To Find Yourself, You Must Lose Everything – Gita’s Insights on Finding Truth
Nidhi | Apr 15, 2025, 16:16 IST
( Image credit : Times Life Bureau )
Feeling lost or uncertain? The Bhagavad Gita holds timeless wisdom on how letting go of doubts can lead to self-discovery. Through Krishna’s guidance, Arjuna overcame fear and confusion to find his true self. In this article, we explore how embracing truth and surrendering to it can help us break free from doubts, find clarity, and live a more authentic life. Discover how the Gita’s teachings can transform your journey to self-realization.
Kurukshetra wasn't just a battlefield—it was a symbol of the war within. Arjuna, the valiant Pandava prince, stood at the crossroads of duty and despair. Faced with the prospect of fighting his own kin, he dropped his bow, shaken and broken.
In that moment, Lord Krishna didn’t give him comfort—he gave him truth. Harsh, eternal, liberating truth. Truth that asked Arjuna to let go of everything he thought he knew, and in that surrender, to rise again—not just as a warrior, but as a seeker of dharma.
This isn’t just Arjuna’s story. This is a mirror for anyone who’s ever asked, “What is the right thing to do, when everything feels wrong?”
“क्लैब्यं मा स्म गमः पार्थ नैतत्त्वय्युपपद्यते।
क्षुद्रं हृदयदौर्बल्यं त्यक्त्वोत्तिष्ठ परन्तप॥”
— Bhagavad Gita 2.3
(“Do not yield to unmanliness, O Arjuna! It does not befit you. Cast off this petty weakness of the heart and arise!”)
The first step in self-realization is the collapse of the ego. Arjuna’s breakdown wasn’t weakness—it was necessary. It stripped away the illusion of control, of identity, of moral superiority. Krishna’s call wasn’t gentle. He challenged Arjuna's despair, revealing how dharma isn’t always about comfort—it’s about clarity. And that clarity often begins where our ego ends.
“कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन।
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि॥”
— Bhagavad Gita 2.47
(“You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but not to the fruits of your actions.”)
One of Krishna’s most revolutionary teachings is to act without expecting reward. Arjuna is reminded that his duty is to act, not to control outcomes. In today’s world where actions are tied tightly to success and recognition, this is radical advice. But therein lies freedom—when your dharma becomes your offering, not your transaction.
“न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचि
न्नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः।
अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो
न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे॥”
— Bhagavad Gita 2.20
(“The soul is neither born, nor does it ever die… it is not destroyed when the body is destroyed.”)
Arjuna feared killing his loved ones. But Krishna shifts his vision—the soul is eternal, the body is temporary. This was not a justification of violence, but a shift in awareness. Self-realization begins when you stop identifying with the perishable and connect with the eternal truth of the Atman—your soul.
“दुःखेष्वनुद्विग्नमना: सुखेषु विगतस्पृह:।
वीतरागभयक्रोध: स्थितधीर्मुनिरुच्यते॥”
— Bhagavad Gita 2.56
(“He who is not disturbed by distress or attached to happiness, who is free from attachment, fear, and anger—he is called a sage of steady wisdom.”)
The Mahabharata war is symbolic. It reflects the battle between ignorance and wisdom, desire and detachment inside us all. Krishna urges Arjuna to become a Stithaprajna—a person of unwavering wisdom. This mastery over emotion, not enemies, is the true victory.
“शिष्यस्तेऽहं शाधि मां त्वां प्रपन्नम्॥”
— Bhagavad Gita 2.7
(“I am Your disciple, and I surrender to You. Please instruct me.”)
When Arjuna accepts his ignorance and bows to Krishna’s wisdom, transformation begins. Spiritual growth is not about gaining more—it’s about surrendering illusions. The moment you acknowledge you don’t know, you become teachable. Krishna doesn’t impose; He only teaches the one who surrenders with humility.
“सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज।
अहं त्वां सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः॥”
— Bhagavad Gita 18.66
(“Abandon all forms of dharma and just surrender unto Me alone. I shall liberate you from all sins—do not grieve.”)
This is the crescendo of Krishna’s teaching: Total surrender. Not blind belief, but deep trust. Liberation (moksha) comes not from resisting life, but from flowing with it, led by inner wisdom. When Arjuna accepted this, he didn’t become less—it made him whole.
Arjuna didn’t win because he fought. He won because he understood. He found himself when he let go—of fear, identity, attachment, and confusion. Krishna’s teachings weren’t just war strategies—they were blueprints for inner awakening.
“उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत्। आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बंधुर्आत्मनो रिपुरात्मनो।”
(Bhagavad Gita 6.5)
Elevate yourself by yourself. Your greatest friend and worst enemy lies within.
You and I are no different. Every challenge we face is our Kurukshetra. Every moment of confusion is an invitation to surrender to truth. And every fear is a gateway to deeper understanding—if we dare to listen.
Explore the latest trends and tips in Health & Fitness, Travel, Life Hacks, Fashion & Beauty, and Relationships at Times Life!
In that moment, Lord Krishna didn’t give him comfort—he gave him truth. Harsh, eternal, liberating truth. Truth that asked Arjuna to let go of everything he thought he knew, and in that surrender, to rise again—not just as a warrior, but as a seeker of dharma.
This isn’t just Arjuna’s story. This is a mirror for anyone who’s ever asked, “What is the right thing to do, when everything feels wrong?”
1. The Collapse of Certainty: When Dharma Isn’t Obvious
Ego
( Image credit : Freepik )
क्षुद्रं हृदयदौर्बल्यं त्यक्त्वोत्तिष्ठ परन्तप॥”
— Bhagavad Gita 2.3
(“Do not yield to unmanliness, O Arjuna! It does not befit you. Cast off this petty weakness of the heart and arise!”)
The first step in self-realization is the collapse of the ego. Arjuna’s breakdown wasn’t weakness—it was necessary. It stripped away the illusion of control, of identity, of moral superiority. Krishna’s call wasn’t gentle. He challenged Arjuna's despair, revealing how dharma isn’t always about comfort—it’s about clarity. And that clarity often begins where our ego ends.
2. Action Without Attachment: The Path of Karma Yoga
Attachment
( Image credit : Freepik )
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि॥”
— Bhagavad Gita 2.47
(“You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but not to the fruits of your actions.”)
One of Krishna’s most revolutionary teachings is to act without expecting reward. Arjuna is reminded that his duty is to act, not to control outcomes. In today’s world where actions are tied tightly to success and recognition, this is radical advice. But therein lies freedom—when your dharma becomes your offering, not your transaction.
3. The Eternal Self: You Are Not This Body
Soul
( Image credit : Pexels )
न्नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः।
अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो
न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे॥”
— Bhagavad Gita 2.20
(“The soul is neither born, nor does it ever die… it is not destroyed when the body is destroyed.”)
Arjuna feared killing his loved ones. But Krishna shifts his vision—the soul is eternal, the body is temporary. This was not a justification of violence, but a shift in awareness. Self-realization begins when you stop identifying with the perishable and connect with the eternal truth of the Atman—your soul.
4. Inner Conflict is the Real War
वीतरागभयक्रोध: स्थितधीर्मुनिरुच्यते॥”
— Bhagavad Gita 2.56
(“He who is not disturbed by distress or attached to happiness, who is free from attachment, fear, and anger—he is called a sage of steady wisdom.”)
The Mahabharata war is symbolic. It reflects the battle between ignorance and wisdom, desire and detachment inside us all. Krishna urges Arjuna to become a Stithaprajna—a person of unwavering wisdom. This mastery over emotion, not enemies, is the true victory.
5. Surrendering to a Higher Intelligence
Surender Yourself
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“शिष्यस्तेऽहं शाधि मां त्वां प्रपन्नम्॥”
— Bhagavad Gita 2.7
(“I am Your disciple, and I surrender to You. Please instruct me.”)
When Arjuna accepts his ignorance and bows to Krishna’s wisdom, transformation begins. Spiritual growth is not about gaining more—it’s about surrendering illusions. The moment you acknowledge you don’t know, you become teachable. Krishna doesn’t impose; He only teaches the one who surrenders with humility.
6. True Liberation Lies in Detachment and Devotion
Devotion
( Image credit : Pexels )
“सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज।
अहं त्वां सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः॥”
— Bhagavad Gita 18.66
(“Abandon all forms of dharma and just surrender unto Me alone. I shall liberate you from all sins—do not grieve.”)
This is the crescendo of Krishna’s teaching: Total surrender. Not blind belief, but deep trust. Liberation (moksha) comes not from resisting life, but from flowing with it, led by inner wisdom. When Arjuna accepted this, he didn’t become less—it made him whole.
Conclusion
“उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत्। आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बंधुर्आत्मनो रिपुरात्मनो।”
(Bhagavad Gita 6.5)
Elevate yourself by yourself. Your greatest friend and worst enemy lies within.
You and I are no different. Every challenge we face is our Kurukshetra. Every moment of confusion is an invitation to surrender to truth. And every fear is a gateway to deeper understanding—if we dare to listen.
Explore the latest trends and tips in Health & Fitness, Travel, Life Hacks, Fashion & Beauty, and Relationships at Times Life!