Prince Arjuna stood frozen on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Around him, armies stretched to the horizon. Brothers against brothers. Teachers against students. Everything he loved now against him in perfect battle formation.

His bow slipped from trembling fingers.

"I cannot fight," he said to Krishna, his charioteer. "Release me from this duty. Let me flee to the forests rather than spill the blood of my kinsmen."

Arjuna's was consumed by anguish. He had named every reason to flee, every justification for surrender. It was then that Krishna—friend, guide, and divine teacher—offered the teaching that would transform his very understanding of righteous action. His response was: