21-22: Arjuna said: "In the middle between the two armies, place my chariot, O Krishna, so that I may behold those who stand here desirious to fight, and know with whom I must fight, when the battle is about to commence.
23: For I desire to observe those who are assembled here to fight, wishing to please in battle the evil-minded Duryodhana (son of Dhritarashtra).
24: Sanjaya said: "Thus addressed by Arjuna, Krishna, having stationed the best of chariots, O Dhritarashtra, in the midst of the two armies ..
25: In front of Bhisma and Drona, and all the rulers of the earth, said: "O Arjuna - son of Pritha - behold these Kurus gathered together."
26: The, Arjuna - son of Pritha - saw there, in the stationed armies, fathers and grandfathers, teachers and maternal uncles, brothers and sons, grandsons and friends, all.
27: He saw fathers-in-law and friends also in both the armies. The son of Kunti - Arjuna - seeing all those kinsmen thus standing arrayed spoke these words, sorrowfully filled with deep pity:
28: Arjuna said: "Seeing these, my kinsmen, O Krishna, arrayed and eager to fight .. my limbs fail and my mouth is parched. My body quivers and my hair stands on end.
30: The bow Gandiva slips from my hand, as my skin burns all over. I am unable even to stand and my mind is reeling!
31: And I see adverse omens, O Kesava. I do not see any good in killing my kinsmen in battle.
32: I desire not victory, O Krishna, nor kingdom, nor pleasures. Of what avail is dominion to us? O Krishna, to what avail are the pleasures of life, or even life itself!
33: Those for whose sake we desire kingdom, enjoyments and pleasures, stand here in battle, having renounced life and wealth.
34-35: Teachers, fathers, sons and also grandfathers, maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law and other relatives - these I do not wish to kill! Though they kill me, O Krishna, even for the sake of dominion over the three worlds; leave alone killing them for the sake of earth.
36: By killing these sons of Dhritarashtra, what pleasure can be ours, O Janardana? Only sin will accured to us from killing these felons.
37: Therefore, we should not kill the sons of Dhritarashtra, our relatives; for how can we be happy by killing our own people, O Madhava?
38: Though they, with intelligence overpowered by greed, see no evil in the destruction of families, and no sin in hostility to friends.
39: Why should not we, who clearly see evil in the destruction of families, learn to turn away from this sin, O Janardana?
40: In the destruction of a family, the immemorial religious rites of that family perish. On the destruction of spirituality, impiety, indeed, overcomes the whole family.
41: By the prevalence of impiety, O Krishna, the women of the family become corrupt; and - the women corrupted - O Varshneya, there arises intermingling of castes.
42: Confusion of castes lead to hell - for the slayers of family - for their forefathers have fallen and so become deprived of rice-ball and water.
43: By these evil deeds, of the destroyers of families, which cause confusion of castes, the eternal religious rites of the caste and the family are destroyed.
44: We have heard, O Janardana, the inevitable is the dwelling for an unkown period in hell for those men in whose families the religious practices have been destroyed.
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.
46: If the sons of Dhritarashtra - with weapons in hand - should slay me in battle, unresisting and unarmed, that would be better for me.
47: Sanjaya said: "Having thus spoken in the midst of the battlefield, Arjuna, casting away his bow and arrow, sat down on the seat of the chariot with his hand overwhelmed with sorrow."
Thus, in this upanishad of the glorious Bhagavad Gita, the science of the Eternal, the scripture of Yoga, the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, ends the first discourse entitled: The Yoga of the Despondency of Arjuna.
COMMENTARY: Sloka 21-22 creates a graphic image of two vast, unnumbered armies, facing each other, prepared for battle. A field seperates them, an empty space, and into this space, Arjuna asks Krishna to guide the chariot. Stopping there, sitting between these two armies, he speaks his thoughts.
This image is one familiar to Westerners today: the image of ourselves in the middle while one shoulder holds the 'devil' and the other shoulder holds an 'angel'. This is the field of decision-indecision that each of us encounter at every moment throughout the day - sometimes not even away that a choice, a decision, is being made. A choice-decision that will impact our lives for the rest of our lives.
Arjuna, thus situated in the middle, is able to 'see' clearly: family and friends. His perspective is, as if, from higher ground. Or, sitting in the middle, he is able to see the forest for the trees.
This image overcomes Arjuna, sloka 29, in a very physical manner. His limbs grow weak, is mouth goes dry, is palms sweat, his very strength leaves his body - so that he cant even hold a bow. So overcome, he falls to his knees, completely crushed by the situation at hand.
How many of us have faced a similar circumstance? A situation that stands poised to devastate us; a moment that will change our life for all time. A decision so vast we cannot fathom a way through it, or a circumstance so horrific we wish only to die - or at least - 'stop the world' around us. To just sit in the middle, in stillness, because the pressure, the intensity, is too great.
Sloka 31: Krishna as Kesava, or 'one who has fine/luxuriant hair'. Though this may sound obscure, hair, traditionally in many cultures, has been a symbol of spiritual strength. Krishna's luxuriant hair is a sign of his greatness. (Reference Siva's jata-dreadlocks.)
Sloka 36: Krishna as Janardana, or "who is worshipped by all for prosperity and salvation". In using this name for Krishna, Arjuna is asking for his assistance, seeking his advice on how to proceed. Or, how to be prosperous, how to achieve salvation in this overwhelming moment of time.
Duryodhana, who heads the Kuru army, and is the chief 'bad guy' in th gita, has: set fire to the house of others, administered poison to his enemies, plundered the wealth and land of others, killed many individuals, taken another man's wife - all things that label him as an Atatayi-aggressor. In this, Arjuna is clearly demarcating his virtuous deeds to those of the heinous deeds of Duryodhana.
Sloka 39: Arjuna demarcates the Pandus from the Kurus by saying how he and his followers "clearly see evil". As such, with this clarity of vision, they should "turn away from .. sin". Arjuna has gone from being physically crushed to mentally trying to rationalize the situation, to understand what is about to commence. A situation that we all, once again, are familiar with.
Remember, Arjuna is a symbol. He represents "every man", which means, Arjuna is 'me' and 'you', is all of us, all humans the world over, for all time.
Finally, in this sloka, ignorance of the law is no excuse. Sinful conduct is a grave crime under any circumstance, and so unworthy of those who know better - the wise ones, the Yogins.
Sloka 40: Dharma, this topic was addressed in a previous post - actually in responce to a question. Reference subject: 'Agitation' (Jan 12, 2006), in which Nityananda asked, ".. why after hearing Gita did Arjuna kill thousands of ppl?"
For the full answer, please refer back to my original comment.
Sloka 41: Castes. There is a great deal of debate regarding what this means exactly. First, and most importantly, lets keep in mind the TIME PERIOD in which the 'Mahabharata' (and so the Bhagavad Gita) was written. In this example, the role and function of caste is the very structure of society itself.
Sloka 42: Rice-balls. These are gifts given to the dead (more on this in chapter 2). If the caste is destroyed, so to are destroyed a family's TRADITIONS, the very CUSTOMS that made this family - any family - great.
Afterall, each of us is the sum total of all our ancestors. Therefore, as we sit, now, reading this commentary, we are the strongest survivor of a long-line of strong individuals.
Be Whole!
Siddhananda Devi
tribes.tribe.net/adi_ayurveda
tribes.tribe.net/adi_bhagavad_gita
tribes.tribe.net/adi_tantra
tribes.tribe.net/hamsa_yoga
23: For I desire to observe those who are assembled here to fight, wishing to please in battle the evil-minded Duryodhana (son of Dhritarashtra).
24: Sanjaya said: "Thus addressed by Arjuna, Krishna, having stationed the best of chariots, O Dhritarashtra, in the midst of the two armies ..
25: In front of Bhisma and Drona, and all the rulers of the earth, said: "O Arjuna - son of Pritha - behold these Kurus gathered together."
26: The, Arjuna - son of Pritha - saw there, in the stationed armies, fathers and grandfathers, teachers and maternal uncles, brothers and sons, grandsons and friends, all.
27: He saw fathers-in-law and friends also in both the armies. The son of Kunti - Arjuna - seeing all those kinsmen thus standing arrayed spoke these words, sorrowfully filled with deep pity:
28: Arjuna said: "Seeing these, my kinsmen, O Krishna, arrayed and eager to fight .. my limbs fail and my mouth is parched. My body quivers and my hair stands on end.
30: The bow Gandiva slips from my hand, as my skin burns all over. I am unable even to stand and my mind is reeling!
31: And I see adverse omens, O Kesava. I do not see any good in killing my kinsmen in battle.
32: I desire not victory, O Krishna, nor kingdom, nor pleasures. Of what avail is dominion to us? O Krishna, to what avail are the pleasures of life, or even life itself!
33: Those for whose sake we desire kingdom, enjoyments and pleasures, stand here in battle, having renounced life and wealth.
34-35: Teachers, fathers, sons and also grandfathers, maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law and other relatives - these I do not wish to kill! Though they kill me, O Krishna, even for the sake of dominion over the three worlds; leave alone killing them for the sake of earth.
36: By killing these sons of Dhritarashtra, what pleasure can be ours, O Janardana? Only sin will accured to us from killing these felons.
37: Therefore, we should not kill the sons of Dhritarashtra, our relatives; for how can we be happy by killing our own people, O Madhava?
38: Though they, with intelligence overpowered by greed, see no evil in the destruction of families, and no sin in hostility to friends.
39: Why should not we, who clearly see evil in the destruction of families, learn to turn away from this sin, O Janardana?
40: In the destruction of a family, the immemorial religious rites of that family perish. On the destruction of spirituality, impiety, indeed, overcomes the whole family.
41: By the prevalence of impiety, O Krishna, the women of the family become corrupt; and - the women corrupted - O Varshneya, there arises intermingling of castes.
42: Confusion of castes lead to hell - for the slayers of family - for their forefathers have fallen and so become deprived of rice-ball and water.
43: By these evil deeds, of the destroyers of families, which cause confusion of castes, the eternal religious rites of the caste and the family are destroyed.
44: We have heard, O Janardana, the inevitable is the dwelling for an unkown period in hell for those men in whose families the religious practices have been destroyed.
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.
46: If the sons of Dhritarashtra - with weapons in hand - should slay me in battle, unresisting and unarmed, that would be better for me.
47: Sanjaya said: "Having thus spoken in the midst of the battlefield, Arjuna, casting away his bow and arrow, sat down on the seat of the chariot with his hand overwhelmed with sorrow."
Thus, in this upanishad of the glorious Bhagavad Gita, the science of the Eternal, the scripture of Yoga, the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, ends the first discourse entitled: The Yoga of the Despondency of Arjuna.
COMMENTARY: Sloka 21-22 creates a graphic image of two vast, unnumbered armies, facing each other, prepared for battle. A field seperates them, an empty space, and into this space, Arjuna asks Krishna to guide the chariot. Stopping there, sitting between these two armies, he speaks his thoughts.
This image is one familiar to Westerners today: the image of ourselves in the middle while one shoulder holds the 'devil' and the other shoulder holds an 'angel'. This is the field of decision-indecision that each of us encounter at every moment throughout the day - sometimes not even away that a choice, a decision, is being made. A choice-decision that will impact our lives for the rest of our lives.
Arjuna, thus situated in the middle, is able to 'see' clearly: family and friends. His perspective is, as if, from higher ground. Or, sitting in the middle, he is able to see the forest for the trees.
This image overcomes Arjuna, sloka 29, in a very physical manner. His limbs grow weak, is mouth goes dry, is palms sweat, his very strength leaves his body - so that he cant even hold a bow. So overcome, he falls to his knees, completely crushed by the situation at hand.
How many of us have faced a similar circumstance? A situation that stands poised to devastate us; a moment that will change our life for all time. A decision so vast we cannot fathom a way through it, or a circumstance so horrific we wish only to die - or at least - 'stop the world' around us. To just sit in the middle, in stillness, because the pressure, the intensity, is too great.
Sloka 31: Krishna as Kesava, or 'one who has fine/luxuriant hair'. Though this may sound obscure, hair, traditionally in many cultures, has been a symbol of spiritual strength. Krishna's luxuriant hair is a sign of his greatness. (Reference Siva's jata-dreadlocks.)
Sloka 36: Krishna as Janardana, or "who is worshipped by all for prosperity and salvation". In using this name for Krishna, Arjuna is asking for his assistance, seeking his advice on how to proceed. Or, how to be prosperous, how to achieve salvation in this overwhelming moment of time.
Duryodhana, who heads the Kuru army, and is the chief 'bad guy' in th gita, has: set fire to the house of others, administered poison to his enemies, plundered the wealth and land of others, killed many individuals, taken another man's wife - all things that label him as an Atatayi-aggressor. In this, Arjuna is clearly demarcating his virtuous deeds to those of the heinous deeds of Duryodhana.
Sloka 39: Arjuna demarcates the Pandus from the Kurus by saying how he and his followers "clearly see evil". As such, with this clarity of vision, they should "turn away from .. sin". Arjuna has gone from being physically crushed to mentally trying to rationalize the situation, to understand what is about to commence. A situation that we all, once again, are familiar with.
Remember, Arjuna is a symbol. He represents "every man", which means, Arjuna is 'me' and 'you', is all of us, all humans the world over, for all time.
Finally, in this sloka, ignorance of the law is no excuse. Sinful conduct is a grave crime under any circumstance, and so unworthy of those who know better - the wise ones, the Yogins.
Sloka 40: Dharma, this topic was addressed in a previous post - actually in responce to a question. Reference subject: 'Agitation' (Jan 12, 2006), in which Nityananda asked, ".. why after hearing Gita did Arjuna kill thousands of ppl?"
For the full answer, please refer back to my original comment.
Sloka 41: Castes. There is a great deal of debate regarding what this means exactly. First, and most importantly, lets keep in mind the TIME PERIOD in which the 'Mahabharata' (and so the Bhagavad Gita) was written. In this example, the role and function of caste is the very structure of society itself.
Sloka 42: Rice-balls. These are gifts given to the dead (more on this in chapter 2). If the caste is destroyed, so to are destroyed a family's TRADITIONS, the very CUSTOMS that made this family - any family - great.
Afterall, each of us is the sum total of all our ancestors. Therefore, as we sit, now, reading this commentary, we are the strongest survivor of a long-line of strong individuals.
Be Whole!
Siddhananda Devi
tribes.tribe.net/adi_ayurveda
tribes.tribe.net/adi_bhagavad_gita
tribes.tribe.net/adi_tantra
tribes.tribe.net/hamsa_yoga
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