Chapter One: Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra (Arjuna-viṣāda Yoga)
Arjuna faced a crisis when he saw the opposing army assembled on the battlefield, just as we may be left reeling after facing serious setbacks in life.
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The first chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā is called Arjuna-viṣāda Yoga. The word viṣāda means lamentation or dejection. Arjuna was ready to perform his duty and fight in the battle of Kurukṣetra, but he faced a crisis when he saw the opposing army assembled on the battlefield, just as we may be left reeling after facing serious setbacks in life. However, difficulties can be positive if they lead to growth, and this is the meaning of the word yoga in the title.
In its true sense, yoga means a process that helps us to uncover our original spiritual nature, which is our eternal nature of loving service to the Lord. Arjuna's moral and emotional crisis on the battlefield becomes the catalyst for Kṛṣṇa’s divine teachings, which will ultimately elevate him to the platform of pure devotional service, fighting in the battle not just as a mundane duty, nor as a way to obtain material benefits or elevation to the celestial planets, but as an act of devotional service—cooperating in the Lord’s divine mission. Each of us has a special talent that is given to us by the Lord, and using this talent for the Lord brings us to the perfection of life. The Bhagavad-gītā guides us in this process, and it all begins in the first chapter.
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