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Before his (Arjuna) hearing Bhagavad-gita he was a soldier, and after hearing Bhagavad-gita he remained a soldier. But in the beginning of the fight he was not willing to fight with his brothers

Expressions researched:
"Before his hearing Bhagavad-gītā he was a soldier, and after hearing Bhagavad-gītā he remained a soldier. But in the beginning of the fight he was not willing to fight with his brothers"

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching how to become desirous to serve Kṛṣṇa. This teaching, perfection of instruction, we find in the Bhagavad-gītā when Arjuna says, kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73): "I shall execute what You order me." Te vacanaṁ tava: "I shall execute any order which You order me." Arjuna was a warrior, soldier. When he was . . . Before his hearing Bhagavad-gītā he was a soldier, and after hearing Bhagavad-gītā he remained a soldier. But in the beginning of the fight he was not willing to fight with his brothers. Although Kṛṣṇa was speaking to him that "You fight," he was declining. This is the stage of abhakta, or nondevotee. Although mundane person will very much be pleased that "Arjuna was not willing to fight. He is nonviolent," but Kṛṣṇa was not accepting. So fighting is not a good business, so Arjuna was declining to fight. It was good from the worldly point of view.

One should be cleansed from the desires of jñāna, karma, yoga. He should be desireless. So these are all material desires. So when one gives up these material desires, then he is desireless. But one cannot be desireless. That is not possible. Then he is dead and gone. So desirelessness means no material desires. So we cannot be desireless, but desirelessness means no bhukti, no yogic siddhi, neither oneness, monism, to merge into the Supreme. These are all material desires. So bhakti means ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttama (CC Madhya 19.167). That is first-class bhakti, when we are ready to serve Kṛṣṇa as He orders. So to become ready to serve Kṛṣṇa is desirelessness. Otherwise a living entity, a living being, cannot be desireless.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching how to become desirous to serve Kṛṣṇa. This teaching, perfection of instruction, we find in the Bhagavad-gītā when Arjuna says, kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73): "I shall execute what You order me." Te vacanaṁ tava: "I shall execute any order which You order me." Arjuna was a warrior, soldier. When he was . . . Before his hearing Bhagavad-gītā he was a soldier, and after hearing Bhagavad-gītā he remained a soldier. But in the beginning of the fight he was not willing to fight with his brothers. Although Kṛṣṇa was speaking to him that "You fight," he was declining. This is the stage of abhakta, or nondevotee. Although mundane person will very much be pleased that "Arjuna was not willing to fight. He is nonviolent," but Kṛṣṇa was not accepting. So fighting is not a good business, so Arjuna was declining to fight. It was good from the worldly point of view. But after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, when Kṛṣṇa inquired from Arjuna, "What you have decided?" Arjuna replied, naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73): "Now I am quite in knowledge. I shall execute Your order." This is mukti. When we are prepared to execute the order of Kṛṣṇa, that is the platform of mukti.

Therefore it is said, kecit kevalayā bhaktyā vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ (SB 6.1.15). Simply by executing the order of Vasudeva one becomes mukta. Just like master and servant. If the servant executes the order of the master, he is faultless. If the servant declines to execute the order of the master, however qualified he may be, he is useless. So therefore it is said, kevalayā bhaktyā: "without any contamination, simply ready to execute the order of Kṛṣṇa, or Vasudeva." Therefore it is called vāsudeva-parāyaṇā. Therefore it is, in the Bhagavad-gītā it is confirmed, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19): "After many, many births of struggling, when one is actually jñānavān, wise, he surrenders unto Me." So either you become karmī, jñānī or yogī, you are not mukta. Mukta means, I have already defined, mukti hitva anyathā rūpaṁ sva-rūpeṇa avasthiti. When you stay in your own original position to execute the order of Kṛṣṇa, that is mukti.

Page Title:Before his (Arjuna) hearing Bhagavad-gita he was a soldier, and after hearing Bhagavad-gita he remained a soldier. But in the beginning of the fight he was not willing to fight with his brothers
Compiler:Nabakumar
Created:2022-10-09, 13:37:17
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1