Bhagavad Gita Sparknotes
Suja Alex
Dr. Dodson
ENGL 2331-09
September 6, 2014
The Bhagavad-Gita Analysis
The Second Teaching: Philosophy and Spiritual Discipline
This chapter speaks of peace by using the situation of Arjuna who has deep conflicting feelings about having to kill his cousins. However, Krishna is telling him that through spiritual discipline he will see clarity and peace. He then explains how to achieve this discipline. Krishna starts off by saying Arjuna must not shy away from what he has to do “Why this cowardice?” (Bhagavad-Gita 2:1). The feelings and desires that Arjuna feels are fleeting and once Arjuna learns to not let them torment him so, he will be fit for immortality (Bhagavad-Gita 2:14-15). Krishna says that human bodies will end but embodied self endures, so Arjuna is not actually killing anyone; therefore, he must fight (Bhagavad-Gita 2:34). In verse 36, Krishna gives …show more content…
The three qualities are lucidity, passion, and dark inertia, of which lucidity being the one that people should strive for. The passage describes why one should strive to achieve lucidity. Krishna says, “Men of lucidity sacrifice to the gods; men of passion, to spirits and demons; the others, men of dark inertia, sacrifice to corpses and to ghosts” (Bhagavad-Gita 17:4). Krishna goes on to give examples what would happen if one had lucidity, passion, or dark inertia. Food for the lucid man is savory, smooth, firm, and rich (Bhagavad-Gita 17:8). Food for the passionate man is bitter, salty, hot, pungent, harsh, and burning (Bhagavad-Gita 17:9). Food for the men of dark inertia is stale, spoiled, and unfit (Bhagavad-Gita 17:10). Sacrifices from the lucid man are focused on the act of the sacrifices, not the fruit of it like the passionate man, and it is full of faith, unlike the dark inertia men (Bhagavad-Gita 17:11-13). A lucid man performs penance with deep faith without thoughts of reward (Bhagavad-Gita
Dr. Dodson
ENGL 2331-09
September 6, 2014
The Bhagavad-Gita Analysis
The Second Teaching: Philosophy and Spiritual Discipline
This chapter speaks of peace by using the situation of Arjuna who has deep conflicting feelings about having to kill his cousins. However, Krishna is telling him that through spiritual discipline he will see clarity and peace. He then explains how to achieve this discipline. Krishna starts off by saying Arjuna must not shy away from what he has to do “Why this cowardice?” (Bhagavad-Gita 2:1). The feelings and desires that Arjuna feels are fleeting and once Arjuna learns to not let them torment him so, he will be fit for immortality (Bhagavad-Gita 2:14-15). Krishna says that human bodies will end but embodied self endures, so Arjuna is not actually killing anyone; therefore, he must fight (Bhagavad-Gita 2:34). In verse 36, Krishna gives …show more content…
The three qualities are lucidity, passion, and dark inertia, of which lucidity being the one that people should strive for. The passage describes why one should strive to achieve lucidity. Krishna says, “Men of lucidity sacrifice to the gods; men of passion, to spirits and demons; the others, men of dark inertia, sacrifice to corpses and to ghosts” (Bhagavad-Gita 17:4). Krishna goes on to give examples what would happen if one had lucidity, passion, or dark inertia. Food for the lucid man is savory, smooth, firm, and rich (Bhagavad-Gita 17:8). Food for the passionate man is bitter, salty, hot, pungent, harsh, and burning (Bhagavad-Gita 17:9). Food for the men of dark inertia is stale, spoiled, and unfit (Bhagavad-Gita 17:10). Sacrifices from the lucid man are focused on the act of the sacrifices, not the fruit of it like the passionate man, and it is full of faith, unlike the dark inertia men (Bhagavad-Gita 17:11-13). A lucid man performs penance with deep faith without thoughts of reward (Bhagavad-Gita