The Yoga of Arjuna's Despair

Arjuna's breaking point. After reasoning through consequences (verses 28-45), he concludes: 'Yadi mām apratīkāram aśastraṁ hanyuḥ'—better they kill me, unarmed and unresisting. 'Tat me kṣema-taraṁ bhavet'—that would be more peaceful for me. This is moral paralysis, not wisdom. He clearly sees harm from fighting (family destroyed), but hasn't examined what happens if he doesn't fight—abandoning duty, leaving kingdom to injustice, failing those who depend on him. The pattern: partial vision creates paralysis. When you vividly see consequences of action but not consequences of inaction, doing nothing feels moral. Arjuna thinks: action = harm, therefore inaction = peace. Missing: inaction also = harm, just different. This is where Krishna's teaching begins (Chapter 2)—showing that both action and inaction have consequences. The question isn't action vs. inaction, but which action, based on what principles, with what understanding.