Chapter Three
The Human Disciple
Note 3.7
Practical Side of the Soul State Behind the Action
▀ ▄ ▀ Fixed anchoring of the intelligence in a state of desireless equality
Krishna advises him that
▀ he must be equal in soul,
▀ abandon the desire of the fruits of work,
▀ rise above his intellectual notions of sin and virtue,
▀ live and act in Yoga with a mind in Samadhi, firmly fixed, that is to say, in the Divine alone.
Arjuna is naturally not impressed.
He wants to know how the change to this state
▀ will affect the outward action of the man,
▀ what result it will have on
his speech,
his movements,
his state,
▀ what difference it will make in this acting, living human being.
Here Krishna persists merely in enlarging upon the ideas he has already brought forward, on the soul-state behind the action He does not elaborate on the action itself.
Krishna explains to Arjuna about the fixed anchoring of the intelligence in a state of desireless equality that is the one thing needed.
Arjuna sees here no rule of conduct such as he sought. Rather, it seems to him the negation of all action. At this point Arjuna breaks out impatiently. He says to Krishna “ If thou hold that intelligence is greater than action, why then do you appoint me to an action terrible in its nature ? You are only confusing me with your mingled words. I request you to speak only one thing decisively by which I can attain to what is the best”.
It is always the pragmatic man like Arjuna who has no value for the metaphysical thought or for the inner life which Krishna was advocating.
He takes cognizance of them only when they help him to his one demand, a dharma, a law of life in the world. Even the event of leaving the world is considered because that too is a decisive action which he can understand. But when Krishna speaks of ‘live and act in the world, while at the same time be above it’, it is utterly confusing to Arjuna and he terms this as ‘mingled’ words because it speaks of two opposite things in the same breath.
Arjuna has no patience to grasp the meaning of this advice.
The rest of Arjuna’s questions and utterances proceed from the same temperament and character. Arjuna is bewildered when he is told of apparently incongruous things like
▀ Once the soul-state is assured, there need be no apparent change in the action
▀ He must act always by the law of his nature - swabhava, even if the act itself may seem to be faulty and deficient from the point of view of law of nature (i.e. swabhava) of another person
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....... ▀ ▄ Chapter Three - Note 7 ▄ ▀ ........
The Human Disciple
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