Gita 2.36

Sadhak: "Guru, Krishna seems to be rubbing salt in the wound here—telling Arjuna that enemies will mock him. Is this necessary? It seems almost cruel."

Guru: "Sometimes what looks like cruelty is actually precision surgery. Arjuna is in a state of collapse—his bow has fallen from his hands, he is weeping. Gentle words might comfort him but would not move him. Krishna uses the sharp edge of painful truth to cut through the fog of confusion."

Sadhak: "But isn't focusing on what enemies might say appealing to the worst instincts—anger, pride, desire for revenge?"

Guru: "It could be, if that were Krishna's intent. But notice: Krishna is not saying 'fight so you can hurt your enemies' or 'fight because you hate them.' He is showing Arjuna the natural consequences of inaction. This is not about revenge but about facing reality. If Arjuna truly chooses not to fight, he should do so with full knowledge of what follows, not in a haze of sentiment."

Sadhak: "'Avācya-vādān'—unspeakable words. What kind of words would those be?"

Guru: "The kind that attack identity, not just action. 'Coward' is a word, but the unspeakable goes deeper—insinuations about masculinity, about worthiness to be a kshatriya, about whether Arjuna was ever really the hero people thought, or just lucky, or protected by others. These words do not just criticize; they try to unmake the person."

Sadhak: "Why does the mocking of enemies hurt so much? Shouldn't we discount what enemies say, knowing they have ill intent?"

Guru: "In theory, yes. In practice, the mockery of enemies can hurt more than the criticism of friends precisely because you cannot dismiss it as 'meant for your own good.' When an enemy mocks, they want you to suffer, and some part of you gives them that satisfaction by suffering. The wound comes not just from the words but from the knowledge that the speaker is enjoying your pain."

Sadhak: "They will slander his 'sāmarthya'—his capability. Isn't capability a fact? If Arjuna is a great warrior, mockery cannot change that."

Guru: "Facts exist, but narratives about facts also exist. Arjuna's capability is demonstrated through action. If his last public action is withdrawal, that becomes the defining narrative—the narrative of failed capability. All his previous victories get reinterpreted: 'Perhaps his opponents were weak.' 'Perhaps the Gandiva bow did the work.' 'Perhaps he was never tested until now.' Capability must be continuously demonstrated; one failure can overshadow many successes."

Sadhak: "Krishna asks, 'What could be more painful?' Is this really the most painful thing—being mocked by enemies?"

Guru: "For Arjuna in his current state, it may be. Remember, he has not yet absorbed the teaching about the eternal Self. He is still living through his ego-identity as a warrior. For that identity, having enemies mock his fundamental capability—the one thing he has mastered—would indeed be intensely painful. Krishna is speaking to where Arjuna is, not where he might be after deeper teaching."

Sadhak: "Is there a teaching here about how we should relate to the mockery of others in general?"

Guru: "The deeper teaching, which comes later, is equanimity—being unmoved by praise and blame alike. But the path to equanimity often passes through understanding why we are so moved by these things. Until you know why mockery hurts, you cannot be free of it. Krishna is making Arjuna face the pain so that eventually he can transcend it."