The eternal Message of Gita

The morning of battle had dawned on the fields of Kurukshetra. Conches had blown, chariots stood arrayed, and two mighty armies faced each other. The air trembled with anticipation.

On one side stood the Kauravas, armored and proud. On the other side stood the Pandavas, led by the noble Arjuna. His chariot, guided by none other than Lord Krishna, stood at the very center between the armies.

Arjuna, the most excellent archer of his time, asked his charioteer, “Place my chariot in the midst of the two armies, O Krishna, that I may see who has gathered here to fight.”

Krishna complied. Arjuna looked, and his heart sank. He saw before him grandsires who had raised him, teachers who had instructed him, cousins and brothers with whom he had played. He saw friends and family, all standing ready to kill and be killed.

A shiver overcame him. His bow slipped from his hand. His body trembled. Tears filled his eyes. “How can I kill my own?” he said. “What victory is worth this? Better to live in exile, better to die unarmed, than to win at the price of such destruction.

And with that, Arjuna sat down on the floor of his chariot, overwhelmed by sorrow.

Then Krishna, radiant and serene, gazed at His friend and spoke words that have echoed through the ages.

“Arjuna, why this weakness in a moment of trial? This despair is not worthy of you. You grieve for those beyond your grief. The wise lament neither for the living nor the dead.”

He reminded Arjuna of the eternal truth: “The soul is never born, nor does it ever die. Weapons cannot pierce it, fire cannot burn it, water cannot wet it, nor wind dry it. The soul leaves one body as a man changes worn-out garments and takes another anew. Why then do you mourn?”

Krishna’s voice was steady, filled with compassion: “Your duty as a warrior is to fight for righteousness. If you shrink from this duty, dishonor will be your portion, worse than death. But if you fight without attachment, dedicating your action to Me, you shall be free.”

Arjuna listened but doubts still clouded his mind. Then Krishna revealed a path luminous with wisdom: “You have a right to action, but never to the fruits thereof. Act not for reward, nor out of fear of failure. Perform your duty as worship, with a heart surrendered, and find peace in the balance of mind. He explained that when a man acts for the sake of duty, not clinging to results, he is not bound by karma. Like a lotus untouched by water, he moves in the world yet remains pure.

But the Lord did not stop there. With infinite patience, He showed Arjuna the gentlest and highest way: “Fix your heart on Me. Always think of Me. Offer all you do to Me—your work, your food, your sacrifice, your very life. I am the Friend of all beings. To Me, even the humblest offering of a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water, if given with love, is accepted.”

Arjuna’s heart softened, yet he longed for certainty. “Show me, O Lord, Your true form,” he pleaded. Then Krishna revealed His supreme form, the Vishwarupa—the Cosmic Vision. Arjuna behaved a sight beyond imagination:

A form without beginning or end, blazing like a thousand suns. Faces and eyes without number, arms reaching in all directions. The whole universe is contained within Him—gods, sages, worlds, and creatures. He saw warriors rushing into His vast, fiery mouth, destroyed already by the power of Time.

Overwhelmed, Arjuna trembled and bowed: “O Lord, I see You as the origin, the middle, and the end of all. You are infinite power, the destroyer of worlds. Have mercy on me!”

Krishna, in compassion, withdrew the terrifying form and returned to His gentle human likeness. “This vision is granted by My grace alone. But know this, Arjuna: I am the source of all creation, its sustainer, and its end. Those who love Me with single-hearted devotion come to Me and dwell in Me forever.”

At last, Krishna gave Arjuna the essence of His teaching:

“Therefore, Arjuna, renounce all selfish duties and desires. Abandon even the thought of dharmas and adharma. Take refuge in Me alone. I shall free you from all sin and sorrow. Do not grieve.” His words fell like nectar, dissolving Arjuna’s doubts.

Arjuna, with folded hands, declared: “My delusion is gone. By Your grace, I have regained my true memory. My doubts are dispelled. I shall do as You command!” He lifted his bow once more, not with attachment, but with faith. He was no longer fighting for victory or kingdom, but as an instrument of God’s will.

Thus, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, amid the clash of duty and despair, the Universal and eternal Song was sung.

It is not merely a dialogue of war, but a guide for life. Whenever the heart falters, whenever the mind is clouded, the words of Krishna call to us:

“Do your duty with love. Offer all to Me. See the eternal soul beyond death. And surrender, for I am ever your refuge.”