SARANAGATI

Krishna does so and asks him to survey the opposing ranks. Arjuna looks round and to his eyes all of the are only loving kinsmen and respectable Acaryas. He is overcome by mixed feelings of affection, sorrow and fear, affection for the kinsmen, sorrow that he is going to be agent for the destruction of so many of them; and fear that he is bringing hell upon himself by killing so many for the sake of power and wealth. He is upset and confused. He throws aside the bow and arrows and falls at the feet of Sri Krishna requesting him to advise and guide him. Krishna smiles at the strange behaviour of the brave warrior Arjuna in the battle-field, especially before the very eyes of the enemies. Krishna begins his teaching by saying that the sympathy and love of Arjuna for his enemies then are quite out of place and unbecoming of his valour. He advises Arjuna that it is his duty as a Ksatriya to carry on the fight, but in a spirit of detachment and with a feeling of dedication to God. That will be not mere karma but Karma yoga the practice of moral discipline. That will lead him to the Jnanayoga, which will enable him to realize his Atma. That will take him on to the next stage viz. Bhaktiyoga which is the means for the attainment of Supreme Bliss. Krishna concludes his teachings, and towards the end of the last chapter of Bhagavad Gita advises him to take to Bhaktiyoga which was already taught to him in Chapter IX. Arjuna who has a desire for the highest fruit is stricken again with sorrow at the thought of his incompetency and the obstacles to the practice of Bhaktiyoga. Seeing the flood of sorrow in the face of Arjuna, Krishna is moved and he immediately teaches the Doctrine of Saranagati. No doubt Saranagati is taught here as means for doing away with the impediments to the beginning of Bhaktiyoga. So God in His Infinite Mercy has prescribed an alternative means which goes by the name of Saranagati.