The Moment Arjuna's Justifications Crumble
Bhagavad Gita chapter 2 verse 7
कार्पण्यदोषोपहतस्वभाव: पृच्छामि त्वां धर्मसम्मूढचेता: | यच्छ्रेय: स्यान्निश्चितं ब्रूहि तन्मे शिष्यस्तेऽहं शाधि मां त्वां प्रपन्नम् || 7||
My mind is overwhelmed with the vice of faint-heartedness and I am ignorant of what my duty is, and so, I ask you to teach me what is good for me. I am your disciple. I take refuge in you.
Now Arjuna slowly starts to understand that his reasons to justify his faint-heartedness and fear aren't making much sense. Even when we justify our wrongs, deep down we know we're not being true to ourselves. Finally, in the 7th verse, Arjuna realizes that Krishna can see through all his justifications. He accepts his current state of emotional hijack.
The Light of The Guru
This verse depicts the story of surrender (samarpan) to a guru. Initially, we try to justify ourselves and present ourselves as ‘good’ disciples. However, the presence of a guru breaks the ego, revealing the futility of justifications. Surrender is not something you force upon yourself; it is a state of being. When you realize that your current understanding of life is insufficient to achieve true happiness, surrender naturally follows.
The path of surrender takes time because it only happens when the ego is broken. You cannot fill a cup with water if it is already filled with mud. Similarly, the ego must be cleared first. If you think you already know everything, you cannot learn anything new. True learning arises from the thirst for knowledge born out of helplessness. Pain, trauma, and sadness are powerful catalysts for self-purification. Accept difficult times with grace and reflect on your understanding of the world. If you truly understand everything, then why are you sad?
“I am ignorant of what my duty is, and so, I ask you to teach me what is good for me.”
This illustrates the stage of surrender. It’s not just the words, but the emotion and helplessness behind them. Only when you surrender your ego can you see the answers around you. The conditioning of the ego acts as a filter, obscuring the true nature of reality. These answers may not always come from a human guru; the entire universe can guide you when you become receptive1.
“I am your disciple. I take refuge in you.”
Though Arjuna says he has surrendered and taken refuge, he hasn’t fully surrendered yet. In verse 9, he still says, “I will not fight,” indicating that his ego is still present. True surrender means relinquishing the responsibility of decisions to the master.
Stages of Surrender
Through Arjuna, we learn about the stages of surrender. We will further explore this as Sri Krishna guides us. Remember the Lord and stay happy! That’s it for today.
Love.
For better insight, read the story of Lord Dattatreya and his Gurus.