SRIMAD BHAGAVADGITA

Real dispute is between Materialism and Spiritualism

This idea derived from Upanishads explains that every soul is an integral part of the Supreme Spirit. Thus all of us have a relationship which is irrevocable. When the fight is between merit and demerit, between virtue and vice or between righteousness and wickedness, one should not flee from one’s duty or responsibility. Actually the Gita draws an analogy from the family dispute of Kauravas and Pandavas to that of dispute between materialism and spiritualism. Arjuna’s dilemma is the dilemma of the mind which aims at liberation to get rid of afflictions but is unwilling to leave the attachments. Kauravas and Pandavas become one at the level of Krishna Dwaipayana who is their real grandfather. Materialism or hedonism is nothing but association with the body of Brahman or Supreme Spirit and spiritualism is nothing but association with Nirgun Brahma or Supreme Spirit itself or assimilation with it. An ignorant mind thinks that a good life is a life of maximum enjoyment. A good action is one which leads to a balance of pleasure and a bad action is one which brings about more pain than pleasure. Wealth is a means and end of human life is material enjoyment. Apparently Mahabharata is a battle for the sharing of the wealth of Hastinapur kingdom. But Arjuna knows that the character of material enjoyment is transitory. So he is not enamoured of worldly pleasures. He is placed between materialism and spiritualism.