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Chapter 3
In the Discipline of Action the resolute intellect is single (Gita 2/41).[1]When a man firmly resolves that he has to attain salvation, favourable or unfavourable circumstances are no obstacle and thus he attains equanimity, without making any effort. When a man resolves to attain God-realization, his attachment and attraction for the world begins to disappear. Attachment to pleasure and prosperity, is the main obstacle to the attainment of a resolute intellect (Gita 2/44).
Having laid emphasis on resolute intellect, in the Discipline of Action, the Lord asks Arjuna, specially to perform his duty with equanimity. He declares, "You have a right to action alone, but never at all to its fruit" (2/47); "Perform your duty being steadfast in Yoga" (2/48) viz., equanimity. The Lord also declares, "Far inferior to the Yoga of wisdom, is action" (2/49) i.e., action performed for its fruit, is far inferior to the Yoga of wisdom (equanimity). He further declares, "Seek thou refuge in equanimity." Then He declares, "Endowed with wisdom (evenness of mind), one casts off during this life both good and evil deeds; therefore devote thyself to Yoga; Yoga is skill in action" (2/50).
Arjuna had already made up his mind not to fight. So in the thirty-first verse of the first chapter, he said, "I do not foresee any good in slaying my kith and kin." Then in the forty-fifth verse, he says, "What a great sin have we decided to commit, by preparing ourselves to slay our own people!" In the fifth verse of the second chapter, Arjuna says, "It is better to live by begging, than to slay these honoured teachers (elders)." In the third verse of the second chapter, Lord Krsna directs Arjuna to arise, shaking off his petty faint-heartedness, while Arjuna declared his determination not to fight in the ninth verse of the second chapter.
Listener cannot understand what a preacher preaches, if he is already full of prejudice. That is why, Arjuna could not have a thorough grasp of the topic explained to him, by Lord Krsna.
He could not make out the real meaning of Lord Krsnas words. These appeared to him to be ambiguous and confusing. So Arjuna puts questions to Lord Krsna in the next two verses, in order to get his doubt cleared.
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