Sankhya Yoga 2.4

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||2.4||

अर्जुन उवाच

कथं भीष्ममहं संख्ये द्रोणं च मधुसूदन ।

       इषुभि: प्रतियोत्स्यामि पूजार्हावरिसूदन ।। ४ ।।

arjuna uvācha

kathaṁ bhīṣhmam ahaṁ sankhye droṇaṁ cha madhusūdana

iṣhubhiḥ pratiyotsyāmi pūjārhāvari-sūdana

arjunaḥ uvācha—Arjuna said; katham—how; bhīṣhmam—Bheeshma; aham—I; sankhye—in battle; droṇam—Dronacharya; cha—and; madhu-sūdana—Shree Krishna, slayer of the Madhu demon; iṣhubhiḥ—with arrows; pratiyotsyāmi—shall I shoot; pūjā-arhau—worthy of worship; ari-sūdana—destroyer of enemies

Arjuna said: O Madhusudana! How can I shoot arrows in battle on men like Bheeshma and Dronacharya, who are worthy of my worship, O destroyer of enemies?

Arjuna expresses a very important concern that was bothering his mind. One can easily fight one’s enemies. You know it is your enemy you are fighting with and you will have gathered all your strength to combat your enemy. You will have no confusion or hesitation in your mind as to whether to destroy your enemy or leave him alive. But now, it is not the enemy that you will have to fight, but your friend; your kith and kin. Arjuna also addresses Krishna as Madhusoodhana, implying that Krishna killed a mortal enemy of mankind which will not have any negative impact on your conscience whereas to think of killing your relations and teachers is hard to digest.

I am trying to apply Arjuna's reasoning to our pattern of thinking. You have always thought that this world is real and to live in this world, enjoying the pleasures it offers, attaining positions that the world considers valuable are the things to be achieved in order to lead a happy and successful life. And hence the worldly things are your friends and close to your heart. Now, there comes a moment in your life no matter what you achieve in your life, it does not help you gain permanent mental satisfaction. You have fulfilled society’s requirements but it has not fulfilled you completely. The teacher tells you the things that you pursued so far are not your friends, but your foes. He says you need to conquer them if you want freedom from bondage. You see a contradiction  between your teacher’s statement and your personal experience.