Gita 1.44

Sadhak: "Guru ji, Arjuna seems to have real moral clarity here. He recognizes his greed. Isn't that spiritual progress?"

Guru: "He recognizes something, yes. But look more carefully. Is it truly greed that motivates Arjuna? Or is this self-accusation itself a form of escape?"

Sadhak: "Escape? He's being brutally honest with himself!"

Guru: "Is he? The Pandavas didn't start this conflict. They were cheated out of their kingdom, their wife was publicly humiliated, they spent thirteen years in exile. Is fighting for justice the same as fighting for greed?"

Sadhak: "But he says they're doing it for 'rajya-sukha'—royal pleasures."

Guru: "And this is where his confusion lies. He cannot separate the legitimate fruits of righteous action from selfish desire. If a doctor performs surgery and earns money, is the surgery motivated by greed? The outcome and the motivation are not the same thing."

Sadhak: "So he's being too hard on himself?"

Guru: "He's being imprecise. Real self-examination requires discrimination—viveka. Arjuna is using a broad brush where a fine instrument is needed. He's calling righteous duty 'great sin' because it involves unpleasant action."

Sadhak: "But surely questioning ourselves is good?"

Guru: "Questioning is essential. But Arjuna is not questioning to find truth—he's questioning to find an excuse not to act. There's a difference between 'Is this right?' and 'How can I prove this is wrong so I don't have to do it?'"

Sadhak: "That's a subtle distinction."

Guru: "The spiritual path is full of subtle distinctions. That's why we need a guru. Arjuna's analysis looks like wisdom but leads to adharma. Krishna's teaching will look harsh but leads to liberation."