धृतराष्ट्र उवाच
धर्मक्षेत्रे कुरुक्षेत्रे समवेता युयुत्सव: ।
मामका: पाण्डवाश्चैव किमकुर्वत सञ्जय ॥१॥
Arjuna’s Dilemma: Facing the Battlefield of the Mind
It is because of ignorance one thinks ‘What should I do and what should I not do’ – and suffers a state where he is not able to perform his duties. He will not attain that state of deviation from his duties if he is not subjugated to ignorance.
A person who believes in God, Dharma, and Afterlife faces dilemmas like, “If I don’t do my prescribed duties in life, then my downfall is sure to happen. What will happen to my spiritual life if I do only material duties?”
By engaging in worldly affairs, spirituality will be left and by engaging in spiritual affairs, worldly duties will not be right. If we leave our family, then our spiritual progress will not be there, etc.
The meaning is that we want our welfare, but due to attachment and desire for pleasure, we cannot leave the world.
This kind of disturbance also takes place in Arjun’s mind that if I fight, then my welfare will be hindered due to the destruction of our clan and if I do not fight, then my welfare will be hindered due to being deviated from my duty.
सञ्जय उवाच
एवमुक्त्वार्जुनः संख्ये रथोपस्थ उपाविशत् ।
विसृज्य सशरं चापं शोकसंविग्नमानसः ॥४६॥