What is the origin of yagna that has been said in Gita and what does it give?

In the Gita before telling what is yagna lord krishna tells us where does yagna come from ...
        saha-yajnah prajah srstva, purovaca prajapatih
       anena prasavisyadhvam, esa vo ’stv ista-kama-dhuk
                                             -B.G.CHAP3 SLOKA 10
English translation- “At the beginning of kalp-the course of self-realization Prajapati Brahma shaped yagya along with mankind and enjoined on them to ascend by yagya which could give them what their hearts aspired to.’’


Prajapati Brahma, the god presiding over creation, made mankind along with yagya at the beginning and told men to progress through yagya. This yagya, wholly propitious, was prescribed or ordained as the action which would satisfy their hunger for realization of the eternal God.Who was the creator of mankind along with yagya? Was it Brahma and who is he?



The sage who has realized and become one with the 

Supreme Spirit, the fountainhead from which all mankind has 

arisen, is ‘‘prajapati.” Wisdom that results from knowledge of God 

is itself Brahma. At the moment of this realization the mind becomes 

a mere instrument. It is God himself who then speaks through the 

voice of the sage.

There is constant growth of wisdom after the commencementof spiritual adoration, or worship. Since at the beginning this wisdom is endowed with knowledge of God, it is called brahmvitt. Gradually,as evil impulses are subdued and the knowledge of God is enriched,this wisdom is said to be brahmvidwar. As it ascends yet higher and gets more refined, it comes to be known as brahmvidwariyan.At this stage, the sage who is blessed with knowledge of God also achieves the capacity to bring others on to the way of spiritual growth. The highest point of wisdom is brahmvidwarisht, that state of divine inundation in which the spirit of God flows through it like a crystal current. Men who have attained to this state enter into and dwell in the Supreme Spirit from whom all mankind is born. The minds of such sages are mere instruments and it is they who are called “prajapati.” By dissociating themselves from the contradictions of nature, they create the Self who is yet unaware of the process of meditation or God’s worship. Conferring perfection
which is in accordance with the spirit of yagya is the creation of mankind.



Sanskar has always been 

there: but before the sages conferred perfection on it, it was 

deformed and in a state of anarchy. To shape it in accordance with

the requirements of yagya is the act of refining and adorning.


Some such accomplished sage or sages created yagya besides 

The true cure is that which provides liberation from the general 

creating mankind at the beginning of kalp, the course of Selfrealization.(kalp- 

malady of the world. The beginning of worship or adoration is the 

commencement of this remedy. When meditation is complete, we 

are wholly cured.)

Thus sages with their beings in the Supreme Spirit gave a proper 

shape to spiritual excellence and yagya, and instructed men that 

they would prosper through the observance of yagya.

They rather wished men to know that yagya would fulfil their God-inclined aspirations. A logical question that confronts us here is whether yagya leads to immediate attainment of God or only by gradual steps. Brahma further said to mankind :


                 devan bhavayatanena, te deva bhavayantu vah
               parasparam bhavayantah, sreyah param avapsyatha
                                                     -B.G.CHAP-3 SLOKA 11
English Translation- “And may you cherish gods by yagya and may gods foster you, for this is the means by which you will finally achieve the ultimate state.”

Cherishing gods by yagya means fostering sacred impulses. 

And that is also how gods foster mankind. Thus, by mutual 

augmentation men will ultimately achieve that final bliss after which 

there is nothing more to achieve.

And what will yagna give? This is stated in the following sloka no. 13 of chapter 3 and chapter 4 sloka 31.

                  yajna-sistasinah santo, mucyante sarva-kilbisaih
           bhunjate te tv agham papa, ye pacanty atma-karanat
                                             -B.G. CHAP-3 SLOKA 13
English Translation- ‘‘The wise who partake of what is left over from yagya are rid of all evil, but the sinners who cook only for the sustenance of their bodies partake of nothing but sin.”
                 yajna-sistamrita-bhujo, yanti brahma sanatanam
             nayam loko ’sty ayajnasya, kuto ’nyah kuru-sattama
                                            -B.G. CHAP-4 SLOKA 31
English Translation-“O the best of Kuru, the yogi who have tasted the nectar flowing from yagya attain to the eternal supreme God, but how can the next life of men bereft of yagya be happy when even their life in this world is miserable?”


So, lord krishna clearly states that  "yajna-sistamrita-bhujo, yanti brahma sanatanam" What yagya generates-what results from it, is nectar the substance of immortality. A direct experience of this is wisdom. The one who feeds on it becomes one with the eternal God. So yagya is something which with its completion unites the worshipper with God.


So, the question that now remains is what is yagna?

What is niyat(or neeyat) karma that Gita talks about ?

Lord krishna tells about niyat karma (the prescribed or ordained action that needs to be done) in sloka 8 of chapter 3.
           niyatam kuru karma tvam, karma jyayo hy akarmanah
           sarira-yatrapi ca te, na prasiddhyed akarmanah
                                    -B.G.CHAP3 SLOKA 8
English Translation-“You ought to do your prescribed action as enjoined by scripture, for doing work is better than not doing any, and in the absence of it even the journey of your body may not be completed.’’


Arjun is prompted to do the prescribed action-the ordained task which is distinct from all other kinds of work. Performance of this action is preferable to inaction, because if we do it and traverse even a small part of our way, it can rescue us from the great fear of birth and death. Performance of one’s spiritual duty - the ordained action- is, therefore, the better course. By not doing it we cannot even complete the journey of our Soul through different bodies. Here the prescribed action or niyat karma is such that will free one from the tetacles of birth and death. But what is the prescribed or ordained work that needs to be done ? This is described in the next sloka...
          yajnarthat karmano ’nyatra, loko ’yam karma-bandhanah
        tad-artham karma kaunteya, mukta-sangah samachara
                                   -B.G.CHAP-3-SLOKA 9
English Translation-“Since the conduct of yagya is the only action and all other business in which people are engaged are only forms of worldly bondage, O son of Kunti, be unattached and do your duty to God well.’’

Contemplation of God is the only real action. That conduct is action which enables the mind to concentrate on God. It is a prescribed act and, according to Krishn, tasks other than this are only forms of worldly bondage. Anything other than the performance of this yagya is a form of slavery rather than action. It is important to remind ourselves once more of Krishn’s injunction to Arjun that he shall be freed from the evils of this world only by doing the one real work. The accomplishment of this work, of yagya, is action; and Arjun is urged to do it well in a spirit of detachment. It cannot be performed without disinterest in the world and its objects.

So the conduct of yagya is action.


 But another question that now arises is what this worthwhile act of yagya is ? 


Where does yagna come from and what does it give?

What is karma according to Gita?

Lord krishna first brings the topic of karma in the 39th sloka of chapter 2
                    esa te ’bhihita sankhye buddhir yoge tv imam shrinu
                 buddhya yukto yaya partha karma-bandham prahasyasi
                                     -B.G.CHAP2-SLOKA39
English Translation-“This knowledge which I have imparted to you, O Parth is related to Gyan Yog, the Way of knowledge, and now you should listen to me on Karm Yog, the Way of Selfless Action, with which you can successfully sever the fetters of action as well as its consequence (karm).’’


Krishn tells Arjun that the knowledge, he has spoken of, is related to the Way of Knowledge. What knowledge is it except that Arjun should fight? The substance of the Way of Discrimination or Knowledge is only that if we fight according to our disposition after a careful appraisal of our capacity as well as of profit and loss, we shall attain to the state of ultimate bliss if we win, and to heavenly,godlike existence even if we are vanquished. There is gain in both cases. If we do not act, others will speak disparagingly of us and look upon us as having retreated like cowards, and we shall be disgraced. So to forge ahead on the path of action with a careful understanding of one’s innate nature is itself the Way of Knowledge or Discernment.


So Krishn asks Arjun to listen to him while he speaks of the Way of Selfless Action, armed with which he can effectively destroy the bonds of action and its consequence. Here the Yogeshwar has, for the first time, spoken of karm, although without explaining what it is. Instead of dwelling upon the nature of action, he describes its  characteristic traits.
Then he says in the next sloka describing the characterestics of Karma...
                      nehabhikrama-naso ’sti, pratyavayo na vidyate
                sv-alpam apy asya dharmasya, trayate mahato bhayat
                                      -B.G.CHAP2-SLOKA-40
English Translation-Since selfless action neither wears out the seed from which it sprang nor has any adverse consequence, even a partial observance of this dharm liberates (one) from the dire terror (of repeated birth and death)”
In the performance of action without coveting the fruits thereof, the initial impulse or the seed is not destroyed. It also does not give rise to any evil. So selfless action, even though done in small measures, frees us from the great fear represented by birth and death. That necessitates reflecting over the nature of such action and walking at least a few steps along its path. Worshippers who have renounced the vanity of earthly possessions have trodden this path, but so can those who lead the life of householders. Krishn tells Arjun to just sow the seed, for the seed is never destroyed.
He then states in the next sloka...
               vyavasayatmika buddhir, ekeha kuru-nandana
            bahu-sakha hy anantas ca, buddhayo ’vyavasayinam
                                             -B.G.CHAP2-SLOKA 41
English Translation-“On this auspicious path, O Kurunandan (Arjun), the resolute mind is one, but the minds of the ignorant are divided and many’’

The mind which is earnestly and firmly oriented to selfless action is unified. Selfless action is only one and its outcome is also one. Spiritual accomplishment is the only true achievement, The gradual realization of this attainment by fighting against forces of the material world is an enterprise. This enterprise and resolute action, with a single goal are also one and the same. 

So, it is clear that there is a certain specific action that needs to be done But what is that action but what is that action Lord krishna doesn't say it as yet. He says in the 47th 
sloka
         karmany evadhikaras te, ma phalesu kadacana
     ma karma-phala-hetur bhur, ma te sango ’stv akarmani 
                                                   -B.G.CHAP2-SLOKA-47
English Translation- “Since you are entitled only to the performance of action

but never to the fruits thereof, you should neither desire rewards of action nor be drawn to inaction.”   
So, it is cleared by Lord krishna that while performing this specific action or job you should not keep any desires of fruits of action. In other words you should have no desires while performing action, but what is the action that needs to be done? 

What is the work that needs to be done by people belonging to different castes ?

The answer to this question is given by lord krishna says in chapter 18..
                            
                       brahmana-kshatriya-visam, shudranam ca parantapa
                  karmani pravibhaktani, svabhava-prabhavair gunaih
                                                                       ...B.G.CHAPTER 18 SLOKA 41   
English translation-  “The duties of Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, as also of Shudr are determined by properties that are born out of their nature.’’


Lord krishna once again clearly states that the innate property of a being or object is a measurea yardstick. So the division of mankind into four varn is only a division of the one and same action into four stages according to the motivating properties. In Krishn’s words, action is the mode of attaining to the one, inexpressible God. The conduct that takes one to God is worship, which commences in faith in the desired end. So meditation on the Supreme Being is the one true action that Krishn has-divided into four steps in his system of varn. Now, how are we to know to which property and stage we belong? This is what Krishn turns to in the following verses.
              samo damas tapah shaucam ksantir arjavam eva ca
             jnanam vijnanam astikyam brahma-karma svabhava-jam
                                                      ...B.G.CHAPTER 18 SLOKA 42
English translation- “Self-restraint, subduing of the senses, innocence, continence, mercy, uprightness, piety, true knowledge, and direct perception of divinity are the Brahmins province-born our of his nature.


It might be said, therefore, that the seeker is a Brahmin when all these merits are present in him and the commenced action is an integral part of his nature.

             sauryam tejo dhrtir daksyam yuddhe capy apalayanam
            danam ishvara-bhavas ca kshatram karma svabhava-jam
                                                         ...B.G.CHAPTER 18 SLOKA 43


English translation- “Valour, majesty, dexterity, unwillingness to retreat in battle, charity, and sovereignty are the natural province of a Kshatriya.”

               krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam vaishya-karma svabhava-jam
              paricaryatmakam karma shudrasyapi svabhava-jam
                                                         ...B.G.CHAPTER 18 SLOKA 44
English translation- “Farming, protection of cows (the senses) and commerce are the natural province of a Vaishya, whereas rendering service is the natural calling of a Shudr.’’


Agriculture, rearing of cattle, and commerce are duties in keeping with the nature of a Vaishya.  In the ancient Vedic text, the word “go” (cow) was used to refer to the senses. So protection of “cows” means care of the senses. The senses are protected by discernment, non-attachment, restraint, and steadfastness. They
are, on the other hand, riven and rendered feeble by lust, wrath, avarice, and attachment. Spiritual acquisition is the only true wealth.This is our one true asset and once it has been earned, it stays on with us forever. Gradual amassing of this wealth in the course of our struggle with the world of matter or nature is trade. The
acquisition of knowledge, which is the most precious of all riches, is commerce. And what is farming? The body is like a piece of earth. The seeds which are sown in it sprout in the form of sanskarthe merits of action: the force that is built up by all the actions in previous lives. Arjun is told that the seed (the initial impulse) of
selfless action is never destroyed. Vaishya is the third step of the ordained action- of contemplation of the Supreme Being; and preservation of the seeds of divine meditation that are sown in this patch of earth-the body, while at the same time opposing hostile impulses, is agriculture.To protect the senses
thus, to store spiritual wealth amidst the skirmishes of nature, and to always strengthen contemplation of the ultimate essence are the province of Vaishya. According to Krishn, the omnipresent God is the final outcome
of yagya. The devout souls who partake of this fruit are emancipated from all sins and it is the seeds of this action that are sown by the meditative process. To protect this germ is true husbandry. In Vedic writings food means the Supreme Spirit. God is the only real sustenance-the food. The Soul is fully placated at the completion of the exercise of contemplation and never again knows any craving. Once the exercise has been brought to successful conclusion, the Soul is freed from the cycle of birth and death. To go ahead sowing
the seeds of this food is true husbandry.


To serve those who have attained to a higher spiritual status, revered men of accomplishment, is the duty of Shudr. Rather than meaning “base’’, Shudr means “one with deficient knowledge.” It is the seeker at the lowest stage who is a Shudr. It is but proper that this initiate worshipper should begin his quest with rendering
service. Service to men of accomplishment will in the course of time generate nobler impulses in him and he will thus gradually move up to the higher Vaishya, Kshatriya, and Brahmin stages. And ultimately he will go beyond varn (properties of nature) and become one with God. Character is a dynamic entity. There is changein an individual’s varn along with changes in his character. So, in fact, varn are the four-excellent, good, medium, and low-stages: the four steps, low and high, which seekers who tread the path of action have to climb. This is so because the action in question is only one-the ordained action. The only way to final attainment according to Krishn is that the worshipper should begin his journey in keeping with the attributes of his own nature.
                  sve sve karmany abhiratah, samsiddhim labhate narah
                  sva-karma-niratah siddhim, yatha vindati tac chrnu
                                                     ...B.G.CHAPTER 18 SLOKA 45
English translation- “Commitment to his own inborn duty brings man to the ultimate accomplishment and you should listen to me on how a man achieves perfection through dedication to his innate calling.’’


By following his qualities of work, every man can become perfect. Now please hear from Me how this can be done.

                   yatah pravrttir bhutanam, yena sarvam idam tatam

                  sva-karmana tam abhyarcya,siddhim vindati manavah
                                                           ...B.G.CHAPTER 18 SLOKA 46
English translation- “By adoration of that God, who has created all beings and who pervades the whole universe, through the undertaking of his natural calling, man attains to final accomplishment.’’


The seeker achieves final consummation through performance of his native duties. It is, therefore, essential that he should constantly keep his mind fixed on God, adore him, and proceed on his way step by step. Instead of making any gain, a junior student even loses whatever he has if he sits in a senior class. So the law is that one should climb step by step.Krishn says that even a partially enlightened man ought to begin from the same point: from self surrender to God.

                sreyan sva-dharmo vigunah, para-dharmat sv-anusthitat
                svabhava-niyatam karma, kurvan napnoti kilbisam 
                                                      ...B.G.CHAPTER 18 SLOKA 47
English translation- “Even though unmeritorious, one’s own native calling is superior to the office of others, for a man carrying out his natural obligation does not bring sin upon himself.”


Although inferior, one’s own obligation is better than even the well performed duties of others. A man absorbed in performing a task that is determined by his own nature does not incur sin in so far as he is not subjected to the endless cycle of “entrances” and “exits”-of birth and death. It is quite often that worshipers begin to feel disenchanted with the service they are rendering-. They look at the more accomplished seekers who are absorbed in meditation and grow envious of the honor that is accorded them because of their merits. So novices at once fall to imitating. According to Krishna, however, imitation or envy can be of no avail. The final accomplishment is only by dedication to one’s own native calling, not by its abandonment.

This stanza completes the question that what is the duty the people belonging to different castes...OM TATSAT..!!

         

                                                                                         

      

What does Gita say about caste system prevalent in the hindu society?

In Bhagabat Gita lord krishna first brings the topic of caste in chapter 2 when he says

              sva-dharmam api caveksya na vikampitum arhasi
             dharmyad dhi yuddhac chreyo ’nyat kshatriyasya na vidyate
                                                        ...B.G.CHAPTER 2 SLOKA 31    

English translation-  “In view of your own dharm, too, it is unworthy of you to fear, for there is nothing more propitious for a Kshatriya than a righteous war.’’


It has been repeatedly said by lord krishna that “the Self (Atma) is immutable,” that “the Self is eternal,” and that “the Self is the only real dharm.” Now what is this dharm of the Self (swadharm)? The Self is the only dharm, although the capacity to engage in this dharm varies from individual to individual. This ability arising from one’s disposition has been named swadharm or the inherent dharm.

To make matters clear around this subject of caste let us go to chapter 4 of Bhagabat Gita where lord krishna says..
                         catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah
                 tasya kartaram api mam viddhy akartaram avyayam 
                                                  ...B.G.CHAPTER 4 SLOKA 13    

English translation- “Although I have created the four classes (varn )-Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudr-according to innate properties and actions, know me the immutable as a nondoer.’’

In this sloka lord krishna clearly says that I have created the four castes (or classes) i.e. Brahman, Khatriya, Baishya and Shudra. Does this mean that the great lord has divided men into four rigid categories determined by birth? The truth is rather that he has divided actions into four classes on the basis of inherent properties. All the same, as he tells Arjun, he-the imperishable God-is a non-agent and should be known as such. The innate property (gun) of a being or of a thing is a measure, a yardstick.

In the starting stage of any yogi when he begins the journey to unify with paramatman the dominant property is that of ignorance or darkness (tamas), it will result in an irresistible inclination to laziness, excessive sleep, wantonness, aversion to work, and compulsive addiction to evil in spite of the realization that it is evil. At this stage the yogi is shudra. (This is not determined by birth. Even if the yogi is born into a family of brahmin he will still be shudra when he starts the journey to unification).

 Later with the service to wise men which is the work that should be done by shudras he cultivates and develops there is the growing sway of the quality of rajas, and a partial awakening of the property of good and moral virtue (sattwa) as well, because of which the worshipper’s ability is elevated to the Vaishya level. Then the same worshipper begins spontaneously to imbibe qualities such as control of the senses and to accumulate other virtuous impulses.


Proceeding further on the path of action, he is endowed with the wealth of righteousness. The property of
rajas now grows faint and tamas is dormant. At this stage of development the worshipper steps on to the Kshatriya level. Prowess, the ability to be immersed in action, unwillingness to retreat, mastery over feelings, the capacity to carve his way through the three properties of nature-are now the inherent features of the
worshipper’s disposition.



With yet further refinement of action, sattwa makes its approach, at which there is the evolution of virtues
such as control of the mind and senses, concentration, innocence, contemplation and abstract meditation, and faith as well the capacity to hear the voice of God-all qualities that provide access to Him. With the emergence of these qualities the worshipper comes to belong to the Brahmin class.

This, however, is the lowest stage of worship at this level. When ultimately the worshipper is united with God, at that point-the highest point-he is neither a Brahmin, nor a Kshatriya, nor a Vaishya, nor a Shudr. So in 2nd chapter lord krishna advices arjun..
                 trai-gunya-visaya veda nistrai-gunyo bhavarjuna
            nirdvandvo nitya-sattva-stho niryoga-ksema atmavan
                                                                      ...B.G.CHAPTER 2 SLOKA 45    

English translation- “Since all the Ved, O Arjun, only illumine the three properties, you should rise above them, be free from the contradictions of happiness and sorrow, rest on that which is constant, and be unconcerned with getting what you do not have as well as with protecting what you have, in order to dedicate yourself to the Self within.”


Krishna tells arjun The Ved only illumine the three properties of nature; they know nothing of what is beyond them. So Arjun should go beyond the sphere of action laid down by the Ved. How to do this? Krishnadvises Arjun to liberate himself from the conflicts of joy and sorrow,concentrate on the one changeless reality, and desire neither the unobtained nor the obtained; so that he may devote himself singlemindedly to the indwelling Self. This is how he can rise above the Ved. But is there any precedence of anyone going beyond them?
Krishn says that as a man transcends the Ved, even so he comes face to face with the Supreme Spirit, and that the man who is aware of him is a true Vipr, a Brahmin. Arjuna is a khatriya ..but lord krishna says him to become brahman. So it is clear that the caste or class is not determined by birth but are determined by the state of gunas. 


Now the question arises what is the work that needs to be done by people belonging to different castes ?

Who are the main characters of Mahabharata war according to Gita?

In the opening sloka of Gita Dhitarashtra asks sanjay

                                      Dharamashetr kurushetr samabeta yuyutsava
                                      Mamakah Panadavaschaiva kim kurvat sanjaya..B.G..CHAP.1..SLOKA..1


The war that has been talked about in Gita is actually the war that is fought within the body of the yogi  (explained in detail in another post. Click on the hyperlink )between good and evil forces when he goes forward in his spiritual quest.Dhitarashtr represents a mind that has been filled with ignorence. So, he is represented as blind from birth because he can't see what is good and what is evil. But he also comes to know about God through the epitome of self control (represented by sanjay). But as long as as long as his infatuation for Duryodhan born from ignorance lasts, his inner eye will be focused on the Kaurav, who symbolize the ungodly forces of negative, sinful impulses.
Sanjay says as reply
                                  Dristwa tu panwanikam byurang duryodhanostada
                                  Acharya mup sangyamya raja bachana ma brabit....B.G..CHAP.1..SLOKA..2

  Dual conduct itself is Dronacharya. When the awareness dawns that we are alienated from God there arises in the heart an acute hunger for the attainment of that exalted Spirit. Only then do we set out to seek an accomplished teacher, a realized sage (Guru). Between the two opposed impulses, this awareness is the first
initiator into wisdom, our first teacher. So Dronacharya has been referred to as acharya or guru.   


King Duryodhan, an embodiment of excessive attachment to worldly objects. Attachment is at the root of all griefs, indeed their King.So Duryodhan is the king of Kauravs (the evil side). It tempts one away from the spiritual treasure and so it is named Duryodhan. Only the Soul property is the stable property and it is attachment which generates impurity in it. It draws one to the material world. But it also provides the primary motive for enlightenment.

The army of Pandavs is led by Dhristdyumn, the son of Drupad, is the steadfast mind that treasures faith in the universal, immutable reality. He is thus the master, the type of righteous impulses that lead to selfless activity
in a spirit of egoless reverence to spiritual divinity.(B.G. Chap..1..sloka 3)

This army is composed of those who can guide souls to the Supreme Spirit, like Bheem who is an embodiment of resolute sentiment, the image of tender devotion Arjun, and many other valiant warriors such as Satyaki embodiment of satwikta(purity & piousness), Virat (believer of godliness in everything) and the great warrior leader Drupad, symbolizing consistency and steadfastness on the path of spirituality, and Dhrishtketu, the steadfast-in-duty, Chekitan, who can rein in his straying thought and concentrate it on the Supreme Spirit. The King of the holy city of Kashi (Kashiraj), an emblem of the sacredness that resides within the world of the body. Purujeet, the one who obtains victory over matter in all its forms-gross, subtle, and instrumental. Kuntibhoj, who conquers world life by doing what is worthy of doing. ThenShaibya, of virtuous conduct. The heroic Yudhmanyu of warlike temper; Uttmauj with the spirit of abandon that flows from sacred excellence; Abhimanyu (Saubhadr), Subhadra’s son, with a mind without fear because it is propped up by righteousness, and the five sons of Draupadi who herself is a form of discernment of the divine, all are great warriors named tenderness, beauty, compassion, spiritual repose and consistency. All of them are noted for their ability to traverse the path of spiritual fulfillment with perfect skill.(B.G.chap..1 sloka 4, 5 and 6)

Now the kaurava are detailed ...

The commander-in-chief is Dronacharya himself, symbolizing dual conduct. And then there is the grandsire Bheeshm, the very image of delusion. Delusion is the fountainhead of deviation from the ideal state. Since it survives till the very end, delusion is the grandsire. The whole army has perished, but Bheeshm yet lives on.He lies unconscious on his bed of arrows and still continues to breathe. Like Bheeshm, too, are Karn, a betrayer of the sacred character of Self, and the conquering warrior Kripacharya. Kripacharya represents the act of compassion by the seeker in the state before Self-realization.Ashwatthama is an image of inordinate attachment, Vikarn of indecision, and Bhurishrawa of perplexity and confusion. They are all chiefs of the outward flowing current of life.Then there is Duryodhan who has been described earlier.(B.G..CHAP1..SLOKA 8)


These are the characters from two side who take part in the war.The war that goes on actually in the body of the yogi when he tries to meditate to attain unification with supreme God. Actually at that time there goes on awar between his good and evil qualities and these characters of war are merely the representation of those qualities.What is the message that the characters of Mahabharata war (Kaurav)give through blowing their conch shell?

          

Where is Kurukshetra (the place where Mahabharata war was fought) according to GITA ?

In the first sloka of Gita Dhitarashra asks Sanjay
                       
                                  Dharmakhetre kurushetre samaveta yuyutsava
                                  Mamakah pandavaschaiva kim kurvat sanjaya...B.g.Ch-1.Sloka-1


Dhritrashtr said, ‘‘Assembled at Kurukshetr, at Dharmkshetr, and eager for combat, O Sanjay, what did my and Pandu’s sons do?”

Dhritrashtr is the very image of ignorance; and Sanjay is the embodiment of self-restraint. Ignorance lurks at the core of the objective, the outward-looking, mind. With his mind enveloped in darkness, Dhritrashtr is blind since birth, but he sees and hears through Sanjay, the epitome of self-control. He knows that God alone is real, but as long as his infatuation for Duryodhan (the form of worldly illusion) born from ignorance lasts, his inner eye will be focused on the Kaurav.

Here The human body is a field for combat. When there is abundance of divinity in the realm of the heart, the body is transmuted into a Dharmkshetr ( field of dharm ), but it degenerates into a Kurukshetr
when it is infested with demoniacal powers.

The sphere of birth and death, of that which is evolved from a previous source or prakriti (nature) is Kurukshetr, whereas the sphere of righteous impulses which guide the Self to God, the highest spiritual reality, is Dharmkshetr.

The two forces that are fighting in this shetr are the

1. Pious or good things which are born from pandu (symbol of piety; he is the one in whom virtue is awakened) who are called Pandavs

2. The kauravs who represent the demonic qualities present in the human like moha(craving for earthly joys) etc who are born from Dhitarastra (who represents ignorance, that is why he is presented as blind from birth).


So, The body itself is a field, a ring or an arena. The forces that clash on this field are twofold, the godly and the ungodly, the divine and the devilish, the offspring of Pandu and those of Dhritrashtr, the forces that are congenial to the essentially divine character of the Self and those which offend and demean it.

That the body is the shetr that Gita is talking about becomes more clear from 13 th chapter where lord Krishna says
                           Idam sarairam kaunteya shetr mityavidiyate
                           Etad yo vetti tang prahu shetragya iti tatvida....B.G..CHAP 13...SLOKA.1


The Lord said, This body is, O son of Kunti, a battlefield (kshetr) and the men who know it (kshetragya) are called wise because they have grown spiritually dexterous by perceiving its essence. When the body is only one, how can there be two spheres- Dharmkshetr and Kurukshetr-in it? In truth, within the one body there exist two distinct, primeval instincts. There is first the pioustreasure of divinity that provides access to the Supreme Spirit who stands for the most sublime dharm. On the other hand, there are the demoniacal impulses made up of impiety which lead a man to accept the mortal world as real. When there is abundance of divinity

in the realm of the heart, the body is transmuted into a Dharmkshetr (field of dharm), but it degenerates into a Kurukshetr when it is dominated by devilish forces.

In the 5th and 6th sloka of the same chapter he goes on to descrive the constituents of the shetr
                         
                                “Speaking briefly, mutable physical body is the aggregate of the five elements, ego, intellect, even the unmanifest, the ten sense organs, mind and the five objects of sense, as well as desire, malice, pleasure and pain, and intelligence and fortitude.”..B.G...CHAPTER13..SLOKA 5 & SLOKA 6

The enemy that Arjuna has to actually slay is clearly stated in the 42nd sloka of 4 th chapter

                               “So, O Bharat, dwell in yog and stand up to cut down this irresolution that has entered into your heart because of ignorance with the steel of knowledge.’’...B.G...CHAPTER 4...SLOKA...42


Arjun has to fight. But the enemy-irresolution-is within his own heart, not outside. When we proceed on the way of devotion and contemplation, it is but natural that feelings of doubt and passion will arise as obstacles before us. These enemies launch a fearful assault. To fight them and overcome them, through the destruction
of uncertainties by the practice of the ordained yagya, is the war that Arjun has to wage, and the result of this war for him will be absolute peace and victory after which there is no possibility of defeat.

The the battle is fought inside is also clear when Arjuna says that
                     
                                   ‘‘I do not see that obtaining an undisputed and profitable dominion over the whole earth or, (for that matter) even lordship over the gods, can cure the grief that is wearing out my senses.’’
.......B.G...CHAPTER 2...SLOKA...8.

And krishna replies

                                   “Rise up with determination for the war because if you diein it you will attain to heaven and, if you win, you will attain to the most exalted glory.’’.......B.G...CHAPTER 2...SLOKA...37.

By this statement lord  Krishn, the accomplished teacher, tells him that even if the time allotted to his
body expires in the course of the war and he does not succeed in reaching his goal, imbued with divine riches he will gain an existence in Swar, the changeless and eternal. If, on the other hand, he succeeds in the struggle while his temporal body is still alive, he will achieve the sublimity of God and thus attain to the state of the
highest glory.

So. Its is clear from the verses that the war is to fought within the body where one has to fight the demons within to enjoy the state of brahman and then union with the paramatma........om tatsat.