Chapter 2 Verse 13

 Verse 13

 

देहिनोऽस्मिन्यथा देहे कौमारं यौवनं जरा |

तथा देहान्तरप्राप्तिर्धीरस्तत्र न मुह्यति || 13||

Transliteration

DehinosminyathA dehe kaumAraM yauvanaM jarA.

tathA dehAntaraprAptirdhIRastatra na muhyati..13..

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Word-by-word meaning:

देहिनः – one who dwells in the body; अस्मिन् – in this; यथा – as; देहे- in the body; कौमारं – childhood; यौवनं – youth; जरा – old-age; तथा- thus; देहान्तर – another body; प्राप्तिः – attainment; धीरः – the wise;तत्र​ -  there; न -  do not; मुह्यति- grieve;

Meaning:

Just as this body undergoes the stages of – Childhood, Youth and Old-age, so is this attainment of another body (by the soul). The wise people do not grieve over this.

Significance:

After proving the ‘Eternal’ nature of the Soul in the previous verse, Lord Krishna here says that the change of bodies will not affect the Soul in any way. The individual remains the same when he is in childhood, in youth and in old age – which are the different and unavoidable changes of our body. Same way the soul remains the same when it changes from one body to another. A person who is not enlightened with the knowledge of the nature of soul worries for birth and death. That is why the knowledge of the soul is said to be the foundation of Indian Philosophy. 

Chapter 2 Verse 12

 

Verse 12

 

न त्वेवाहं जातु नासं न त्वं नेमे जनाधिपा |

न चैव न भविष्याम: सर्वे वयमत: परम् || 12||

 

Transliteration

Na tvevAhaM jAtu nAsaM na tvaM neme janAdhipA.

Na caiva na bhaviSyAmaH sarve vayamataH param.. 12 ..

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Word by word meaning

न – not; तु एव अहं – only me; जातु – at anytime; नासं – not exist न – not; त्वं – you; नेमे – not these; जनाधिपा – kings; न – not; च एव – and only;न – not ; भविष्याम: - we will exist; सर्वे – all; वयम् - of us; अतः - from now; परम् – after;

Meaning:

There was no time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings, nor in the future from now after this, we shall exist.

Significance:

We all know this – In physics we have that matter can never be created nor destroyed, this verse re-iterates this same law. The knowledge of the self is the first step for gaining the knowledge of the Supreme. Lord Krishna too begins His teaching by imparting the knowledge of the self to Arjuna. As Arjuna worries about the death of his kith and kin, Lord says the self is the amsha/a micro part of the Supreme. And the nature of Supreme is that it exists always and there is not a single moment where there is a non-existence of the Supreme. The existence of the Soul in all the three states – creation , existence and destruction is said in this verse.

Chapter 2 Verse 11

Verse 11

श्रीभगवानुवाच

अशोच्यानन्वशोचस्त्वं प्रज्ञावादांश्च भाषसे |

गतासूनगतासूंश्च नानुशोचन्ति पण्डिता: | | 11 | |

Transliteration

Shri BhagavAnuvAca

ashocyAnanvashocastvaM pragnyavAdAMshca bhAshase.

gatAsUnagatAsUMshca nAnusocanti paNDitAH ..

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Word by word meaning

असोच्यान् – not worthy of sorrow;अनु-अशोच: - grieving; त्वं – you; प्रज्ञा-वादां – who (is a person of) words of wisdom; च – and; भाषसे – speak; गतासून् – dead ; अगतासून् – living ; च – and; न – not; अनुशोचन्ति – worry; पण्डिता: - scholars;

Meaning

Arjuna, you seem to be a person who speak words of wisdom but, you worry for those which is not worthy of being worried,. The wise people do not grieve for who are dead or who are alive.

Significance

          Arjunas words have arised from his attachment towards his friends and relatives. Krishna says “ you are lamenting for what is not worthy of grieving” This is because , if Arjuna is lamenting for this body – which is perishable in nature, it is a foolish act, for it is subject to destruction. If Arjuna is lamenting for the soul – again it is a foolish act , for soul is eternal and non-perishable in nature. In both the cases the act of Arjuna is not justified.

           Here the word “wise” is used to address those people who know the nature of self. They are those people who have studied the sacred texts ,who have started living by them, who have put the spiritual upliftment ahead of their materialistic pleasures, who have started meditating upon the Supreme soul, who have understood that the Supreme soul is the ultimate reality. Those people will never lament in such situations for they know there is no birth or death for the soul, and therefore there is no cause for grief and also the body is subject to change , its birth and death are natural , and therefore one need not grieve for it also.

 

 

Chapter 2 Verse 10

 

Verse 10

तमुवाच हृषीकेश: प्रहसन्निव भारत |

सेनयोरुभयोर्मध्ये विषीदन्तमिदं वच: || 10||

Transliteration

tamuvAca hrushikesha prahasanniva bhArata.

Senayorubhayormadhye vishIdantamidaM vacaH..10..

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Word by word meaning

तम् – (to)him; उवाच – told; हृषीकेश: - hrishikesha; प्रहसन् – smile; इव​ – like; भारत – descendant of Bharatha; सेनयोः - उभयोः – of both the armies; मध्ये- in the middle; विषीदन्तम -grief-stricken; इदं – these; वच: - words;

Meaning

O Descendant of Bharatha, to him, who is grief stricken, who is in the middle of both the armies, Hrishikesha who is as though smiling uttered these words.

Significance

In the previous verse Arjuna says he surrenders himself to Lord Krishna and becomes silent. Now Krishna starts speaking with a smile. The word प्रहसन्निव is used here, which can also be used to denote a sarcastic smile. Krishna who sees Arjuna lamenting in an inappropriate place wanted to ensure if he is ready to listen to his words.

Chapter 2 Verse 9

 

Verse 9

 

सञ्जय उवाच |

एवमुक्त्वा हृषीकेशं गुडाकेश: परन्तप |

न योत्स्य इति गोविन्दमुक्त्वा तूष्णीं बभूव ह || 9||

Transliteration:

Sanjaya uvAca

evamuktvA hrushIkeshaM parantapa.

Na yotsya iti govindamuktvA tUshNIm babhUva ha..9..

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Word by word meaning

 सञ्जय उवाच – Sanjaya uvAca

एवं - उक्त्वा – having said thus ; हृषीकेशं -  to Hrishikesha; गुडाकेश: - Gudakesha; परन्तप – conqueror of enemies न योत्स्य – won’t fight इति – thus; गोविन्दं - उक्त्वा – said to Govinda; तूष्णीं -  silent; बभूव – became; ह – he;

Meaning:

Gudakesha, the conqueror of his foes, having said thus “I wont fight” to Hrishikesha, became silent.

Significance:

Gudakesha – is a person who has won over his sleep. Sleep is onething for which everyone has to succumb at one point of time. When a person can win over his sleep, he should be a person with so much determination. Arjuna who has this kind of strong determination is now dropping his weapons and refuting to fight a war.

तूष्णीं : Becoming silent, here means arjuna becomes silent, and not his mind. He surrenders himself to the Supreme Lord for his mental peace.

Hrishikesha: is a person who is a conqueror of senses. Lord Krishna is addressed as Hrishikesha as Arjuna needs the Guidance of a person who can guide his own senses in the right direction.

Chapter 2 Verse - 8

 

Verse 8

न हि प्रपश्यामि ममापनुद्याद्

यच्छोकमुच्छोषणमिन्द्रियाणाम् |

अवाप्य भूमावसपत्नमृद्धं

राज्यं सुराणामपि चाधिपत्यम् || 8||

Transliteration:

Na hi prapashyAmi mamApanudyAd

yacchokamucchoShanamindriyAnAm.

bhUmAvasapatnamruddham

rAjyam surANAm cAdhipatyam..8..

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Word by word meaning

न – do not; हि – indeed; प्रपश्यामि – (I) see; मम – my; अपनुद्याद् – drive away; यत् – (that) which; शोकम् – sorrow; उच्छोषणम् – wither off; इन्द्रियाणाम्- senses; भूमौ -  on Earth; अवसपत्नम् – unrivalled; ॠद्धम् – prosperous; राज्यं -  kingdom; सुराणाम् – of the Devas; च – and; अधिपत्यम्- supremacy;

Meaning

I indeed do not see a way to drive away this sorrow of my senses, even after attaining the unrivalled and prosperous kingdom in the Earth and even supremacy over the Devas.

Significance

The use of the word “हि” is used in the sense of “Certainly” in this verse. Arjuna is very sure that he is not finding his way to ward off his sufferings. His eyes are suffering on seeing his close ones on either side of the army. His ears are suffering on hearing the cry of people on losing their loved ones. His mind is suffering on thinking of the instance that Rajasuya yagna, by which they are the ruler of the Earth, still when thinking of enjoying the pleasures of ruling a kingdom gives Arjuna sorrow. This is because of the delusion of his mind due to compassion in inappropriate place.

Chapter 2 Verse 7

 

Verse 7

कार्पण्यदोषोपहतस्वभाव:

पृच्छामि त्वां धर्मसम्मूढचेता: |

यच्छ्रेय: स्यान्निश्चितं ब्रूहि तन्मे

शिष्यस्तेऽहं शाधि मां त्वां प्रपन्नम् || 7||

Transliteration:

kArpanyadoshopahatasvabhAvaH

prucchAmi tvAM dharmasammUDhacetAH

yacchreyaH syAnnishcitaM brUhi tanme

shiShyaste.ahaM shAdhi mAM tvAM prapannam..

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Word by word meaning

कार्पण्य – cowardice; दोष – flaw; उपहत- damaged; ​स्वभाव: - nature; पृच्छामि- I ask; त्वां -  (to) you;धर्म – righteous; सम्मूढ – deluded; चेता: - intellect; यत् - which is; श्रेयः - the best; स्यात् – may be; निश्चितं – definitely; ब्रूहि – tell (me); तत् - that;  मे – for me; शिष्य: - disciple; ते – for you(your);अहं – I; शाधि – guide; मां – me; त्वां – your(to you); प्रपन्नम् - surrendered॥ ७॥

Meaning:

(Now) my nature is damaged by the flaw of cowardice , my intellect is deluded , I ask you the right (deed) which is definitely the best for me; Tell to this disciple of yours, who have surrendered to you.

Significance:

‘kArpanya’ is the nature of people who are weak , who lack spirit. Those people who are stingy are termed as ‘krupana’. This adjective suits who are narrow minded too. In whichever meaning this does not suit Arjuna here in the war-field. Arjuna identifies this flaw of his in an inappropriate situation.

He lacks the spirit to engage in war, his compassion stops him from doing his duty. He now asks for Krishna’s guidance to show him which is the dharma he has to follow , which is best for him. Even in our day-to-day life we pray for petty things to God, but we don’t know which will do good to us. A good disciple/devotee will surrender himself to Guru/God and take the path shown by them, for the trust in them that only they can show them the right path.

Chapter 2 Verse 6

 

 

 

Verse – 6

 

न चैतद्विद्म: कतरन्नो गरीयो
 

यद्वा जयेम यदि वा नो जयेयु: |
 

यानेव हत्वा न जिजीविषाम
 

स्तेऽवस्थिता: प्रमुखे धार्तराष्ट्रा: || 6||

 

Transliteration

na caitadvidmaH kataranno garIyo

yadvA jayema yadi vA no jayeyuH.

Yaneva hatvA na jijIviShAma

Ste.avasthitAH pramukhe dhArtarAShrtAH..6..

 

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Word-by-word meaning

न – not; च – and; एतत् – this; विद्मः – we know;कतरत् – among the two; नः – for us; गरीयः – best; यत्-वा – or; जयेम – we win (over them); यदि - वा – or else; नो -  we; जयेयु: -  being conquered (by them)यान् – whom ; एव – only/certainly; हत्वा – having killed; न – not; जिजीविषामः – wish to live; ते – they; अवस्थिताः- who are here; प्रमुखे -  facing (us); धार्तराष्ट्रा: -  sons of Dhritharashtra;

Meaning:

I do not understand which is the best (choice) for us – to conquer them or to be conquered by them ; Certainly we don’t wish to live after killing the sons of Dhritarashtra , who are present here against us.

Significance:

Way of life has been prescribed to all the varnas for the happy and peaceful environment in a society. Prime duty of a Kshatriya is to engage in a war. Arjuna here hesitates to engage in this war, thus he sways away from his Dharma. There he sees two paths – one in which he has to engage the war, consequence of which will be killing of his own men in the battle field. The other is backing out from the the war, by dropping the weapons and getting killed by them. Arjuna feels rather than to live with the guilt of killing his own men, it is better to get killed in the war. Those people who stand in front of Arjuna are those who were the reason of pleasure in his life, now the same people are the reason for his misery. This is the reality in our life, when one thing gives us pleasure , the same object will give us misery. Pleasure is misery in disguise. This is one situation we all face in our life, to face the challenges in our life we need mental strength and a guide to show us the right path.