Pushpavalli

 

Dear Chithra
I just found this thread and am thanking lord krishna who has helped me to stumble in here. You have written in incredible and inimitable style that attracts laypersons like me. so tastefully written that i am relishing reading over and over again and cant wait for more.:clap Thanks for taking the time to write. now i need to read thru all the old posts to catch up and maybe gain some wisdom too/
regards
chitra

 

Arjuna suggests Krishna to place his chariot between the two armies so that he can see the champions of adharma lined up against him in the war.
Arjuna gazed at Kaurava army as well as his own. They were all his relatives, friends and acquaintances. Suddenly he is thrown into a state of utter confusion, grief and doubts. For the first time, Arjuna realised the tragedies of a total fratricidal war and develops serious doubts whether the war is legitimate at all. His composure broke down.

Until now Arjuna was not emotionally upset. With his clear and bright intellect, he had analysed the situation. He knew, this was not a battle between relations, but between dharma ( on Pandavas’ side) and adharma on (Kauravas side).

All his life Arjuna, as a warrior, had waited for such an opportunity, where he knew the enemies’ sly moves would be no match against his own mighty prowess. But when he came in front of Bhishma and Drona, his intellect was overwhelmed by emotion. His self-confidence deserted him and he was overwhelmed with grief.



His steps become unsteady and his face is full of sweat. His speech becomes incoherent and his throat is parched. Now, the modern psychologists would say, the same symptoms are characteristic of what they would call “anxiety-state neurosis”.


Arjuna was drowned in blind grief and despair. His outburst was escapism. He was mentally shrinking from the thought of inevitable consequences and had an impulse to shirk the weight of responsibility. He was reduced to a mental wreck.

He was going in for a dangerous collapse of personality and was trying to take shelter behind superstitions, myths and beliefs. He starts passionately arguing his case for the withdrawal from the war.

The cracks in Arjuna’s mental make-up slowly widened and his mental shrinkage and cowardice to face grave situations, were obvious. He rationalses his intention of renouncing the war. His actions amount to the abdication of his duty as a Kshathriya.


Does Arjuna’s dilemma, not happen to every one of us at some stage or other in life? When we face dire situations, we feel confused and confounded. We do not know the next course of action, when trapped in dejection and despair. We give ourselves very rational and logical excuses. Our intellect does not offer us the right line of action. How are we to break these chains of helplessness ?

Dear Chitvish,

What great lines... This happens to everybody in day to day lifes... The anxeity syndrome is becoming very common desease....

We all go through this as a Son... between parents/wife, as a wife between parents/inlaws... the list goes on... We can relate to each and every role a person takes .....

So... Will read the next chapter and come back....

Veda

 

Dear Chitra,

You have explained Arjuna's dilemma very well.I think while observing the situation of his enemy Arjuna stands up the chariot,but he was so afflicted with lamentation that he sits down again,setting aside his bows and arrows. Arjuna being a soft hearted person,and in the service of the Lord,is fit to receive self-knowledge.
At times I wish there was a Krishna next to me, in times of confusion and distress explaining what should be done so the right decision is taken. I think utmost devotion should be the name given to Arjuna. Correct me if I am off track. I am reading the Gita slowly and sequentially to understand it correctly.Thanks will move on to next one.
Love,