इन्द्रियार्थेषु वैराग्यमनहङ्कार एव च ।
जन्ममृत्युजराव्याधिदुःखदोषानुदर्शनम् ।। १३.८ ।।

असक्तिरनभिष्वङ्गः पुत्रदारगृहादिषु ।
नित्यं च समचित्तत्वमिष्टानिष्टोपपत्तिषु ।। १३.९ ।।

indriyārtheṣu vairāgyam-anahaṅkāra eva ca |
janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam || 13.8 ||

asaktir-anabhiṣvaṅgaḥ putra-dāra-gṛhādiṣu |
nityaṁ ca sama-cittatvam iṣṭāniṣṭopapattiṣu || 13.9 ||

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Understand that here Krishna, a very powerful Ruler, is the Teacher. Arjuna, another powerful Ruler, is the listener. Both have high social responsibility and status in life. So, discussions on Self-knowledge cannot be dismissed as unrelated triviality by anybody in any field of life. It is the most refined and effective wisdom, rendering human life beautiful, benevolent and creative.

The way Krishna describes these important tenets shows how distinct and paramount is the whole enunciation:

Not to be passionate towards sensory objects, to shun egoism, to see clearly the trouble and torment associated with birth, death, old age, disease;

Safeguarding against the pitfall of strong identification with children, wife, household, etc., and being even-minded in the favourable and unfavourable turn of events;

Indriyartheshu vairagyam (dispassion towards sensory objects): There is no teaching on spirituality without emphasis on viveka and vairagya, discrimination and dispassion. On listening to the first words of Krishna, Arjuna instantly took up the line of discrimination. His thoughts were earlier focused mainly on the venerable Bheeshma and Drona. And the reason for it was more of propriety and righteousness than mere sympathy and allied considerations for kith and kin. How to fight those who are to be worshipped wholeheartedly? Where was any enmity between him and them? Any belligerent move against them was unrighteous – impermissible to the right-thinking mind and intelligence!

His quest thus suddenly became truly spiritual, philosophical. He sought sreyas, and sreyas alone, adding that his mind did not look to enjoyment either in this world or in another. Arjuna’s words reveal how dispassionate his heart was. Viveka and vairagya had clearly dawned in him, making him fit to receive the subtle spiritual instruction. It is in such a background that Krishna’s spiritual exposition becomes relevant. Dispassion is a quality that cannot be dispensed with in any spiritual instruction, for ascetics as well as householders. In fact dispassion is a necessary quality for success in any walk of life. True, Bhagavad Gita, ever since it has transpired, has remained a spiritual gospel. And the reason for it is obvious. Its tone, content, message and emphasis have consistently adhered to the true spiritual notes throughout.

Those who take Bhagavad Gita as a Gospel of Action and would like to rejoice in worldly or secular pursuits in an exclusive manner, should not fail to reflect on this fact and moderate their thoughts and addictions. Let it be clear that dispassion is a quality that always enriches everyone – a spiritual seeker as well as a secular person. That alone adorns the Soul-wisdom and renders the seeker strong, wholesome and independent.

Indriya-artha means sense-object. Indriya-artheshu means the entire range of sensory objects, which verily includes the whole world with all its contents. Towards all this, says Krishna, the attitude should be that of dispassion. Do not crave for any sensory object. Let not world objects be the seeker’s master. Let them be, if at all, subservient to the seeker. Looking at the bounteous world, seeing the thrills and allurements it provides, let no servility be allowed to creep into the mind.

To be spiritual is not to look for one’s delight and fulfillment in the objects of the world. The mind that generates delight through any object of the world can also provide delight without such objects. Delight in reality belongs to the mind alone. It is verily the mind’s own gift. It may be occasioned by an external medium or spontaneously generated internally.

People in general, due to ignorance, seek to satiate their senses by courting sensory objects. This habit prevails till one grows to be a sadhaka. When the spirit of sadhana takes over the mind, the focus shifts from the objects to the Inner Spirit. Krishna is quite emphatic on this, although he is speaking to a warrior in the battlefield.

What is vairagya? It is the direct impact of knowing the perishable nature of the world – its contents, sentient and insentient alike. This one plight of perishability is sufficient to question man’s attraction towards them. At the same time, the Spirit that enlivens the body is not perishable. Should not then the Imperishable Spirit within be dearer than the external perishables?

Krishna also explains how to make such dispassion grow stronger. While presenting a precept, how to apply it in our life is also clearly shown. This is where our scriptural treatises excel. Ponder repeatedly and well over the trouble and torment associated with birth, death, old age as well as disease. Worldly life abounds in all these. In fact, these are fates and plights any living being has to course through. What does Krishna mean? Think of anyone’s birth. Neither is birth a creation of the born one, nor is it an event brought about fully by another. To marry and live in the company of each other is very much in keeping with the scheme and process of Nature. As a natural corollary of married life, children too are born, making the couple their parents.

Except undergoing the biological processes leading to conception and birth of a child, the parents do not have any creative role as such in forming the physical body of the offspring. Everything takes place governed by Nature’s laws and processes. In fact, an animal baby and a human baby are born alike. Only in their potentials and possibilities, Nature has built in some distinctions and differences.

None can predict with certainty what kind of a child will be born, with what character, looks and intelligence. Death is the last phase of life. It is definite that the born will die, but none can say when and how. As the growth of the foetus after conception results in birth of the child, so too the growth following birth leads to old age. How many are there for whom old age is a crowning maturity and fulfillment? Every one seems to curse and lament over old age and the disadvantages it brings. Disease is another factor that intrudes into life. Grief of various kinds is a sure constituent of life.

Thus, observed well, human life in the world does consist of a variety of doshas (defects or evils). Should not one be mindful of these? A good seeker cannot but reflect upon these. Krishna exhorts us to do so. Such a habit or pursuit will go to generate, strengthen and deepen dispassion in the mind.

Anahankara (egoism): To eschew ahankara, to be free of the ego, is very important, adds Krishna. Anahankara means overcoming kartr-bhoktr bhava, the feeling of doer-ship and enjoyer-ship.

How can one foster ego, and with regard to what can one be egoistic? Krishna has already explained how a tattvavit (a knower of Truth), always carries the notion “I do not do anything at all” (naiva kincit karomiti yukto manyeta tattvavit - verse 5.8). Again, did he not point out “The Lord of the Universe has not forged kartrtva, karma and bhoktrtva on anyone at all” (Verse 5.14)?

Krishna does not speak of anahankara of an inactive or idle person. He enjoins it as a quality of the active and interactive Knower. Not to have ego when doing nothing is easy. But to be free of ego while doing everything calls for spiritual enlightenment. Anahankarata is essential to the seeker, and natural to the Knower.

Next comes the most crucial statement of Krishna. Mind you, Krishna was not a sannyasin, nor was Arjuna. The seeker has to safeguard, he says, against the conventional notes of inner identification. He wants the spiritual seeker to safeguard against mental and intellectual victimization. Hence, well in advance he prescribes dis-identification and dis-attachment for this purpose.

Every event of Nature should be viewed alike, in the same background. This applies to all relationships, including children, married partner and household too. Like a Trustee looking after the affairs entrusted to him, a parent should bring up the child, entrusted to him by Nature. Every household will have parents and children. To live in a family, and at the same time not to foster any identification with the family members, will no doubt appear to be incongruous, even repugnant. But when Krishna says that such identification is wrong and detrimental, one has to heed it with sufficient introspection. Krishna was himself a householder! We have to understand what he means by asaktih and anabhishvangah.

Let there be all concern, good wishes and love. But all this should be in the background of dis-attachment (asaktih), so that none of these notes will bring affliction or agitation.

Anabhishvangah (dis-identification) is a specific quality that does not allow the mind to get glued to the closely related – be it the son, daughter or anyone else – with so much of attachment that the relationship results in affliction and bondage. But this abhishvangah is what invariably takes place. To identify oneself with another, as a result of which the other’s fate makes you suffer irreconcilably, is by all standards unacceptable. Seekers have to outlive such bondages.

A doctor has to treat a patient with love and concern. But can he become identified with the patient to such an extent that the mere sight of the patient enfeebles and disables him from treating the patient? It is one thing to foster relationship, but it is altogether different to be identified with it. The second part is the one to be mended.

Our relationships with the people and the objects around are to make our life happy and harmonious. If on their account, the reverse happens, then the whole purpose is lost. Spiritual wisdom cannot permit such incongruity. It cautions and corrects the mind in this regard.

Krishna now lays down a very common interactional discipline, moderation and refinement. In fact, it is a superb note of sublimation, within which everything else gets covered.

Samacittatvam: This is a tenet Krishna has been emphasizing right from the 2nd chapter. It began with his words: sama duhkha sukham dhiram (2.15), while describing the principle of karma yoga. He has repeatedly incorporated this throughout (2.38, 2.48, 4.22, 5.18, 5.19, 5.20, 6.9, 6.29, 6.32, 12.13, 12.18, 12.19, 13.9, 13.27, 13.28, 14.24). The significance of samatva is evident.

Life has to course through many events, interacting with various persons, places and circumstances. But all this variety falls into two categories, namely ishta (desirable) and anishta (undesirable). The basis for it may be anything – personal, professional or societal. Any situation or any person we interact with can be either desirable or undesirable. Towards both, the seeker should foster the same note of hearty reception. Once this is ensured, all his agitation and counter notes of the mind will dissolve. In doing so, lies his spiritual enrichment and fulfillment. The mind will go on broadening every time, and a new vision and impetus will begin to work.

Spiritual pursuit is not merely contemplative. It is vibrantly interactional, in all fronts – be it personal, familial or societal. Discussing characteral, behavioural and interactional virtues, Krishna focuses on the significant austere notes of spiritual life and seeking. Spirituality has its distinction from religious life, wherein the emphasis is invariably on an external distant God.