18.58: With Krishna, we flourish; without Krishna, we perish
The Bhagavad-gita (18.58) outlines the two essential choices that lie with each one of us at every moment:
- To move towards Krishna and gradually scale over and beyond all obstacles or
- To move away from Krishna and get lost in the mesh of worldly delusions and distresses.
When we choose to move away from Krishna, our pleasure-seeking nature causes us to get blown whichever way the wind of worldly desire blows in our hearts. Worldly desires require strenuous work before fulfillment, yield meager pleasure on fulfillment and blow with overwhelming power after fulfillment. Thus they make us lose our bearings and keep us trapped in their ken.
However, there is a way out of this jail. When we chose to move towards Krishna, that choice enables us to understand Krishna’s will as it is revealed generally in the scriptures and specifically for us in the guidance of Krishna’s devotees. Once we become mindful of Krishna’s will and act according to it, then we become increasingly connected with Krishna and the everlasting pleasure that he is waiting to bestow upon us. Being thus fortified by inner fulfillment and guided by the inner captain voice, we can resist the stormy winds of desire and stay on track toward attaining eternal happiness.
By keeping the contours of these two choices and their concomitant consequences alive in our intelligence, we can inspire ourselves to make the right choice – now and forever.