Free Mahabharata: Vol. 5 by Bibek Debroy Page A

lineage! In everyone’s body, the atman is
     indestructible. Therefore, you should not mourn about any being. 109
    ‘“‘Also
     considering your natural dharma, you should not waver. Because there is nothing
     better for a kshatriya than a war fought forthe sake of dharma.
     O Partha! This war has arrived on its own, like an open door to heaven. Happy are
     the kshatriyas who obtain a war like this. But if you do not take part in this war
     in the cause of dharma, then you will forsake your natural dharma and fame, and sin
     will accrue to you. And all people will forever talk about your ill fame. For
     someone who is honoured, dishonour is worse than death. These great warriors will
     think that you have withdrawn from the war because of your fear. And those who have
     so far respected you will lighten their opinion of you. Your enemies will say many
     things that should not be said and will criticize your prowess. Is anything more
     painful than that? If you are slain, you will attain heaven. If you win, you will
     enjoy the earth. O Kounteya! Therefore, arise, deciding certainly to fight.
     Therefore, get ready to fight, looking upon happiness and unhappiness, gain and loss
     and victory and defeat equally. And sin will not touch you. O Partha! You have just
     been told the wisdom that comes from knowledge of the self. 110 Now listen to the knowledge about yoga. 111 When united with this knowledge, you will be able to discard the bonds of
     action. In this, 112 the possibility of effort coming to waste does not exist. Nor is there the
     chance of committing a sin. Even a little bit of this dharma protects from great
     fear. O descendant of the Kuru lineage! This certain knowledge is unwavering. 113 But for those who cannot focus, their wisdom is many-branched and like the
     infinite. O Partha! Those who are ignorant say these flowery words, praising the
     Vedas 114 and claiming there is nothing else. They are addicted to desire, think of
     heaven as the supreme objective andare enamoured of the fruits
     of birth and action. 115 They praise many rites and rituals that lead to pleasure and wealth. They are
     addicted to pleasure and wealth and because of those words, their minds are deluded.
     They cannot focus on one object—the intellect that allows one to
     discriminate. The Vedas deal with the three
guna
s. 116 O Arjuna! Rise above the three gunas. Without doubt, 117 always resort to sattva. Do not be bothered about that which is yet to be
     attained or preserving what has already been attained. 118 Realize the atman. Whatever purpose is achieved by many small bodies of water
     is also achieved by one large body of water. Like that, whatever all the Vedas
     achieve is achieved by a person who knows the brahman. You have the right to action
     alone. You never have the right to the fruit. Do not be motivated to act because of
     the fruit. But don’t be motivated to not acting either. O Dhananjaya!
     Perform action by resorting to yoga. 119 Give up attachment. Look upon success and failure equally. This equal attitude
     is known as yoga. O Dhananjaya! Action is far inferior to the yoga of wisdom. 120 Seek refuge in this wisdom. Pitiableare those who crave
     after the fruit. He who has this wisdom, discards good action and evil action in
     this life itself. Therefore, use yoga in what you do. Yoga is the skill of action.
     The learned who have this wisdom abandon the fruit of action and are freed from the
     fetters of birth. They certainly attain that place which is bereft of all blemishes.
     When your intellect transcends this maze of delusion, then you will attain
     indifference between that which has already been heard and that which is yet to be
     heard. 121 Your mind is distracted at what you have heard. But when your intellect is
     unwavering and focused on samadhi, then you will attain yoga.’ 122
    ‘“Arjuna asked,
     ‘O Keshava! What are the signs of a person who has attained samadhi and
     whose intellect