Gita 1.31
Arjuna Vishada Yoga
निमित्तानि च पश्यामि विपरीतानि केशव । न च श्रेयोऽनुपश्यामि हत्वा स्वजनमाहवे ॥३१॥
nimittāni ca paśyāmi viparītāni keśava na ca śreyo 'nupaśyāmi hatvā sva-janam āhave
In essence: When the heart rebels against the hand's intended action, even the universe seems to send warnings—every omen speaks the language of our hidden conscience.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "Guruji, was Arjuna seeing real omens or imagining them? Did the universe actually send signs?"
Guru: "Does it matter? When your conscience screams 'stop,' your perception reorganizes to support the scream. Every cloud becomes a warning, every bird a messenger. Whether the universe sends signs or the mind projects them, the effect is identical: you cannot unsee what conscience has shown you."
Sadhak: "So the omens were psychological, not supernatural?"
Guru: "I said no such thing. Perhaps conscience and cosmos speak together. Perhaps your inner knowing aligns with outer signals when truth is at stake. The Gita doesn't care about our modern categories of 'psychological' versus 'supernatural.' It only notes: Arjuna saw reversed signs. His perception matched his crisis."
Sadhak: "What does 'viparita'—reversed—really mean here?"
Guru: "Everything Arjuna thought he knew is now upside down. Victory was supposed to be glorious; now it looks like horror. Enemies were supposed to be evil; now they're beloved. Dharma was supposed to be clear; now it's contradictory. The world has turned itself inside out. Have you never experienced this?"
Sadhak: "Yes—when I discovered my company was lying to customers. Everything I'd worked for suddenly looked corrupt."
Guru: "Viparita. The reversal. What you celebrated becomes what you regret. This is one of life's great crises—and opportunities. The old order must seem wrong before the new order can emerge."
Sadhak: "Arjuna says he can't see any good coming from killing his kinsmen. Is he right?"
Guru: "At this moment, with his current understanding, he's completely right. He cannot see good because his vision is limited to conventional morality. The Gita will expand his vision until what seemed impossible to see becomes obvious. But first, his honest blindness must be acknowledged."
Sadhak: "Why call Krishna 'Keshava' specifically here?"
Guru: "A demon-slayer is needed. The demon is not outside—it's Arjuna's confusion itself. By invoking Keshava, Arjuna unconsciously asks for intervention. He cannot slay this demon; perhaps his friend can. This is the beginning of surrender—not yet spoken, but approaching."
Sadhak: "So Arjuna's despair is actually the doorway to wisdom?"
Guru: "Always. Those who think they already see clearly never ask for sight. Arjuna's 'I cannot see' is the prerequisite for 'show me.' The Gita begins here because real teaching begins with real not-knowing."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Consider a difficult decision you're facing. Ask yourself: 'Am I looking for reasons to proceed or reasons to retreat?' Notice how your answer shapes what 'signs' you notice. The universe seems remarkably cooperative with our existing inclinations—or perhaps we selectively perceive what confirms our leanings.
When making an important choice today, pause and name what outcome you genuinely want versus what you think you should want. Arjuna wanted not to fight but felt he should; this internal split created his crisis. Where are you similarly divided? Naming the split doesn't resolve it, but it prevents self-deception.
Write down one thing you recently 'couldn't see any good in.' Then genuinely search: is there any possible good that might emerge? Not to minimize what's genuinely bad, but to test whether your 'I cannot see' is accurate vision or limited perspective. Sometimes we truly cannot see; sometimes we haven't tried.