The terms duty, karma, and honor dominate the conversation between Arjuna and Lord Krishna (Mascaró 23). Lord Krishna persuades his counterpart to continue battle when Arjuna is contemplating withdrawal because he does not want to see the killing of his loved ones. Arjuna is convinced that he would be subject to bad karma due to the death of his loved ones.
Karma asserts that people will reincarnate to better lives when they do and speak well. It is believed that doing good will be rewarded by karma for their deeds. Arjuna was born in the warrior class, his duty is to secure the territory, and hence, he will be rewarded for good acts by karma (Mark Par. 2). Lord Krishna explains that Arjuna will not receive bad karma for pursuing the war that will cause the death of his loved ones because of their everlasting atmans and the hope of reincarnation. Moreover, Arjuna’s responsibility as a warrior is to fight and secure its people and withdrawal from the battle dishonors the warrior (Mascaró 28). The discourse between Arjuna and Lord Krishna convinced the former to continue with the fight and ultimately regain the throne’s control.
I can closely relate to the main themes of Bhagavad Gita’s account because I am a believer in karma, honor, and duty. I am convinced that great things come to people that do good, and evildoers will have a taste of their medicine. I agree that karma’s ways may sometimes be unconventional and sacrifices are one of its important aspects. As my grandfather taught me, we should face death with honor because of the promise to resurrect having completed our worldly responsibilities accordingly.
Works Cited
Mascaró, Juan. The Bhagavad Gita. Penguin Classics, 2014.
Mark, Joshua. Bhagavad Gita. World History Encyclopedia, 2020, Web.