The Cure for Depression: Inquire and Do Your Duty

On the battlefield of Kurukshetra Arjuna became depressed due to his bewilderment as to what was his duty. Thus he spoke to Krishna the following words:

kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ
pṛcchāmi tvāṁ dharma-sammūḍha-cetāḥ
yac chreyaḥ syān niścitaṁ brūhi tan me
śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam

"Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of miserly weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me for certain what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me."
--Bhagavad-gita 2.7

Then he patiently and submissively heard from Sri Krishna the teaching of the Bhagavad-gita and thus gained the understanding that his duty was simply to follow the instructions of Krishna. In this way he became completely relieved from his bewilderment, confusion, and depression, ecstatically situated in loving service to His most beloved Lord.

From Arjuna's profoundly shining example of taking help from his spiritual master to become free from his confusion we learn the most valuable lesson that whenever we are bewildered as to what is our actual duty we should simply inquire from our spiritual master and follow his clear unequivocal instructions. In this way by hearing from our spiritual master and then following his instructions our depression will disappear and we will be happily energized by potent, dynamic devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Lord Sri Krishna Enlightens the Bewildered Arjuna
Lord Sri Krishna Enlightens the Bewildered Arjuna

Answers by Citing the Vedic Version:

Question: Why So Much Suffering in the Material World?

Why is there so much suffering in this material world?

Your servant,
Bhakta Shashank

Answer: This Is Not Our Natural Habitat

Just as a fish will naturally suffer if he is on the land because it is not his natural habitat, similarly we naturally suffer in this material world because it is not our natural habitat.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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