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This page tells the beginning installment of an amazing story occurring in the midst of a battle field, long long ago. I am only re-writing (the translation of) this wonderful story on this blog. Originally written in Sanskrit, the Bhagavad Gita, even though conceived as a religious text, is an entire coded system in itself for any human being (irrespective of cast, creed, sex and religion) to become perfect. While the Bhagavad Gita has been been translated into English by many great authors, I have mostly referred to the version of Swami Chinmayanada Ji. This page - and the 17 others in this series/story - are dedicated, with great respect, to the author of the most amazing book (according to me) ever written, Sage Vyasa.
The scene tells about king Dhritarashtra talking to Sanjaya about the current state of affairs at the battlefield of Kurukshetra where the 2 armies of Pandavas and Kauravas have assembled.
1.
Arjuna Vishada Yoga
1)
DHRITARASHTRA:
Sanjaya, tell me what happened
at Kurukshetra, the field of dharma, where my family and the pandavas gathered
to fight
2)
SANJAYA:
Having surveyed the forces of
pandavas arrayed for battle, prince Duryodhana approached his teacher, Drona
and spoke
3)
O my teacher, look at this mighty army of
Pandavas, assembled by your own gifted disciple, Yudhishtira
4)
There are heroic warriors and great archers who
are the equals of Bhima and Arjuna: Yuyudhana; Virata; the mighty Drupada;
5)
Dhrishtaketu; Chekitana; The valiant king of
Kashi; Purujit; kuntibhoja; the great leader Shaibya;
6)
The powerful yudhamanyu; The valiant Uttamaujas;
and the son of Shubhadra, in addition to sons of Draupadi. All these command
mighty chariots.
7)
O Best of Brahmins, listen to the names of those
who are distinguished among our own forces:
8)
Bhishma; Karna; and the victorious Kripa;
Ashvatthama; Vikarna; and the son of somaddatta;
9)
There are many others too, heroes giving up
their lives for my sake, all proficient in war and armed with a variety of
weapons
10)
Our army is unlimited and commanded by Bhishma;
theirs is small and commanded by bhima
11)
Let everyone take his proper place and stand
firm supporting Bhishma!
12)
Then the powerful Bhishma, the grandsire, oldest
of all the kurus, in order to cheer duryodhana, roared like a lion and blew his
conch horn
13)
And after Bhishma, a tremendous noise arose of
conchs and cow horns and pounding on drums.
14)
Then Madhava (Sri Krishna) and Pandava (Arjuna),
who were standing in a mighty chariot yoked with white horses, blew their
divine conches.
15)
Panchajanya was blown by Hrishikesha (Sri
Krishna), and Devadatta by Dhananjaya (Arjuna). Vrikodara (Bhima), terrible in
action, blew his great conch Paundra
16)
The king Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, blew
Anatavijaya and Nakula and Sahadeva blew Sughosha and Manipushpaka
17)
The supreme archer King of Kashi, the great
warrior Shikhandi, Dhrishtadyumna, Virata, and the unconquered Satyaki…
18)
…Drupada, all the sons of Draupadi… O Lord of the
earth (Dhritarashtra)… and the mighty armed son of Subhadra all blew their
respective conches.
19)
The tumultuous roar sounded in the sky and the
earth and rent the hearts of Dhritarashtra’s men.
20)
Then… O Lord of the earth (Dhritarashtra)…
Seeing Dhritarashtra’s men standing arrayed, about to begin battle, Pandava
(Arjuna), whose ensign is (Hanuman) raised his bow and spoke these words to
Hrishikesha (Sri Krishna)
21)
ARJUNA:
Place my chariot, Achyuta (Sri Krishna) between the 2 armies..
22)
.. that I may survey those standing there
desirous to fight, with whom in the great battle, I must fight.
23)
I wish to observe carefully, those who are
assembled here, about to do battle, wishing to please the evil minded son of
Dhritarashtra (Duryodhana) in waging war.
24)
SANJAYA:
Thus addressed by Gudakesha
(Arjuna)… O Bharata… Hrishikesha (Sri Krishna) stationed the great chariot
between both armies…
25)
…in front of Bhishma and Drona and all the
rulers of Earth and said: “Behold Partha (Arjuna), all those Kurus assembled
together”
26)
Partha saw, standing there, fathers,
grandfathers, teachers, maternal uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons, also
friends…
27)
…father-in-law and also friends in both armies.
He, kaunteya (Arjuna – son of Kunti), seeing all these relatives standing there
was filled by deep compassion, and sorrowfully said:
28)
“Seeing these relatives… Krishna… arrayed here
and eager to fight
29)
…my limbs
fail me and my mouth is dry. My body trembles and my hair stands on end…
30)
… Gandiva (Bow) slips from my hand and my skin
burns all over. I am not able to stand and my mind seems to be whirling.
31)
I see adverse omens… Keshava (Sri Krishna)… and
I can foresee no good in killing our own people in battle.
32)
I do not desire victory, kingship or pleasures…
Krishna… What is kingship to us…? Govinda (Sri Krishna)… what are enjoyments or
even life?
33)
Those for
whose we desire kingship, enjoyment and pleasures stand here drawn up for
battle, giving up their lives and wealth.
34)
Teachers, fathers, sons, as also grandfathers,
maternal uncles, fathers in law, grandsons, brothers in law, as well as
kingmen…
35)
…I wish not to kill these… Madhusudhana (Sri
Krishna)… even if I am killed, even for the sake of dominion over the 3 worlds,
let alone for the sake of the Earth.
36)
What pleasure would there be for us having slain
the sons of Dhritarashtra, Janardana (Sri Krishna)? Evil alone would take hold
of us having killed these wicked people.
37)
Therefore we are not justified in killing our
relatives, the sons of Dhritarashtra. Indeed, having killed our kinsmen, how could
we be happy, Madhava (Sri Krishna)?
38)
Though they, through reason overpowered by
greed, see no evil in the destruction of families, no sin in hostility to
friends…
39)
…why should we not learn to turn away from this
evil… Janardana (Sri Krishna)… clearly seeing evil in the destruction of a
family?
40) In the destruction of a family, ancient family
dharmas perish. With the destruction of these dharmas, the whole family is
overcome by adharma.
41) From the growth of adharma, the women of the
family become corrupt and from the corruption in women, O Varshneya (Sri
Krishna)… arises confusion of varna.
42) Such confusion leads the family, also slayers of
the family, to hell and the ancestors, deprived of rites for the dead, also
fail.
43) Because of the evil deed of those who destroy
families causing the confusion of varnas, the eternal dharmas of caste and
family are destroyed.
44) We have heard of the men whose family dharma is
destroyed inevitably dwelling for an unknown period in hell, O Janadana (Sri
Krishna)
45) Alas, we are intending to do a great evil.
Through greed for pleasures of a kingdom, we are prepared to kill our kinsmen.
46) If the sons of Dhritarashtra, weapons in hand,
should slay me, un-resisting and unarmed in the battle, that would be better.
47)
SANJAYA:
Having thus said on the battlefield, with a mind distressed with sorrow, Arjuna sat down on the seat of the chariot and cast down his bow and arrow.
Thus ends the 1st chapter of Bhagavad Gita.
Having thus said on the battlefield, with a mind distressed with sorrow, Arjuna sat down on the seat of the chariot and cast down his bow and arrow.
Thus ends the 1st chapter of Bhagavad Gita.
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