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The Bhagavad-Gïtä retells the discussion between Arjuna and the divine manifestation Krishna, between two great armies preparing for battle. It tells of Arjuna’s reluctance to kill his kinsmen. Krishna’s role in this conversation is more than that of war council, but also a guide for Arjuna’s inner struggles. For Arjuna wasn’t simply saying he didn’t want to kill his family, but that he didn’t want to rid himself of the human habits which they represented. His unwillingness is a metaphor for his own internal conflict, because he did not want to confront the negative aspects of his nature in meditation with Krishna.

Continuing with the same theme in chapter two, Krishna mocks Arjuna’s complaints much like the human conscious. In verse twelve Krishna says that these warriors have always existed, like Krishna himself, and that they shall never cease to exist. Krishna’s words are to reassure Arjuna of the necessary actions which need to be taken, for the body is only a vessel for the eternal soul. As Krishna continues to talk, he states in verse thirty one that there is nothing more dutiful than this righteous battle. For not only is it Arjuna’s duty to fight and protect his land, but to kill off his own ignorance. Only through the knowledge of Brahma could he acquire the wisdom to fight his own nescience. Because a warrior should rejoice to be in such a chance battle, and for them the doors of heaven will be opened. Arjuna, like all the soldiers present, would find paradise as their reward for following their sacred dharma into battle. Likewise, through his own internal battle, would the reward be for destroying his human tendencies and ignorance through the knowledge of Brahma. To decline such duty would be a dishonour, tarnishing his glory and covering him in sin. Krishna says it is the dharma and glory of all to fight and to conquer the habits and tendencies which jeopardize the inner happiness of the self.

The remainder of this chapter, as well as all of chapter three, discusses the necessity of action. Arjuna questions Krishna’s meaning about the knowledgeable man. In verse four of chapter three, Krishna explains refraining from actions will not achieve success. You must perform necessary actions, or else you will fail in all aspects of life. It is every man’s duty to fulfill the actions laid before them, including fighting for knowledge. However, Krishna warns us to be careful in our search for knowledge, saying actions should be done with detachment. In verse nineteen Krishna says, any action performed with detachment attains the supreme good. Explaining further, Krishna cautions us against impatient actions, caused by desire. For desire is an enemy to the wise man, causing irrational and impatient action. Knowledge is obscured by desire, and much like his kinsmen before, Arjuna must stand up to face them. Only by fulfilling his duty to fight can Arjuna be free of sin, and only by preparing to fight his own human behaviors can he attain the wisdom to win the battle at hand.