न हि प्रपश्यामि ममापनुद्याद्
यच्छोकमुच्छोषणमिन्द्रियाणाम् |
अवाप्य भूमावसपत्नमृद्धं
राज्यं सुराणामपि चाधिपत्यम् || 8||
I can find no means to drive away this grief which is drying up my senses. I will not be able to dispel it even if I win a prosperous, unrivaled kingdom on earth with sovereignty like the demigods in heaven.
Finally we see the real reason why Arjuna is reluctant to fight. All the arguments given before were just justifications. In reality, Arjuna is struck by fear and grief.
"I will not be able to dispel it even if I win a prosperous, unrivaled kingdom on earth with sovereignty like the demigods in heaven."
This reveals the depth of Arjuna's distress. Consider this:
The Nature of Grief
A man struck by grief finds no solace in worldly offerings. Bring him women, gold, kingdoms - nothing attracts him. Why? The value of things lies not in the objects themselves, but in the mind of the perceiver. In bliss, a rock and a car hold equal value. In grief, both are worthless. It's like offering a feast to someone who's completely lost their appetite. No matter how delicious the food, they won't find any joy in it. - abundance means nothing when you can't partake.
Two Types of Grief
There are 2 types of grief. The first type is temporary feeling, this type of sadness is momentary and is only because of the current flow of your emotions. Whether it is a bad day or a bad boss both types of grief are momentary and you just need to wait for the emotions to pass.
The second type of grief is when the sad feeling continues for more than a momentary feeling. The only reason for this grief is ignorance and the only way out is through right knowledge and right action. Right knowledge without action is just adding to your conditioning, that means it might give you a temporary shade but it is not equivalent of having a house. Any knowledge you gain is not yours until you make it yours by acting on it. This is the difference between knowledge and wisdom.
Arjuna faces the second type of grief. Krishna initially tried dismissing it, but Arjuna couldn't shake it off. Now the Lord knows he must address the root - ignorance. Watch how this unfolds in Bhagavan's first verse.1
सञ्जय उवाच | एवमुक्त्वा हृषीकेशं गुडाकेश: परन्तप | न योत्स्य इति गोविन्दमुक्त्वा तूष्णीं बभूव ह || 9||
Sanjaya Said: Having spoke thus, Arjuna, the destroyer of foes, finally said to Lord Krishna, "I will not fight" and became silent.
Here we can see that Arjuna has yet not surrendered completely, as he said in the earlier verse2. A true disciple has no will of his own. It's like a student who asks for help but then refuses to follow the teacher's guidance - the learning can't begin until there's openness to receive.
There is not much to discuss here. It's a moment of tension, like the pause before a storm breaks.
Now we move on to listening to the transcendental nectar of knowledge from the lotus lips of the lord. This is the turning point, where the real wisdom is about to flow. The journey to true understanding is about to start. Get READY!
Vasudeva sutam devam Kamsa-Chanoora mardanam Devaki parama-anandam Krishnam vande Jagatgurum
I do vandana (glorification) of Lord Krishna, the resplendent son of Vasudev, who killed the great tormentors like Kamsa and Chanoora, who is a source of greatest joy to Devaki, and who is indeed a world teacher.
source: www.iskconbangalore.org
A spoiler: The Lord said: O Arjuna! You grieve for those for whom there need be no sorrow, yet you speak words of wisdom. The wise do not grieve for the dead or living.