Bhagavad Gita · Arjuna Vishada YogaChapter 1, Shloka 32 (1.32)

Renouncing three things — victory, kingdom, pleasure. One by one Arjuna rejects everything the war is being fought for: victory (vijaya), rule (rajya), comfort (sukha). And then a step further — jīvitena vā: "what use even is living?" This sentence shows how deep his despair is — even the will to live is wavering.

Madhusudana's argument — "if you are not hungry, why cook?" Madhusudana gives a lovely example: the reason for engaging in any activity is the desire for its result. Just as someone who has no wish to eat will not set about cooking, in the same way, since I have no wish for victory, kingdom or pleasure, why should I engage in the means to them — war? This is the essence of Arjuna's argument.

The context of the exile. Madhusudana tells us something else on Arjuna's mind: "even without kingdom, enjoyments and victory over the Kauravas, we were living a life praised in the world while dwelling in the forest — so what need is there for these?" The Pandavas had already lived 13 years without a kingdom.

Is this vairagya? On the surface Arjuna's words sound like those of a great renunciate — "I want nothing." But in the tradition of the Gita this question is raised: is this true vairagya (renunciation born of knowledge), or indifference born of sorrow? True dispassion is calm and steady; Arjuna's "dispassion" has come with trembling hands and a reeling mind (1.29–1.30). Krishna will clarify this difference later. (This analysis is our interpretation, based on the broad outlook of the commentarial tradition.)