As Arjuna gazed upon the battlefield, his heart was troubled and his thoughts weighed heavily upon him. He turned to Krishna and spoke with deep concern: “O Krishna, when unrighteousness prevails, the women of the family are corrupted, and from their corruption arises confusion among castes. Such confusion leads only to ruin for those who destroy the family, and for the family itself. Even our ancestors fall, deprived of their offerings of food and water. By these faults—by destroying the family and causing confusion of castes—the eternal duties of caste and family are uprooted. For those whose family duties are lost, O Janardana, we have heard that their suffering in hell is unending.” Arjuna lamented, “Alas, what a great sin we are prepared to commit, driven by greed for the pleasure of a kingdom, as we ready ourselves to kill our own kinsmen. If the sons of Dhritarashtra, armed with weapons, should kill me in battle while I am unresisting and unarmed, that would be better for me.” Having spoken thus, Arjuna set aside his bow and arrows, and sat down on the seat of his chariot, his mind overwhelmed by sorrow. Sanjaya, the narrator, described Arjuna’s state: “To him, overwhelmed by compassion, his eyes filled with tears and troubled, and who was despondent, Madhusudana—Krishna—spoke these words.” Krishna addressed Arjuna, “From where has this dejection come upon you at this crucial hour? It is unworthy of the noble, leads not to heaven, and brings only infamy. Yield not to impotence, O Partha; it does not befit you. Cast off this petty weakness of heart and arise, O scorcher of foes.” Arjuna replied, “How can I fight with arrows against Bhishma and Drona, O Madhusudana, who are worthy of my reverence? It would be better for me to live in this world by begging than to slay these great-souled teachers. If I kill my teachers, even though they desire wealth, I would enjoy pleasures stained with their blood. We do not know which is better for us: whether we should conquer them, or they should conquer us. The sons of Dhritarashtra, after killing whom we do not wish to live, stand before us in battle.” “My nature is overcome by weakness and pity; my mind is confused about what is right. I ask you, tell me clearly what is best for me. I am your disciple; instruct me, for I have taken refuge in you. I do not see what could dispel my sorrow, which dries up my senses, even if I were to gain a prosperous, unrivaled kingdom on earth, or even sovereignty over the gods.” Sanjaya continued, “Having spoken thus to Hrishikesha, Gudakesha, the scorcher of foes, declared to Govinda, ‘I will not fight,’ and then became silent.” Hrishikesha—Krishna—smiling gently, spoke to Arjuna, who was despondent between the two armies: “You grieve for those who should not be grieved for, and yet you speak words of wisdom. The wise do not mourn for the dead or the living. Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor these rulers of men; nor will any of us cease to be hereafter. Just as, in this body, the embodied soul passes through childhood, youth, and old age, so also it attains another body; the wise are not deluded by this.” “O son of Kunti, contacts with sense objects produce cold and heat, pleasure and pain; they come and go, and are impermanent. Endure them, O Bharata. That person whom these do not disturb, who is steady in pleasure and pain, is fit for immortality.” “There is no existence for the unreal, nor is there non-existence for the real. The truth of both has been seen by those who perceive reality. Know that which pervades all this is indestructible; no one can bring about the destruction of this imperishable. These bodies are said to be perishable, but the embodied soul is eternal, indestructible, and immeasurable; therefore, fight, O Bharata.” “He who thinks this kills, and he who thinks this is killed, both do not understand; this does not kill, nor is it killed. It is never born nor does it ever die; having once existed, it does not cease to be. It is unborn, eternal, everlasting, ancient; it is not killed when the body is slain. Whoever knows this as indestructible, eternal, unborn, and unchanging, how can that person cause anyone to be killed or kill anyone?” “Just as a person discards worn-out garments and takes up new ones, so the embodied soul abandons old bodies and enters new ones. Weapons do not cut this, fire does not burn this; water does not wet this, nor does wind dry it. This is unbreakable, unburnable, unwettable, and undryable; it is eternal, all-pervading, stable, immovable, and ancient. This is said to be unmanifest, inconceivable, and unchanging; therefore, knowing this, you should not grieve.” “But even if you think this self is constantly born and constantly dies, even then, mighty-armed one, you should not grieve. For death is certain for the born, and birth is certain for the dead; therefore, you should not mourn over what cannot be avoided. All beings are unmanifest in their beginning, manifest in their middle, and unmanifest again at their end; so what is there to lament?” “Someone regards this as a wonder, another speaks of it as a wonder, another hears of it as a wonder, yet even after hearing, no one truly knows it. The embodied self in everyone’s body is always indestructible; therefore, you should not grieve for any beings.” “Even considering your own duty, you should not waver. For a warrior, there is nothing better than a righteous battle. Happy are the warriors, O Partha, who obtain such a battle that comes of itself, opening the gates of heaven. But if you do not engage in this righteous battle, then, abandoning your duty and honor, you will incur sin.” Thus, Krishna gently but firmly revealed the eternal truth to Arjuna, guiding him from despair toward clarity, and urging him to rise and fulfill his dharma.