When you acknowledge that you cannot decide something on your own, teachings begin.

Arjuna admits that his true nature is weak and that he is confused about his duty. He asks Krishna, "Please tell me for certain what is good for me. I am your disciple."

Until then, I had been consulting with my friends. However, I now realize that what is lacking for me is not advice from equal peers, but a teacher who can show me the way forward. What I want to know is not how to win in war, but rather, what is truly good between loving people and one's obligations. Recognizing that I cannot find the answer on my own, and becoming someone who receives teachings, marks a major turning point for Gita.

Japanese Translation from the Geeta Press Edition - Chapter 2, Section 7: "I am your disciple."

Arjuna, unable to determine his own duty because of these words, now turns to the Lord. He prays that the Lord will clearly illuminate and guide him regarding his duty.

Sanskrit original text

कार्पण्यदोषोपहतस्वभावः
पृच्छामि त्वां धर्मसम्मूढचेताः ।
यच्छ्रेयः स्यान्निश्चितं ब्रूहि तन्मे
शिष्यस्तेऽहं शाधि मां त्वां प्रपन्नम् ॥ ७ ॥

Romanization

kārpaṇyadoṣopahatasvabhāvaḥ
pṛcchāmi tvāṃ dharmasammūḍhacetāḥ |
yac chreyaḥ syān niścitaṃ brūhi tan me
śiṣyas te 'haṃ śādhi māṃ tvāṃ prapannam || 7 ||

The meaning and translation of section 7 will continue on the next page.

"My inherent nature is afflicted by the flaw of timidity, and my heart wavers regarding duty. I ask you this: Please tell me what is certainly good for me. I am your disciple. Please guide me, having accepted me as one who seeks refuge in you." (7)

The word "Kārpaṇya" is an abstract noun derived from the adjective "Kṛpaṇa," and it has several meanings.

First, a person is considered Kripana if they possess sufficient wealth but are excessively greedy and attached to it, refusing to spend even small amounts of money for charity or to meet the legitimate needs of themselves and their dependents.

Secondly, as the scriptures indicate and as holy beings who are saviors of humanity declare, the main purpose of human life is to realize God by gaining knowledge about the existence of God.

Those with weak intellects who forget this primary purpose of existence and waste their lives only on enjoying sensory pleasures are also called Kṛpaṇa.

Shurti says the following:

यो वा एतदक्षरं गार्ग्यविदित्वास्माल्लोकात्प्रैति स कृपणः।

"Girl, those who leave this world without knowing this immortal God are Kṛpaṇa."

In the Bhagavad Gita, the Lord also calls those people who are attached to worldly pleasures and power, and seek the fruits of their actions, "Kripana." (Chapter 2, verse 49)

Thirdly, those who are in a miserable and painful state of mind are also called Kṛpaṇa in the general sense.

The Kārpaṇya that Arjuna is lamenting was not due to greed, nor was it an attachment to worldly pleasures.

This is because Arjuna was inherently a very generous and charitable person, and one who controlled his senses.

Within the Bhagavad Gita itself, he clearly states that he does not desire victory, kingdom, or pleasure for himself. His relatives, who needed those things, were standing before him ready to sacrifice their lives. Even for the sake of ruling all three worlds, he did not want to kill Duryodhana and other relatives. How much less could he do such a thing for this earthly realm? (From verse 32 to verse 35 of Chapter 1).

Even absolute sovereignty over all lands and dominion over the gods could not alleviate his sorrow. (Chapter 2, Section 8)

There is no way that someone who is willing to sacrifice so much would inherently be stingy or attached to worldly pleasures. Furthermore, interpreting this word in its literal meaning does not fit the context here.

The Kārpaṇya that held Arjuna captive was a kind of weakening of will. It manifested as weakness and sadness mixed with compassion. In the first verse of this chapter, Sanjaya describes Arjuna as being "overwhelmed by pity," referring to the same state. Also, in the third verse of this chapter, the Lord calls Arjuna's condition "unmanliness."

These all clearly show that Arjuna's "Karpanya" was nothing more than a sympathetic and weak-willed feeling born out of the fear of losing relatives.

As an ideal Kshatriya warrior, Arjuna was inherently a hero. Regardless of the cause, cowardice in the mind was his weakness. Therefore, Arjuna refers to it as "the flaw of timidity" in this section.

Because of this weakness, the true nature of Arjuna as a Kshatriya, which was adorned with courage, bravery, strength, skill, and fortitude, was lost.

That is why his hands and feet lost their power, his mouth became dry, his body trembled, his skin felt burned all over, his mind wavered, and he hesitated.

Such signs of weakness were completely contrary to Arjuna's true nature, and they manifested as a result of the unmanliness of his spirit. Seeing this, Arjuna states in this passage, "My true nature is afflicted by the flaw of being weak."

A person who has completely lost the ability to judge what is virtue, what is vice, what is duty, and what is a prohibited act is called Dharmasammūḍhacetāḥ, which means "one whose mind is confused about duties."

At that time, Arjuna's heart was in a state of great confusion regarding his duty.

From the perspective of protecting the people, fulfilling the duties of a Kshatriya, and regaining what is rightfully his, he considered war to be a righteous obligation and believed that entering into battle would be desirable.

However, on the other hand, the unmanly spirit that now possessed him unfolded to his mind the various terrible consequences of war, and compelled him to adopt a life of mendicancy, to embrace sannyasa, and to retire into the forest.

A heart entangled in pity did not allow intelligence to function freely and make decisions. Arjuna, finding himself completely lost and confused, said this.

"Please tell me what is certainly good for me," should not be interpreted as Arjuna being afraid of the powerful Kaurava army.

The Kaurava army, protected by invincible and world-renowned heroes and warriors such as Bhishma, Drona, and Karna, was much larger than the Pandava army.

However, Arjuna did not approach his lord to despair of victory or to determine whether he should fight or retreat, nor to know what the outcome would be.

Here, the main emotions that dominated his heart were love and kindness towards friends and relatives. Furthermore, there was a fear of guilt attaching to himself as a result of harming friends and relatives. This could have been a significant obstacle in achieving the ultimate good.

In contrast, the idea that abandoning the recognized duty of a Kshatriya to engage in righteous warfare was also wrong and could hinder the attainment of ultimate goodness, slowly began to take root.

That is why he desired to know what constitutes "something that is certainly good."

Therefore, his question is not related to victory or defeat in war. His purpose was to know what benefits the highest good, in the form of divine realization.

In short, Arjuna is saying this: "Lord, I have completely lost the power to determine my duty. Please tell me clearly how one can attain the highest good."

Arjuna was a close friend of Bhagavan Shree Krishna. Spiritually, the two might have been at different stages. However, in real life, the relationship between Arjuna and Shree Krishna was mostly that of equal friends.

When eating, when resting in bed, or when going from one place to another, Bhagavan Shri Krishna showed the same consideration towards Arjuna as He would show towards Himself.

Arjuna also maintained a deep respect for the spiritual superiority of Shri Krishna within his heart, while responding to feelings of equality and friendship.

However, at this moment, Arjuna realized that he was in the most miserable state of mind, and he felt that he did not deserve to be on an equal footing with Shri Krishna.

Between two equals, there is an exchange of advice and consultation. However, there is no teaching from a superior to an inferior. There may be encouragement or suggestions, but there are no commands.

At that stage, Arjuna realized that suggestions and advice alone would not help him overcome the mental impasse.

What he needed was a true guide and teacher. This teacher had to be someone who could command him to follow a certain path, dispel all sorrow and delusion, and help him reach the ultimate good. Could there possibly be anyone greater than Shri Krishna as such a guide?

However, the sweet rain of Guru's teachings only falls when the soil of the disciple's heart is prepared to receive it. Therefore, Arjuna now says, "Lord, I am your disciple."

There are many different types of disciples.

Even after receiving teachings from a guru, if a disciple relies on self-effort centered around ego or seeks help from someone other than a true guru, they cannot receive the true benefits of the guru's grace.

Therefore, Arjuna declares that he is a disciple at the same time as taking an exclusive attitude of devotion. And he says, "Lord, I am not only your disciple, but I also devote myself to you."

The word "Prapanna" has a root meaning that refers to knowing and realizing that God is the reservoir of all power, the supreme being, and then surrendering oneself to God.

This word is synonymous with "taking refuge in the Lord," "offering oneself at the feet of the Lord," and "dedicating oneself to God."

The spirit of Prapanna is truly nurtured when one completely and eternally surrenders oneself at the feet of God, gazes unflinchingly at the Lord's captivating face, and engages the heart in accordance with God's will.

That person only desires to act as a puppet in the hands of God.

That person believes that, on the one hand, God is omnipotent and all-knowing, a being who knows every heart, an infinite ocean of countless virtues, the ultimate Lord, and a boundless treasure trove of greatness, love, courage, virtue, knowledge, and non-attachment.

Furthermore, they see God as the remover of all suffering, the liberator from karmic bonds, the dispeller of all doubt and error, the most beloved lover, the dearest friend, the closest relative, the ultimate guide, and the supreme divinity.

On the other hand, that person sees themselves as a completely powerless and unsupported individual standing alone in the world, lacking intelligence, strength, and substance. And they rely entirely and exclusively on God's help, support, knowledge, power, and unparalleled love for those who turn to Him.

Arjuna wished to cultivate such an attitude of devotion towards his master.

Driven by this feeling, he now says, "Master, I am your disciple. Please guide me, for I have surrendered myself to you."

The concept of true surrender to God, where the most complete and perfect flower of spiritual insight blossoms, develops into true surrender under the influence of the Lord's most esoteric teachings contained in chapter 18, verses 65 and 66.

And when Arjuna is ready to execute the Lord's command without any doubt, the Bhagavad Gita comes to a conclusion.

Thus, the discourse of Gita begins from this verse. Here, the seed of the gospel of Gita is sown, and when the Lord advises Arjuna to "abandon all duties" and surrender to Him, that discourse reaches its completion. There lies the natural culmination of the Gita.