Bhagavad-gita 2.10 – 2.11 Lord Sri Krishna begins rendering Bhagavad-gita

Lord Sri Krishna began rendering Bhagavad-gita to the grief-stricken Arjuna. As Hrsikesa, the controller of senses, the Lord began delivering the Absolute principles to wipe out the lamentation of His disciple. Arjuna had voluntarily become a student of his Friend and Lord Sri Krishna at once assumed the role of Spiritual Master. The talks were openly exchanged in the presence of both armies for the benefit of all.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead chastised the student calling him indirectly a fool. Arjuna was talking like a learned man but was indeed ignorant. Arjuna argued that religious principles should be given more importance than politics and sociology but he did not know that knowledge of matter, soul and the Supreme is even more important than religious formalities.

Arjuna was lacking in knowledge and hence he was lamenting for something worthless. The body is born and gets destroyed ultimately; hence the body is temporary and not as important as the soul. Learned is one who knows the difference between body and soul and does not lament for the living or death of the body.

Lord revealed Sankhya philosophy on what is body and what is soul in verses 2.11 – 2.30 while explaining why Arjuna should not grieve for any living being. Principles of body and soul applied to even Bhismadeva and Dronacarya. There was no cause for lamentation regardless of the condition of their material body.

There are different stages of knowledge - pratyaksa, aparoksa, pratyaksa paroksa aparokṣa, adhoksaja, aprakṛta. In the gross bodily platform we demand pratyaksa-jnanam which means direct perception. So-called scientists believe in pratyaksa praman or experimental knowledge based on gross sense perception. Knowledge acquired in the bodily platform through direct perception is not real knowledge. God is not a subject matter that one can see with pratyakṣa direct perception. God's another name is anubhava and is realized in aparokṣa stage. Just like we do not see the sun directly in a room during daytime although we know that there is the sun. He can be estimated from His creation. Further consciousness about Lord Sri Krishna means adhokṣaja and aprakṛta that is beyond the senses. Anubhava can therefore be obtained through sruti or srota-pantha or hearing from vedic literature as rendered by bona-fide spiritual master. This process as exibited by Bhagavad-gita can dissipate ignorance.