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Arjuna took compassion that, "I don't want victory. Better not to fight." So that is the cause of describing the science of Bhagavad-gita before Arjuna, just to induce him to act as a dutiful soldier. This is the background of Bhagavad-gita

Expressions researched:
"Arjuna took compassion that, "I don't want victory. Better not to fight." So that is the cause of describing the science of Bhagavad-gītā before Arjuna, just to induce him to act as a dutiful soldier. This is the background of Bhagavad-gītā"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Arjuna preferred to take Kṛṣṇa on his side, and the other party, Duryodhana, he decided to take Kṛṣṇa's soldiers. So while just the fighting was to begin, Arjuna declined to fight because the other party were all his relatives, friends, brothers, brothers' son, nephew, teacher and grandfather. So Arjuna took compassion that, "I don't want victory. Better not to fight." So that is the cause of describing the science of Bhagavad-gītā before Arjuna, just to induce him to act as a dutiful soldier. This is the background of Bhagavad-gītā.

Prabhupāda: So I shall try to discuss Bhagavad-gītā, Thirteenth Chapter, in which nature, the enjoyer, and consciousness is described. (BG 13.1)

Śrī arjuna uvāca. Arjuna belonged to the royal family of the Pāṇḍavas, and he was friend of Kṛṣṇa. So there was a fight between two groups of cousin-brothers, the Kauravas and the Pāṇḍavas. So Arjuna . . . Kṛṣṇa was requested by both the parties to join either of them, but Kṛṣṇa decided not to take part in the fighting because both of them were equally related to Him. So after all, Kṛṣṇa divided His soldiers one side and Himself another side with the condition that if He joins, then He would not fight.

So Arjuna preferred to take Kṛṣṇa on his side, and the other party, Duryodhana, he decided to take Kṛṣṇa's soldiers. So while just the fighting was to begin, Arjuna declined to fight because the other party were all his relatives, friends, brothers, brothers' son, nephew, teacher and grandfather. So Arjuna took compassion that, "I don't want victory. Better not to fight." So that is the cause of describing the science of Bhagavad-gītā before Arjuna, just to induce him to act as a dutiful soldier. This is the background of Bhagavad-gītā.

So there were many questions and answers. There are seven hundred verses. So we shall discuss this evening about the nature, the enjoyer and the consciousness.

śrī arjuna uvāca
prakṛtiṁ puruṣaṁ caiva
kṣetraṁ kṣetra-jñam eva ca
etad veditum icchāmi
jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ ca keśava
(BG 13.1)

Those who have got this copy, it is page 619. Arjuna wanted to know prakṛti, the nature, the material nature, and puruṣa. Puruṣa means the enjoyer, the living entities. Here in this material world every living entity is trying to enjoy this material nature. Prakṛtiṁ puruṣaṁ caiva kṣetram. Kṣetram means field of activity, and kṣetra-jña means the knower of the field. Just like an agricultural field, the field is there and the cultivator is there. The cultivator knows that, "It is my field of activity." So he's to be supposed as kṣetra-jña, one who knows about his field of activities. Etad veditum icchāmi. Because Kṛṣṇa has been accepted as the teacher. First of all, Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna were talking as friends.

But when Arjuna saw it that friendly talking will not make any solution of the problem, so at that time, he surrendered to Kṛṣṇa that, "I become Your disciple," śiṣyas te 'ham śādhi māṁ (tvāṁ) prapannam, "and I surrender unto You." That is the relationship between teacher and the student. The student must receive knowledge submissively, not by challenge. Therefore, one has to select a teacher where one can submit. That is the process. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). Teacher must be approached with submission. Tad viddhi praṇipātena. Praṇipāt means submission; and paripraśnena, then question; and sevayā, and service also. These three things are the basic principle of receiving knowledge.

Page Title:Arjuna took compassion that, "I don't want victory. Better not to fight." So that is the cause of describing the science of Bhagavad-gita before Arjuna, just to induce him to act as a dutiful soldier. This is the background of Bhagavad-gita
Compiler:Soham
Created:2023-02-01, 13:29:49
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1