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Allow one bondage, and you allow a hundred || Acharya Prashant, on Bhagavad Gita (2020)
Scriptures and Saints
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2 years ago
Srimad Bhagavad Gita
Shri Krishna
Ego
Attachment
Hypocrisy
Detachment
Freedom
Sadhana
Description

Acharya Prashant explains that the conflict faced by Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita is not merely a historical event between two individuals but represents the internal struggle of all mankind. He clarifies that Shri Krishna and Arjuna reside within us, with Shri Krishna representing the heart. Addressing a verse from chapter three, he discusses the concept of hypocrisy, where a person outwardly avoids action but mentally dwells on sensory objects. He refutes the questioner's idea that focusing on a single mental image or object can lead to the dissolution of the ego or detachment from the world. He argues that because everything in the universe is interconnected, being attached to even one small thing invariably ties a person to the entire world. Using the example of a piece of sweet, Acharya Prashant demonstrates how valuing one object necessitates valuing the entire economic and ecological system behind it. He emphasizes that there is no such thing as partial freedom; freedom is absolute or it does not exist at all. He warns that allowing even a single small vice or attachment can lead to total ruin, comparing it to taking poison once a month while eating healthy the rest of the time. He concludes with a story about a sage whose life was completely transformed by the simple act of keeping a kitten, illustrating that one small dependency can lead to an entire world of consequences and enslavement.