Sankhya Yoga 2.1

Second Chapter

Sankhya Yoga [सांख्ययोग:]

The second and eighteenth chapters of the Gita have the essence of the entire Bhagavad Gita. The second chapter is termed as the Upakrama Bhaga and provides the essence of the teaching in its introduction. The eighteenth chapter is termed as the Upasamhara Bhaga and provides the essence in its conclusion.

There are four important topics dealt in this second chapter. 

1. Introduction to Vedanta Philosophy.

2. The yoga of Knowledge (Gnana Yoga)

3. The yoga of action (Karma Yoga)

4. The qualities of a self realized soul and benefits of self knowledge.

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सञ्जय उवाच

तं तथा कृपयाऽऽविष्टमश्रुपूर्णाकुलेक्षणम् ।

विषीदन्तमिदं वाक्यमुवाच मधुसूदन: ।।  १ ।।

Sanjaya uvacha

Tham thatha krupayavishtam asrupoornakulekshanam

Visheedhanthamidham vakyam uvaacha madhusoodhana:

सञ्जय उवाच - Sanjaya Uvacha- sanjaya said;  तथा -thatha - in this manner; कृपयाऽऽविष्टम - krupaya aavishtam - overflowing with compassion; Aश्रुपूर्णाकुलेक्षणम् -asrupoorna aakula eekshanam - eyes flowing with tears that prevents the sight; विषीदन्तमिदं वाक्यमुवाच मधुसूदन: visheedhantham vaakyam uvacha madhusoodhana:; to who is suffering madhusoodhana said these words.

Sanjaya Said

In this manner, to Arjuna who was overflowing with compassion and whose eyesight is shadowed by flowing tears, Lord Krishna said these words.

Explanation:

The first sloka of the second chapter starts with Sanjaya continuing to explain what happened in the battlefield. Towards the end of the first chapter, Krishna who listened to Arjuna’s baffling patiently, is addressed by Sanjaya as Madhusoodhana, the one who killed a demon called Madhu.

Arjuna is described here as the one who is enveloped by compassion, love and empathy and whose eyes are full of tears. He stood in the battlefield confused with the situation where he had to destroy his kith and kin and his teachers, and not knowing the answer to the contradiction as to whether he had to do his duty or act upon his compassion.

If one who has his mind under control and is not deterred by the situation and tries to help others to come out of their misery, then one can be said to be compassionate. But the compassion seen in Arjuna is not of this kind. Instead of keeping his emotions under control, he has become a slave to his own emotions and mental weakness. Krishna says the following words to Arjuna who was standing under the influence of his own emotions in the next verse.