July Gītā: 18.78

yatra yogeśhvaraḥ kṛiṣhṇo
yatra pārtho dhanur-dharaḥ
tatra śhrīr vijayo bhūtir
dhruvā nītir matir mama

“Where there is Krisna, the Lord of Yoga and the Archer Arjuna,
There will surely be fortune, victory, happiness and morality”

Bhagavad Gītā 18.78

18:78 is the very last verse of the Bhagavad Gita. At a glance it looks like a summing up. It’s more of an affirmation.  Commentaries are divided over what is being said. Some say it simply means that the battle which is about to be fought is a done deal. With Krishna and Arjuna on the side of the Pandavas, they cannot fail. Others say Sanjaya (who has witnessed the entire dialogue between Arjuna and Krisna) is reminding us that, like all the best super-heroes, they’ll be back...when we need them. This has already been alluded to much earlier in the text. In Chapter Four Krishna tells Arjuna that during times of crisis he manifests himself to help out (4: 7). 

You might be reading this thinking: “well, things are pretty cruddy right now so where is he? Stuck in traffic, quarentining or what?” 

That’s where the power of this seemingly simple last verse comes into its own. It reminds us that we don’t need to wait for someone else to pitch up and sort things out. By turning to the Gita, we reignite an eternal conversation between Krisna and Arjuna. When we read, chant or simply contemplate any part of the song that resonates with us we play both parts. Although Arjuna asks the questions and Krisna gives the answers, one core message of the Gita is that wisdom lies within. Krisna’s last piece of advice for Arjuna is: “do what you think is right” (18:63). As human beings we are blessed (some might say cursed) with the ability to question our decisions. We don’t just act on instinct all the time. This is a tough call because self - doubt can manifest as anything from a mild niggle to paralysing fear. Ultimately the Gita serves to remind us that if we do what we think is right, give it our best shot and focus on our actions as opposed to their outcomes, we can’t go wrong. 

– Tom Norrington-Davies