(Image Courtesy Mahanidhiswami)
If used in Right Sense Even ‘Fear’ Can Help One Stick to the Path of Dharma
अवाच्यवादांश्च बहून्वदिष्यन्ति तवाहिता: |
निन्दन्तस्तव सामर्थ्यं ततो दु:खतरं नु किम् || 2.36||
avāchya-vādānśh cha bahūn vadiṣhyanti tavāhitāḥ
nindantastava sāmarthyaṁ tato duḥkhataraṁ nu kim|| 2.36||
Shloka Translation
BG – Ch. 2- Ver. 36:
Your opponents will use nasty comments to defame and humiliate you, insulting your power. But, alas, what could be more terrible than that?
Explanation
Krishna warns in verse 35 that your people will think poorly of you Arjuna. Even your enemies will ridicule you, he says in shloka 36. Krishna is attempting to evoke emotional responses from Arjuna because the intellectual method has failed thus far.
Not only may we gain a lot from Shri Krishna’s teaching, but also from the way he constructs and presents his arguments to Arjuna. It is usually preferable to employ a combination of logic and emotion in our arguments rather than just one.
Arjun’s standing among the assembly of great warriors would not only diminish if he opted to abandon the battle but he would also be belittled. The phrase nindata, which means “to defame,” is used by Shree Krishna. Enemies of Arjuna, such as Duryodhana, would say things like, “Look at that impotent Arjun running from the battlefield like a dog with its tail between its legs.” Arjun is reminded by Shree
Krishna that such humiliation would be extremely terrible for him to bear.
Verse & What we can learn
In a majority of situations in life, our decisions and actions are dependent on what people will think or what they will say. This can also in some situations help us to stay on the path of dharma.
One may be tempted to take a wrong path or step in life but out of fear of what people/society would say or think about us and what problems will come on their family and loved ones think about all this, unwillingly also they may stick to the right path. Even fear can help us stick to the path of dharma if used in the right sense.
Meditation helps us to stick to the path of dharma and gives us strength. There are many types of meditation like Buddhist meditation, heartfulness meditation, mindfulness meditation, 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, Lord Shri Krishna tells Arjuna what positive results he will achieve if he fights the battle and motivates him to go for it.
Let’s learn to live with “The Gita” via Meditation Affinity…