“Every endeavor is covered by some sort of fault, just as fire is covered by smoke. Therefore one should not give up the work which is born of his nature, O son of Kunti, even if such work is full of fault.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.48)

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सह-जं कर्म कौन्तेय
स-दोषम् अपि न त्यजेत्
सर्वारम्भा हि दोषेण
धूमेनाग्निर् इवावृताः

saha-jaṁ karma kaunteya
sa-doṣam api na tyajet
sarvārambhā hi doṣeṇa
dhūmenāgnir ivāvṛtāḥ

1. Interest in victory

“Just see these fighters. They are thirsty for victory. They want to defeat their opponents. How is this any different than playing one of those shoot-em-up video games? What are they going to do after they win? They will be just as empty on the inside, with nothing to do.”

2. Identifying allies and enemies

“Just see these fighters. Thinking one person is their friend and another is their enemy. They do not see from the perspective of the other side, which has their own friends and enemies. What is the use of all this fighting? Over land, no less. This land was here before we were born and it will be here after we leave.”

3. Focusing on bodily strength

“Just see these fighters. They go to extreme efforts to maintain their bodily strength. They exploit the weaker species in order to become stronger. The body is temporary; it does not identify me. They are so focused on something which does not really matter.”

4. Winning and losing

“Just see these fighters. Winning is everything to them. Whenever they lose, they find some excuse. They never admit defeat in terms of ability. They always think they are better, that the next time will be their chance. They spin in this cycle, not realizing the amount of time they are wasting.”

5. Killing others

“Just see these fighters. Their goal is to kill people. Stop and think about that for a second. Taking another life. The impact on the affected families. The mental disturbance that must remain for years after the fact. What a gruesome subject to contemplate. What a terrible way to live.”

…

As their conversation is now celebrated, through popular artistic depictions, a steady flow of discussion, and even formal worship, we understand the transcendental nature to the interaction between Krishna and Arjuna that took place on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Something we might overlook is the fact that the occupation Arjuna follows is not exactly known for pushing forward principles of philosophy, analyzing the scientific nature of the world, or even operating off the basic distinction between matter and spirit.

It is that distinction which is the foundation of genuine spiritual life. The instruction begins with learning the proper way to identify life. There is life in the animals, in the plants, in the insects, in the birds, in the creatures swimming in the ocean, and of course, in the people roaming the earth.

That life is constant. It has endurance. The outside may change. That change takes place through the passage of time. There are different units of time, from small to large, and Goswami Tulsidas compares these to weapons released from the illustrious bow of Shri Rama.

लव निमेष परमानु जुग बरस कलप सर चंड
भजसि न मम तेहि राम कहँ कालु जासु कोदंड

lava nimeṣa paramānu juga barasa kalapa sara caṃḍa
bhajasi na mama tehi rāma kaha~ kālu jāsu kodaṃḍa

“Mind, why are you not worshiping Shri Rama, whose bow is like time, with weapons of arrows representing the different units of time, such as paramanu, lava, nimesha, barasa, yuga, and kalpa?” (Dohavali, 130)

The occupation of the kshatriya is to protect against injury. This requires drawing distinctions between friend and foe, law-abiding and criminal, innocent and guilty, and so forth. If I am to protect someone from harm, I must be able to identify the attackers. The intruders should be on alert, that they cannot simply enter wherever they want and do as they please. They should follow the law, and if they fail to, there is someone waiting to handle them.

As an example, the Rakshasa named Maricha was accustomed to breaking and entering. He and his friends would kill and sometimes eat what was left over. Maricha was surprised to one time find a youth offering protection to the sacrificial area of Vishvamitra Muni. Shri Rama lifted His bow without hesitation and provided perfect protection, hitting the mark that was the enemy and blasting them back hundreds of miles away.

ततोऽहं मेघसङ्काशस्तप्तकाञ्चनकुण्डलः
बली दत्तवरोदर्पादाजगाम तदाश्रमम्
तेन दृष्टः प्रविष्टोऽहं सहसैवोद्यतायुधः
मां तु दृष्ट्वा धनुस्सज्यमसम्भ्रान्तश्चकार सः

tato’haṃ meghasaṅkāśastaptakāñcanakuṇḍalaḥ
balī dattavarodarpādājagāma tadāśramam
tena dṛṣṭaḥ praviṣṭo’haṃ sahasaivodyatāyudhaḥ
māṃ tu dṛṣṭvā dhanussajyamasambhrāntaścakāra saḥ

“Then I, resembling a cloud and having molten-golden earrings, made my way into Vishvamitra’s ashrama, for I was very proud of my strength due to the boon given to me by Lord Brahma. As soon as I entered, Rama quickly noticed me and raised His weapon. Though He saw me, Rama strung His bow without any fear.” (Maricha speaking to Ravana, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 38.16-17)

Under the spiritual lens, under the strict analysis from Vedanta philosophy, we can find so many faults with the kshatriya occupation. At the same time, it is that very occupation which Shri Krishna, the teacher, recommended to the disciple, Arjuna.

This was the recommendation before, during, and after the conversation. Whether Arjuna was enlightened or not, to proceed in the occupational duty was the best course. The benefit of the enlightenment was the alignment with the highest cause, for pleasing the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

गतसङ्गस्य मुक्तस्य ज्ञानावस्थितचेतसः
यज्ञायाचरतः कर्म समग्रं प्रविलीयते

gata-saṅgasya muktasya
jñānāvasthita-cetasaḥ
yajñāyācarataḥ karma
samagraṁ pravilīyate

“The work of a man who is unattached to the modes of material nature and who is fully situated in transcendental knowledge merges entirely into transcendence.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.23)

As Krishna explains, for someone operating under the proper mindset the work merges into transcendence. It may be riddled with faults, in the manner of fire producing smoke, but the work is properly placed. The immediate results are up to a higher authority, and the long-term impact is auspicious.

In Closing:

Occupation with faults to call,
Results like seeds to fall.

Success or failure deemed,
For higher power intervened.

When consciousness properly aligned,
Then merged to transcendence to find.

This Krishna to Arjuna taught,
Yoga within occupation brought.

Categories: the five

Tags: defense, god, hare krishna, hinduism, kshatriya, poem, poems, poetry, religion