An Im-balanced Mind Leads to Negative Emotions Which In-turn Brings out the Worse Behaviour

Shrimad Bhagavad Gita: Arjuna Vishada Yogam: Chapter 1: Verse 7

अस्माकं तु विशिष्टा ये तान्निबोध द्विजोत्तम |

नायका मम सैन्यस्य संज्ञार्थं तान्ब्रवीमि ते || 7||

asmākaṁ tu viśhiṣhṭā ye tānnibodha dwijottama

nāyakā mama sainyasya sanjñārthaṁ tānbravīmi te|| 7||

 Shloka Translation

BG – Ch. 1- Ver. 7: Duryodhana said: O best of Brahmins, Hear also about the important generals on our side, who are exceptionally qualified to lead, I’ll tell you about them now.

 Explanation

Dronacharya wasn’t essentially a fighter; instead, he taught military science. He was one of the Kaurava army commanders, though, and he was there on the battlefield. An arrogant Duryodhana even questioned his own preceptor’s loyalty. Cunning Duryodhana called his teacher dwijottama on purpose (best amongst the twice-born, or Brahmins). He made derogatory remarks about Dronacharya and warned him that if he did not show bravery in this battle, people would think of him as a poor Brahmin who only cared about the opulent food and lifestyle available at the king’s court.

Then Duryodhana started mentioning all the great generals present on the Kaurava side, detailing their bravery and military prowess, to make up for his scathing remarks and raise the spirit of both his teacher and himself.

Reflection 

In this stanza, Duryodhana and Drona talked further. The verse’s wording makes it clear that after evaluating the Pandava army’s capabilities, he wished to speak with Drona about his army.

Duryodhana’s mindset.  initially became concerned that the Pandavas’ well-organized army, which was advancing with a single vision, might prove to be a strong opponent. He prompted Drona out of his worry. Now in this verse, out of anxiety, Duryodhana unleashed an arrogant, cruel attitude by referring to Drona as a “twice-born.”

Individuals from the Brahman, Kshatriya, and vaishya classes are typically referred to as twice-born. Although Drona was a skilled warrior, he was a Brahmin by birth, hence in this verse, this was a disguised insult.

Duryodhana sought to indicate that Drona would be lenient toward his followers the Pandavas because he was a Brahmin. The fact that Duryodhana referred to his army as “my army” further suggests that his ego was inflated at this juncture. When we allow negative feelings like terror and worry to grow in our minds, we frequently exhibit our worst traits.

To acquire knowledge and to implement that knowledge in life one needs to be mentally and physically active and healthy and for that daily meditation is a great tool.

There are various types of meditation like Buddhist meditation, heartfulness meditation, mindfulness meditation, and meditation for stress, and each meditation benefits are countless. There are also numerous meditation techniques for beginners which help in practicing daily meditation so go ahead and start your journey towards a peaceful and balanced life.

In the next verse, we will see how Duryodhana after having insulted his Guru, tries to please him, out of fear.

Let’s learn to live with “The Gita” via Meditation Affinity…