Some people think twice before they undertake any action. That is called purvatapam. There is another category of people who act in haste and repent for their mistakes at the end. That is pashchatapam. (SSS Vol.31)

Arjuna had the great fortune of receiving the Gita direct from Shri Krishna. There are great men among the Pandavas. In fact, Dharmaraja, the eldest of the Pandavas was himself a very great adherent to righteousness. Why did Krishna not teach him the Gita? He was endowed with all types of bala (strength). There was Bhima who had the bhuja bala (the power of a mighty shoulders), and gaja bala (the power of an army of elephants). Why did Krishna not teach the Gita to him at least? Why did he choose to teach Arjuna alone? This must be analysed first.

Dharmaraja was a good and righteous person, no doubt. But, he had no purvatapa to consider the pros and cons before undertaking a task. He had only paschatapa (brooding over the past). Now about Bhima. He had great muscle power, but no intellectual power. If he gets angry, he will pull out a mighty tree right with its roots and start fighting with his opponents. Arjuna, among the Pandavas, however, had purvatapa. Even before the war commenced, he started worrying ‘Oh Krishna! There are so many friends and relatives of mine in the opposing army. How can I kill them. I would rather forego the kingdom and go begging in the streets rather eat the food that is soaked in their blood. I cannot fight this war’. Arjuna, thus experienced purvatapa. Dharmaraja did not do so. After the war was over and everything calmed down, he sat leisurely in his house and started worrying ‘Alas! All my friends and relatives died in this war. My kith and kith are gone. What is the use of my ruling this kingdom now?

That is why it is said:

‘May you analyse clearly

The good and bad of the task and then perform

If it is done hastily it becomes poison’

King Dasharatha had a similar frame of mind. He took his third wife, Kaika along with him to help him in the war between devas and asuras (demons), Kaikeyi was the daughter of King Kekaya. She was well-versed in the knowledge of asthras (missiles) and sasthras (weapons). In fact, she taught Shri Rama this knowledge. Satyabhama in Krishna avatara and Kaikeyi in Rama avatara were experts in asthra sasthra knowledge. When King Dasharatha was fighting the war, the axle of one of the wheels of the chariot got loosened. Had it come out fully, the wheel of the chariot would have fallen off. In that critical moment, she put her finger in the hole as a linch pin and saved her husband, lest he might be defeated. After Dasharatha won this battle, he noticed the blood was profusely flowing out of the finger of Kaikeyi. Having witnessed that scene, Dasharatha told her ‘Oh! Kaikeyi! I have won this battle only on account of you. Therefore, you ask for two boons whenever you wish. I will grant them. He did not specify when and where these two boons were to be asked for. He left the choice fully to her. Neither the time was specified nor the nature of the boons. Without considering the pros and cons of his action, he simply left the choice of the two boons to his wife. Ultimately, Kaikeyi asked for the boons according to her wish and according to her choice of time. Dasharatha had to pay a heavy price for his thoughtless action. Where does the fault lie then? Certainly, it is the fault of Dasharatha. That is why it is said haste makes waste. Sometimes, our hasty action lands us in great trouble.

In contrast to King Dasharatha, Arjuna prepared himself for the war after fully analysing the pros and cons. He was worried ‘How many friends and relatives will lose their lives in this war! After all this huge loss of life, for whose sake should I fight this war. Without the subjects, where is the kingdom?’ Thus, he underwent great ‘purvatapa’ which comes only to a pure heart. That is why, Arjuna means one with sacred and pure heart. (BhaG, pp. 13-16)

There were many noble souls at that time. There was Dharmaraja, the personification of all dharma and virtues. There was Bhishma, a tenacious warrior and a venerable, all-knowing scholar. There was Bhima, the powerhouse of physical strength, wielding his mighty club. Does it mean that Bhishma, Dharmaraja and Bhima were not worthy of being the direct disciples of Krishna? What is that special merit which Arjuna possessed and the others did not? Young men of modern times should ponder over this somewhat invidious distinction made by Krishna. They must recognise the subtlety and sanctity of the Divine Force that sways the universe. Did not Dharmaraja, who had never deviated from the path of dharma even under the most painful circumstances, deserve the Lord’s Special Grace? Arjuna knew that he was morally inferior to his brother Dharmaraja and wished to know in what way he was more deserving. He questioned Krishna, his guide, guru, and friend.

Krishna gave an appropriate answer, “Bhishma knows that justice is on the side of the Pandavas and has even made a public proclamation of this. But, he is leading the Kaurava army. This means that his deeds do not correspond to his thoughts and words. Harmony among thought, word and deed is the greatest virtue, and its absence is hypocrisy and wickedness.

“Dharmaraja is subject to the common human failing of repentance rather than prior consideration. Though a noble soul, he lacks foresight and is guilty of remorse for his past mistakes. On the other hand, Bhima, who has tremendous physical prowess and is dextrous with his mighty club, unfortunately has a deficiency in intellectual strength, the greatest strength of all. A man without the power of discrimination cannot absorb this subtle teaching.”

Here, we must distinguish purvatapa from paschattapa. Paschattapa is futile regret for the past. Purvatapa is wise concern for the future. Purvatapa is n indispensable aid to the spiritual aspirant while paschattapa is absolutely useless. The power of discrimination is definitely more valuable than bookish knowledge, wealth and physical strength. The harmony between thoughts, words and deeds is the first step in spiritual growth. Lack of correlation between ideas, utterances and actions leads to selfdeception, hypocrisy, and spiritual bankruptcy. The proper study of mankind is man. The generation, expression and efflorescence of humanitarianism depends on the proper integration of thought, speech and action. In other words, the rapport between mental and physical activities is an essential ingredient of spiritual training.

Arjuna exemplifies the harmonious blending of  thoughts, words and deeds—a quality absent in Bhishma. In the midst of the din and roar of the battlefield, the clash of arms and the clamour of falling warriors, Arjuna maintains his physical composure and mental equanimity. He does not, for a single moment, lose his one-pointed alertness and mental agility.

Krishna exhorts Arjuna to maintain his onepointed poise, with implicit faith and self-confidence. Arjuna listens to the divine declaration of the Great Integral Incarnation. He surrenders himself absolutely to the Lord. Arjuna becomes a saranagata (absolute selfsurrender) and prostrates himself at the Feet of Krishna.

Arjuna is superior to Dharmaraja, whose mind is always agitated by regrets for the past. Unlike his brother Dharmaraja, Arjuna is concerned with the future. In comparison to the mighty Bhima, Arjuna possesses a sharp intellect capable of grasping spiritual profundities. This is the justification for Arjuna being the chosen recipient of the Bhagavad Gita.

Arjuna’s name has great spiritual significance. Arjuna is one who has a pure heart. Krishna used to address him as Partha also. Partha means “the son of Prithvi.” There is no use of merely memorising the seven hundred slokas (verses) of the Bhagavad Gita. We must try and become Arjunas and Parthas. (SSB 1979, pp. 21-24)