Kṛṣṇa emphasizes the power of ‘conditioning’. He tells Arjuna that he is already bound by the habits and traits of his past karma (‘svena karmaṇā’). Out of current confusion or sentiment (‘mohāt’), Arjuna may think he can quit his duty, but he will find himself doing it anyway, quite ‘avaśaḥ’ or helplessly. We are all driven by the momentum of our own character. Imagine a person who has practiced music for twenty years; even if they decide to stop, their fingers will still tap to the rhythm. Our ‘svabhāva’ or nature is a powerful engine. If we try to block it, we only create internal friction. Kṛṣṇa is telling us to be practical. Instead of trying to be someone else, we should offer the person we already are to the Lord. This is the path of least resistance and greatest success. It teaches us humility regarding our own ‘free will’. We are not as independent as we think. Our past choices have created a current nature that has a life of its own. By recognizing this, we stop making ‘whimsical’ spiritual decisions. We learn to work with our nature, refining and spiritualizing it, rather than trying to kill it. This is the secret of sustainable growth.