Attachment In Any Form Makes One Weak and Diverts His Mind From Dharma
Shrimad Bhagavad Gita: Arjuna Vishada Yogam: Chapter 1: Verse 24

सञ्जय उवाच |
एवमुक्तो हृषीकेशो गुडाकेशेन भारत |
सेनयोरुभयोर्मध्ये स्थापयित्वा रथोत्तमम् || 24||

sañjaya uvācha
evam ukto hṛiṣhīkeśho guḍākeśhena bhārata
senayor ubhayor madhye sthāpayitvā rathottamam||24||

Shloka Translation

BG – Ch. 1- Ver. 24: Sanjaya Said: O Dhritarasthra, after Arjuna, the sleep-conquering hero, addressed the two armies, Shree Krishna drew the majestic chariot between them.

Explanation

Gudakesa, who has conquered sleep, is known as gudaka, which means nap. Sleep is a synonym for ignorance. In this verse, Arjuna is referred to as Gudakesa. As a result of his connection with Krishna, Arjuna was able to overcome both sleep and ignorance.

He could not forget Krishna even for a second since that is the nature of a devotee, and he was a tremendous devotee of Krishna. A devotee of the Lord cannot stop thinking about Krishna’s name, form, qualities, and pastimes whether they are awake or asleep.

As a result, a Krishna devotee can defeat both sleep and ignorance by just meditating on Krishna all the time. This is referred to as samadhi. Arjuna’s motivation for positioning the chariot in the middle of the army was clear to Krishna because he is Hrishikesa, the controller of all living things’ senses and minds.

Reflection 

Shri Krishna drove their chariot through the Kaurava and Pandava armies as Arjuna had requested, as any obedient charioteer would do. However, he placed it in an interesting position so that Arjuna could view his dearest friends, family members, and well-wishers on the Kaurava side. The people Arjuna loved and respected, such as Bheeshma and Drona, were now in front of him.

The first words Shri Krishna speaks in the Gita are found in this verse, which captures his witty and insightful nature. He refers to the Kauravas as “Kurus” rather than “sons of Dhritraashtra” like Arjuna and Sanjaya did. Given that the Kuru dynasty includes both the Kauravas and the Pandavas, this was an intriguing decision. Shri Krishna was emphasizing the similarities rather than the differences between the two armies.

Shri Krishna also wished to take advantage of the occasion to set up the surroundings in which he would deliver the Gita’s teaching. He saw that confronting Arjuna with warriors like Bheeshma and Drona, who were not only strong and mighty, but also individuals he loved a great deal about, would test his inflated ego and combat spirit.

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 what Arjuna does.

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