18/59 यदहङ्कारमाश्रित्य

Shrimadbhagvad-Gita

and

The Choiceless Awareness.

Shrimadbhagvad-gita begins with the conclusive determination /choice of Arjuna :

Chapter 2, Stanza 9

सञ्जय उवाच :

एवमुक्त्वा हृषीकेशं गुडाकेशः परन्तप।। 

न योत्स्य इति गोविन्दमूक्त्वा तूष्णीं बभूव ह।।९।।

(अध्याय २)

Chapter 18, Stanza 59

(श्रीभगवानुवाच)

यदहङ्कारमाश्रित्य न योत्स्य इति मन्यसे।।

मिथ्यैष व्यवसायस्ते प्रकृतिस्त्वां नियोक्ष्यति।।५९।।

(अध्याय १८)

What a coincidence! 

The Text of this Greatest classic of all times concludes / strikes the same Note  where it had started -- 

न योत्स्य (अहं न योत्स्ये इति)

Chapter 2 stanza 09 and Chapter 18 stanza 59.

The emphasis is in the phrase :

यदहङ्कारमाश्रित्य (यत् अहङ्कारं आश्रित्य)

Shrikrishna exhorts Arjuna :

If you are subject to ego and decide that shall not engage in the War, this your choice is indeed futile, because the  प्रकृति  / the nature would force upon you this and you can't disobey the dictate of the nature, you shall be compelled to fight.

Here is a "scriptural lock" where only a truly wise a man could see this lock and has the key to it.

Here no A. I. could be of any help to you!

Shrikrishna points out to Arjuna :

You're supposed to understand what is :

The Choiceless Awareness.

Usually a common reader would think that Shrikrishna is telling Arjuna to go to war and get engaged in the war. 

So here is yet another 

"Lock on the Lock!"

The another lock that one fails even to see is about the relinquishing the sense of doer-ship - I'm free to exert my choice, - what the advocates of "the Free Will" assert.

Will, Choice, determination on the part of the mind too are subject to the nature that is inherent spirit behind whatever happens.

This is verily the tenet and the wisdom of the साङ्ख्य दर्शन / sAMkhya Principle.

Arjuna too fails to see and understand the catch / lock. He is obsessed with the idea :

I'm free to decide what I need to do, should, and act accordingly.

This is the very ignorance, everyone is possessed by from one's birth itself.

The following stanza 27 of Chapter 7 points out this rather candidly :

इच्छाद्वेषसमुत्थेन द्वन्द्वमोहेन भारत।।

सर्वभूतानि सम्मोहं सर्गे यान्ति परन्तप।।२७।।

(अध्याय ७)

O Man of Great Striving and Penance! 

All living beings from their very birth, are subject and a victim to the delusion caused by desire and envy / hatred.

This delusion because of the desire and the envy is there in the nature of all and everyone. This is indeed the ego.

Another point is that Shrikrishna is not forcing the War upon Arjuna.

Shrikrishna doesn't say or order Arjuna to fight. Shrikrishna merely points out :

Discard only the sense of doer-ship - the idea :

 I shall do, or I shall not.

This is rather difficult to understand that this idea is the only conflict and is to be overcome by means of : 

Choiceless Awareness (of What Is)

This could be again explained by the way of rephrasing the same in the following :

Automatic Divine Action.

Which could be supported by the stanza 14, 15 of Chapter 18 viz. 

अधिष्ठानं तथा कर्ता करणं च पृथग्विधम्।।

विविधाश्च पृथक्चेष्टा दैवं चैवात्र पञ्चमम्।।१४।।

शरीरवाङ्मनोभिर्यत्कर्म प्रारभते नरः।।

न्याय्यं वा विपरीतं वा पञ्चैते तस्य हेतवः।।१५।।

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