Synopsis
The Dilemma 
Thousands of years ago on a battlefield in India, Arjuna, the young warrior prince of the Pandavas, is leading his army in a great civil war against those who have unjustly usurped his kingdom.  As the forces gather on the eve of the ultimate battle, he rides out with his charioteer, the god Krishna, to survey the enemy.    There in the middle of the battlefield he sees that the Kauravas army arrayed against him includes his own relatives, teachers, friends and loved ones.   Suddenly overcome with self-doubt and confusion he calls out to Krishna to stop his chariot, saying he is unable to fight.

Emotionally paralyzed, Arjuna sings that he does not want to go on ("My limbs fail and my mouth becomes dry . . . the bow slips from my hand.") He then turns to Krishna for guidance as the chorus voices his thoughts ("O Krishna, this is a great sin to kill our own people.") 

Krishna exhorts, Arjuna resists
Krishna implores Arjuna to take up the battle and fight, but haunted by a litany of those he must kill (the chorus intoning "Teachers, uncles, sons and grandfathers"), Arjuna realizes he cannot.  ("i do not wish to kill them who are about to kill us.  How can we be happy after killing our kinsmen, O Krishna?")

Krishna Answers 
Using all of his wiles, Krishna tries to convince Arjuna that powers beyond his comprehension have put him in this position and given him a duty he must fulfill.  He sings to Arjuna with joy and exuberance, telling him that mortal life is impermanent, death is nothing to fear, and the soul lives on and is reborn.  ("People live a lie, they think their house is their own and what's theirs is theirs.")

Before Arjuna has time to respond, Krishna takes another tack, calmly reassuring him that he will not lead him astray and  will help him keep his honor.

Despite these entreaties Arjuna remains unconvinced.  Still searching to settle his troubled mind, he sings again, through the voice of the chorus, "My head turns, I am unable to stand.  I see no use killing my kinsmen in battle." 

A Breakthrough
The warrior and the deity then engage in an animated dialogue, both using syllables that are pure sound and without specific meaning.  The tabla player joins the conversation as well; this non-verbal discussion takes place at a level that is higher than the purely rational. 

Arjuna begins to be swayed but he is a rigorous questioner and asks for more evidence still, saying "O Lord, explain to me again in detail your yogic power and glory because I am not satiated by hearing your nectar-like words."  Krishna, in the voice of the chorus, responds with a long list that begins to reveal the full depth of his powers, telling Arjuna that not only is he the essence of all things  ("I am the beginning, the middle, the end of all beings. . . . Among the alphabet I am the letter A"), but that everything exists only through his grace ("There is nothing that can exist without me.") 

The Transformation
Arjuna is almost satisfied, but he is a man of action who needs to see as well as be told.  He begs to be shown everything -- the true nature of reality -- and hopes that he is prepared for such a revelation. ("Oh Lord, you are as you have said, yet I wish to see your divine cosmic form.  If you think it is possible for me to see this then show me your immutable Self.")  Krishna at last consents and turns himself into a vision of magnificence and power beyond imagining.

The Vision
Arjuna stands transfixed, relating all that he sees.  The vision first reveals the indescribable and sublime beauty of the universe, but gradually transforms, laying bare its unfathomable horrors.  As Arjuna trembles in terror, Krishna displays his most fearsome powers, declaring,  "I am death the destroyer, the mighty destroyer of the world. . . .  All these warriors have already been destroyed by Me.  You are only an instrument."

Overwhelmed,  Arjuna pleads with Krishna to stop the vision and return to his normal four-armed form.

The Resolution
Finally, Arjuna understands the challenge that has been put in front of him.  His newfound insight allows him to see that he must not fear death, nor shrink from his duty.  This duty is not only the literal battle in front of him but, more importantly, the battle for ultimate wisdom. With new resolve, Arjuna picks up his bow and heads off to fight.

About the Bhagavad Gita

Arjuna's Dilemma is based on the story of the Bhagavad Gita ("The Song Divine"), a sacred Sanskrit text that is part of the Mahabharata. One of the most profound of all philosophical and spiritual works of Indian origin, it has been embraced as an indispensable source of wisdom by great thinkers from around the world, from Gandhi and Tagore to Thoreau, Emerson, Einstein, and Jung.  

Believed to date from around 500 BCE, this allegorical work portrays the ascension of consciousness from the temporal to the eternal, and focuses on understanding one's experiences and one's own place in the state of things. Its complex, nuanced text has been the source of endless commentary and interpretation.

The characters within the Bhagavad Gita can be seen to represent different aspects of the human condition. From this perspective, Arjuna's challenge is to transcend (or "kill") his psychological attachments (represented by his loved ones) in order to find out who he really is.  By saying to Krishna at the end of the Gita, "I will fight," Arjuna affirms his quest for self-knowledge and right action, beyond the influences of his family and teachers, his desires and fears.

More information about this piece can be found at www.ArjunasDilemma.com.

The recording of Arjuna's Dilemma is available on an Innova CD, available at www.innova.mu