Awareness Of Self – In Gita Verse 1.25 In the presence of Bhīṣma, Droṇa and all the other chieftains of the world, the Lord said, “Just behold, Pārtha, all the Kurus assembled here.”
In both armies, Arjuna saw his father, grandfather, teacher, maternal uncle, brother, son, grandson, peer, father-in-law, friend, and all his close ones.
After positioning the chariot precisely in the center, Krishna indicated to Arjuna to remain in the middle. In the presence of everyone, Krishna addressed Arjuna as Parth. Despite their relationship as friends, Krishna uniquely called him Parth. By addressing him in this manner, Krishna conveyed that, as a friend, he was with Arjuna, but Arjuna needed to maintain his composure and return to himself. All his family members were assembled there, not as family, but each with their own agenda. By saying “Just behold,” Krishna urged Arjuna not to succumb to personal agendas but to remember the universal agenda. Arjuna was there as a human to fulfill the Universe’s purpose.
Patience is essential. Waiting fosters clarity. In tense, impatient minds, vision is clouded and filled with smoke, making it impossible to see clearly. When one waits silently, the clouds of impatience gradually disappear, leading to clarity of vision. This clarity allows one to see. Waiting and seeing are interconnected; when one waits, the ability to see emerges naturally.
If you can wait, it signifies that you have abandoned the mindset of constantly reaching, achieving, and desiring. Waiting means being present in the moment, finding sufficiency in the now. This presence clears the mind of clouds and smoke, allowing the flame of awareness to burn brightly. In this state, you see with clarity.
In this clarity, the Universe can utilise you as its vehicle. To become a vehicle, one must hold oneself, drop the mind, and become empty.
Emptiness is not about escaping but about coming into a state of clarity, seeing the inner sky unclouded, and listening to the songs of birds without distortion. By attuning to emptiness, one becomes more aligned with the Universe and experiences the joy of being empty. Gradually, emptiness reveals itself not as a void but as fullness – a fullness of the Universe that one has never been aware of or tasted before.
Initially, emptiness may seem void, but ultimately, it is overflowing with peace, silence, light, and the entirety of existence.
When Krishna tells Arjuna to “just behold,” he is not only asking him to observe the external world but also to watch himself simultaneously. Krishna’s use of “Parth” instead of “Arjuna” served to jolt Arjuna into a state of alertness. This sudden address was meant to make Arjuna conscious of himself.
Whenever we are addressed by a different or nickname, it often gives us a small jolt, causing us to drop our mental preoccupations.
Krishna’s jolt to Arjuna was intended to make him alert to the present moment and his own watchfulness. Krishna knew that by observing everyone calmly, Arjuna might fall prey to his emotions. By addressing him as Parth, Krishna provided a wake-up call, urging Arjuna to awaken from unconsciousness and become self-aware. Krishna’s message was clear: “Just Behold” – Awareness Of Self.
The Dhammapada states, “Awareness is the path of immortality, while unawareness is the path that leads to a life lived in sleep and eventual death. If a person is awake, aware, and lives accordingly, he or she becomes a vehicle of the Universe.” This awareness differentiates life from death; we are truly alive not just because we breathe, but because we are aware.
True awareness transforms mundane life into the divine. Even the duty to fight, when performed with awareness, becomes divine.
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