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5. Are you ready?

Sanjaya said: ¹Seeing him overwhelmed with emotion, eyes full of tears, and lamenting thus, Madhusudana said:

Sri-Bhagavan said: ²"From where has all this dirtiness come into you at this untimely hour? They are practiced by non-aryans. They don't lead to heaven but to disgrace, Arjuna. ³Do not take to this impotence, Partha. It is not befitting you. Give up this petty weakness of heart and get up, scorcher of enemies."

Arjuna said: ⁴ "How can I fight with arrows in the battlefield men like Bhishma and Drona, killer of Madhu? They are worthy of worship, killer of the enemies. ⁵Not killing teachers and great persons, it is better to live begging. By killing my teachers for the sake of wealth, everything we experience will be tainted with blood. ⁶And this we do not know which is better - we win or they win. Killing them, we would not want to live. They are now situated ahead of us."
^{7Overpowered by miserly faults, I ask you the way of life, in bewildered consciousness. Tell me definitely what is better for me. I am your disciple. Please instruct me, I am surrendered to you. ⁸I cannot see how to drive away this grief which is drying up my senses, even if I win a prosperous, unrivalled kingdom on earth with lordship like the gods in heaven."

Sanjaya said: ⁹Speaking thus to Hrishikesha, Gudakesha, the scorcher of enemies, said, "I shall not fight thus, Govinda" and fell silent.}

An experienced blacksmith knows when to strike the iron – when it’s hot! Striking before the iron has reached its particular temperature is a waste of time and effort – the piece of iron doesn’t budge! It remains as it is. Striking late keeps the poor piece of iron in the fire for longer than is necessary. The fire is there for one purpose only – to make the piece of iron malleable enough to be molded appropriately when the hammer is struck. Likewise a real guru knows when to deal the right blow to the disciple – when he is ready to receive it! Striking before his time has come, is a waste of effort because it does nothing to the disciple. The disciple is still too engrossed in his own stuff to get what the guru is trying to impart! Striking late keeps the poor disciple in the fire for longer than is necessary. The fire of life’s troubles is there for one purpose only – to make the disciple malleable enough to be molded appropriately by the hammer being struck. Here we see an interesting conversation between Krishna and Arjuna that makes it clear to Krishna that Arjuna has now reached a state when he can be dealt the appropriate blow. His time has come. Previous to this, he would have heard the main points of the discourse that is to follow (from 2:11 right up to the end of the Geeta) enough number of times. There is nothing new being said in the Geeta. It repeats what has been said in the Upanishads, only in a more succinct, concise, and summary form. The principal points of the Geeta were already there in the Upanishads. Living in an environment where these things were taught, Arjuna would have doubtless heard these teachings before. But they would not have made much of an impression on him because he was still not ready. His time had not yet come. He was still too engrossed in his own stuff. But from the conversation in these nine verses, Krishna sees that Arjuna is now ready to move to the highest state – the state of living for God and God’s purposes alone. And if God’s purpose in his life was that he become the tool, the medium, the nimitta matram of 11:33, the instrument in the hands of God for the death of his own unrighteous relatives and the teachers and respected people who supported them, in a war in which it was his duty to fight, then he could now be brought to the point of saying, "So be it." Or to use other famous words, "Not my will, but yours be done." (Luke 22:42)

When does one reach such a state? When does one reach the state that the only thing worthwhile in this life is to do what God wants you to do? Answer: When you come to the point of seeing that everything else is futile and meaningless! A beautiful description of this is found in the book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible. This book was written by king Solomon, the wisest and the wealthiest king of Israel. The book starts with the following words:

The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem: "Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless." What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises. The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again. All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one can say, ‘Look! This is something new’? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time. There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow." (Ecclesiastes 1:1-11)

These words are not the words of an escapist who has run away from life. Nor of an "unsuccessful" person who is saying "the grapes are sour anyway." These are the words spoken by a person who has explored life to its fullest. He "devoted himself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven" (Ecclesiastes 1:13). He "applied himself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but he learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind" (Ecclesiastes 1:17). Being king, and a wealthy king in a peaceful time at that, he had all the time and all the resources at his disposal too. He undertook great projects as described in 2:4-10: he built houses for himself and planted vineyards. He made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. He made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. He bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in his house. He also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before him. He amassed silver and gold for himself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. He acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well-- the delights of the heart of man. He became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before him. In all this his wisdom stayed with him. He denied himself nothing his eyes desired; he refused his heart no pleasure. "Denied himself no pleasure" he sure did – he had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines (1 Kings 11:3)! Beat that if you can, hedonist of the world!

And after all this, what is the conclusion he reaches? In his own words, it was "Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 2:11). If you think you want to put your time and efforts in doing a Solomon, then what makes you believe that you will reach a different conclusion? In the words of Maha Upanishad VI:23-25, "In childhood one is stupefied by ignorance; in youth one in vanquished by woman. In the period that remains one is worried by one’s wife. What can one – the meanest of men – accomplish? Unreality rides on the top of existence; ugliness on the top of things lovely; pains ride on the top of pleasures. What single entity may I resort to? Even those men pass away on the closing and opening of whose eyes depends world’s disaster or prosperity. Of what account are folk like my humble self?" If you take the time to "survey all that your hands have done and what you had toiled to achieve" as Solomon, the wisest of the kings, and one of the boldest experimenters and sharpest observers of life, did, you are bound to reach the same conclusion.

In fact the number of times the words "Everything is meaningless" is repeated in the book of Ecclesiastes, it is very clear that this is one of its central points:

Eccl 1:2	"Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless."
Eccl 1:14	I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Eccl 2:1	I thought in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good." But that also proved to be meaningless.
Eccl 2:11	Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.
Eccl 2:15	Then I thought in my heart, "The fate of the fool will overtake me also. What then do I gain by being wise?" I said in my heart, "This too is meaningless."
Eccl 2:17	So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Eccl 2:18-19	I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless.
Eccl 2:21	For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune.
Eccl 2:23	All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless.
Eccl 2:26	To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Eccl 3:19	Man's fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless.
Eccl 4:4	And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Eccl 4:7-8	Again I saw something meaningless under the sun: There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. "For whom am I toiling," he asked, "and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?" This too is meaningless-- a miserable business!
Eccl 4:16	There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Eccl 5:10	Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.
Eccl 6:2	God gives a man wealth, possessions and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires, but God does not enable him to enjoy them, and a stranger enjoys them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil.
Eccl 6:9	Better what the eye sees than the roving of the appetite. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Eccl 6:12	For who knows what is good for a man in life, during the few and meaningless days he passes through like a shadow? Who can tell him what will happen under the sun after he is gone?
Eccl 7:6	Like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools. This too is meaningless.
Eccl 7:15	In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these: a righteous man perishing in his righteousness, and a wicked man living long in his wickedness.
Eccl 8:10	Then too, I saw the wicked buried--those who used to come and go from the holy place and receive praise in the city where they did this. This too is meaningless.
Eccl 8:13-14	Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow. There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: righteous men who get what the wicked deserve, and wicked men who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless.
Eccl 9:9	Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun-- all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun.
Eccl 11:8	However many years a man may live, let him enjoy them all. But let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything to come is meaningless.
Eccl 11:10	So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless.
Eccl 12:8	"Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Everything is meaningless!"

"Everything is meaningless!" so found Solomon, the wisest of the kings, one of the boldest experimenters and sharpest observers of life. Why? Because whatever you do and whoever you are, you end up in the same place! Death makes everything meaningless:

Eccl 2:14-16	The wise man has eyes in his head, while the fool walks in the darkness; but I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both. Then I thought in my heart, "The fate of the fool will overtake me also. What then do I gain by being wise?" I said in my heart, "This too is meaningless." For the wise man, like the fool, will not be long remembered; in days to come both will be forgotten. Like the fool, the wise man too must die!
Eccl 3:19-20	Man's fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return.
Eccl 6:6	Do not all go to the same place?
Eccl 7:2	It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart.
Eccl 9:2-3	All share a common destiny--the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not. As it is with the good man, so with the sinner; as it is with those who take oaths, so with those who are afraid to take them. This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of men, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead.

The sense of the Hebrew word "hebel", translated "meaningless" here is "something that is empty, futile, vain; something transitory and not capable of providing ultimate satisfaction because of its temporary nature; something arising out of the fancies of man which are here today and gone tomorrow." Now if everything is meaningless, then what is meaningful? If everything is futile, then isn’t there anything worthwhile? Are we doomed to live a futile, meaningless life? Fortunately, No. There is something that is meaningful, something that is not temporary, something that survives with us even after with die, something that we take with us: our relationship with God and the character we develop. Solomon concludes the book with the following words: "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

Do you have to wait for the time when you are past your sixties, when you have retired from your jobs, when your children are well-settled, and you have plenty of time on your hands to reflect on life and ask the big questions of it, and then to realize that all your life you have toiled for that which was empty anyway? No you don’t. Smart people learn from their mistakes and don’t repeat them. Smarter people learn from other people’s mistakes and don’t make them in the first place! You don’t have to do a Solomon to realize what Solomon realized and what Arjuna was realizing. What you have done till now is enough. Maybe like many, you are one of those whose "all labor and all achievement spring from envy of neighbor" (Ecclesiastes 4:4). Maybe you are one of those who "undertake great projects: building houses and planting vineyards, making gardens and parks and planting all kinds of fruit trees in them and making reservoirs etc." (Ecclesiastes 2:4-6). Whatever it is, like everyone else, you are surely of those who "must leave them to the one who comes after you. And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which you have poured your effort and skill under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 2:18-19). Maybe you are wise. But "the fate of the fool will overtake you also. What then do you gain by being wise?" (Ecclesiastes 2:15) Maybe you are one of those whose "all days work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest" (Ecclesiastes 2:23). Maybe you are one of those "who is all alone; having neither son nor brother. There is no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth" (Ecclesiastes 4:7-8) Or maybe you are one of those who "enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun-- all your meaningless days" (Ecclesiastes 9:9).

You can learn from Solomon’s mistakes and the mistakes of those he observed, and your own ones. You don’t have to wait till you are in your sixties to realize the ultimate meaninglessness of your fancy pursuits. You can do so anytime. Says the Narada Parivrajaka Upanishad in III-77, "A person may renounce, that very day on which he gets disillusioned with the world, whether he is one who does not observe vows (of the different ashramas or stages of life) or observes them, whether he has undergone the prescribed ablution on completing the disciplined studentship or not, whether he is one who has discontinued maintaining the ritual fire at the death of his wife (utsannagni) or is one who does not maintain the ritual fire (anagnika)." Similarly the Paramahansa-Parivrajaka Upanishad says in verse 1 that "whether or not he is an observer of vows, has completed his course of study, has discontinued his fire-ritual or does not maintain the sacred fire, he shall renounce that very day on which he has become disillusioned with the world." So what is needed is not that you go through all those things in life, but a realization that all those things are meaningless anyway. And you can realize it when you are young, before you have wasted a lot of time going through all that! In fact Solomon himself concludes so in Ecclesiastes 12:1-7: "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, ‘I find no pleasure in them’-- before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain; when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men stoop, when the grinders cease because they are few, and those looking through the windows grow dim; when the doors to the street are closed and the sound of grinding fades; when men rise up at the sound of birds, but all their songs grow faint; when men are afraid of heights and of dangers in the streets; when the almond tree blossoms and the grasshopper drags himself along and desire no longer is stirred. Then man goes to his eternal home and mourners go about the streets. Remember him--before the silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken; before the pitcher is shattered at the spring, or the wheel broken at the well, and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it." No you don’t have to wait till you are old and gray to realize that the things that occupied you were meaningless pursuits anyway, a chasing after the wind. Playing the game of life without even knowing its rules or purpose, is as stupid as playing any other game without even knowing its rules or purpose. You are much better off realizing the rules of life as early as possible. In many instances they are quite the opposite of what you believe them to be!

Arjuna was now ready. He had realized the meaninglessness of personal pursuits. He was now at a point where if the right words were spoken, they would hit home. A slight push at this point would make him take the quantum leap. The iron is now hot. Ready for the blow to be stuck. If it is struck now, it will change shape readily. Krishna sees it. In verses 2 and 3 he had given Arjuna the usual words of encouragement that any other "successful" person of this world would have given: "From where has all this dirtiness come into you at this untimely hour? They are practiced by non-aryans. They don't lead to heaven but to disgrace, Arjuna. Do not take to this impotence, Partha. It is not befitting you. Give up this petty weakness of heart and get up, scorcher of enemies."

"Get up and fight. Don’t give in to this weakness." The usual advice that would have been given by any "successful" person in this world and which would most probably have led to Arjuna’s "success" in the battlefield too. But Arjuna is not satisfied with it. He knows it all, he has seen it all. He has been there, done that. He has already been in plenty of battles before and won them all. He is famous as the "scorcher of enemies" (2:3, 2:9, 4:2, 4:5, 4:33, 7:27, 9:3, 10:40, 11:54, 18:41). And one doesn’t become a "scorcher of enemies" by playing marbles. He doesn’t need this advice! He knows it very well himself. Having fought and won many battles, he knows what it means to not give in to weakness of heart, to get up and fight exactly when he was feeling down and defeated, to conquer his emotions. He knows all these things very well. But now he wants something better. He wants to know that which is "shreyah" for him. The word "shreyah" in verse 2:7 is normally used for what is spiritually better. By using the word "shreyah", Arjuna shows that he is more interested in knowing what is spiritually better for him

It is important to get the sense of "shreyah" right. And the best way to do it is again to go to the Katha-Upanishad, to the delightful story of Yama, the god of death and Nachiketa, where the contrast between "shreyah" and "preyah" is sharply drawn. The Katha-Upanishad is one of the most widely known (and most widely translated) of all the Upanishads. It was early translated into Persian and through this rendering first made its way into Europe. Later Raja Ram Mohun Roy brought out an English version. It has since appeared in various languages; and English, German and French writers are all agreed in pronouncing it one of the most perfect expressions of the religion and philosophy of the Vedas. Sir Edwin Arnold popularized it by his metrical rendering under the name of "The Secret of Death," and Ralph Waldo Emerson gives its story in brief at the close of his essay on "Immortality." There is a big difference in this story and many of the inane and irrelevant stories of the Puranas. First of all, this story appears in one of the Upanishads, which being a part of the Vedas, are considered as authoritative by all Hindus. Secondly, the teaching imparted through this story is relevant and important. The stories in Hindu Scriptures can be considered similar to the parables of Jesus. Just as it is not the purpose of the parables of Jesus to present historical facts, it is not the purpose of the stories to give historical facts, but to teach and to impart a spirit.

Stories that are relevant, are very effective in imparting the spirit. That’s why we tell children moral stories! It’s because of the way the medulla oblongata of our brain functions – it’s designed to "catch the spirit." And we are all grown-up children! Our medulla oblongata still carries out the same function! That’s also why the best management institutions the world over, follow the case-study method! It’s been found to be the best way to teach even Harvard students! No wonder that the religions are full of parables and stories.

However many of the stories of the Puranas fall far short of the noble purpose. Many of them are downright inane! No wonder that the Puranas are not considered as authoritative, and many thinking Hindus look down on them. But this story is quite different. It appears not in the Puranas, but in one of the Upanishads, which being part of the Vedas, are considered authoritative. Plus it imparts a very relevant and important teaching. Whether the personified "Yama" is really the god of death doesn’t matter. It’s catching the spirit of Nachiketa that is important. Note especially what he does with the third boon. The story is roughly as follows:

There was a person by the name of Vaajashrava who had son, Nachiketa. Vaajashrava was desirous of heavenly rewards and of being known as a Maharishi. So he undertook to perform a Vishwajit sacrifice, in which he was required to give away all he had. Nachiketa saw that among the gifts his father was making, there were old, barren, useless cows that had stopped giving milk. Even though young of age, he realized that "He who gives such gifts undoubtedly goes to joyless realms." As a boy of tender age, Nachiketa had no right to question his father's action; yet, impelled by the sudden awakening of his higher nature, he could not but reflect: "By merely giving these useless cows, my father cannot gain any merit. If he has vowed to give all his possessions, then he must also give me. Otherwise his sacrifice will not be complete and fruitful." Therefore, anxious for his father's welfare, he approached him gently and reverently and asked, "Dear father, to whom will you give me?" His father ignored him. So he asked it again, and when his father ignored him again, he asked it a third time. At this his father got irritated and replied, "I shall give you to Death."

Nachiketa took the answer seriously. He went to Yama, the god of Death (how, it is not described, but it doesn’t matter). But Yama was absent and the boy waited without food or drink for three days. On Yama's return one of his household said to him: "Like fire a Brahmin guest has entered the house. That fire will be quenched by an offering. Therefore, bring water and wash his feet. The foolish man in whose house a Brahmin guest remains without food, all his hopes and expectations, all the merit gained by his association with the holy, by his good words and deeds, all his sons and cattle, are destroyed."

Yama said to Nachiketa, "O Brahmin! Revered guest! My salutations to you. You have remained three nights in my house without food, therefore choose three boons in place of them."

Nachiketa said, "May Gautama, my father, be free from anxious thoughts. May he lose all anger and be pacified in heart. May he know and welcome me when I am sent back by you. This, O Death, is the first of the three boons I choose."

Yama replied, "Through my will your father will know you, and be again towards you as before. He will sleep in peace at night. He will be free from wrath when he sees you released from the mouth of death.

Nachiketa said, "In the realm of heaven there is no fear, you (Death) are not there; nor is there fear of old age. Having crossed beyond both hunger and thirst and being above grief, people rejoice in heaven. You know, O Death, the fire-sacrifice that leads to heaven. Tell this to me, who am full of faith and yearning. They who live in the realm of heaven enjoy freedom from death. This I beg as my second boon."

Yama replied, "I know well that fire which leads to the realm of heaven. I shall tell it to you. Listen to me. Know, O Nachiketa, that this is the means of attaining endless worlds and their support. It is hidden in the heart of all beings." Yama then told him that fire-sacrifice, the beginning of all the worlds; what bricks, how many and how laid for the altar. Nachiketa repeated all as it was told to him. Then Yama, being pleased with him, again said, "This fire sacrifice shall be named after you. People will call this fire after your name. Now ask the third boon, Nachiketa."

Nachiketa said: "There is this doubt regarding what becomes of a man after death. Some say he exists, others that he does not exist. This knowledge I desire, being instructed by you. Of the boons this is the third boon."

Yama replied, "Even the Devas (gods) of old doubted regarding this. It is not easy to know; subtle indeed is this subject. O Nachiketa, choose another boon. Do not press me. Do not ask this boon of me."

Nachiketa said, "O Death, you say that even the gods had doubts about this, and that it is not easy to know. Another teacher like you is not to be found. I want this only, no other boon can be equal to this one."

Yama said, "Ask for sons and grandsons who shall live a hundred years, many cattle, elephants, gold and horses. Ask for lands of vast extent and live as many autumns as you desire. If you think of any other boon equal to this, ask for wealth and long life; be ruler over the wide earth. O Nachiketa, I shall make you enjoyer of all desires. Whatsoever objects of desire are difficult to obtain in the realm of mortals, ask them all as you desire; these lovely maidens with their chariots and musical instruments, such as are not obtainable by mortals – be served by these whom I give to you. But O Nachiketa, do not ask as to what happens after death."

Nachiketa said, "O Death, these are fleeting; they weaken the vigor of all the senses in man. Even the longest life is short. Keep your chariots, dance and music to yourself. Man cannot be satisfied by wealth. Shall we possess wealth when we see you (Death)? Shall we continue to live as long as you rule? Therefore I choose that boon alone, and no other. Which man dwelling on the decaying mortal plane, having approached the undecaying immortal one, and having reflected upon the nature of enjoyment through beauty and sense pleasure, would delight in long life? O Death, that regarding which there is doubt even among the gods, of the great Hereafter, tell me. Nachiketa asks for no other boon than that which penetrates this hidden secret."

I like this boy Nachiketa! I like his chutzpah! "Keep your wealth, long life, lovely maidens, chariots, dance and music to yourself. I want to know what happens after death." His fundas were absolutely clear! He shows far more maturity than most grown-ups do!

There is something else going on here, that is also going on between Krishna and Arjuna in the verses of the Bhagavad Geeta under consideration i.e. verses 2:1-9. The guru is testing the disciple’s perseverance. There are times when a guru purposely throws obstacles in a disciple’s path to test and develop his perseverance. After all, a guru’s task is not just to impart information to a disciple, but also to mould his character, a part of which is to develop and test his perseverance. Yama does it in the above conversation when he tries to tempt Nachiketa with all kinds of temptations that most men would easily fall for. Yama wants to see whether Nachiketa’s desire to know the truth about what happens after death is strong enough for him to set aside all the temptations laid at his feet. Is he worthy of being informed of that truth? That truth is too precious. It is not for the spiritually indolent. Was Nachiketa worthy of receiving it? Jesus did the same putting of obstacles with the man who wanted to follow him, who said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go" and Jesus replied "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head" (Matthew 8:19-20 and Luke 9:57-58). And when at a difficult statement of his, many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him, Jesus made it easy for the twelve to leave to by asking, "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Peter’s answer, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" (John 6:66-68) showed that Peter had come to the point that the words of eternal life that Jesus had, were far more precious to him than anything else in the world.

And Nachiketa does prove himself worthy of receiving it. By remaining firm in his resolution to know the great secret of life and death, by not falling for all the temptations laid at his feet, by not bothering even of the fact that he was speaking to the god of Death to whom every man has to submit, he stubbornly continued with his one desire. There is something similar going on in verses 1-9 here. Arjuna also stubbornly continues with his decision in spite of Krishna’s exhortation in verses 2 and 3. But we have digressed enough; let’s now come to the whole point for the sake of which we have got into the story of Nachiketa, i.e. the difference between "shreyah" and "preyah". Yama now begins his answer with the difference between "shreyah" and "preyah":

The good (shreyah) is quite different from the pleasant (preyah). These two, having different objectives, bind a man. He who chooses the good (shreyah) becomes blessed and good. He who chooses the pleasant (preyah) goes away from the true goal. The good (shreyah) and the pleasant (preyah) both approach man. The wise examines both and discriminates between them. The wise prefers the good (shreyah) to the pleasant (preyah), but the foolish man chooses the pleasant (preyah) because of its attraction. O Nachiketa, you are a person who, after having pondered over the most attractive of the attractive (priyan-priyarupah) and desirable (kaaman), have renounced the chain of wealth (or chains of wealth) accepting which, many mortals sink. Wide apart are these two, ignorance and what is known as wisdom, leading in opposite directions. I believe Nachiketa, you to be one who longs for knowledge, since many tempting objects have not turned you aside. Fools dwelling in ignorance, yet imagining themselves wise and learned, staggering to and fro, go about in crooked ways, like the blind led by the blind. The hereafter never rises before the thoughtless and childish person, deluded by the glamour of wealth. "This world alone is, there is none other": thinking thus, he falls into my clutches again and again.

There it is, the difference between shreyah and preyah. The rest of the dialogue is beyond the scope of this essay. The word "shreyah" thus means what is spiritually better. By using the word "shreyah" in verse 2:7, Arjuna shows that he is more interested in knowing what is spiritually better for him. Even the war has become for him a means for spiritual betterment (shreyah), not material betterment (preyah). He is done with worldly pursuits. He has come to the point of seeing the meaninglessness of them all. He is no longer interested in them. This is also the reason why in the rest of the discussion, Krishna hardly even touches upon the questions that Arjuna has raised in chapter 1 – questions about the social order and the caste system, but talks mainly on spiritual subjects like the nature of the soul, God, the spirit to act in this world, temporary nature of the body and all physical objects, devotion to God etc.

And Arjuna makes his intentions absolutely clear. He is not going to listen to any worldly advice like, "Get up and fight. Don’t give in to this weakness." He knows it very well himself. It’s not because he is scared that he doesn’t want to fight. It’s because he sees the meaninglessness of it all. In verses 2 and 3, Krishna accuses him of "dirtiness, impotence, and petty weakness of heart" to arouse him. In verses 4-8, Arjuna replies that it’s not because he is afraid to fight that he doesn’t want to fight. It’s because he sees the futility of killing his relatives, teachers, and respectable elders that he doesn’t want to fight. Like the Emperor Ashoka later on, who gave up war out of a realization of the meaninglessness of killing so many people, Arjuna is clear that it’s not out of fear that he doesn’t want to fight. The very words "dirtiness, impotence, and petty weakness of heart," which were meant to arouse him and goad him into action, strengthened his resolve not to fight. In verses 4-8, he repeats his resolve not to fight. He is not going to be influenced by worldly appeals. And in verse 9, he falls silent.

Krishna sees that he is now ready. Not only has he realized the meaninglessness of personal and worldly pursuits, he also shows the humility to admit that he has not got it right, and the willingness to learn. In verse 7, Arjuna has also said, "Tell me definitely what is better for me. I am your disciple. Please instruct me, I am surrendered to you." This state and attitude is absolutely necessary for any real learning to take place. No guru worth his salt tries to teach any disciple anything until he sees this state of being and attitude in the disciple. No guru worth his salt hastily accepts another as a disciple. (Of course many of the self-serving gurus of today, who are more interested in increasing the size of their flocks and the amount of monetary benefits they receive from the disciples make no bones about accepting anybody and everybody as a disciple, but we are talking about genuine gurus). The genuine guru, who is more interested in the disciple’s spiritual growth, knows that if he accepts another as a disciple when he is not ready, it’s just going to create problems for himself! Sure, the disciple may come to the ready-state the very next day. But what if he takes another forty years? In fact becoming a disciple when he is not ready would actually be a hindrance to his spiritual development. Just like striking the iron when it’s not hot enough. He has to first learn from life. He has to first busy himself in worldly pursuits and see their futility and meaninglessness, before he is ready for higher things. Life has to be his first guru. Only when he has learnt from life the lesson that all worldly pursuits yield only temporary fruits, only when he sees the meaninglessness of worldly pursuits, will he be ready. But it’s not only that, he also has to be willing to acknowledge that he hasn’t got it right, and has to be eager to learn from the guru. Krishna sees that Arjuna is now not only seeing the meaninglessness of worldly pursuits, but is also willing to acknowledge that he hasn’t got it right, and is eager to learn. He is not like the many people who are not even willing to acknowledge that something is terribly and basically wrong with their lives, and who "manfully" try to carry on as if everything is okay.

Krishna also sees that knowledge will no longer be a burden to Arjuna. It is strange but true that for worldly people, spiritual knowledge is a "burden!" Says the Maha Upanishad in III-15, "Shastra is a burden to one who lacks spiritual discrimination, knowledge is a burden to one attached to life; mind is a burden to one without security, body is a burden to one ignorant of the self." A person who is full of desire for worldly stuff finds spiritual meetings boring. "Why do you want me to attend? If you want to attend, you go," he tells his wife. He doesn’t mind spending hours reading all other kinds of stuff, he doesn’t mind spending hours watching sports on television, but ask him to spend fifteen minutes a day reading spiritually-healthy books and see his reaction!

From the conversation in these nine verses, Krishna sees that Arjuna is now ready to move to the highest state – the state of living for God and God’s purposes alone. And if God’s purpose in his life was that he become the tool, the medium, the nimitta matram of 11:33, the instrument in the hands of God for the death of his own relatives and teachers and respected people, then he could now be brought to the point of saying, "So be it." Or to put it in other famous words, he could now be brought to the point of saying, "Not my will, but yours be done." (Luke 22:42)

Arjuna was now ready. He is now at a point where if the right words were spoken, they would hit home and move him to a higher plane. The iron is now hot. Ready for the blow to be stuck. Krishna sees it. Gives a knowing smile (v.10). Seizes the moment. And starts his discourse.

Are you ready? Like Solomon, like Nachiketa, like Arjuna, have you learnt from life that all personal and worldly pursuits are meaningless anyway? Or are you still engrossed in your fancy pursuits? Have you come to the point of having realized that all such pursuits are ultimately empty, futile, vain; that the satisfaction and happiness they provide is transitory; something arising out of the fancies of man which are here today and gone tomorrow? If you have reached that point, like Arjuna you will find yourself motivated by an inner desire to know more, and the things following from here on will become more real. The biggest mistake that you can make is to suppress that realization, to brush it under the carpet and not act on it. Your inner voice may be screaming, "Something’s wrong, something’s basically and drastically wrong with life, you need to question the very foundations of your life." And you may continue "manfully" going about your life as if nothing’s wrong, as Arjuna would have done if he would have blindly obeyed Krishna’s advice in verses 2 and 3 and "manfully" fought the war. He was sensitive enough to realize that that’s not going to work any longer. God continuously keeps on knocking at people’s doors through their inner voice, waiting for them to let him in. But he is also a gentleman. He has given you the complete freedom to suppress His voice from inside of you if you want to and to brush it under the carpet. And he won’t take that freedom away. He won’t force himself on you. If you continue disregarding that voice, he won’t even shout louder. In fact his voice will get fainter and fainter. And one day it may die off.