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The
original Sanskrit verses and with comments taken from the writings of
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'There is
the Fortune of the World
1 2a 2b 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18a 18b
"There
is a widespread misconception that spiritual values
have no place in modern society. It is erroneously
supposed that spirituality is incompatible with
secular society. Krishna removes this misconception
in Sânkhya Yoga. Many fallaciously
imagine that spirituality is only concerned with
salvation. Spirituality is, in fact, the backbone
of society and is indispensable for social progress
and solidarity. Its importance for and relevance to
society cannot be
exaggerated."
- Summer Showers in Brindavan 1979, p.
24 "
Listen
to this spoken chapter in
Audio
" sañjaya
uvâca sañjayah
uvâca
-- Sañjaya
said; tam -- unto Arjuna;
tathâ
-- thus; kripayâ
-- by compassion; âvishtham
-- overwhelmed;
as'ru-pûrna-âkula
--full of tears; îkshanam -- eyes;
vishîdantam -- lamenting; idam -- these;
vakyam -- words; uvâca
-- said; madhu-sûdanah -- the killer of
Madhu. s'rî
bhagavân uvâca s'rî-bhagavân
uvâca
-- the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; kutah
--wherefrom; tvâ
-- unto you; kas'malam -- dirtiness; idam -- this
lamentation; vishame -- in this hour of crisis;
samupasthitam --arrived;
anârya
-- persons who do not know the value of life;
jushtham --practiced by; asvargyam -- which does
not lead to higher planets;akîrti -- infamy;
karam -- the cause of; arjuna -- o
Arjuna.
In
the Bhagavad Gîtâ, Arjuna finds himself
on the horns of a spiritual dilemma. He is worried
about his sva-dharma. He finds himself in an
unenviable predicament. He hesitates to kill his
own relatives and be guilty of fratricide. So he
begins to detest the homicidal glory of a
battlefield. - Summer
Showers in Brindavan 1979, p. 26 klaibyam
mâ sma gamah pârtha klaibyam --
impotence; mâ
sma -- do not; gamah -- take to;
pârtha--
o son of Prithâ; na -- never; etat -- this;
tvayi -- unto you; upadyate -- is befitting;
kshudram -- petty; hridaya -- of the heart;
daurbalyam -- weakness;
tyaktvâ
-- giving up; uttishthha -- get up; param-tapa -- o
chastiser of the enemies. arjuna
uvâca arjunah
uvâca
-- Arjuna said; katham -- how; bhîshmam --
Bhîshma; aham -- I; sankhye -- in the fight;
dronam -- Drona; ca -- also; madhu-sûdana --
o killer of Madhu; ishubhih -- with arrows;
pratiyotsyâmi
-- shall counterattack;
pûjâ-arhau
-- those who are worshipable; ari-sûdana -- o
killer of the enemies.
The
sammoha of Arjuna was the feeling of "I" and
"mine". All of a sudden he began to feel that he
was a killer, that he would be responsible and that
they were his teachers and elders and relations.
This mamakara has to go, the "I" has to be
crossed and all words, thoughts, and deeds have to
be dedicated to the Lord.
-
Sathya Sai Speaks I, p. 171 gurûn
ahatvâ hi mahânubhâvân gurûn -- the
superiors; ahatvâ
-- not killing; hi -- certainly;
mahâ-anubhâvân
-- great souls; s'reyah -- it is better; bhoktum --
to enjoy life; bhaikshyam -- by begging; api --
even; iha -- in this life; loke -- in this world;
hatvâ
-- killing; artha -- gain;
kâmân
-- desiring; tu -- but; gurûn -- superiors;
iha -- in this world; eva -- certainly;
bhuñjîya -- one has to enjoy;
bhogân
-- enjoyable things; rudhira -- blood;
pradigdhân
-- tainted with.
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. Krishna,
in a prophetic manner addressing Arjuna said, "What
is ordained by fate is inescapable; Justice will be
done; Victory will go to the righteous ones; Truth
will survive.
-
Summer Showers in Brindavan 1978, p.
37 na
caitad vidmah kataran no garîyo na -- nor; ca --
also; etat -- this; vidmah -- do we know; katarat
--which; nah -- for us; garîyah -- better;
yat va -- whether; jayema
--
we may conquer;
yadi -- if; vâ
-- or; nah -- us; jayeyuh --
they
conquer;
yân
-- those who; eva -- certainly;
hatvâ
-- by killing;
na --
never;
jijîvishâmah
-- we would want to live; te -- all of
them;
avasthitâh
-- are situated; pramukhe -- in the front;
dhârtarâshthrah
--
the sons of
Dhritarâshthra. kârpanya-doshopahata-svabhâvah kârpanya
-- of miserliness; dosha -- by the weakness;
upahata -- being
afflicted;
sva-bhâvah
-- characteristics;
pricchâmi
-- I am asking; tvâm
-- unto You;
dharma -- religion; sammûdha -- bewildered;
cetâh
-- in
heart; yat --
what; s'reyah -- all-good;
syât
-- may be; nis'citam
--
confidently;
brûhi -- tell; tat -- that; me -- unto me;
s'ishyah --
disciple; te --
Your; aham -- I am; s'âdhi
-- just instruct; mâm
-- me;
tvâm
-- unto You; prapannam --
surrendered.
For Arjuna sought from Krishna not
preyas, the pleasing worldly glory of power
and status and wealth, but s'reyah, the
lasting glory of full joy. He said, "Preyas
is available for human effort; it can be won by
human activity or karma. Why should I crave
from You what I can win by my own endeavor? I am
not so foolish as all that. Grant me the
sreyas that is beyond the reach of my
effort. Sreyas is not the fruit of
karma, it is the fruit of grace!" Thus,
Arjuna rose to the height of saranagathi,
absolute self-surrender, the state called
prapathi
(prapannam).
-
Gîtâ Vahini, p. 18
As long as the consciousness of the deha
or body persists, the bhakta is the servant
and the Lord is Master. As long as the individual
feels that he is separate from other individuals,
the bhakta is a part and the Lord is the
Whole. When he progresses to the state when he gets
beyond the limits of the body as well as of "I" and
"mine", then there is no more distinction;
bhakta and bhagavân are the
same. In the Ramâyana,
Hanumân achieved the third stage
through bhakti.
This same subject is mentioned in the
seventh sloka of the second chapter of the
Gîtâ. The word prapannam used
there indicates that Arjuna has the qualification,
the discipline of
bhakti.
-
Gîtâ Vahini, p. 20 na
hi prapas'yâmi mamâpanudyâd na -- do not; hi --
certainly; prapas'yâmi
-- I see; mama -- my;
apanudyât
-- can drive away; yat -- that which; s'okam --
lamentation;
ucchoshanam --
drying up; indriyânâm
-- of the senses; avâpya
--
achieving;
bhûmau -- on the earth; asapatnam -- without
rival; riddham
-- prosperous;
râjyam
-- kingdom; surânâm
-- of the demigods; api
--
even; ca --
also; âdhipatyam
-- supremacy.
What
exactly is the cause of all grief? It is the
attachment to the body that produces grief as well
as its immediate precursors: affection and hate.
These two are the results of the intellect
considering some things and conditions as
beneficial, and some other things and conditions as
not. This is a delusion, this idea of beneficence
and maleficence. Still you get attached to objects
that are considered beneficial and you start hating
the others. But from the highest point of view,
there is neither; the distinction is just
meaningless. There is no two at all; how can there
be good and bad then? To see two where there is
only one, that is mâyâ, or
ignorance (illusion). The ignorance that plunged
Arjuna into grief was of this nature - seeing many,
when there is only one.
-
Gîtâ Vahini, pp. 20-1 sañjaya
uvâca sañjayah
uvâca
-- Sañjaya said; evam -- thus;
uktvâ
-- speaking; hrishîkes'am -- unto Krishna,
the master of the senses;
gudâkes'ah
-- Arjuna, the master of curbing ignorance;
parantapah -- the chastiser of the enemies; na
yotsye -- I shall not fight; iti -- thus; govindam
-- unto Krishna, the giver of pleasure to the
senses; uktvâ
-- saying; tûshnim -- silent; babhûva
-- became; ha -- certainly.
If
Arjuna has, by his efforts, won control over his
senses and earned the name Gudâkes'a,
Krishna, as Hrishîkes'a, is the
presiding deity of all the senses! On the field of
Kurukshetra both are in the same chariot,
one as learner and the other as
teacher! -
Gîtâ
Vahini, p. 20 tam
uvâca hrishîkes'ah tam -- unto him;
uvâca
-- said; hrishîkes'ah -- the master of the
senses,
Krishna;
prahasan -- smiling; iva -- like that;
bhârata
-- o
Dhritarâshthra,
descendant of Bharata; senayoh -- of the armies;
ubhayoh
-- of both
parties; madhye -- between; vishîdantam --
unto the lamenting
one; idam --
the following; vacah -- words.
This
is the distinguishing mark that separates the
'wise' (jñâni) from the 'unwise'
(ajñâni). Krishna spoke, laughing with
an out-burst of joy; Arjuna listened while
overpowered by sorrow. The
jñâni is always full of joy; he
laughs. The ajñâni is afflicted with
sorrow; he weeps.
-
Sanathana Sarathi, July 1980, p. 147 s'rî-bhagavân
uvâca s'rî-bhagavân
uvâca --
the Supreme Personality of Godhead said;
as'ocyân
-- not worthy
of lamentation; anvas'ocah -- you are lamenting;
tvam --
you;
prajñâ-vâdân
-- learned talks; ca -- also;
bhâshase
-- speaking;
gata -- lost;
asûn -- life; agata -- not past; asun --
life; ca --
also; na --
never; anus'ocanti -- lament;
panditâh
-- the learned.
What
exactly is the cause of all grief? It is the
attachment to the body that produces grief as well
as its immediate precursors: affection and hate.
These two are the results of the intellect
considering some things and conditions as
beneficial, and some other things and conditions as
not. This is a delusion, this idea of beneficence
and maleficence. Still, you get attached to objects
that are considered beneficial and you start hating
the others. But from the highest point of view,
there is neither; the distinction is just
meaningless. There is no two at all; how can there
be good and bad then? To see two where there is
only one, that is mâyâ, or
ignorance (illusion). The ignorance that plunged
Arjuna into grief was of this nature -seeing many,
when there is only one.
-
Gîtâ Vahini, pp. 20-1
Thus,
Krishna started giving him, in the very first
instance the most effective drug,
jñâna. This is detailed from
the eleventh sloka of the second chapter.
This is a key sloka for all students of the
Gîtâ. Krishna condemns outright two
objections that were haunting Arjuna for long,
saying that the destruction of the body does not
mean the destruction of the âtmâ
and that he is grieving for those he need not
grieve for.
Prajñâ-vâdâms' ca
bhâshase: "You talk like a wise man. You
say this is dharma and the other is
adharma, as if you know how to distinguish
between them," said
Krishna.
-
Gîtâ Vahini, p. 22 na
tv evâham jâtu nâsam na -- never; tu --
but; eva -- certainly; aham -- I;
jâtu
-- at any
time; na -- did
not; âsam
-- exist; na -- not; tvam -- you; na --
not;
ime -- all
these; jana-adhipâh
-- kings; na -- never; ca -- also;
eva
-- certainly;
na -- not; bhavishyâmah
-- shall exist; sarve vayam --
all
of us; atah
param -- hereafter.
Bhîshma,
Drona and the rest have come like true soldiers
and kshatriyas to engage in battle. They do
not weep like you. Consider that. They will never
grieve or withdraw. Arjuna! This is the testing
time for you, remember! Let me tell you this also.
There never was a time when I was not. Why? There
was never a time when even you and all these kings
and princes were not. Tat is the
Paramâtmâ, tvam is the
jivâtmâ; and both were the same,
are the same, and will be so forever. Prior to
the pot, in the pot and after the pot, it was, is,
and will be mud.
- Gîtâ
Vahini, p. 24 dehino
'smin yathâ dehe dehinah -- of the
embodied; asmin -- in this;
yathâ
-- as; dehe -- in the body;
kaumâram
-- boyhood; yauvanam -- youth;
jarâ
-- old age; tathâ
-- similarly; deha-antara -- of transference of the
body; prâptih
-- achievement; dhîrah -- the sober; tatra --
thereupon; na -- never; muhyati -- is
deluded.
Though it is associated with the body, the
âtmâ is unaffected by the
gunas and the dharmas; that is to
say, it has no qualities and characteristics. You
are unaffected by the changes that the body
undergoes when you grow from the infant to the boy,
from the boy into youth, from the youth to the
middle-aged man and thence to the old man. You
persist, in spite of all this. It is the same when
the body is destroyed; the âtmâ
persists. So the hero will not pine for the change
called death". Krishna said this with such emphasis
that the chariot shook! Arjuna was still
doubt-ridden. "O Lord," he began, "You said that
the bodily changes are like the stages of
wakefulness, dream and sleep. The experiences of
previous births are destroyed in memory by the
incident called death." Krishna replied that it was
not possible to recall to memory all experiences,
but it was possible to recall some. For the
âtmâ persisted, though the vehicle
changed.
Arjuna
then shifted to another point; a point that pesters
many besides Arjuna. That is why, Krishna says,
"dhîras tatra na muhyati", [the
dhîrah is not deluded by this]. He
does not say that Arjuna should not be deluded by
this. He intends to teach all wavering minds.
Krishna solves every doubt as soon as it arises. He
said, "Arjuna! While passing through the three
stages, buddhi somehow manages to keep some
points in its hold. But it too is destroyed when
death comes to the body. At one stroke, all is
forgotten. Memory is the function of the intellect,
not the âtmâ.
-
Gîtâ Vahini, p. 26 mâtrâ-sparsâs
tu kaunteya mâtrâ-spars'âh
-- sensory perception; tu -- only; kaunteya -- o
son of
Kuntî;
s'îta -- winter; ushna -- summer; sukha --
happiness; duhkha --
and pain;
dâh
-- giving; âgama
-- appearing; apâyinah
-- disappearing;
anityâh
-- nonpermanent; tân
-- all of them; titikshasva -- just try
to
tolerate;
bhârata
-- o descendant of the Bharata
dynasty.
The
object-ward movement of the senses is the cause of
grief and its twin, joy. It is like heat and cold;
when it is the cold season, you crave for warmth,
and in the hot season you crave for coolness. The
sense object contact is exactly like this. As long
as the world is there, objective contact cannot be
avoided. Still, one can master the art, the
discipline, the secret, of avoiding them or bearing
them without bother... Arjuna! Wear the armor of
fortitude, of titiksha, and the blows of
good and bad fortune can never harm
you.
Titiksha
means equanimity in the face of opposites, putting
up boldly with duality. It is the privilege of the
strong, the treasure of the brave... Fortitude is
different from patience. Titiksha is not the
same as sahana. Sahana is putting up
with something, tolerating it, bearing it, because
you have no other go; having the capacity to
overcome it, but yet, disregarding it - that is the
spiritual discipline. Patiently putting up with the
external world of duality combined with inner
equanimity and peace - that is the path to
liberation. Bearing all, with analytic
discrimination - that is the type of sahana
that will yield good
result.
-
Gîtâ Vahini, pp. 27-8 yam
hi na vyathayanty ete yam -- one to whom;
hi -- certainly; na -- never; vyathayanti --
are
distressing;
ete -- all these; purusham -- to a person;
purusha-rishabha --
o best among
men; sama -- unaltered; duhkha -- in distress;
sukham --
and happiness;
dhîram -- patient; sah -- he;
amritatvâya
-- for
liberation;
kalpate -- is considered
eligible.
Generally,
man seeks only happiness and joy; under no stress
will he desire misery and grief! He treats
happiness and joy as his closest well-wishers and
misery and grief as his direct enemies. This is a
great mistake. When one is happy, the risk of grief
is great; fear of losing the happiness will haunt
the man. Misery prompts inquiry, discrimination,
self-examination and fear of worse things that
might happen. It awakens you from sloth and
conceit. Happiness makes one forget one's
obligations to oneself as a human being. It drags
man into egoism and the sins that egoism leads one
to commit. Grief renders man alert and
watchful.
So
misery is a great friend; happiness spends out the
stock of merit and arouses the baser passions. So
it is really an enemy. Really, misery is an
eye-opener; it promotes thought and the task of
self-improvement. It also endows one with new and
valuable experiences. Happiness draws a veil over
experiences that harden a person and make him
tough. So, troubles and travails are to be treated
as friends - at least not as enemies. Only, it is
best to regard both happiness and misery as gifts
of God. That is the easiest path for one's own
liberation.
-
Gîtâ Vahini, p. 28-29 nâsato
vidyate bhâvo na -- never; asatah
-- of the nonexistent; vidyate -- there is;
bhâvah
-- endurance;
na -- never; abhâvah
-- changing quality; vidyate
--
there is; satah
-- of the eternal; ubhayoh -- of the two; api
--
verily;
drishthah -- observed; antah -- conclusion; tu --
indeed; anayoh
-- of them;
tattva -- of the truth; dars'ibhih -- by the
seers. avinâs'i
tu tad viddhi avinâs'i
-- imperishable; tu -- but; tat -- that; viddhi --
know it;
yena -- by
whom; sarvam -- all of the body; idam -- this;
tatam --
pervaded;
vinâs'am
-- destruction; avyayasya -- of the
imperishable;
asya -- of it;
na kas'cit -- no one; kartum -- to do; arhati -- is
able. antavanta
ime dehâ anta-vantah --
perishable; ime -- all these;
dehâh
-- material bodies nityasya -- eternal in
existence; uktâh
-- are said; s'arîrinah -- of the embodied
soul; anâs'inah
-- never to be destroyed; aprameyasya --
immeasurable; tasmât
-- therefore; yudhyasva -- fight;
bhârata
-- o descendant of Bharata.
It
is enough. Get up and get ready for the fray. Why
slide to the ground under the weight of all this
useless ego? The Lord is the cause of all, not you.
There is a higher power that moves everything. Know
this and bend your will to
it.
- Gîtâ Vahini, p. 24 ya
enam vetti hantâram yah -- anyone who;
enam -- this; vetti -- knows;
hantâram
-- the killer; yah -- anyone who; ca -- also; enam
-- this; manyate -- thinks; hatam -- killed; ubhau
-- both; tau -- they; na -- never;
vijânîtah
-- are in knowledge; na -- never; ayam -- this;
hanti -- kills; na -- nor; hanyate -- is
killed.
This explains why Krishna taught Arjuna the
key science of atmajñâna. The
âtmâ does not kill, nor does it
die. Those who believe that it kills or dies are
unaware of its nature. The âtmâ
of Arjuna does not kill; the
âtmâ of Bhîshma or
Drona does not die, the âtmâ
of Krishna does not prompt! These are just
phases of the cause-consequence duality. The
âtmâ cannot be the cause or
consequence of any karma; it is
nir-vikara, incapable of change. -
Gîtâ
Vahini, p. 31 na
jâyate mriyate vâ kadâcin na -- never;
jâyate
-- takes birth; mriyate -- dies;
vâ
-- either; kadâcit
-- at any time (past, present or future); na --
never; ayam -- this;
bhûtvâ
-- having come into being;
bhavitâ
-- will come to be; vâ
-- or; na -- not; bhûyah -- or is again
coming to be; ajah -- unborn; nityah -- eternal;
s'âs'vatah
-- permanent; ayam -- this;
purânah
-- the oldest; na -- never; hanyate -- is killed;
hanyamâne
-- being killed; s'arire -- the
body.
There
are six forms of modulation or modification:
Originating, existing, growing, altering,
declining, getting destroyed. These are the
shad-vikaras. Originating or janma is
when it "was not" and later "is". When it "is" and
becomes "is not", it is called maranam or
death. Janma happens to organic beings, not
inorganic things. But the âtmâ
has no organs, it is nira-vayava. The
âtmâ is not born, so how can it
die? Whom does it kill? It is unborn,
eternal.
-
Gîtâ Vahini, p. 31 vedâvinâs'inam
nityam veda -- knows;
avinâs'inam
-- indestructible; nityam -- always existing; yah
-- one who; enam -- this (soul); ajam -- unborn;
avyayam -- immutable; katham -- how; sah -- that;
purushah -- person; pârtha-- o Pârtha
(Arjuna); kam -- whom;
ghâtayati
-- causes to hurt; hanti -- kills; kam --
whom. vâsâmsi
jîrnâni yathâ vihâya vâsâmsi
-- garments;
jîrnâni
-- old and worn out;
yathâ
-- just as; vihâya
-- giving up; navâni
-- new garments; grihnâti
-- does accept; narah -- a man;
aparâni
-- others; tathâ
-- in the same way;
s'arîrâni
-- bodies; vihâya
-- giving up;
jîrnâni
-- old and useless;
anyâni
-- different; samyâti
-- verily accepts; navâni
-- new sets; dehî -- the
embodied.
Just
as a person discards old clothes and wears new
ones, the dehi (dweller in the body)
discards one body and dons another. The body is to
the individual what the clothes are to the
body.
-
Gîtâ Vahini, p. 31 nainam
chindanti s'astrâni na -- never; enam
-- this soul; chindanti -- can cut to pieces;
s'astrâni
-- weapons; na -- never; enam -- this soul; dahati
-- burns; pâvakah
-- fire; na -- never; ca -- also; enam -- this
soul; kledayanti -- moistens;
âpah
-- water; na -- never; s'oshayati -- dries;
mârutah
--wind.
If you understand the real nature of the
âtmâ, then you would not give
way to grief. All the weapons that you wield can
harm but the material body; they cannot harm the
modification-less âtmâ. Know
this truth and renounce this despondency.
-
Gîtâ Vahini, p. 31 acchedyo
'yam adâhyo 'yam acchedyah --
unbreakable; ayam -- this soul;
adâhyah
-- unable to be burned; ayam -- this soul; akledyah
-- insoluble; as'oshyah -- not able to be dried;
eva -- certainly; ca -- and; nityah -- everlasting;
sarva-gatah -- all-pervading;
sthânuh
-- unchangeable; acalah -- immovable; ayam -- this
soul; sanâtanah
-- eternally the same. avyakto
'yam acintyo 'yam avyaktah --
invisible; ayam -- this soul; acintyah --
inconceivable; ayam -- this soul;
avikâryah
-- unchangeable; ayam -- this soul; ucyate -- is
said; tasmât
-- therefore; evam -- like this;
viditvâ
-- knowing it well; enam -- this soul; na -- do
not; anus'ocitum -- to lament; arhasi -- you
deserve. atha
cainam nitya-jâtam atha -- if,
however; ca -- also; enam -- this soul;
nitya-jâtam
-- always born; nityam -- forever;
vâ
-- either; manyase -- you so think; mritam -- dead;
tathâpi
-- still; tvam -- you;
mahâ-bâho
-- o mighty-armed one; na -- never; enam -- about
the soul; s'ocitum -- to lament; arhasi --
deserve. jâtasya
hi dhruvo mrityur jâtasya
-- of one who has taken his birth; hi -- certainly;
dhruvah -- a fact; mrityuh -- death; dhruvam -- it
is also a fact; janma -- birth; mritasya -- of the
dead; ca -- also; tasmât
-- therefore; aparihârye
-- of that which is unavoidable; arthe -- in the
matter; na -- do not; tvam -- you; s'ocitum -- to
lament; arhasi -- deserve. avyaktâdîni
bhûtâni avyaktâdîni
-- in the beginning unmanifested;
bhûtâni
-- all that are created; vyakta -- manifested;
madhyâni
-- in the middle; bhârata
-- o descendant of Bharata; avyakta --
nonmanifested; nidhanâni
-- when vanquished; eva -- it is all like that;
tatra -- therefore; kâ
-- what; paridevanâ
-- lamentation.
Of course, in the deluded stage, the world
appears as real and brahman as a meaningless
concoction. In the stage of intelligent clarity,
the jagat is grasped in its true sense as
unreal. The fairy of delusion overpowers you by her
charms and by her arrows of falsehood and guilt. It
is only the person possessed of the vision of
universal brahman that can soon escape her
wiles. Such a person fully knows that names and
forms arose a little time ago and disappear a
little time after. In the Gîtâ too it
is said: "These, o Bharata, appear in the middle
only... " (11-28). The world is subject to
evolution and involution. To understand this, one
need not wait till the end of the world; it is
enough if the angle of the vision is corrected.
That is the gateway to knowledge. That is real
control of pranas, the consciousness that
the world is unreal, or mithya.
-
Prasanthi Vahini, pp. 86-7 âs'caryavat
pas'yati kas'cid enam âs'carya-vat
-- as amazing; pas'yati -- sees; kas'cit --
someone; enam -- this soul;
âs'carya-vat
-- as amazing; vadati -- speaks of;
tathâ
-- thus; eva -- certainly; ca -- also; anyah --
another; âs'carya-vat
-- similarly amazing; ca -- also; enam -- this
soul; anyah -- another; s'rinoti -- hears of;
s'rutvâ
-- having heard; api -- even; enam -- this soul;
veda -- knows; na -- never; ca -- and; eva --
certainly; kas'cit -- someone. dehî
nityam avadhyo 'yam dehî -- the
owner of the material body; nityam -- eternally;
avadhyah -- cannot be killed; ayam -- this soul;
dehe -- in the body; sarvasya -- of everyone;
bhârata
-- o descendant of Bharata;
tasmât
-- therefore; sarvâni
-- all; bhûtâni
-- living entities (that are born); na -- never;
tvam -- you; s'ocitum -- to lament; arhasi --
deserve. svadharmam
api câvekshya sva-dharmam --
one's own religious principles; api -- also; ca --
indeed; avekshya -- considering; na -- never;
vikampitum -- to hesitate; arhasi -- you deserve;
dharmyât
-- for religious principles; hi -- indeed;
yuddhât
-- than fighting; s'reyah -- better engagement;
anyat -- any other; kshatriyasya -- of the
kshatriya; na -- does not; vidyate --
exist.
The
foremost duty of a kshatriya is to stay on
the side of dharma and destroy
adharma. Consider your good fortune! You
have on this battlefield worthy foes like
Bhîshma and others. This same
Bhîshma fought in the past with his
own guru, the brahmin who taught him all the
arts, the great Paras'urâma
[B.P.
9-15]
himself; in order, primarily, to carry out his
kshatriya duty. And now you, like a coward,
are afraid to take arms against such stalwarts. A
kshatriya finds his duty fulfilled when he
upholds the cause of dharma in spite of
odds. That is the path of
progress.
-
Gîtâ Vahini, p. 31 yadricchayâ
copapannam yadricchayâ
-- by its own accord; ca -- also; upapannam --
arrived at svarga -- of the heavenly planets;
dvâram
-- door; apâvritam
-- wide open; sukhinah -- very happy;
kshatriyâh
-- the members of the royal order;
pârtha
-- o son of
Prithâ; labhante -- do achieve; yuddham --
war; îdris'am -- like
this.
Kshatham
means dukham, "sorrow", and a
kshatriya is he who saves beings from
sorrow. A chance like this to wage a war on behalf
of dharma against the forces of
adharma comes but rarely to a man. You have
been blessed as a kshatriya to take part in
this dharma-yuddham. Just imagine how much
merit you will acquire by the service to the world,
which you are set to do now. The war that is waged
to establish santhi and soukhya
(peace and plenty) in the world is referred to as
dharma-yuddham, and this is just such a
struggle, where justice is bound to win.
The Kauravas have desisted from no
sin, no injustice and no vice. They insulted
elders, deserted the virtuous, defamed the chaste,
and wounded the self-respect of the good. Countless
are their misdeeds. Now, the moment for retribution
has come, if you behave like a poltroon, you bring
dishonor to your parents, to your brothers, and
indeed to the entire kshatriya
caste.
-
Gîtâ Vahini, p. 32 atha
cet tvam imam dharmyam atha -- therefore;
cet -- if; tvam -- you; imam -- this; dharmyam --
as a religious duty;
sangrâmam
-- fighting; na -- do not; karishyasi -- perform;
tatah -- then; sva-dharmam -- your religious duty;
kîrtim -- reputation; ca -- also;
hitvâ
-- losing; pâpam
-- sinful reaction; avâpsyasi
-- will gain.
You
imagine that it is a sin to engage in war. That is
a great error. The sin, on the other hand, lies in
avoiding the chance to destroy the wicked, in
prolonging the agony of the virtuous. Give up your
dharma now, and you run the risk of falling
into perdition. Hold fast to it, and you are
untouched by sin. Be of fixed mind; do not give way
to either one or the other among all the dualities
of the world. -
Gîtâ
Vahini, p. 32 akîrtim
câpi bhûtâni akîrtim --
infamy; ca -- also; api -- over and above;
bhûtâni
-- all people; kathayishyanti -- will speak; te --
of you; avyayâm
-- forever; sambhâvitasya
-- for a respectable man; ca -- also; akîrtih
-- ill fame; maranât
-- than death; atiricyate -- becomes
more. bhayâd
ranâd uparatam bhayât
-- out of fear; ranât
-- from the battlefield; uparatam -- ceased;
mamsyante -- they will consider;
tvâm
-- you; mahâ-rathâh
-- the great generals;
yeshâm
-- for whom; ca -- also; tvam -- you; bahu-matah --
in great estimation;
bhûtvâ
-- having been; yâsyasi
--you will go; lâghavam
-- decreased in value. avâcya-vâdâms'
ca bahûn avâcya
-- unkind; vâdân
-- fabricated words; ca -- also; bahûn --
many; vadishyanti -- will say; tava -- your;
ahitâh
-- enemies; nindantah -- while vilifying; tava --
your; sâmarthyam
-- ability; tatah -- than that; duhkha-taram --
more painful; nu -- of course; kim -- what is
there. hato
vâ prâpsyasi svargam hatah -- being
killed; vâ
-- either; prâpsyasi
-- you gain; svargam -- the heavenly kingdom;
jitvâ
-- by conquering; vâ
-- or; bhokshyase -- you enjoy; mahîm -- the
world; tasmât
-- therefore; uttishthha -- get up; kaunteya -- o
son of Kuntî; yuddhaya -- to fight; krita --
determined; nis'cayah -- in
certainty.
One
should engage in activity, with a mind steady in
the midst of fortune, good or bad. This is what
Krishna advised in the 37th
sloka.
-
Gîtâ Vahini, p. 32 sukha-duhkhe
same kritvâ sukha -- happiness;
duhkhe -- and distress; same -- in equanimity;
krutvâ
-- doing so; lâbhâlâbhau
-- both profit and loss;
jayâjayau
-- both victory and defeat; tatah -- thereafter;
yuddhâya
-- for the sake of fighting; yujyasva -- engage
(fight); na -- never; evam -- in this way;
pâpam
-- sinful reaction; avâpsyasi
-- you will gain. *
Sânkhya: one of six leading systems of
spiritual Vedic philosophy, attributed to
Sage
Kapila.
Its chief object is the emancipation of the soul
from the bonds of wordly existence; Analytic
knowledge; philosophocal analysis of the material
and the spiritual and the controller of both.
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"Of
the eighteen chapters of the Gîtâ,
