Sankhya Yoga 2.7

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2.7 The fourth qualification, surrender is happening here in Arjuna.

कार्पण्यदोषोपहतस्वभाव:

पृच्छामि त्वां धर्मसम्मूढचेता: |

यच्छ्रेय: स्यान्निश्चितं ब्रूहि तन्मे

शिष्यस्तेऽहं शाधि मां त्वां प्रपन्नम् ||2.7||

kārpaṇya-doṣhopahata-svabhāvaḥ

pṛichchhāmi tvāṁ dharma-sammūḍha-chetāḥ

yach-chhreyaḥ syānniśhchitaṁ brūhi tanme

śhiṣhyaste ’haṁ śhādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam

kārpaṇya-doṣha—the flaw of cowardice; upahata—besieged; sva-bhāvaḥ—nature; pṛichchhāmi—I am asking; tvām—to you; dharma—duty; sammūḍha—confused; chetāḥ—in heart; yat—what; śhreyaḥ—best; syāt—may be; niśhchitam—decisively; brūhi—tell; tat—that; me—to me; śhiṣhyaḥ—disciple; te—your; aham—I; śhādhi—please instruct; mām—me; tvām—unto you; prapannam—surrendered

I am confused about my duty, and am besieged with anxiety and faintheartedness. I am your disciple, and am surrendered to you. Please instruct me for certain what is best for me.

Here Arjuna emphatically announces his surrender. He clearly proclaims himself to be the Lord’s disciple. He begs the lord to tell him that which is sreyas for him.

Sreyas (Goodness)

In the Kathopanishad, Yama blesses Nachikethas with three boons. Nachiketas uses the first two boons for the benefit of his fathers and others. He decides to use the third boon for himself. He wants to clear his doubt about death. He asks Yama, “Some people say that man exists even after death and some say no he does not. I want to use my third boon to get an answer for this question.” Yama first hesitates to answer and then, after examining Nachiketas for his qualification as a disciple, he starts to teach him.

In every situation in a man’s life, he is endowed with a choice to choose from one of two things. Preyas (Pleasure) or Sreyas (Good).

Sreyas can be translated as goodness, liberation, righteousness or attainment of mental peace, while Preyas can be understood as pleasure, security, wealth.

Nachiketas asked Yama to explain about this Sreyas. Arjuna too declares that he does not need any pleasure or security for his life and asks Lord Krishna to teach him about the Sreyas, what is essentially good for him. At this instance Arjuna transforms himself into a disciple. Hence the friend, the charioteer and a relative becomes a teacher for Arjuna. We must realize that for the one who surrenders himself and becomes a disciple, the teacher will appear instantaneously.

The word Shisya in Sanskrit means the one who is qualified to be taught. Shasane yogya: shisya:

Goodness is of two kinds. Relative and ultimate. Arjuna here asks Krishna to tell him which is relatively good for him in that particular situation. But Lord Krishna teaches him which is ultimately good for him, and eventually for mankind.