14. Being Witness
I f one word could describe the entire Gita it would be ‘ drishta ’ (witness), which appears in many contexts. An understanding of this is important as we think that ‘we’ do things and control situations. We need to free ourselves from this notion to lead a life of joy. Arjuna, who was about sixty years old at the time of the Kurukshetra war, had lived a good life and enjoyed all luxuries. As a warrior he had tasted victory in many battles. At the time of war, he felt that he was the karta ( aham-karta; ahankaar ) and felt that he would be responsible for the death of his kith and kin. This led to his despondency on the battlefield. The entire Gita is Lord Krishna’s attempt to tell him that he is not the karta . The Lord reveals that Arjuna is ‘ drishta/sakshi ’ - a witness. When we start realising ourselves to be nimitta - maatra – an instrument in the hands of the Almighty, we are on the firm path towards ‘being a witness’. In this state, Paramatma is recognised a...