धृतराष्ट्र उवाच | धर्मक्षेत्रे कुरुक्षेत्रे समवेता युयुत्सवः। मामकाः पाण्डवाश्चैव किमकुर्वत सञ्जय।।1.1।। |
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Dhritarashtra asked:
“On the holy land of Kurukshetra, on the field of righteousness, what did my sons and the sons of Pāndu do when they gathered with the intent to fight, O Sanjaya?”
Commentary
King Dhritarashtra, being blind, could not witness the unfolding events himself, so he asks his charioteer Sanjaya to narrate to him the happenings on the battlefield. He is eager to know what his sons, the Kauravas, and the sons of Pāndu, the Pandavas, did when they gathered in Kurukshetra with the intention to engage in war.
Dhritarashtra symbolizes the mind, whose inherent blindness stems from its reliance on external senses for perception. Like a blind person who cannot see without the aid of sensory faculties, the mind alone is incapable of perceiving the intricacies of the world. It relies on the body, senses and the inner faculties of awareness, memory, analysis and interpretation to make sense of the external reality.
* Blind Mind and Self-Introspection *
Sanjaya, on the other hand, represents the power of introspection, that enables one to look inward and gain insight into thoughts, actions, and experiences. Sanjaya serves as the narrator of the Bhagavad Gita and is blessed with the ability to perceive and describe the events of the battlefield to Dhritarashtra. He is the inner voice of wisdom and higher perception. It is through this power of introspection that we can develop a deep understanding of ourselves, our motivations, and the consequences of our choices.
The verse unveils the internal strife within Dhritarashtra’s veiled consciousness, portraying his struggle to fathom the repercussions of the impending battle. It symbolizes the clash between his deep-seated attachments and desires, embodied by the Kauravas, and his commitment to righteousness and moral values, embodied by the Pandavas.
The mention of “Dharmakshetre Kurukshetre” refers to the sacred land of Kurukshetra, where the great battle between the Kauravas and the Pandavas took place. Symbolically, it represents the inner battlefield within oneself, where the struggle occurs. Indeed, a perpetual struggle takes place within the inner battlefield of consciousness, where the forces of good and bad engage in an eternal clash. This relentless conflict is an eternal tug-of-war between good and bad thoughts, virtue and vice, the obligations of duty and the allure of desires.
Every thought, every decision becomes a battleground, where the opposing forces vie for dominance. The choices we make, the actions we take, are the outcomes of this inner struggle, shaping the trajectory of our lives.
In this ongoing struggle, it is imperative to invoke the power of introspection, like Sanjaya, to closely observe the thoughts and intentions that arise within us. Through this introspective lens, we can evaluate the nature of our thoughts, identify the influences that drive our actions, and ascertain whether we are aligning ourselves with the principles of righteousness or succumbing to the seductions of selfish desires.
At the end of every day before sleep, the spiritual seeker’s Blind Mind, Dhritarashtra, should ask his power of calm introspection and self-analysis, Sanjaya, “Assembled on the battlefield of activity today, help me analyze what did they, my own good and bad tendencies do?”.
Dhritarashtra acknowledges his reliance on the power of introspection to shed light on the deeds of the day. He demonstrates a willingness to confront his own shortcomings and understand the nature of his thoughts and actions. It is in recognizing and acknowledging this inner conflict that we become conscious participants in the battle. By cultivating awareness, we gain the capacity to discern between right and wrong, to choose the path of righteousness over the path of self-indulgence.
By embracing this awareness and actively engaging in the inner battle, we empower ourselves to make conscious choices that promote virtue and uplift our consciousness. Ultimately, it is through the mastery of this internal conflict that we can strive towards inner harmony, growth, and spiritual evolution.