Arjuna’s Despair on the Battlefield Arjuna stands torn between conscience and duty. The sight of Bhishma, Drona, and the elders who shaped his life drains all strength from him. How can he raise arms against those he reveres? His bow slips from his hand; his heart sinks beneath the weight of grief. Krishna speaks with calm authority. The warrior’s fear, he explains, is born from attachment to the body, not from the truth of the atma. Weapons cannot pierce the soul. Fire cannot burn it. Water cannot wet it. Wind cannot dry it. The soul is eternal, changing bodies like garments. The body falls; the atma moves on. The Duties of a Kshatriya When Arjuna questions the righteousness of killing revered elders, Krishna asks, “Who are you?” Arjuna replies: Kunti’s son, Drona’s disciple, a kshatriya. Krishna explains that all these roles arise from one identity — and with it comes duty. To uphold dharma. To protect justice. To stand against adharma even when the world remains silent, ...