Krishna's Song

At Kurukshetra’s morn my eyes they fill;

My heart hangs heavy, my hands heavier still.

Parched as the ground, my mouth is dry;

I can’t stop this shaking as much as I try.

Asked to fight and slay those that I love;

I turn to Krishna my charioteer above.

I’d rather be killed than live with such pain;

I may earn victory, but it won’t be gain.

The ruler of the senses smiles and turns his gaze;

To bathe my face, and he shares his ways.

Your words may be wise, but are all for naught;

You are forgetting, oh Arjun, the things I’ve taught.

Mourning the living or dead you must resist;

Because never was there a time we didn’t exist.

And what didn’t exist cannot appear, you see;

And what is and was, will never cease to be.

Though your body may perish and give up the ghost;

Your true self transcends this temporary host.

Unborn and deathless, you’ll shed the body you adorn;

Putting on a new garment, you’ll soon be reborn.

Understanding this takes some a lifetime or two;

But this knowing will happen only if you want it to.

One chooses the path that fits one the best;

The end is what matters, forget the rest.

Four yogas of union can all work for you;

Knowledge and Right Action make up the first two.

The third path is one of Pure love and Devotion;

Followed by the fourth, the silence of Meditation.

Not the body, nor mind, nor intellect, you see;

That part of you that is and always will be.

Knowledge or Gynan reveals this truth and bliss;

Helps you discover Brahman in you that exists.

I see this Lord, but what action do I take?

How do I behave, there’s so much at stake?

Krishna turns his head and goes on to say;

The yoga of Karma will show you the way.

Senses and pain bracket only this life;

Beyond these boundaries is just bliss without strife.

So, go do your duty with a discriminating mind;

Detach from results and soon you will find…

You have the right to work, but pay its fruit no accord;

Don’t engage in work for the rights of reward.

Having said that, inaction you must shun;

Keep this in mind, till every action is done.

Perform your duty as an offering to me;

Doing any act with love removes all anxiety.

Uniting your thoughts with mine is what’s right;

In my lap with surrender you’ll sleep through the night.

Seeking refuge in detachment brings wealth of a kind;

Never seen before – an awareness of mind.

Neither gain or loss, whether things go well or ill;

Unfettered by attachment, you practice this skill.

The third path of Bhakti whereupon you can’t lose;

Is Devotion to me in whatever form you choose.

Think of me as a child, a father, a mother or friend;

Learn to depend on my form from beginning till end.

Total surrender to me brings peace that persists;

No fight, no strife, don’t worry or resist.

Just sing, dance, yearn and never forget;

As you reach for me, the closer I get.

The last pathway to me is for you to realize;

The Raja yoga of meditation when you shutter your eyes.

Blocking distractions soothes your mind like a balm;

Your thoughts melt away and your world, it turns calm.

In that gap within thoughts is where I breathe, and I live;

In that presence of silence, you begin to forgive.

So, learn to love that quiet and troubles, they soon fade;

Between the clamor of notes is where life’s music truly made.

So this battlefield fades - I see this war lives in me;

And that my true self fights this illusion we see.

The way to bliss, not to stumble or fall;

Is to know the Self that lives in us all.

Having revealed the truth, Krishna now turns his back

As we face this battle ahead and commence the attack.

You and I are one Arjun, nothing more I can say;

But you have a choice to choose your own way.