Krishna shows Arjun a glimpse of the future where the warriors are entering the mouth of death and says that Arjun is merely a 𝙣𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙖-𝙢𝙖𝙖𝙩𝙧𝙖 (an instrument in HIS hand). Krishna further clarifies that even without Arjun, none of them will survive and hence he should fight without stress.

The journey from 'senses centered' ahankaar to ' 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙢𝙖 centered' 𝙣𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙖-𝙢𝙖𝙖𝙩𝙧𝙖 is a tough one. The natural questions are, how to achieve it and what are its indicators of progress.

𝙉𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙖-𝙢𝙖𝙖𝙩𝙧𝙖 is an internal state, not a skill that can be mastered. One easy way to attain it is to have clear visuals of inevitable death, as Arjun had, which is called memento mori . Secondly, painful (helpless and miserable) situations can give us glimpses of 𝙣𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙖-𝙢𝙖𝙖𝙩𝙧𝙖 , but the pleasure (success or victorious) situations can give us a long lasting one especially when used with awareness.

Krishna earlier indicated that HE is the brilliance (10.41) and it is realising that the internal state of 𝙣𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙖-𝙢𝙖𝙖𝙩𝙧𝙖 manifests as brilliance in the outer world as the universe bestows 𝙣𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙖-𝙢𝙖𝙖𝙩𝙧𝙖. This state allows us to see things clearly without biases, belief systems or judgements and perform without the burden of the past or expectations from the future or others.

When we frequently, clearly and firmly get NO as the answer to the question, 'Will our absence make any difference to this mighty existence ?', then we are on a firm path towards 𝙣𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙖-𝙢𝙖𝙖𝙩𝙧𝙖.

It is not about what we do or what we choose irrespective of how noble it might appear, but rather it's about the amount of 𝙠𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙖 𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙝𝙖𝙣 (bondage of action) that a 𝙠𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙖 (action) or choice generated in us, is what determines our progress in the journey towards 𝙣𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙖-𝙢𝙖𝙖𝙩𝙧𝙖 .