Bhagwat Geeta Chapter 1 Shlok 8

The commander-in-chief is Dronachary himself, symbolizing dual
conduct. And then there is the grandsire Bheeshm, the very image of
delusion. Delusion is the fountainhead of deviation from the ideal state.
Since it survives till the very end, delusion is the grandsire. The whole
army has perished, but Bheeshm yet lives on. He lies unconscious on
his bed of arrows and still continues to breathe. Like Bheeshm, too, are
Karn, a betrayer of the sacred character of Self, and the conquering

warrior Kripachary. Kripachary represents the act of compassion by the
seeker in the state before Self-realization. God is the mine of compassion
and the sage attains to the same state after fulfillment. But during the
period up to accomplishment, so long as the worshiper is removed from
God and God is removed from him, when the uncongenial impulses are
still alive and strong, and he is besieged by delusion-if the seeker feels
compassion at this stage, he is destroyed. For acting with pity, Sita
had to undergo penance in Lanka for years.
Vishwamitr fell from grace because he felt tenderness at such a
stage. Maharshi Patanjali, the preceptor of yog-aphorism, has expressed
a similar view. “Attainments made, through perfect meditation are indeed
attainments, but they are also as formidable obstacles in the way of the
endeavour of the individual Soul for identification with the Supreme
Spirit as sensual desire, anger, greed, and delusion.” Goswami Tulsidas
has said, “O Garud, manifold are obstacles built up by maya when we
strive to unravel the knots of properties of nature-mere distortions of
truth. Attainment of sanctity elevates, but the mind conjures up one
temptation after another.’’
The illusory maya obstructs in many ways. It brings men
accomplishments and untold wealth, and even turns them into holy
beings. If a being of such accomplishment just passes by, even a
dying man is revived. Notwithstanding the recovery of the patient,
however, the seeker shall be destroyed if he regards the cure as his
own achievement. Instead of one sickness a thousand maladies will
swarm upon his mind, the process of reverent contemplation of the
divine will be interrupted, and he will so stray from the right path that the
world of matter overwhelms him. If the goal is distant and the seeker
feels compassion, this one act alone is sufficient to result in the debacle
of his whole army. So he has to be on his guard against the feeling of
compassion until the moment of final attainment, although at the same
time it is also true that compassion is the hallmark of a saint. But
before ultimate fulfillment, compassion is the mightiest warrior among
the evil, demoniacal impulses. It is thus that Ashwatthama is an image

of inordinate attachment, Vikarn of indecision, and Bhurishrawa of
perplexity and confusion. They are all chiefs of the outward flowing
current of life.
Similarly Ashwatthama, the son of Dronachary, is the symbol of
fixation. Fixation on or with things anywhere in the world is an adhesion
of mind or emotion. Dual conduct, which is represented by Dronachary,
is the father of fixation. Achary Drone could not be killed while he still
had arms in his hand, he was unconquerable. So Lord Krishn said,
“There is an elephant on the side of the Kauravas which is also named
Ashwatthama. Bheem should kill it and announce that Ashwatthama
has been killed. On getting this shocking information the Achary Drone
would be hit at the core, and would become slack. Seizing this
opportunity promptly he should be slayed.” Bheem killed the said elephant
and spread the word that Ashwatthama had been killed. Achary Drone
misunderstood and thought that his son Ashwatthama had been killed.
He lost his nerve and the bow fell from his hand. In utter dejection he
sat down motionless on the battlefield. He was beheaded. Too much
attachment with his son became the cause of Dronachary’s death.
Ashwatthama was blessed with longevity. Since fixation remains present
as an obstacle until the last moment, so Ashwatthama has been said
to be immortal.
Vikarn is the symbol of alluring fancies. In the higher stage of
spiritual practice (sadhna) specific fancies start cropping up. A lot of
alluring thoughts start emerging in the mind with regard to the possibility
of acquisition of super-natural power (siddhis) as the fruit of spiritual
practices (action) which God may bestow after fulfillment. The
contemplation of God is replaced by the contemplation of divine
excellences. A seeker’s eye should always be only on action, he should
not bother about the fruit or result of it. But when he is lost in the
meditation of Ridhis-Siddhis (spiritual excellences), he is entrapped in
the chain of imaginary thoughts (vikalpas). Such fanciful thoughts are
specific and are terrible obstructions in the spiritual pursuit of the seeker
and are symbolized here as Vikarn.

Bhurishrawa represents the deluded state of being puffed up
(shwas). When the state of spiritual exercitation (sadhana) gets elevated,
the seeker is admired by others as a mahatma (elevated soul) or as an
accomplished saint armed with divine power, so great that even the
Lokpals (protectors of the three worlds) bow down their heads before
him. If the seeker gets puffed up by such acclaim and admiration and
goes astray - this is nothing but deluded self-importance for which
Bhurishrawa stands as a symbol. Warning against it Revered Gurudev
used to say, “Despite the showers of flowers on you by the world, despite
its admirations of you by it and its acclaim calling you then Vishwaguru
(teacher of the world), you would get nothing, not even tears to weep. If
God proclaims you to be a Sadhu (saint), only then you would get
everything. The world might say so or not, it matters little.” Thus the
weakness of being swayed by the praises of the world is the state of
deluded self-importance and this is represented by Bhurishrawa.
Repeated plaudits and praises can lead to the diminution of sadhna so
this type of delusion is Bhurishrawa.
These are the names of three types of susceptibilities and
deformations which creep into sadhna when the state of restraint is
exalted, but they are aberrations caused by external impulses.