Arjuna's Desires - From Illusion to Perfection

The Bhagavad-gītā is a dramatic dialogue that resolves the tension between individual will and divine providence. Arjuna's journey from refusing to fight to surrendering his will serves as the ultimate template for all spiritual seekers. This article traces the transformation of Arjuna’s desires—from personal attachment to absolute alignment with Kṛṣṇa’s mission—demonstrating the perfection of yoga.

The Conflict Between Personal and Divine Desire

The Bhagavad-gītā begins with a conflict between the will of the jīva (soul) and the will of the Īśvara (Lord). Arjuna, overwhelmed by compassion for his relatives, desired to abstain from fighting. He argued that it would be better to live by begging than to enjoy a kingdom stained with the blood of his gurus and kinsmen. This initial stance represents the stage where one desires self-satisfaction over the satisfaction of the Supreme.

• It would be better to live in this world by begging than to live at the cost of the lives of great souls who are my (Arjuna's) teachers. Even though desiring worldly gain, they are superiors. If they are killed, everything we enjoy will be tainted.
• In the beginning Arjuna placed himself as one of those who desire self-satisfaction, for he desired not to fight in the Battle of Kuruksetra.
• Arjuna's desire to retire from activities on the battlefield was not approved by the Lord. One need only know how to act.

The Perfection of Surrender

The turning point in Arjuna's spiritual evolution occurred when he chose to subordinate his personal feelings to the mission of the Lord. True bhakti is defined by this alignment: giving up the desire for personal result—whether victory or defeat—and fighting simply because Kṛṣṇa desires it. When Arjuna stated, "I will act according to Your desire," he achieved the perfection of yoga.

• Arjuna's desire was not to fight, but Krsna's desire was to fight - just the opposite. Arjuna ultimately agreed to Krsna's desire: "Yes," karisye vacanam tava (BG 18.73): "Yes, I will act according to Your desire." That is bhakti.
• In the Bhagavad-gita we can see that Arjuna desired not to fight with his brothers and relations just to satisfy his own personal desires. But when he heard the message of the Lord, Srimad Bhagavad-gita, he changed his decision and served the Lord.
• O Arjuna, surrendering all your works unto Me, with mind intent on Me, and without desire for gain and free from egoism and lethargy, fight.

Desiring the Vision of Divinity

Arjuna's desires were not limited to the battlefield; he also expressed specific spiritual desires to see Kṛṣṇa's different forms. Although Arjuna was fully satisfied with Kṛṣṇa's personal form, he requested to see the Universal Form and the Four-Handed Nārāyaṇa form to establish Kṛṣṇa's supremacy for the benefit of future generations who might otherwise be misled by imposters.

• Arjuna desires to see how He (Krsna) is acting from within the universe, although He is apart from it.
• He can understand that Arjuna has no special desire to see Him in His universal form, for Arjuna is completely satisfied to see Him in His personal form of Krsna.
• There are innumerable planets in the spiritual sky, and in each of them Krsna is present by His plenary manifestations of different names. Thus Arjuna desired to see one of the forms manifest in the Vaikuntha planets.

Personal Relationships and Reciprocation

The Lord reciprocates not only with the philosophical inquiries of His devotees but also with their personal, emotional desires. The history of Arjuna's marriage to Subhadrā illustrates that Kṛṣṇa, as the Supreme Friend, takes personal interest in fulfilling the heart's desires of His devotee, arranging circumstances to satisfy Arjuna's affection. Lord Balarāma was negotiating the marriage of Subhadrā, the daughter of Arjuna’s maternal uncle, Vasudeva. Although her father, Vasudeva, and her brother Kṛṣṇa were not in agreement with Him, Balarāma was in favor of marrying Subhadrā to Duryodhana.

• Arjuna, however, desired to gain Subhadrā’s hand himself. As he thought of Subhadrā and her beauty, Arjuna became more and more captivated with the idea of marrying her.
• Out of love for her, Arjuna’s eyes brightened, and he looked at her with glittering eyes. Arjuna decided that somehow or other he would achieve Subhadra as his wife, and his mind became agitated on account of this strong desire.
• While Arjuna was at Dvaraka, he wanted to have Subhadra as his queen, and he expressed his desire to Lord Krsna.

Conclusion

The evolution of Arjuna's desires illustrates the essence of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not the annihilation of desire, but its purification. Arjuna began with a contaminated desire to avoid duty for personal comfort, but through the instructions of the Gītā, he matured into a pure instrument of the Divine Will. Whether desiring to see the Universal Form for the sake of others, or desiring to fight for Kṛṣṇa's pleasure, Arjuna teaches us that the perfection of life is to make Kṛṣṇa's desire one's own.

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