60. Despondency to Enlightenment

Krishna says (2.70) that one attains peace when they remain unmoved by desires, like an ocean that is unmoved by the waters entering it. He further says that (2.71) Nir-mama (sans -I) and nir- ahankaar (sans -I am doer) is the path for peace to reach the destination of the eternal state (2.72). None are deluded after attaining it.  This eternal state is called moksha which is ultimate freedom, joy and Compassion. Krishna gives the example of the ocean to compare this eternal state and rivers being stimulations constantly received by senses. Like an ocean, one remains stable and steady after attaining the eternal state, even if temptations and desires keep entering them. Secondly, when rivers meet the ocean, they lose their existence. Similarly, when desires enter a person in the eternal state, they lose their existence.  Thirdly, if one thing makes us miserable, it's the reaction (akarma) generated in us by the stimulations of the external world and our inability to control it. Hence, the indication is that like the ocean, we too should learn to ignore such transient (2.14) stimulations. Our understanding is that every karma has a kartha (doer) and karmaphal (fruits of action). Earlier, Krishna (2.47) gave us the path of separating Karma and Karmaphal. Now he advises us to drop 'I' and Ahankaar (aham-kartha), the sense of doership so that kartha and karma are separated. There is no point of return once this eternal state of peace is achieved and any karma remains just one of the billion actions of this ever active universe.   In the Gita, the eternal state comes after Vishad (despondency) through Sankhya (awareness) as it is the norm that extreme pain has the potential and capability to bring moksha when used positively like Krishna did with Arjun and the present COVID-19 is no exception either.