These thoughts on on the second chapter of Bhagavad Gita is by Swami Tyagishananda.
The second chapter of the Gita gives the essence of the
whole text in two parts. The first part deals with the nature of the human
being and the second with one’s mission in life. The first part says that the
human being is not the body or the mind but the spirit. The second part points
out that one’s mission in life is to recognise that one isa spirit after
conquering the ignorance that covers one and the consequent ego and its
appurtenances that obstruct the vision.
The first part exhorts the dejected Arjuna to use his
intellect or cognitive powers to know his real nature. The second part exhorts
him to live in the light of that knowledge.
The Atman is the main subject of the first part and brahmisthiti
or stitha prajna, the state of being established in Brahman or steady wisdom, is
the subject of the second part.
The first part deals with the intellect and the second part
deals with the will. In short the whole chapter deals with Samkhya or knowledge
and yoga or spiritual life.
This spiritual life based on the recognition of oneself as
the spirit is not so easy and sadhana is required to achieve this and hence all
the subsequent chapters are meant to elucidate how this stage could be attained
by self-effort. Hence the whole of the Gita may be said to be a gospel of self-effort
for getting rid of the bondage of the ego which is the result of ignorance and
consequent freedom of action without being bound by such action.
Source - Prabuddha Bharata Magazine March 2017 page 16 article title Essence of Bhagavad Gita and its Significance
Source - Prabuddha Bharata Magazine March 2017 page 16 article title Essence of Bhagavad Gita and its Significance