Why we do what we don't want

atha kena prayukto’ayaṃ pāpaṃ carati pūruṣaḥanicchannapi vārṣṇeya balādiva niyojitaḥ

Then what drives a person to do wrong, Varshneya, even against their will, as if pushed by force?

What it means

Arjuna asks one of the most human questions in the Gita. If we know what's right, why do we do papa, wrongdoing, anyway? Sometimes it feels like we're dragged there by some force stronger than our own will. What is that force?

The story

Arjuna calls Krishna Varshneya, of the Vrishni clan, a name of kinship. He's no longer only grieving. He's genuinely curious about how the mind works. His question shows he's starting to learn, not just to resist.

In your life

Picture someone who swears they'll stop doom-scrolling at midnight, and finds themselves at it again, wondering why. It's a fair question to ask yourself honestly. What pushes you, when you act against your own wishes?