Gita 1.39
Arjuna Vishada Yoga
कथं न ज्ञेयमस्माभिः पापादस्मान्निवर्तितुम् । कुलक्षयकृतं दोषं प्रपश्यद्भिर्जनार्दन ॥३९॥
kathaṁ na jñeyam asmābhiḥ pāpād asmān nivartitum kula-kṣaya-kṛtaṁ doṣaṁ prapaśyadbhir janārdana
In essence: Those who see clearly are obligated by their vision—knowing the sin of destruction, how can we who see it proceed to commit it?
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "Arjuna's argument seems airtight. If we see the sin, we should avoid it. Isn't that simple wisdom?"
Guru: "It seems airtight, yes. But notice what Arjuna doesn't see: the sin of letting the Kauravas continue their tyranny, the suffering of the subjects under their rule, the cosmic need for dharma to be restored. His vision is real but limited."
Sadhak: "So even clear seeing can be partial?"
Guru: "Always. This is why humility accompanies true wisdom. Arjuna sees deeply into one dimension—the horror of killing kinsmen—but he's temporarily blind to other dimensions. Complete vision would hold all the consequences in balance."
Sadhak: "But how can anyone see everything? That seems impossible."
Guru: "It is impossible for the individual ego. This is precisely why Arjuna needs Krishna—the avatar, the One who does see everything. The Gita's teaching is not 'figure it out yourself' but 'surrender to a larger vision that can hold what you cannot.'"
Sadhak: "So the lesson is that our moral vision, however clear, is always incomplete?"
Guru: "Yes. And acting from incomplete vision with complete certainty is one definition of fanaticism. The humble soul acts, but holds their certainty lightly, knowing they might be wrong. Arjuna is too certain in this moment—certain that he's right to refrain."
Sadhak: "But in daily life, we have to act without seeing everything. How do we proceed?"
Guru: "We act from our best understanding while remaining open to correction. We hold our views firmly enough to act but loosely enough to change. This is the 'yoga' the Gita will teach—engaged action without ego's rigidity."
Sadhak: "I think I sometimes hold my views too tightly. When I'm sure I'm right, I stop listening."
Guru: "Then you have found something valuable in this verse. Arjuna's 'prapaśyadbhiḥ'—his clear seeing—became a cage when it stopped remaining open. True seeing remains curious, asks 'What might I be missing?' even while acting decisively."
Sadhak: "So Arjuna is asking the wrong question? He should ask not 'Shouldn't we who see refrain?' but 'What else might I need to see?'"
Guru: "Beautifully put. And that is essentially what Krishna's teaching will offer: not a correction of Arjuna's facts but an expansion of his vision to include dimensions he has been unable to perceive. The answer to a partial view is not refutation but completion."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Before beginning your day, identify one area where you feel morally certain. Then deliberately look for what you might be missing—what consequence you haven't considered, what perspective you haven't included. Write down: 'My view is... but I might not be seeing...' Practice holding clarity and humility together.
When you encounter a situation where you feel clearly 'right,' pause and imagine someone making the opposite argument with equal conviction. What would they say? What are they seeing that you might not be? This is not about abandoning your position but testing its completeness.
Reflect on a time when you were completely certain about something and later discovered you were wrong or only partially right. What did you learn from that experience about the limits of your own perception? How might that apply to current certainties?