Chapter1 Verse - 38

 

Verse – 38:

यद्यप्येते न पश्यन्ति लोभोपहतचेतस: |

कुलक्षयकृतं दोषं मित्रद्रोहे च पातकम् || 38||

Transliteration:

Yadyepe na pashyanti lobhopahatacetasaH .

Kukshayakritam doSham mitradrohe ca pAtakam..38..

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Word-by-word meaning:

यदि – even if ;अपि – also; एते – these(people); न – did not; पश्यन्ति  - see; लोभ – greed; उपहत – overpowered; चेतसः – thoughts; कुलक्षय - कृतं –  deeds for the destruction of the race; दोषं – mistake; मित्रद्रोहे – (than) treachery to friends; च – and; पातकम् – sin .

Meaning:

Even when these people whose mind is overpowered with greediness and these people do not see any fault in their deed, that leads to the destruction of the race and treachery to friends.

Significance:

Lobha – Greediness, is a result of the association of the sense organs with the materialistic things. There arises wish to attain a thing, which when attained results in greediness. Greediness gives pleasure and pain. There is a proverb in Sanskrit “ अतितृष्णा विनाशाय​ - Greediness leads to destruction” Arjuna blames the Kauravas for the forth-coming destruction.

Chapter1 Verse - 37

 

Verse - 37
तस्मान्नार्हा वयं हन्तुं धार्तराष्ट्रान्स्वबान्धवान् |

स्वजनं हि कथं हत्वा सुखिन: स्याम माधव ॥ ३७॥

Transliteration:

tasmAnnArhA vayaM hantuM dhArtharAshTrAnsvabAndhavAn.

svajanaM hi kathaM hatvA sukhinaH syAma mAdhava..37..

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Word-by-word meaning:

तस्मान् – Therefore; नार्हा – not fit;वयं – we; हन्तुं – to kill;धार्तराष्ट्रान् – sons of Dhritharashtra; स्व – my own; बान्धवान् – relatives;

स्वजनं -my people; हि – itself;कथं – how; हत्वा – on killing; सुखिन: - happy; स्याम – (we will) be; माधव – mAdhava

Meaning:

O Madhava, it is thus not fit for us to kill the sons of Dhritharashtra. How we will be happy by killing our own relatives.

Significance:

Madhava Arjuna addresses Lord Krishna as Madhava – who is the controller of wealth, to indicate that he does not wish to enjoy the wealth by killing his own relatives. This attitude of Arjuna, to take ownership for his actions is the main cause of his grief.

Chapter1 Verse - 36

 

Sloka 36:

 निहत्य धार्तराष्ट्रान्न: का प्रीतिस्याज्जनार्दन |

पापमेवाश्रयेदस्मान्हत्वैतानाततायिन: || 36 ||

Transliteration:

Nihatya dhArtarASTrAnnaH kA prItisyajjanArdana.

pApamevAshrayedasmAnhatvaitAnAtatAyinaH ..36..

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Word-by-word meaning:

निहत्य – Having killed ; धार्तराष्ट्रान् – the sons of Dhritharashtra; न: - का – what; प्रीति: - happiness; स्यात् – will be there: जनार्दन – Janardhana; पापम- sin; एव – only;आश्रयेत् – will be upon us; अस्मान् – for us;हत्वा – by killing; एतान् – these;आततायिन: - aggressive people;

Meaning

O Janardhana , what happiness will we attain from killing these sons of Dhritharashtra ? We will end up in piling up sins by killing these aggressive people.

Significance

Arjuna, who has faced so many battles, won over so many enemies, is now talking of the sins that will acquired by him on killing his relatives in this battle !!!! The word आततायिन:  occurs in Samhitas , with the meaning of aggressors. Six types of Aggressors are listed , those can be slayed - * One who administers poison * One who commits arson * One who attacks with deadly weapons *One who steals ones wealth * One who usurps another’s property * One who kidnaps another’s wife. We also have a statement in Manu Samhita “ आततायिनं अयन्तं हन्यात् – Slay the aggressors without any hesitation”. Here on using the this word, Arjuna’s confused mental state is reflected. He knows they are fit to be slayed but he couldn’t win over his feelings to face them in the battle.

JanArdhana :  A name of Lord Vishnu, One who is worshipped by the people. Janardhana means ‘Supreme abode and the Protector of all living beings’. JanArdhana means – Exciting or Agitating. Janardhana is the male-offspring of mahAsarasvatI. JanArdhana means ‘Protector of the world from negative forces’.

Chapter1 Verse - 35

 

Verse - 35
एतान्न हन्तुमिच्छामि घ्नतोऽपि मधुसूदन |

 

अपि त्रैलोक्यराज्यस्य हेतो: किं नु महीकृते  ॥ ३५॥

Transliteration:

EthAnna hantumicchAmi ghnato.api madhusUdana.

apitrailokyarAjyasya hetoH kim nu mahIkrte ..35..

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Word by word meaning

एतान्न – these (people); हन्तुम् – to kill; इच्छामि – I don’t wish; घ्नतः – killed; अपि – also; मधुसूदन – Madhusudana; अपि – also; त्रैलोक्य – three-worlds; राज्यस्य – kingdom;s;हेतो: - pretext; किम् – what; नु महीकृते – for this Earth;

Meaning:

O MadhusUdhana, I don’t wish to kill these people even when I am killed( in the pretext of attaining the kingdom).

Significance:

Even for ruling the whole world Arjuna is now not ready to fight with the sons of Dhritharashtra. Arjuna addresses Krishna as MadhusUdhana – as the slayer of the demon Madhu , to indicate only demons are to be destroyed and not relatives and friends.

Chapter1 Verse - 34

 

Verse – 34

आचार्या: पितर: पुत्रास्तथैव च पितामहा: |

मातुला: श्वशुरा: पौत्रा: श्याला: सम्बन्धिनस्तथा ॥३४॥

Transliteration:

AcAryAH pitaraH putrastathaiva ca pitAmahAH .

mAtulAH svashurAH pautrAH syAlAH sambandhinastathA ..34..

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Word by word meaning

आचार्या: - Teachers; पितर: - fathers; पुत्राः – sons; तथा – also; एव – only; च – and; पितामहा: - grand-fathers;मातुला: - uncles; श्वशुरा: - father-in-laws; पौत्रा: - grand-sons; श्याला: - brothers-in-law; सम्बन्धिन: - kinsmen; तथा - then॥

Meaning :

(Here are ) Teachers, fathers, sons,grand-fathers,uncles,father-in-laws, grand-sons, brother-in-laws, kinsmen ( staking their lives)

Significance:

Arjuna, on having a sight of the innumerous warriors in both the sides of the armies. Again in this verse, Arjuna lists the relatives who has taken both the sides , staking their lives and wealth. He repeats this again , as he does not want to attack any of his relatives. His repetition indicates that , he is in need of a solution favouring his present mindset , from Krishna.

Chapter1 Verse - 33

 

Verse - 33

येषामर्थे काङ्क्षितं नो राज्यं भोगा: सुखानि च |

त इमेऽवस्थिता युद्धे प्राणांस्त्यक्त्वा धनानि च || 33||

Transliteration:

yeShAmarthe kA~NkShitaM no rAjyaM bhogAH sukhAni ca .

ta ime.avasthitA yuddhe prANAmstyaktvA dhanAni ca..33..

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Word-by-word meaning:

येषामर्थे – For whom;काङ्क्षितं – we wish;नो – by us; राज्यं – kingdom; भोगा: - luxuries; सुखानि – happiness; च – and; त – they; इमे – these; अवस्थिता-  arrayed; युद्धे – in the battle; प्राणान् – lives; त्यक्त्वा – sacrificed; धनानि – money; च – and;

Meaning:

I do not wish victory or the luxuries of kingdom or the happiness of attaining the kingdom or living a life itself , if for whose sake we seek these are arrayed in the war, and ready to give up their life and wealth .

Significance:

When personal feelings is mixed with the war instincts, it results in confusion. Such is the state of Arjuna now. He is confused with the place he stands , the persons he sees and the act he is ordained to do. He is in  a place where he has to wage a war against his own grandfather, his own guru , his own friends and relatives. A person earns money and luxuries , not only for himself , but also for the people around him, for his next generation , to keep the aged people in his family comfortable. But here he sees no such reason to attain the kingdom, as he very well know that after the war most of his relatives will be slayed, irrespective of which side they take in the war.

Thus he says to Lord Krishna that he sees no reason to wage the war and attain the kingdom , as there will be no people to share and enjoy the happiness.

Chapter1 Verse 32

 

Verse - 32

न काङ्क्षे विजयं कृष्ण न च राज्यं सुखानि च |

किं नो राज्येन गोविन्द किं भोगैर्जीवितेन वा || 32||

Transliteration

A kAnkshe vijayam Krishna na ca rAjyaM sukhani ca.

Kim no rajyena govinda kim bhogairjIvitena vA..32.

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Word-by-word meaning:

न – not; काङ्क्षे – wish; विजयं – victory;कृष्ण – Krishna;न – not;च- and; राज्यं – kingdom; सुखानि – happiness;च – not;किं – what;नो-for us; राज्येन – with kingdom;गोविन्द – Govinda;किं – what;भोगै:- with the luxury; र्जीवितेन वा – should we exist;

Meaning:

O Krishna, I don’t wish victory, I don’t wish enjoy the pleasure of having the kingdom; O Govinda, will I experience the happiness  by attaining the kingdom (after killing all my relatives)?

Significance:

Govinda : Govinda, is another name of Lord Krishna. Govinda means – one who is fond of cows (Go- Cow); Govinda means - One who gives pleasure to the senses or one who directs the senses (Go- Senses); Govinda means – One who is the protector of the Earth (Go -earth); Govinda means – one who is known by Vedic words; Govinda means – one who is all pervading; Lord Krishna got this name ‘Govinda’ as he lifted the Govardhana mountain to protect the people and cattle.

                                      In this verse, Arjuna addresses Krishna as ‘Govinda’ to indicate that, he is confused , Lord Krishna who is the Lord of senses should direct his senses in the right path. Arjuna in this verse, sees no good in the after effect of the war. He says he wont be able to enjoy the pleasures after attaining the kingdom by killing his kith and kin.