Arjuna Vishaada Yoga
Chapter 1, Verse 1
dhritarashtra uvāca
dharmakshetre kurukshetre
samavetā yuyutsavah
māmakaah paandavāshchaiva
kim akurvata sanjaya
Dhritarashtra asked: On the field of Kurukshetra, the field of the working out of the dharma, gathered together, eager for battle, what did they do, O Sanjaya, my people and the Pandavas?
Dhritarashtra asked Sanjaya what was happening in the war, what was happening on the battlefield. This verse starts with Dharmakshetra. 'Dharma' means righteous, 'kshetra' means the field the field of righteousness. Kurukshetra: 'kuru' comes from 'ku', 'kriya', to do, to act, to work; 'kshetra' is the working field. Dhritarashtra asked, "What are my sons and the Pandavas doing?"
The moment Dhritarashtra used the words Dharmakshetra, Kurukshetra, he knew automatically that the place, the battlefield was not just a normal place. The battlefield was a holy place. This Kurukshetra was not just a normal place where they had chosen a field to have a war. It was a place where dharma was fulfilled. It was a place where one was liberated. That's why it is said that whoever dies at Kurukshetra, even nowadays, is elevated into higher spheres, or liberated according to their merit, their punya. Kurukshetra is also referred to as Punyakshetra, because on this field one gets good merit, good punya.
What was this field where the war happened? The war has different meanings. One of the meanings of this war is life, where the good side fights with the not-good side. This war is not outside, it is also here, in this body. Your physical body is the dharmakshetra. You have incarnated to do your dharma in this field. That's the dharmakshetra. Life is dharmakshetra. You have come to fulfil the Divine purpose. When you are in tune with your true Self, you realise what is your true purpose in life: to attain the Lotus Feet of the Lord, to attain His Grace. And that's what dharmakshetra is reminding you. Do your dharma! Awake! This dharma can be done with the greatest gift which God has given this field, this body. And when you start doing your dharma, you'll - get good merit, you'll get good punya! But, if you run away from your dharma, then you turn towards the dark side.
In this verse, Dhritarashtra referred to his sons, gathered on this battlefield. This battlefield represents the battlefield of life. On the field of life, you have both: the good and the not-good, the good and the bad. Dhritarashtra said, "My people," meaning his sons and the Pandavas, and asked, "What are they doing?" Dhritarashtra had a hundred sons and the Pandavas were the five sons of his brother, Pandu. And now, there was war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas.
What does the blind king represent? This blind king, Dhritarashtra, represents the mind the mind which is blind and wants to stay blind. The mind is hanging on to the outside so much that it has power only when it is focused on something exterior: on the material, on relationships, on gaining this or gaining that. This is the nature of the mind. The mind is blind. When Dhritarashtra asked, "What are my sons doing?" don't think that he was very concerned about the Pandavas. He was only concerned about his sons. He was more bothered about, "What will I gain?" Somebody with a crooked mind will always try to find what he will gain. This is avariciousness. He was not concerned about the war before, but when he saw that he would lose something, then his mind felt threatened, his mind started to react. In his mind he had doubts and asked, "What is happening? Now that Bhishma has fallen down, what is the reaction of my sons? What is the reaction of the Pandavas? Surely, this must cause a reaction in their minds. With the fall of Bhishma, did my sons realise that they have to change or not?" The mind is always the same. The mind thinks, thinks, thinks, and thinks, but when you try to control it, what happens? It's a fight, no? It rebels!
He continued to inquire: "Will there be changes happening to my people and the Pandavas?" Both families were from the Kuru dynasty. But the king refused to recognise the Pandavas. The mind doesn't recognise the good qualities which are present in oneself. The mind can only look towards the senses, looking always towards the outside. The Self, the positive qualities which are present inside, are not comprehended by the mind. So, then Sanjaya continued saying:
Bhagavad Gita
