🕉️Sanskrit Subhashit

In this verse of Dnyaneshwari, Arjuna requests Lord Krishna to position the chariot between the two opposing armies. Arjuna wishes to scrutinize the warriors gathered on Duryodhana's side. These are not mere soldiers but experts in warfare (Atipravina) who are fully equipped and ready (Sannaddha) for battle. This highlights Arjuna's strategic mindset—the need to assess the strength, skill, and readiness of the opposition before engaging in conflict. It emphasizes that understanding one's challenges is the first step toward addressing them.

Before starting any major task or competition, it is crucial to assess the challenges and the strength of the opposition. For example, a business leader analyzing market competitors and their products before launching a new venture.

Arjuna asks Krishna to place his chariot in the middle of the battlefield to observe the opposing forces before the war begins.

In this verse, Saint Dnyaneshwar describes Arjuna's observation of the battlefield. As Arjuna looks at both armies, he realizes that the people he is about to fight are his own kinsmen, elders, and friends. This realization triggers a sense of 'mine-ness' or attachment (Moha), which eventually leads to his despondency. It highlights the universal human conflict between personal emotions and professional or moral duty.

This verse teaches us about the conflict between emotional attachment and duty. For example, a leader or a judge must remain impartial even if a relative is involved in a situation, prioritizing justice and ethics over personal ties.

Arjuna stands between the two armies and observes his relatives on both sides before the battle begins.

Dnyaneshwar Maharaj uses a beautiful analogy of a boat to explain the path of action. To cross the river of worldly existence, one must perform actions (Karma). However, the goal is to reach the other side (Self-realization). Once the shore is reached, the boat is left behind. Similarly, by performing selfless actions according to one's duty, one purifies the mind and eventually reaches a state of 'Akarma' or actionlessness, where the ego-driven sense of doership vanishes and the bondage of karma is broken.

In professional life, use your daily tasks as a means to gain expertise. Once you master the skill, the mechanical effort (the 'boat') becomes secondary to the natural flow of your talent (the 'shore'). Perform your duty without being obsessed with the process once the goal is achieved.

Saint Dnyaneshwar explains how to transcend the bondage of actions by performing them correctly as a means to an end.