Why was arjuna conflicted in the bhagavad gita

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If he does fight and is defeated in battle, he will be honored for having performed his duty. Arjuna has to rise above this dilemma and perform his selfless service as a warrior without any expectation of results. He must rely on his resolve to act according to his dharma. That decision in itself will lead him to a state of deathlessness or liberation. Krishna instructs Arjuna to embrace the spiritual path to end his suffering.

When Arjuna renounces his fears and accepts his duty, his yoga begins. Hence, the dark night of the soul of this spiritual warrior is viewed as a preparatory ground for his yoga sadhana. In its original meaning, yoga is a highly complex term.

It is a path or discipline which leads to a state of total integration or unity, encompassing everything humans need to know to be happy and live their dharma. Emulating Arjuna, modern yogis can also follow the path in his footsteps. The life struggle for each person is to find his or her reality. In the Gita, Arjuna represents the lower self.

He is on a journey to transcend ego, attachments, conditioning, and belief systems. The purpose is to bring into awareness the unconscious, to transcend current state, and to become self-aware. Those who live in accordance to the divine laws without complaining, firmly established in their faith, are released from karma. Because Arjuna is from the Kshatriya caste, the warrior class, the path of Karma yoga is most suitable for him.

Doing so would hurt his chances of reaching heaven and—possibly even worse for a kshatriya—disgrace him in life.

Great heroes on both sides of the battle would think that Arjuna had withdrawn out of cowardice or weakness, and his reputation would be irreparably damaged. Hindu tradition divides people into four castes. Brahmins are the highest caste, the priests and spiritual leaders. Kshatriyas like Arjuna are just below them, the caste of warriors and rulers. Below that are the vaishyas, who are merchants and landowners.

The lowest caste is the shudras, or servants, who do the bidding of all others. Shortform note: Below even the shudras are the untouchables or outcastes, who do distasteful work such as street sweeping and latrine cleaning.

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