Mahabharata: A Modern Retelling (43 page)

“That unswerving calm you speak of, Krishna,

seems to me impossible to attain

since the mind is obstinate and fickle,

scattered by impulse, as leaves are by the wind.”

“Without a doubt, the mind is most unruly;

yet, by patient practice, by constant effort,

it can be reined in under one’s control.”

“But what happens to one who tries sincerely

to follow the path of discipline, yet fails?

When they die, is all their effort lost,

disintegrating like a tattered cloud?”

“No, Arjuna, no one is destroyed

who struggles to do good. They are reborn,

sustained by their efforts in previous lives,

into a family which will support

their further progress on the path to freedom.”

Sanjaya continues to repeat

Krishna’s profound teaching: Krishna says,

“Now I shall tell you how, by practicing

discipline, counting me as your refuge,

you shall know me fully, without reserve.

For all that exists is suspended on me

like jewels on a necklace. I am everywhere.

“I am the essence of everything that is;

the cosmos is sustained by my energy.

I am the deathless radiance of the sun,

the heat of fire, the soft gleam of the moon.

I am the taste in water, son of Kunti.

I am Om, the sacred syllable.

I am the roar of the wind, the manhood of men.

I am the pure fragrance of the earth.

I am the life in all life that exists.

I am the discipline in holy men.

I am the eternal seed in all creatures.

I am the intelligence in the intelligent.

I am the brilliance in the brilliant.

I am the strength of the strong, devoid of passion.

I am the desire which is not self-seeking.

All states of being are from me alone,

facets of my all-creative nature.

“The world is caught up by appearances,

dazzled by their infinite variety,

snared by illusion, endlessly distracted,

and does not recognize me, the eternal

principle that connects the humblest flower

with the grandeur of the constellations.

It is hard to penetrate appearance;

only those who seek me pass beyond it.

Evildoers do not turn to me;

but those in distress, those who long for knowledge,

the purposeful, and those who pursue wisdom—

all these seek me out and share in me.

The afflicted world, bewildered by craving,

is blind to me, who am unborn, eternal.

But there are a few liberated souls

who know me and devote themselves to me.

“Beings are born into delusion, vision

skewed by hatred and self-centered desire.

But those that strive, through me, for liberation

even as they draw their final breath

know me as Brahman, the absolute, at last.”

Arjuna says, “Please explain these matters—

say more about action, about Brahman.

Tell me, what is the true nature of beings?

How, at the point of death, can one know you?”

“Brahman is the ultimate reality,

the indestructible, unchanging Self;

it is the inherent nature of every being,

neither existent nor non-existent.

It supports all; it seems to have all senses

yet it is free of senses, unattached;

outside and inside, moving and unmoving,

distant yet near, destroyer and creator.

It inhabits every human heart.

“Action is the cosmic energy

that brings every creature into existence.

From material nature, there arise

three modes of being—purity, passion, dullness.

There is no creature in heaven or earth free

of these constituents, part of their nature.

They have diverse effects, swaying a person

this way and that. Only through detachment

can that person arrive at peace and balance.

“The state of mind that comes from purity,

based on clear understanding of the Self,

seems bleak initially, but as it grows

it reveals itself as a precious nectar.

The happiness that is based on passion

springs from sensual delight; at first

it seems like nectar, but later it turns out

to be a bitter poison. The happiness

arising out of negligence and sloth

is a dull state, lacking in energy,

a state that comes from settling for less.

“A person achieves perfection by doing

their own work, in a spirit of dedication—

better to perform one’s own work poorly

than to do well the work of someone else,

for every human enterprise is clouded

by shortcomings, as fire is by smoke.

No one can go wrong if they are working

according to their station, and their nature.

Though acting in the world, they surrender

every act to me and, through my grace,

gain the eternal, imperishable home.

“But for those encumbered by desire,

consumed by appetite which knows no limits,

the world is empty. There is no sacredness,

only the frantic scramble after gain.

They tell themselves how great they are; success

is measured by their piled-up treasuries.

They despise the weak, fawn on the powerful,

grasping, grabbing, pushing, trusting no one.

Such people are reborn in degradation.

The gateway to the ruin of the soul

is built of lust, of anger and of greed.

“As cosmic day and night succeed each other,

helpless creatures take shape constantly,

and continually dissolve, perishing,

to be reborn when day comes round again.

Impartially, I witness the endless cycle.

But those who, as they die, think of me

become a part of me, be sure of that.

“Such people have gone beyond rebirth.

Casting off the body, closing the doors

of all the senses, focusing the mind

on the breath, pronouncing Om, Om,

ever absorbed in thought of the divine,

what they think, they become. Therefore, Arjuna,

think of me always. And take up your bow!”

All this time, with the vision Vyasa gave him,

Sanjaya witnesses each precious word

of Krishna’s great address to Arjuna.

He has already recognized that Krishna

is a divine avatar, and now

he hears his teaching with wonderment and joy;

what he is hearing nourishes his devotion.

Sanjaya continues:

“Now, open-hearted Arjuna,” says Krishna,

“I will reveal further secret knowledge

and wisdom which will shelter you from harm—

wisdom rooted in direct experience.

Those who turn away from this remain

shackled to the wheel of birth and death.

“In my unmanifest form, I pervade

everything that is, yet I am greater

than all appearances. For my spirit

is the source of all beings, and sustains them.

All creation manifests the divine.

“When I take human form, only a few

recognize me, and worship me with love.

I am the father of the world, the mother,

the great maintainer, the sacred hymn;

I am the goal, the lord, the upholder,

the witness, the imperishable seed;

I am the home, the refuge and the friend;

the origin, support and dissolution.

Those who devote themselves to other gods

really worship me, for I am the object

of all devotion, though they do not know me.

“I am disinterested toward all:

I feel no partiality, no aversion.

But those who truly devote themselves to me

are in me, and I am with them, always.

Offer to me everything you do—

the food you eat, the help you give a stranger,

your daily routine, even your suffering.

I accept every gift with gladness.

A humble soul may offer me a leaf

with love in their heart, and I will welcome it.

Whoever depends on me, however low,

however ignorant—without distinction

of race or gender or community—

shall attain freedom. How much more, then,

should brahmins and the highborn come to me.

“Devote yourself to me with discipline,

and you will rest in me, your final goal.”

“All virtuous qualities have their roots

in me, springing from the one transcendent

reality—understanding, knowledge,

freedom from confusion, patience, truth,

self-control, calmness, fearlessness,

non-violence, fairness, generosity—

all are states that come from me alone.

“Those who know this are unshakable

in their disciplined devotion. Their lives

are given up to me, and I grant them

concentration; I dispel the darkness

of ignorance with the light of knowledge.”

Arjuna embraces Krishna’s feet.

“I have heard wise seers acknowledge you

and call you Brahman, the eternal Self.