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-From: Patrick William Oconnor <pwoc@darkwing.uoregon.edu>
-Subject: A question on the Geeta
-There is a passage in the Bhagavhad Gita that has puzzled me since I
-first read it, and I was hoping that someone in this group could
-straighten me out.
-I think it occurs near the end of the second chapter. As Krishna is
-trying to convince Arjuna to return to the battle, he resorts at one
-point to trying to shame Arjuna into action - telling him that if he
-refuses to fight, all the generals, the other soldiers, his family,
-etc., will all think less of him and it will severely tarnish his
-reputation. This really bothered me when I first read it, because if
-it convinced Arjuna to fight, then he would really be fighting out of
-a self-interest to maintain his reputation rather than desiring to
-perform his duty.
-So, am I completely misinterpretting this passage, or was Krishna
-actually testing Arjuna's motives, or what? I would greatly appreciate
-any help you could give me.
-Pat
No, I don't think Krishna was testing him; rather
than thinking of it as 'reputation', you might want
to consider it a matter of "honor". This honor is
not the trivial one of mere esteem of fellow men,
but the legitimate honor that accrues to a man
who faithfully does his duty. Arjuna's duty lay in
doing the job that he had taken up, that of
carrying out the orders of his commander, the king
Yudhishthira. To fail in this would be an act of
dishonor.
Two concepts commingle here, giving rise to your
legitimate confusion. If a man acts honorably,
naturally his reputation will be kept, while
committing dishonorable deeds will earn the
contempt of his peers. So, in effect, these two
point to the same act, though, there is a world
of difference in motive, as you have justly
perceived.
Hope this helps ..
RS
