Hub

Delusion Gone: I Will Act

The Gita's last seven verses: the Lord asks whether the delusion is gone, Arjuna says he will act, and Sanjaya closes with his joy and his verdict.

In brief

  • The Lord asks whether the teaching was heard with the whole mind and whether the delusion is gone (18.72).
  • Arjuna says: delusion destroyed, memory regained, doubt gone, and I will act on Your word (18.73).
  • Sanjaya's verdict: where the Lord of yoga and the archer Arjuna are, there are fortune, victory and firm policy (18.78).

The Gita begins with Arjuna's confusion and ends with his resolve. The Lord asks: did you hear this with your whole mind, and is your delusion gone? Arjuna answers that the delusion is destroyed, memory is back, doubt is gone and he will act (Gita 18.72–73). Then the narrator Sanjaya rounds off with his joy and his conclusion (Gita 18.74–78).

This hub answers a question many people carry: what does it feel like when confusion clears, and how does work begin after that? It is the seventh stop on the path Arjuna's Journey, after Merely an Instrument. The Lord's last counsel is in The Final Counsel, and Arjuna's first confusion in Arjuna's Despondency.

The topic can be read in three ways: a simple reading, a detailed reading and a deeper reading. The main point is the same in all: understanding is complete when it settles into steadiness and action.

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Simple New to this topic. Plain words, one idea at a time. When the Confusion Clears: How to Tell, and How to Begin The Lord asks whether the teaching was heard with the whole mind and whether the confusion has gone (18.72). 5 min · Read → In Depth Know the basics. Verse by verse, with reasons. Gita 18.72-78 Verse by Verse: Delusion Destroyed and Arjuna's Resolve The Lord asks whether the teaching was heard with a steady mind and whether the delusion is gone (18.72). 10 min · Read → Deeper Want the text itself: Sanskrit terms, commentary, close reading. Gita 18.72-78: A Close Reading of the Question, the Answer and the Narrator's Verdict The Lord's question lets the student say the answer himself; Arjuna's four statements run from the end of delusion to action (18.72, 18.73). 14 min · Read → Quick summary Short on time. The whole topic in a few minutes. Delusion Gone: I Will Act: Quick Summary The Lord asks whether the teaching was heard with the whole mind and whether the delusion is gone (18.72). 4 min · Read →

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