Bhagwad Gita - Post 9

Dear All,

Now, we move to the other important verses in Chapter 1 

Verse 31

Nimittaani cha pashyaami vipareetaani keshava;

Na cha shreyo'nupashyaami hatwaa swajanam aahave.

(And I see adverse omens, Kesava! I do not see any good in killing my kinsmen in battle.)

Commentary

Swami chinmayananda writes, 

In this state of mental confusion, when his emotions have been totally divorced from his intellect, the 'objective mind,' without the guidance of its 'subjective-aspect,' runs wild and comes to some unintelligent conclusions. 

He says, 'I desire neither victory, nor empire, nor even pleasure.' It is a recognized fact that a patient of hysteria, when allowed to talk, will, in a negative way, express the very cause for the attack. 

For example, when a woman, hysterically raving, repeatedly declares with all emphasis, that she is not tired of her husband that she still respects him, that he still loves her, that there is no rupture between them, etc., she, by these very words, clearly indicates the exact cause of her mental chaos.

Similarly, the very denials of Arjuna clearly indicate to all careful readers how and why he got into such a state of mental grief. He desired victory. He urgently wanted the kingdom. He anxiously expected to win pleasures for himself and his relations. 

But the challenging look of the mighty Kaurava forces and the great and eminent warriors standing ready to fight, shattered his hopes, blasted his ambitions, and undermined his self-confidence and he slowly developed the well-known "Arjuna disease," the cure for which is the theme of the Geeta.

Dear All,

Before declaring this verse, Arjuna even says in the previous verse that he does not seek any victory, any pleasure, any good (upon killing his own Guru/brothers and other warriors) !!!

When one’s emotions are running unchecked, rationality goes out the window. That’s when one starts talking or thinking about irrational things like superstition, which is what Arjuna was alluding to in this verse.  

 

On the surface, one would attribute Arjuna’s second statement in this verse to an outpouring of compassion towards his kinsmen. But, would an outpouring of compassion cause a panic? 

The true underlying emotion that caused this  panic  was fear. And what was Arjuna afraid of? Arjuna was accustomed to winning every war that he fought. When he saw the caliber of warriors in the Kaurava army, his ego felt extremely threatened that maybe this time it won’t win. 

Here we see that Arjuna’s ego was trying to deflect this fear by substituting compassion for the true emotion of fear. 

If we look back in our life, there are so many moments where, we are afraid from within to take up any action  and instead of accepting our fear openly, we speak philosophy, we quote some leaders, we even end up quoting Swami ( which would have been spoken by Swami in some other context)  and plug it in as our excuse to run away from action/renouncing an action.

And, it is not that we are making fool of others. We make fool of ourselves and we believe in what we are speaking, to escape from what we actually must do in a given  situation.

When life teaches us through experience and when we look back, we laugh at ourselves and say to ourselves, what all  we  spoke/thought, to justify ourselves, in the past!

Think.....!!!

Love

Bhagwad Gita - Post 8

Dear All,

In the next couple of posts, we will deal with the most striking verses from chapter 1

Verse 7

Asmaakam tu vishishtaa you taan nibodha dwijottama;
Naayakaah mama sainyasya samjnaartham taan braveemi te.

(Know also, best among the twice-born, the names of those who are the most distinguished among ourselves, the leaders of my army! These I name to you for your information.)

Commentary 

Addressing his master as "the best among the twice-born,"Duryodhana now repeats the names of the distinguished heroes in his own army. 

A weak man, to escape from his own mental fears, will whistle to himself in the dark. The guilty conscience of the tyrant king had undermined all his mental strength. The more he realized the combined strength of the great personalities arrayed in the opposite enemy camp, the more abjectly nervous he felt, in spite of the fact that his own army was also manned by highly competent heroes. 

After all, Drona is a Brahmana by birth and as such he must have a greater share of softness of heart. Moreover, the enemy lines are fully manned by his own dear students. As a shrewd dictator, Duryodhana entertained shameless doubts about the loyalty of his own teacher. This is but an instinctive fear which is natural with all men of foul motives and crooked dealings. 

All of us who have been leaders in any organization and have witnessed many leaders in Social/cultural/political/ commercial/any other  organization would have surely observed what is to be said here. 

" In tamil, there is a saying, " Nirai Kudam Talumbadu" ( The pot which is filled, will be steady, water will not spill out from that easily, which means that the danger of spilling of water is only in case where the pot is half filled and has room to jump in the next half and fall.

We would have observed in our own case, where one has absolute faith in one's self and especially where one's conscience is clear, he does not speak much and his actions speak for his purity, his noble thoughts. 

Only where a leader is not confident of himself, his intentions are not 100% right and noble, fear grips in him about the outcome of his proposed action and to overcome that fear, he talks too much, he projects his strength too much and tries to deceive the listeners as much as he tries to deceive himself, thinking that he will gain victory in and through his actions. This is the plight of Duryodhana!!

A Brahmana is considered as "twice-born" because of his inner spiritual development. When born from his mother's womb man comes into the world only as the animal called man. Thereafter, through study and contemplation he gains more and more discipline, and a cultured Hindu is called a Brahmana (Brahmin).

(This is applicable to every human being. By birth one may be a Brahman but as per the above understanding, one becomes a Brahmin in real sense upon sincere  study and  understanding and  contemplation  of/on  Brahman)

Love

Bhagwad Gita - Post 7

1st Chapter continued.....

Arjuna Uvaacha:

Senayor ubhayormadhye ratham sthaapaya me'chyuta.

Yaavad etaan nireekshe'ham yoddhukaamaan avasthitaan;

Kair mayaa saha yoddhavyam asmin ranasamudyame.

Arjuna said:

21-22. Please place my chariot, Krishna, in the middle of the two armies, so that I may behold those who stand here, desirous to fight, and know with whom I must fight when the battle begins.

Yotsyamaanaan avekshe'ham ya ete'tra samaagataah;

Dhaartaraashtrasya durbuddher yuddhe priyachikeershavah.

23. For I desire to observe those who are assembled here to fight, wishing to please in battle the evil-minded Duryodhana.

Sanjaya Uvaacha:

Evamukto hrisheekesho gudaakeshena bhaarata;

Senayor ubhayormadhye sthaapayitwaa rathottamam.

Sanjaya said:

24. Being thus addressed by Arjuna, Lord Krishna, having stationed that best of chariots, Dhritarashtra, in the middle of the two armies,

Bheeshmadronapramukhatah sarveshaam cha maheekshitaam;

Uvaacha paartha pashyaitaan samavetaan kuroon iti.

25. In front of Bhishma and Drona and all the rulers of the earth, said: "Arjuna, behold now all these Kurus gathered together!"

Tatraapashyat sthitaan paarthah pitrin atha pitaamahaan;

Aachaaryaan maatulaan bhraatrun putraan pautraan sakheemstathaa.

26. Then Arjuna beheld there stationed, grandfathers and fathers, teachers, maternal uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons and friends, too.

Shvashuraan suhridashchaiva senayorubhayorapi;

Taan sameekshya sa kaunteyah sarvaan bandhoon avasthitaan.

Kripayaa parayaa'vishto visheedannidam abraveet;

27. (he saw) fathers-in-law and friends also in both armies. The son of Kunti—Arjuna—seeing all these kinsmen standing arrayed, spoke thus sorrowfully, filled with deep pity.

Arjuna Uvaacha:

Drishtwemam swajanam krishna yuyutsum samupasthitam.

Arjuna said:

28. Seeing these, my kinsmen, Krishna, arrayed, eager to fight,

Seedanti mama gaatraani mukham cha parishushyati;

Vepathushcha shareere me romaharshashcha jaayate.

29. My limbs fail and my mouth is parched up, my body quivers and my hairs stand on end!

Gaandeevam sramsate hastaat twak chaiva paridahyate;

Na cha shaknomyavasthaatum bhramateeva cha me manah.

30. The (bow) "Gandiva" slips from my hand and my skin burns all over; I am unable even to stand, my mind is reeling, as it were.

Nimittaani cha pashyaami vipareetaani keshava;

Na cha shreyo'nupashyaami hatwaa swajanam aahave.

31. And I see adverse omens, Kesava! I do not see any good in killing my kinsmen in battle.

Na kaangkshe vijayam krishna na cha raajyam sukhaani cha;

Kim no raajyena govinda kim bhogair jeevitena vaa.

32. For I desire neither victory, Krishna, nor pleasures nor kingdoms! Of what avail is a dominion to us, Krishna, or pleasures or even life?

Yeshaam arthe kaangkshitam no raajyam bhogaah sukhaani cha;

Ta ime'vasthitaa yuddhe praanaamstyaktwaa dhanaani cha.

33. Those for whose sake we desire kingdoms, enjoyments and pleasures, stand here in battle, having renounced life and wealth.

Aachaaryaah pitarah putraastathaiva cha pitaamahaah;

Maatulaah shwashuraah pautraah shyaalaah sambandhinas tathaa.

34. Teachers, fathers, sons and also grandfathers, grandsons, fathers-in-law, maternal uncles, brothers-in-law and relatives,—

Etaan na hantum icchaami ghnato'pi madhusoodana;

Api trailokya raajyasya hetoh kim nu maheekrite.

35. These I do not wish to kill, Though they kill me, Krishna, even for the sake of dominion over the three worlds, leave alone killing them for the sake of the earth!

Nihatya dhaartaraashtraan nah kaa preetih syaaj janaardana;

Paapam evaashrayed asmaan hatwaitaan aatataayinah.

36. By killing these sons of Dhritarashtra, what pleasure can be ours, Janardana? Only sin will accrue by killing these felons.

Tasmaan naarhaa vayam hantum dhaartaraashtraan swabaandhavaan;

Swajanam hi katham hatwaa sukhinah syaama maadhava.

37. Therefore, we should not kill the sons of Dhritarashtra, our relatives; for, how can we be happy by killing our own people, Madhava (Krishna)?

Yadyapyete na pashyanti lobhopahatachetasah;

Kulakshayakritam dosham mitradrohe cha paatakam.

38. Though they, with intelligence overpowered by greed, see no evil in the destruction of families, and no sin in hostility to friends,

Katham na jneyam asmaabhih paapaad asmaan nivartitum;

Kulakshayakritam dosham prapashyadbhir janaardana.

39. Why should not we, who clearly see evil in the destruction of a family, learn to turn away from this sin, Janardana (Krishna)?

Kulakshaye pranashyanti kuladharmaah sanaatanaah;

Dharme nashte kulam kritsnam adharmo'bhibhavatyuta.

40. In the destruction of a family, the immemorial religious rites of that family perish; on the destruction of spirituality, impiety overcomes the whole family.

Adharmaabhibhavaat krishna pradushyanti kulastriyah;

Streeshu dushtaasu vaarshneya jaayate varnasankarah.

41. By prevalence of impiety, Krishna, the women of the family become corrupt and, women becoming corrupted, Varsneya (descendant of Vrishni), there arises intermingling of castes!

Sankaro narakaayaiva kulaghnaanaam kulasya cha;

Patanti pitaro hyeshaam luptapindodakakriyaah.

42. Confusion of castes leads to hell the slayers of the family, for their forefathers fall, deprived of the offerings of rice-ball and water.

Doshair etaih kulaghnaanaam varnasankarakaarakaih;

Utsaadyante jaatidharmaah kuladharmaashcha shaashwataah.

43. By these evil deeds of the destroyers of the family, which cause confusion of castes, the eternal religious rites of the caste and the family are destroyed.

Utsannakuladharmaanaam manushyaanaam janaardana;

Narake'niyatam vaaso bhavateetyanushushruma.

44. We have heard, Janardana, that inevitable is the dwelling for an unknown period in hell for those men in whose families the religious practices have been destroyed!

Aho bata mahat paapam kartum vyavasitaa vayam;

Yadraajya sukhalobhena hantum swajanam udyataah.

45. Alas! We are involved in a great sin in that we are prepared to kill our kinsmen through greed for the pleasures of a kingdom.

Yadi maam aprateekaaram ashastram shastrapaanayah;

Dhaartaraashtraa rane hanyus tanme kshemataram bhavet.

46. If the sons of Dhritarashtra, with weapons in hand, should slay me in battle, unresisting and unarmed, that would be better for me.

Sanjaya Uvaacha:

Evamuktwaa'rjunah sankhye rathopastha upaavishat;

Visrijya sasharam chaapam shokasamvignamaanasah.

Sanjaya said:

47. Having thus spoken in the middle of the battlefield, Arjuna, casting away his bow and arrow, sat down on the seat of the chariot with his mind overwhelmed with sorrow.

End of 1st chapter

Note - Detailed interpretation and commentary on the verses marked bold in the first chapter, out of verse 1 to 47, will be taken up from the next post onwards.

Though all verses are significant, few of them have been picked up from all chapters shall be taken up and dealt in detail. 

It is hoped that it will be easy for sincere readers to understand and get the depth of all other verses also, if few verses dealt in detail are contemplated and absorbed fully.

Love