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'And
where there is Yudhishthhira,
1 2a 2b 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18a 18b
"You
may ask whether one would not feel sad when the
bodies with which one had moved and lived for years
go out of sight. But for how many have you to
lament, in case it is proper so to grieve! Have you
thought of that? Joy and grief are as day and
night. They have to be put up with, gone through.
If you refuse, they won't stop happening; if you
desire, they won't start happening! They are both
related to the physical, the material body; they do
not affect the spirit, the soul. The moment you
escape from these two, that moment you are
liberated, you have
moksha." "
Listen
to this spoken chapter in
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" dhritarâshthra
uvâca
The
Bhagavad Gîtâ contains the sacred lore
of the spirit. Krishna gave unto mankind, through
Arjuna, the core of the Gîtâ message on
the battlefield at 10:30 a.m. on the
Karthika Bahula Amasya day. This was the day
on which the great Mahâbhârata
war was commenced. Ten days later, when
Bhîshma fell in battle, Sañjaya was
informing Dhritarâshthra of the proceedings
on the battlefield. Dhritarâshthra asked
Sañjaya: "Gathered
on the holy plain of Kurukshetra, o
Sañjaya,
This was on the Margasira Suddha Ekadasi
day. Some consider this day as the
Gîtâjayanti or the day on which
Krishna vouchsafed the message of the
Gîtâ to Arjuna. But this was the day on
which Sañjaya narrated the story of the
battle to Dhritarâshthra. The
Gîtâ was actually given by Krishna to
Arjuna on the Karthika Bahula Amasya
day. -
Summer
Showers in Brindavan 1979, pp. 158-9
It
is all in the Lord's plan. Consider, for example,
how long before the Gîtâ was spoken,
the Lord had gotten ready a Sañjaya, who
could see and hear whatever was done or spoken at a
distance; His mission was to preserve the
Gîtâ for
humanity. -
Sathya
Sai Speaks II, p. 168 sañjaya
uvâca sañjaya
uvâca
-- Sañjaya said;
drishthvâ
-- after seeing; tu -- but;
pândava-anîkam
-- the soldiers of the
Pândavas;
vyûdham -- arranged in a military phalanx;
duryodhanah -- King Duryodhana;
tadâ
-- at that time; âcâryam
-- the teacher; upasangamya -- approaching;
râjâ
-- the king; vacanam -- words; abravît --
spoke. pas'yaitâm
pându-putrânâm pas'ya
-- behold; etâm -- this;
pându-putrânâm -- of the sons of
Pându; âcârya -- o teacher;
mahatîm -- great; camûm -- military
force; vyûdhâm -- arranged;
drupada-putrena -- by the son of Drupada; tava --
your; s'ishyena -- disciple; dhîmatâ --
very intelligent. atra
s'ûrâ maheshvâsâ atra
-- here; s'ûrâh
-- heroes; maheshvâsâ
-- mighty bowmen; bhîma-arjuna -- to
Bhîma and Arjuna;
samâh
-- equal; yudhi -- in the fight;
yuyudhânah
-- Yuyudhâna;
virâtah
-- Virâta;
ca -- also; drupadah -- Drupada; ca -- also;
mahâ-rathah
-- great fighter. dhrishthaketus'
cekitânah dhrishthaketuh
-- Dhrishthaketu;
cekitânah
-- Cekitâna;
kâsir'âjah
-- Kâsir'âja;
ca -- also;
vîryavân
-- very powerful; purujit -- Purujit; kuntibhojah
-- Kuntibhoja; ca -- and; s'aibyah -- S'aibya; ca
-- and; nara-pungavah -- hero in human
society. yudhâmanyus'
ca vikrânta yudhmânyuh
-- Yudhâmanyu;
ca -- and; vikrântah
-- mighty; uttamaujâh
-- Uttamaujâ;
ca -- and;
vîryavân
-- very powerful; saubhadrah -- the son of
Subhadrâ;
draupadeyâh
-- the sons of Draupadî; ca -- and; sarve --
all; eva -- certainly;
mahâ-rathâh
-- great chariot fighters. asmâkam tu
vis'ishthâ ye asmâkam
-- our; tu -- but;
vis'ishthâh
-- especially powerful; ye -- who;
tân
-- them; nibodha -- just take note of, be informed;
dvija-uttama -- o best of the
brâhmanas;
nâyakâh
-- captains; mama -- my; sainyasya -- of the
soldiers; samjñâ-artham
-- for information; tân
-- them; bravîmi -- I am speaking; te -- to
you. bhavân
bhîshmas' ca karnas' ca bhavân
-- your good self; bhîshmah -- Grandfather
Bhîshma; ca -- also; karnah -- Karna; ca --
and; kripah -- Kripa; ca -- and;
samitiñjayah -- always victorious in battle;
as'vatthâmâ
-- As'vatthâmâ;
vikarnah -- Vikarna; ca -- as well as; saumadattih
-- the son of Somadatta;
tathâ
-- as well as; eva -- certainly; ca --
also. anye ca bahavah
s'ûrâ anye
-- others; ca -- also; bahavah -- in great numbers;
s'ûrâh
-- heroes; mat-arthe -- for my sake;
tyakta-jîvitâh
-- prepared to risk life;
nânâ
-- many; s'astra -- weapons;
praharanâh
-- equipped with; sarve -- all of them;
yuddha-vis'âradâh
-- experienced in military science. aparyâptam
tad asmâkam aparyâptam
-- immeasurable; tat -- that;
asmâkam
-- of ours; balam -- strength; bhîshma -- by
Grandfather Bhîshma; abhirakshitam --
perfectly protected;
paryâptam
-- limited; tu -- but; idam -- all this;
eteshâm
-- of the Pândavas;
balam -- strength; bhîma -- by Bhîma;
abhirakshitam -- carefully
protected.
The
Pândavas made up for their inferior military
strength by faith in God's omnipotence and their
own impotence! And, so, God Himself led them into
the field and won for them victory from the jaws of
defeat!
- Sathya Sai Speaks VII, p. 41 ayaneshu ca
sarveshu ayaneshu
-- in the strategic points; ca -- also; sarveshu --
everywhere; yathâ-bhâgam
-- as differently arranged;
avasthitâh
-- situated; bhîshmam -- unto Grandfather
Bhîshma; eva -- certainly; abhirakshantu --
should give support; bhavantah -- you; sarve -- all
respectively; eva hi -- certainly. tasya
sañjanayan harsham tasya
-- his; sañjanayan -- increasing; harsham --
cheerfulness; kuru-vriddhah -- the grandsire of the
Kuru dynasty (Bhîshma); pitâmahah --
the grandfather;
simha-nâdam
-- roaring sound, like that of a lion; vinadya --
vibrating; uccaih -- very loudly; s'ankham --
conchshell; dadhmau -- blew;
pratâpavân
-- the valiant. tatah
s'ankhâs' ca bheryas' ca tatah
-- thereafter; s'ankhâh
-- conchshells; ca -- also; bheryah -- large drums;
ca -- and; panava-ânaka
-- small drums and kettledrums;
gomukhâh
-- horns; sahasâ
-- all of a sudden; eva -- certainly; abhyahanyanta
-- were simultaneously sounded; sah -- that;
s'abdah -- combined sound; tumulah -- tumultuous;
abhavat -- became.
The
agonizing years of torment, hope, and disillusion
were over; the moment of decision had come, though
it was sought now, by the sharp edge of the sword
and not the soft words of Lord Krishna. The
armies gathered by the Kauravas from their
kingdom and from their allies were standing face to
face with the forces of their Pândava
cousins. Cavalry, chariotry, elephantry and
infantry, eager to start the destruction of the
enemy, the chief actors all accoutered and equipped
for the fray! Conches were blown; trumpets rent the
sky with their blare. The air was tense with hope,
fear, anxiety and anger. Blood in a million bodies
became redder and warmer; hearts pounded quicker;
arms grasped weapons in deadly
grip.
-
Sathya Sai Speaks IX, p. 86 tatah s'vetair
hayair yukte tatah
-- thereafter; s'vetaih -- with white; hayaih --
horses; yukte -- being yoked; mahati -- in a great;
syandane -- chariot; sthitau -- situated;
mâdhavah
-- Krishna (the husband of the goddess of fortune);
pândavah
-- Arjuna (the son of
Pându);
ca -- also; eva -- certainly; divyau --
transcendental; s'ankhau -- conchshells;
pradadhmatuh -- sounded.
Krishna and Arjuna also blew
their conches on the other side. The great roar of
battle proceeding from the soldiers on the side of
the Pândavas rent the
skies.
- Summer Showers in Brindavan 1979, p.
17 pâñcajanyam
hrishîkes'o pâñcajanyam
-- the conchshell named
Pâñcajanya;
hrishîka-is'ah -- Hrishîkes'a (Krishna,
the Lord who directs the senses of the devotees);
devadattam -- the conchshell named Devadatta;
dhanañjayah -- Dhanañjaya (Arjuna,
the winner of wealth); paundram -- the conch named
Paundra; dadhmau -- blew;
mahâ-s'ankham
-- the terrific conchshell;
bhîma-karmâ
-- one who performs herculean tasks; vrika-udarah
-- the voracious eater (Bhîma). anantavijayam
râjâ ananta-vijayam
-- the conch named Ananta-vijaya;
râjâ
-- the king; kuntî-putrah -- the son of
Kuntî; yudhishthhirah -- Yudhishthhira;
nakulah -- Nakula; sahadevah -- Sahadeva; ca --
and; sughosha-mani-pushpakau -- the conches named
Sughosha and Manipushpaka; kâs'yas' ca
parameshv-âsah kâs'yah
-- the King of Kâs'î
(Vârânasî);
ca -- and;
parama-ishu-âsah
-- the great archer; s'ikhandi -- S'ikhandi; ca --
also; mahâ-rathah
-- one who can fight alone against thousands;
dhrishthadyumnah -- Dhrishthadyumna (the son of
King Drupada); virâtah
-- Virâta
(the prince who gave shelter to the
Pândavas
while they were in disguise); ca -- also;
sâtyakih
-- Sâtyaki
(the same as Yuyudhâna,
the charioteer of Lord Krishna); ca -- and;
aparâjitah
-- who had never been vanquished; drupado
draupadeyâs' ca drupadah
-- Drupada, the King of
Pâñcala;
draupadeyâh
-- the sons of Draupadî; ca -- also;
sarvas'ah -- all; prithivi-pate -- o King;
saubhadrah -- Abhimanyu, the son of
Subhadrâ;
ca -- also; mahâ-bâhuh
-- mighty-armed;
s'ankhân
-- conchshells; dadhmuh -- blew; prithak prithak --
each separately. sa ghosho
dhârtarâshthrânâm sah
-- that; ghoshah -- vibration;
dhârtarâshthrânâm
-- of the sons of
Dhritarâshthra;
hridayâni
-- hearts; vyadârayat
-- shattered; nabhah -- the sky; ca -- also;
prithivîm -- the surface of the earth; ca --
also; eva -- certainly; tumulah -- uproarious;
abhyanunâdayan
-- resounding.
The
Kauravas represent the demonic nature; the
Pândavas represent the divine. They
are asat, these are sat; one is evil,
the other is good. And there has ever been a
struggle between the two. In this conflict between
opposing forces, Krishna (the self, the
âtmâ) is ever on the side of
dharma - the reality that sustains, not the
delusion that
undermines.
-
Gîtâ Vahini, p.
3
atha
vyavasthitân drishthvâ atha
-- thereupon;
vyavasthitân
-- situated; drishthvâ
-- looking upon; dhârtarâshthrân
-- the sons of Dhritarâshthra;
kapi-dhvajah -- he whose flag was marked with
Hanumân;
pravritte -- while about to engage;
s'astra-sampâte
-- in releasing his arrows; dhanuh -- bow; udyamya
-- taking up; pândavah
-- the son of Pându
(Arjuna); hrishîkes'am -- unto Lord Krishna;
tadâ
-- at that time; vâkyam
-- words; idam -- these;
âha
-- said; mahî-pate -- o King. arjuna
uvâca arjunah
uvâca
-- Arjuna said; senayoh -- of the armies; ubhayoh
-- both; madhye -- between; ratham -- the chariot;
sthâpaya
-- please keep; me -- my; acyuta -- o infallible
one; yâvat
-- as long as; etân
-- all these; nirikshe -- may look upon; aham -- I;
yoddhu-kaman -- desiring to fight;
avasthitân
-- arrayed on the battlefield; kaih -- with whom;
mayâ
-- by me; saha -- together; yoddhavyam -- have to
fight; asmin -- in this; rana -- strife; samudyame
-- in the attempt. yotsyamânân
avekshe 'ham yotsyamânân
-- those who will be fighting; avekshe -- let me
see; aham -- I; ye -- who; ete -- those; atra --
here; samâgatâh
-- assembled; dhârtarâshthrasya
-- for the son of
Dhritarâshthra;
durbuddheh -- evil-minded; yuddhe -- in the fight;
priya -- well; cikîrshavah --
wishing. sañjaya
uvâca sañjaya
uvâca
-- sañ said; evam -- thus; uktah --
addressed; hrishîkes'ah -- Lord Krishna;
gudâkes'ena
-- by Arjuna; bhârata
-- o descendant of Bharata; senayoh -- of the
armies; ubhayoh -- both; madhye -- in the midst;
sthâpayitvâ
-- placing; ratha-uttamam -- the finest
chariot.
Responding
to Arjuna's request, Krishna stationed his chariot
in the middle of the two armies. The chariot
appeared so terrifying to the Kaurava soldiers that
they felt as if the war horses galloped on their
hearts.
- Summer Showers in Brindavan 1979, p. 18 bhîshma-drona-pramukhatah bhîshma
-- Grandfather Bhîshma; drona -- the teacher
Drona; pramukhatah -- in front of; sarveshâm
-- all; ca -- also; mahî-kshitâm --
chiefs of the world; uvâca -- said;
pârtha
--
o son of Prithâ; pas'ya -- just behold;
etân -- all of them; samavetân --
assembled; kurûn -- the members of the Kuru
dynasty; iti -- thus.
The
two armies of the Kauravas and
Pândavas were standing on either side.
On the side of the Pândavas, there were seven
units of armies. On the side of the Kauravas, there
were eleven units of armies. It is not as if Arjuna
was ignorant of the number of units on the Kaurava
side and the number of units on the Pândava
side. Knowing this fully well, Arjuna requested
Krishna to take his chariot and put it right in the
middle of the two armies. When Krishna asked him
the reason for this behavior, he replied that he
wanted to determine with whom he should really
fight if he should fight at all. When we examine
this in the context in which he made this
statement, we realize that he made this statement
after he had gone with the intention of fighting.
Krishna prepared the chariot and Arjuna prepared
all his weapons, including the
Gândiva, and they were all set for the
battle. After reaching the battlefield why did he
change his mind? Was it his weakness or did he
become despondent? He began asking the question as
to who will benefit from the battle and who will
get prosperity from the battle. He realized that
the very people for whose sake he was fighting the
battle will probably be killed, so he felt that the
battle had no purpose. The kings want to rule over
the people and build up the prosperity of the
people and the kingdom, and if the people are going
to be killed in a battle where is the question of
prosperity and a kingdom? After the entire family
and group of people are wiped out, for whose sake
was he going to establish a kingdom and rule over
it? Some people have described this moha or
attachment to his kith and kin, and they named the
chapter as vishada yoga. This cannot be
described as a period of internal controversy or
discussion within himself. He has entered this
argument within himself to decide between truth and
untruth, between propriety and impropriety. He
discussed within himself the aspect that the
Kauravas have been ruling unjustly and the fact
that they have been having untruth and impropriety
on their side and did not himself want to undertake
the same impropriety and untruth. There were
certain distinctive features and distinctive
qualities on the side of the Pândavas and
therefore God was also on their side. Here it
becomes clear to us that Krishna was on the side of
the Pândavas because of their good qualities.
If we look at this situation in a somewhat
superficial manner, then we will see that because
Arjuna was thrown into this despondent and
confusing situation, an opportunity had arisen for
Krishna to preach the sacred text of Bhagavad
Gîtâ. If Arjuna did not fall into
an introspective and despondent situation like
this, Krishna would not have had an opportunity to
preach the sacred Bhagavad Gîtâ. Just
as we know that pleasure is an interval between two
pains, so also in the interval between two
situations, sometimes good comes about. Krishna
here plays the part of a typical human being and,
by making Arjuna behave as a typical human being,
Krishna created a situation whereby the
Gîtâ could be expounded. Man's life is
transient. It is momentary, and in this context
Arjuna had a chance to recognize the permanent
truth.
- Summer Roses on the Blue Mountains 1976, pp.
80-1 tatrâpas'yat
sthitân pârthah tatra
-- there; apas'yat -- he could see;
sthitân
-- standing;
pârthah
-- Arjuna; pitrin -- fathers; atha -- also;
pitâmahân
-- grandfathers; âcâryân
-- teachers; mâtulân
-- maternal uncles;
bhrâtrin
-- brothers; putrân
-- sons; pautrân
-- grandsons; sakhin -- friends;
tathâ
-- too; s'vas'urân
-- fathers-in-law; suhridah -- well-wishers; ca --
also; eva -- certainly; senayoh -- of the armies;
ubhayoh -- of both parties; api --
including. tân
samîkshya sa kaunteyah tân
-- all of them; samîkshya -- after seeing;
sah -- he; kaunteyah -- the son of Kuntî;
sarvân
-- all kinds of; bandhûn -- relatives;
avasthitân
-- situated; kripayâ
-- by compassion;
parayâ
-- of a high grade; âvishthah
-- overwhelmed; vishîdan -- while lamenting;
idam -- thus; abravît -- spoke. arjuna
uvâca arjunah
uvâca
-- Arjuna said;
drishthvâ
-- after seeing; imam -- all these; sva janam --
kinsmen; krishna -- o Krishna; yuyutsum -- all in a
fighting spirit; samupasthitam -- present;
sîdanti -- are quivering; mama -- my;
gâtrâni
-- limbs of the body; mukham -- mouth; ca -- also;
paris'ushyati -- is drying up. vepathus' ca
s'arîre me vepathuh
-- trembling of the body; ca -- also; s'arire -- on
the body; me -- my; roma-harshah -- standing of
hair on end; ca -- also;
jâyate
-- is taking place; gândîvam
-- the bow of Arjuna; sramsate -- is slipping;
hastât
-- from the hand; tvak -- skin; ca -- also; eva --
certainly; paridahyate -- is
burning.
Beholding
his grandfather Bhîshma, his guru
Dronâchârya, and his friends and
relations, and thinking of the bonds of affection
between him and the people on the other side of the
battlefield, Arjuna felt despondent. His head
reeled, his limbs trembled, and the
Gândiva slipped from his
hand.
- Summer Showers in Brindavan 1979, p.
17
Arjuna
entered the battlefield, fully equipped and
frantically determined to destroy his enemies. But,
when he stood between the serried ranks in the
chariot driven by Lord Krishna, he saw "my
teachers", "my grandfather", "my kinsmen", "my
cousins" and he was moved so much by this sense of
I and mine that he discarded the bow and desired to
return, poor and
beaten.
- Sathya Sai Speaks VII, p. 293 na ca s'aknomy
avasthâtum na
-- nor; ca -- also; s'aknomi -- am I able;
avasthâtum
-- to stay; bhramati -- forgetting; iva -- as; ca
-- and; me -- my; manah -- mind;
nimittâni
-- causes; ca -- also;
pas'yâmi
-- I see;
viparîtâni
-- just the opposite; kes'ava -- o killer of the
demon Kes'î (Krishna). na ca s'reyo
'nupas'yâmi na
-- nor; ca -- also; s'reyah -- good;
anupas'yâmi
-- do I foresee; hatvâ
-- by killing; sva-janam -- own kinsmen;
âhave
-- in the fight; na -- nor;
kânkshe
-- do I desire; vijayam -- victory; krishna -- o
Krishna; na -- nor; ca -- also;
râjyam
-- kingdom; sukhâni
-- happiness thereof; ca -- also.
"0
Krishna!" Arjuna cried, "I am forced to wage this
terrible war against friends and relations with
whom I should have been living in happiness and
harmony. My mind rebels against this. The cause for
this is neither the fear of death nor the need to
kill my kinsmen."
- Summer Showers in Brindavan 1979, p.
17 kim no
râjyena govinda kim
-- what use; nah -- to us;
râjyena
-- is the kingdom; govinda -- o Krishna; kim --
what; bhogaih -- enjoyment; jîvitena --
living; vâ
-- either; yeshâm
-- of whom; arthe -- for the sake;
kânkshitam
-- is desired; nah -- by us;
râjyam
-- kingdom; bhogâh
-- material enjoyment;
sukhâni
-- all happiness; ca -- also; ta ime
'vasthitâ yuddhe te
-- all of them; ime -- these;
avasthitâh
-- situated; yuddhe -- on this battlefield;
prânân
-- lives; tyaktvâ
-- giving up; dhanâni
-- riches; ca -- also;
âcâryâh
-- teachers; pitarah -- fathers;
putrâh
-- sons; tathâ
-- as well as; eva -- certainly; ca -- also;
pitâmahâh
-- grandfathers; mâtulâh
s'vas'urâh pautrâh mâtulâh
-- maternal uncles;
s'vas'urâh
-- fathers-in-law;
pautrâh
-- grandsons; s'yâlâh
-- brothers-in-law; sambandhinah -- relatives;
tathâ
-- as well as; etân
-- all these; na -- never; hantum -- to kill;
icchâmi
-- do I wish; ghnatah -- being killed; api -- even;
madhusûdana -- O killer of the demon Madhu
(Krishna); api
trailokya-râjyasya api
-- even if; trai-lokya -- of the three worlds;
râjyasya
-- for the kingdom; hetoh -- in exchange; kim nu --
what to speak of; mahî-krite -- for the sake
of the earth; nihatya -- by killing;
dhârtarâshthrân
-- the sons of Dhritarâshthra;
nah -- our; kâ
-- what; prîtih -- pleasure;
syât
-- will there be; janârdana -- o maintainer
of all living entities.
Overcome
by sorrow and delusion, Arjuna turns from war and
keeps aside his weapons; he is dejected in his
chariot, halted between the opposing forces; he
turns this way and that, puzzled and perturbed; he
surveys the faces of his kith and kin; he is
overcome by pity.
-
Gîtâ Vahini, p. 10 pâpam
evâs'rayed asmân papam
-- vices; eva -- certainly; asrayet -- must come
upon; asman -- us; hatva -- by killing; etan -- all
these; atatayinah -- aggressors; tasmat --
therefore; na -- never; arhah -- deserving; vayam
-- we; hantum -- to kill; dhartarastran -- the sons
of Dhritarashthra; sa-bandhavan -- along with
friends; sva-janam -- kinsmen; hi -- certainly;
katham -- how; hatva -- by killing; sukhinah --
happy; syama -- will we become; madhava -- o
Krishna, husband of the goddess of
fortune.
Many
people argue and say that God could do anything,
and they say that God should have avoided the war
by his own sankalpa. Here we must notice
that Krishna was not willing to use his own divine
strength for the benefit of mankind directly. He
was living as human beings do and he wanted to use
the normal human methods by which to control
various actions.
- Summer Roses on the Blue Mountains 1976, pp.
48-9 yady apy ete na
pas'yanti katham na
jñeyam asmâbhih katham
-- why; na -- should not; jñeyam -- be
known; asmâbhih
-- by us; pâpât
-- from sins; asmât
-- these; nivartitum -- to cease; kula-kshaya -- in
the destruction of a dynasty; kritam -- done; dosam
-- crime; prapas'yadbhih -- by those who can see;
Janârdana -- o
Krishna. kula-kshaye
pranas'yanti kula-kshaye
-- in destroying the family; pranas'yanti -- become
vanquished; kula-dharmâh
-- the family traditions;
sanâtanâh
-- eternal; dharme -- religion; nashthe -- being
destroyed; kulam -- family; kritsnam -- whole;
adharmah -- irreligion; abhibhavati -- transforms;
uta -- it is said.
...the
words of God always represent truth, and whatever
He does is an act of dharma. His words
constitute and His actions constitute
dharma. There is nothing in the world that
He wants or that He has to do. All actions of His
are undertaken for the good of the people. Our duty
is to do what He asks us to do without question. We
have no right or the capacity to question or
enquire into the actions of the Lord ... Whatever
He does, it is for our good. In the eyes of God,
there is no difference between one and another. In
this context, He gets neither angry nor pleased.
The Pândavas did not fight the battle,
nor did they plan the battle. Victory cannot be
ascribed to them. Krishna is the one who
made them fight and achieve victory. It is very
difficult to understand His lîlâs.
-
Summer Showers in Brindavan 1978, p.
37 adharmâbhibhavât
krishna adharma
-- irreligion;
abhibhavât
-- having become predominant; krishna -- o Krishna;
pradushyanti -- become polluted; kula-striyah --
family ladies; strîshu -- by the womanhood;
dushthâsu
-- being so polluted;
vârshneya
-- o descendant of Vrishni;
jâyate
-- comes into being; varna-sankarah -- unwanted
progeny.
The
Srutis (scriptures) have declared that the
destruction wrought by war may lead women away from
the path of virtue and bring social
disorder.
- Summer Showers in Brindavan 1979, pp.
17-8 sankaro
narakâyaiva sankarah
-- such unwanted children;
narakâya
-- make for hellish life; eva -- certainly;
kula-ghnânâm
-- for those who are killers of the family; kulasya
-- for the family; ca -- also; patanti -- fall
down; pitarah -- forefathers; hi -- certainly;
eshâm
-- of them; lupta -- stopped; pinda -- of offerings
of food; udaka -- and water;
kriyâh
-- performances.
It
would be better to live on alms than to fight for a
kingdom and be responsible for this great sin and
repent later ... Arjuna also was telling Krishna
that it is better to beg for food and live than to
achieve victory by killing all those who are near
and dear.
- Summer Showers in Brindavan 1979, p.
18 doshair etaih
kula-ghnânâm doshaih
-- by such faults; etaih -- all these;
kula-ghnânâm
-- of the destroyers of the family; varna-sankara
-- of unwanted children;
kârakaih
-- which are causes;
utsâdyante
-- are devastated; jâti
dharmâh
-- community projects;
kula-dharmâh
-- family traditions; ca -- also;
s'âs'vatâh
-- eternal. utsanna-kula-dharmânâm utsanna
-- spoiled; kula-dharmânâm
-- of those who have the family traditions;
manusyânâm
-- of such men; janârdana -- o Krishna;
narake -- in hell; niyatam -- always;
vâsah
-- residence; bhavati -- it so becomes; iti --
thus; anus'us'ruma -- I have heard by disciplic
succession.
Dharma
is the moral code, the experience of sages, the
controlling discipline that checks the mind and the
senses. There are many such brakes operating on
man: vyakthi-dharma (controls affecting the
individual as such), sahaja-dharma
(controls affecting the nature of man, as man),
âs'rama-dharma (controls affecting the
stage of life, like student, householder, ascetic),
varna-dharma (controls pertaining to the
fulfillment of the duties cast upon man as a limb
of the community), etc. All these brakes are
complementary, they do not cause confusion, they
help progress, each in its own way. Krishna
reminded Arjuna of his varna-dharma as a
kshatriya, and also of his
sahaja-dharma as a jîvi (an
instrument in the hands of the Lord). Besides
these, there is also the visesha-dharma
(obligations on special occasions or when faced
with special situations). You must therefore walk
warily towards the
goal.
- Sathya Sai Speaks IV, p. 292 aho bata mahat
pâpam aho
-- alas; bata -- how strange it is; mahat -- great;
pâpam
-- sins; kartum -- to perform;
vyavasitâh
-- have decided; vayam -- we; yat -- because;
râjya-sukha-lobhena
-- driven by greed for royal happiness; hantum --
to kill; sva-janam -- kinsmen;
udyatâh
-- trying. yadi mâm
apratîkâram yadi
-- even if; mâm
-- me; apratikâram
-- without being resistant; as'astram -- without
being fully equipped;
s'astra-pânayah
-- those with weapons in hand;
dhârtarâshthrâh
-- the sons of Dhritarâshthra;
rane -- on the battlefield; hanyuh -- may kill; tat
-- that; me -- for me; kshema-taram -- better;
bhavet -- would be. sañjaya
uvâca sañjayah
uvaca -- Sañjaya
said; evam -- thus;
uktvâ
-- saying; arjunah -- Arjuna; sankhye -- in the
battlefield; ratha -- of the chariot; upasthe -- on
the seat; upâvis'at
-- sat down again; visrijya -- putting aside;
sa-s'aram -- along with arrows;
câpam
-- the bow; s'oka -- by lamentation; samvigna --
distressed; mânasah
-- within the mind.
Thus
the great hero Arjuna entered into a state of
despair. His dejection proceeded from his concern
for the preservation of dharma and his
anxiety to strictly obey God's command.
Dharma, which is concerned with the welfare
of all, should override the dictates of
mamakara (attachment), which confines itself
to the interests of one's kith and kin. That
dharma which relates to societal well-being
should be held higher than man's duty to a few and
therefore should not be sacrificed for the latter.
The attachment one has for one's relations may be
compared to the clouds that suddenly gather in the
sky and disappear in no time. Dharma,
however, is that which sustains this earth. Thus,
Arjuna felt dejected out of his anxiety to protect
dharma and adhere to God's injunction as
indicated in the srutis. Had Arjuna merely
felt sorry for his kinsmen, it might have been only
vishada or dejection; but since he felt
agonized for the sake of the protection of
dharma and obeying the word of God, his
mental state is described as vishada yoga or
the yoga of righteous despair.
-
Summer Showers in Brindavan 1979, p.
18
|
||||||||
"The
division of the Bhagavad Gîtâ into
various chapters is only meant to suit our
convenience. The entire text has an inseparable and
indivisible organic unity. All the chapters are
interdependent. The human body consists of various
limbs and organs, but they cannot have an
independent and isolated existence. In the same
way, the Omnipresent Divine Reality of the
Paramâtmâ constitutes the
"central theme of all the chapters of the
Gîtâ and interconnects
them." -
Summer
Showers in Brindavan 1979, p. 122
