Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18, Verse 59 (BG 18.59) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

# BG 18.59 Mankind does not pay careful attention to universal truths when they are stated in general terms. For this reason, such knowledge of truth does not become internalized within him. However, when that same universal principle is demonstrated to a person through experiences drawn from his own life and circumstances, then he acquires that knowledge and makes it his own. That truth becomes his constant, lived experience. Therefore, the Blessed Lord Krishna wishes to explain the philosophical principle He has already expounded to Arjuna in the context of Arjuna's immediate predicament. If Arjuna imagines, out of pride, that he will not engage in battle, then his resolve is futile. His warrior nature will forever await an opportunity to express itself, and when suitable circumstances arise, it will compel Arjuna to act without fail. Nature will impel you forward. Just as one who has tasted salt will soon feel thirst, so too will Arjuna's nature drive him to action. The false arguments Arjuna presents to withdraw from battle merely reflect his compromise with the circumstances he finds himself in. If Arjuna refrains from battle due to a temporary renunciation or spirit of flight in this moment, still, according to the laws of nature, his own inherent character will eventually compel him to act. And at that time, it is possible he may not find a suitable field in which to express his nature—a circumstance through which he might exhaust his desires and attachments.