The Collapse of Arjuna and the Divine Surrender
The war horns blew, and the dust of Kurukshetra rose to meet the sky. Two massive armies stood facing each other, brothers against brothers, teachers against disciples. Standing on his magnificent golden chariot, Arjuna looked upon the opposing forces and was seized by a sudden, paralyzing grief. His bow, Gandiva, slipped from his trembling hands. 'O ,' Arjuna wept, his voice cracking, 'I cannot fight. What joy is there in a kingdom won by the blood of my own kin? I choose to lay down my weapons.' He sat down in the chariot, completely broken. , serving as his charioteer, turned around with a serene, compassionate smile. 'O Arjuna, whence comes this dejection at the hour of trial? The wise grieve neither for the living nor the dead. The soul (Atman) is eternal; it can never be cut by weapons, burned by fire, or dried by the wind. You are a warrior; perform your duty (Dharma) without attachment to the results, offering all actions to the Supreme.'
✦ Visual cue — Arjuna kneeling in tears on a grand golden chariot in the middle of a dusty, crowded battlefield, his bow lying on the floor, looking up at a serene Krishna in yellow silks.