Yesterday morning I gave a short discourse regarding the roles of two rudimentally belligerent forces – virtue and vice – both of which work within and without microcosmic structures. And I also said that whenever we think something or do something regarding speed, in whatever plane it may take place, we should remember two fundamental points. The first is that movement is never in a straight line, it is always of a systaltic order, always of a pulsative order. And the second is that according to a variation in phase, the velocity and acceleration of speed, in particular, vary. No wherever there is an existence, inanimate or animate, there must be speed – this speed is a natural law.

In each and every structure there is the vidyá force and the avidyá force; and where the vidyá force wins, the resultant is life, and where the vidyá force is defeated, the resultant is death. Now in this human structure, controlled by a developed microcosm, there are two belligerent forces – one is vidyá and the other is avidyá. Vidyá elevates humanity. It aids the progress from the fundamental negativity towards the fundamental positivity. The fundamental negativity is the kulakuńd́alinii, and the fundamental positivity is the controlling point of the pineal gland.

The central idea of the Giitá is also this. I said that in the first sloka of the Giitá, a question was placed before Saiṋjaya by Dhrtaráśt́ra regarding the nature of the mind, regarding how the mind is placed between those two belligerent forces, the Páńd́avas and the Kaoravas. Here the Páńd́avas are the force of virtue and the Kaoravas the force of vice.

Now who is Dhrtaráśt́ra? “Dhrta” means “holder” and “ráśt́ra” means “structure”. “Dhrtaráśt́ra” means “the entity that holds the structure of human beings”. Now, as you know, mind without the help of conscience (viveka) is always a blind force. So here “Dhrtaráśt́ra uváca” means the blind mind says, the blind mental force places the question before Saiṋjaya, the conscience.

What is the meaning of “Saiṋjaya”? “Sam” – “ji” + “al” = “saiṋjaya”. Saiṋjaya is the conscience, viveka.

Mind is a blind force. You know Dhrtaráśt́ra was blind. He could not see, because his mind was blind. He asked:

“Dharamakśetre Kurukśetre samavetáh yuyutsavah;
Mámakáh páńd́avashcaeva kimakurvata Saiṋjaya.”

“O Saiṋjaya, Partheya, Dharmakśetre, Kurukśetre, asmin Dharmakśetra, asmin Kurukśetre samavetáh yuyutsavah – yudhártham samavetáh mamapakśiiyáh, tathá Páńd́u pakśiiyáh kim akurvata.”

Dhrtarastra, the blind mind, says “Dharmakśetre”. What is Dharmakśetra? “Dhr” + “man” = “dharma”. “Dharma” means the wonts, the properties, that differentiate one entity from another. This dharma is expressed, is manifested, through physical structures. “Dharmakśetra” means “this body”.

And what is the meaning of “Kurukśetra”? Kurukśetra is not a small town in the State of Hariyáná. Kurukśetra is this entire universe. “Kuru” means “do”, “do” in the imperative mood. (in Saḿskrta it is called anujiṋa.) “Kuru” – second person imperative mood. And Kśetra means “field” – the field that always says, “Go human being, do something, do something.” You are here to do something, this human body is to be used for doing something noble, doing something great. This feeling, that is, this universe is Kurukśetra; and this body is Dharmakśetra.

In this Kurukśetra, in this physical world, and in this Dharmakśetra, in this physical body, “Samavetáh yuyutsavah” – “they assembled for a fight”, for a grand fight. Who assembled? Those two rudimentally belligerent forces. Who are those two rudimentally belligerent forces? The movement towards crudeness and the movement towards subtleness, towards spirituality. These are the two fighting forces. “Dharmakśetre Kurukśetre samavetáh yuyutsavah” – they assembled for a fight.

“Mámakáh” means “my party”. Whose party? The party of Dhrtaráśt́ra. Dhrtaráśt́ra says, “Mámakáh”, i.e., “my party”. Who are the parties of Dhrtaráśt́ra? As you have already been told, “Dhrtaráśt́ra” means “blind mind”, mind that cannot see without the help of conscience. “Mámakáh”. Who are the parties, who are the supporters of Dhrtaráśt́ra. Dhrtaráśt́rasya Shataputráh? Who are those Shataputráh, who are those hundred sons?

The blind mind, any mind, functions in ten directions; púrva, pashcima, uttara, dakśińa, úrddha, adhah – the six lateral directions, known as “pradisha” in Saḿskrta; and Iishána, Vayu, Agni and Naerta the four corners, called “anudisha” in Saḿskrta. So there are ten directions, six plus four. And the blind mind functions in all ten directions with the help of all ten indriyas. Ten times ten equals one hundred; so the blind mind, Dhrtaráśt́ra, has one hundred sons. Those pápiis, those depraving elements, had a fight against the Páńd́avas.

In Saḿskrta, “Páńd́á” means “self-knowledge”. Páńd́á is the supreme knowledge, Páńd́á is the sublime spiritual knowledge. And the seeker of knowledge, who wants to acquire knowledge, is “páńd́u”. Páńd́u – the movement from the crude to the subtle – is divided into five phases. The crudest is the realm of physicality, the solid level. Then the aquatic level, then the luminous level, then the gaseous, and finally the ethereal; after which the spirit of the microcosm goes beyond the scope of any physical periphery, and enters into the realm of spirituality. So this passing through five phases is the five Páńd́avas.

The lowermost is kśititattva, i.e., Sahadeva. “Sahadeva” means “abode”, the abode for human habitation. Then the next one up is Nakula. “Kulaḿ násti yasya” – i.e., jalam, apatattva, the aquatic phase. Then Arjuna, i.e., energy kriyá shakti, fire the luminous phase, the luminous structure. Then gaseous, i.e., váyuputra, bhiima: “pavananandana bhiima.” And finally the ethereal level – Yudhiśt́hiira. “Yudhiśt́hiira” means he who remains unaffected unassailed, properly balanced, and never loses his physical equipoise and mental equilibrium. “Yudhi” means “in war”, and “sthiira” means “poised”. “Who remains unassailed in all the fights of the world”.

These are the five phases through which spiritual aspirants will have to pass and they will have to fight against those one hundred depraving elements who are the agents of the blind mind, Dhrtaráśt́ra. “Mámakáh Páńd́avashcaeva kim akurvata Saiṋjaya”. This fight between virtue and vice, is continuing and will continue forever. There cannot be any peaceful coexistence between good and bad, virtue and vice. One will have to go away, one will have to be expelled by the other. So you are all spiritual aspirants; you must remember that yours is a never-ending fight against all sorts of meanness, all sorts of crudeness, all sorts of depraving elements. You must not forget this fact.