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Indian Spirituality => Stories from Ancient India => Topic started by: SS91 on February 01, 2013, 08:27:57 AM

Title: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: SS91 on February 01, 2013, 08:27:57 AM

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The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
 
 The superb Sanskrit text, The Bhagavad Gita, is an amazing guide and in my view the ultimate “user's manual” for the human adventure. This ancient text is a dialogue between two mighty heroes: Krishna and Arjuna. Krishna represents the God within us all who is always waiting patiently to guide us - if we can listen. Arjuna is the greatest warrior of the time and Krishna is his charioteer in the battle of life. He will steer Arjuna through, if Arjuna hears and understands.
 
The entire dialogue takes place the middle of a battlefield where Krishna and his best friend Arjuna are getting ready to fight a monumental battle between the two opposing sides of the same family. Arjuna has lost his courage and cannot accept the thought that he must kill members of his own family and friends in this terrible bloody war. He has thrown down his weapons and is sitting depressed and dejected in the bottom of his chariot.
 
The Sanskrit word Shanti means peace, but what is Krishna saying in the Bhagavad Gita when he uses this word Shanti? Are there not many wars going on within us all, wars raging in our own hearts and minds? These inner wars cloud our thoughts, consume our energies and make us stupid.
 
Krishna tells his good friend Arjuna that no man can know happiness without peace (II.66). In fact the sequence of our compulsions is quite predictable. We start thinking about a particular thing and from those thoughts, we want it. If our desire for the thing is frustrated, we become angry. Once we are angry, our ability to reason and think clearly is skewed.
 
From this anger rises delusion. We tell ourselves all kinds of absurd things. We deserve that thing and we will do anything to get it, no matter what the consequences, no matter what our actions might do to our soul. We forget that perhaps the thing is not ours to have, or that we don’t deserve it; or that it may not be the right time for us to have such a thing, it might bring us harm.
 
Thus from anger arises delusion, and from delusion loss of memory - what we call denial - and from loss of memory we begin to lose conscious awareness of and contact with our own spirit. Krishna calls this the ‘death of the spirit’ which leads to real death.
 
Uncontrolled desire leads to death. Krishna points out the wiser way. Instead of allowing our desires to devour our peace of mind, the man of wisdom develops an evenness, a subtle intelligent detachment and disinterest in the objects of the senses. These objects are thrown at us 24/7 on our television screens. We are told we can only be happy when we have this car, or that cell phone and the latest techno-gadgets. We must be thin and young, we must endlessly consume products that will make us happy winners.
 
By the time we are in our 30’s most of us know that none of these things have made us happy. In fact we tire of them very quickly and must have more, more, more. Ah, the next thing we desire will finally bring us that elusive happiness we have been chasing. But it never happens.
 
Lasting happiness is not to be found in the external world. Temporal experiences of joy and suffering are in abundance, but real lasting peace and understanding are only found within. When Time makes us wise and weary of being fools, we turn within and begin to question everything.
 
We begin to understand how our unruly desires have run us, controlled us, made us act compulsively, and left us even emptier than before. We begin to observe this process. We see how our five senses have drawn us into this delusion and we consider the idea of practicing an enlightened control.
 
The continued practice of observing the reactions of the senses and controlling our own thoughts in the mind will inevitably lead us to inner peace. This is ‘the peace that surpasses all understanding’ (Philippians 4:7) and this Peace is our Home, the Source of our Real Self and the entire universe.
 
This is the Shanti that Krishna speaks of in the Bhagavad Gita. For as Krishna says, the mind that allows the senses to carry off his or her capacity for insight - literally looking within - is as helpless as a ship caught in a storm at sea.
 
Krishna teaches Arjuna how to act wisely and gives him the knowledge he needs to understand his place in the universe. Krishna tells Arjuna that whoever has purified his mind in the fires of Knowledge and mastered his senses will obtain this Peace (IV.39).
 
***
 
The five senses make their contact with the external world and its objects, and send their information-impulses to our brain, allowing us to experience the polarities of pleasure and pain, sukha-duhkha in Sanskrit. These experiences are impermanent and are to be endured, for what is temporal has no ‘real’ existence and is unreal (Asat) in the sense that it is fluctuation and change (Bhagavad Gita II.14-16). While the real (Sat) always exists, as the 14th century Sufi poet Mahmud Shabistari says, ‘beneath the curtain of each atom.’
 
It is not that the external world has no value as some believe. However, its state of constant change makes it the unreal (Asat) in the sense that it is impermanent. The external reality is very real to the five senses, but there is so much more to our world than what we can see, hear, touch, etc. Everywhere there is the imperishable (akshara) that permeates, supports and sustains the temporal illusory hologram.
 
Without Knowledge of this eternal, immutable, imperishable Real - we are lost, floating on a sea of delusion and ignorance that tosses us around at whim and fools us into thinking that possessions and pleasure can give us meaning.
 
Krishna teaches his friend that this universe is pervaded by that which is indestructible and Arjuna has no power to kill that. The body may die, but the soul (Atma) never dies. It simply transmigrates to a new body, just as we get new clothes when our old ones are worn out. (II.17-22)
 
When our body is worn out we move into new forms that resonate with our thoughts, new data-collecting vehicles to expand our expression of the God within us all. The realization that you never die changes your entire attitude towards living and you have the opportunity to become less attached to the perils, failures, and successes of your current identity self.
 
There comes a time when in wisdom you will not care if you have been immortalized by the media. Your search for meaning will not be based on the approval or disapproval of others. You will care more about doing what is right, taking action with the greatest integrity and knowledge you have available to you in that moment, and that knowledge will always be changing as you continually reevaluate its worth.
 
You will ask yourself, not so much, what did I accomplish - but rather what consciousness was I in when I acted. When that time comes you will have Wisdom, you will have imperishable Peace.
 

 Courtesy: V.Susan Ferguson
 

 
Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: SS91 on February 01, 2013, 11:37:32 AM
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Bathing in the Bhagavad-Gita

An old farmer and his grandson lived on a farm. One day the grandson said, “I try to read the Bhagavad-Gita just like you but I don’t understand it much. And whatever little I understand, I forget it very soon. What is the use of reading this book?”

The old farmer quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and said, “Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water.”

The young boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out before he got back home. The farmer asked him to try again, and again. But every single time, the water leaked out of the basket before he got back to the house. Finally, he said exhausted, “See Grandpa, it’s useless!”

“So you think it’s useless?” the old farmer said, “Look at the basket.” The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the basket had been transformed from a dirty old coal basket to a new clean one, inside and out.

“Son, that’s what happens when you read a book like the Bhagavad-Gita. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it again and again, you will realize the benefit one day.”


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MAIN   THEMES   OF  THE   BHAGAVAD  GITA                

 
I   INTRODUCTION
 
Bhagavad Gita or  in  other words song of Bhagavan  is  an  episode  in India’s  Great Epic, the Mahabharata.  The main story of  Mahabharata is the war between two branches of the Kaurava  family led by  Duryodhana on  one  side and Yudhishthira on the other  side  Krishna who was God  incarnated volunteered to act as Arjuna’s  charioteer.  But Arjuna refuses to fight.  This is the starting-point of the Bhagavad Gita is to persuade Arjuna to fight. True, throughout the poem this has never been lost sight  of; but the bulk of the poem is not concerned with  the  respective merits of war and peace, but with  deepest thing of man and  God.
 
II  THE MAIN TEACHING OF BHAGAVAD GITA
 
1.  A T H M A
 
The individual self : The first topic that Krishna broaches in his dialogue with Arjuna is the nature of the embodied self.  The self is eternal, indestructible, cannot kill or be killed, is not born and does not die, roves every where, yet  is  always firm and unmoved; it is un-manifest, unthinkable, immutable. This is Krishna’s argument as to why  Arjuna should not be depressed about  killing his cousins. It is not his real self that kills nor does he kill their real selves (2:18-25; 3:27-29,  etc.)
 
2.  Y O G A
 
The word yoga is used in a vast number of  senses  in  the Bhagavad  Gita. The root meaning is the same as for the English word ‘yoke’ which refers to  ‘contain’ or ‘control.’  After in Gita  ‘yoga’ merely means ‘method’ necessary for control of mind and senses. So that soul or self, can be kept steadily concentrated on the ultimate object, and realises its true nature. Thus the soul is set free from its entanglement with nature. When properly concentrated in this way, the person is without desire for attachment, which is the cause of sins. The person who is unaffected by the opposites of pleasure and difficulty, by cold or heat etc. is regarded as sinless.
 
3. K A R M A (works, Action)
 
Even though it is karma (action) that binds soul to cosmic existence and  re-birth, work is essential in the world.  God himself engages in work, otherwise the worlds would cease to exist.
 

i) Sva-Dharma: Bhagavad Gita says it is better to perform  one’s  duty (Sva-Dharma) than to do another’s  duty well. You do that to which you are born. This is a very conservative teaching of Bhagavad Gita.
 
ii) Sacrifice: The Vedic sacrifices to the gods were designed to bring their own reward. Man sustains the Gods so that they may sustain him in return. In a very special sense the sacrifice is Brahman. The whole of life is to be a kind of sacrifice to the Lord, for he is both the cause of the sacrifice and the essential power within the sacrifice.
 
 
What is required is performance of duty with desire for benefits  thereby (nis-kama-karma) yoga helps to achieve this disinterest and dis-attachment. But more important is focusing the mind on the supreme Lord.
 
4. T R I G U N A S
 
Every man is powerless and made to  work by  the constituents born of nature.  These are the three constituents of Nature namely Sattva, Rajas, and Tames: goodness or purity; passion or energy; darkness or dullness.  The different types of people and the action done by them in society are divided by these qualities. Krishna says: ‘Know too that all these states of being proceed from me but I am not in them, they are in me.’
 
 
5. B R A H M A N     
 
There are a few passages in Bhagavad Gita  where  the soul is ultimate  and  would appear to be the realisation of oneness with an impersonal Brahman. But the context usually indicates that this is to lead on from the state of isolation, or withdrawal (Kaivalya) from the sense of attachment, through the sense of oneness with the impersonal, to eventual relationship with the supreme person.  It is said that the self must know Brahman, stand stilled in Brahman, even become Brahman.  Brahman Jnana is the ultimate goal.
 
6.  C R E A T I O N: God is said to be creator of all, being both material and efficient cause.  He contains prakrti, with its changing states, within himself. But the Lord’s nature does not change along with the changes of nature. Creation is said to occur again and again. But the supreme person transcends all this, while containing it within his being.
 
7.  A V A T A R A: The Lord’s Avataras are also recurring, whenever there is loss of Dharma the Lord takes up the from of  some  created  being, and discards to earth to restore righteousness, destroy evil-does, and save  his devotees (the good). When Arjuna asks to see Krishna’ true, glorious from, he is granted the splendid vision described in all ch.11 Arjuna sees the whole of creation, even all Gods within this glorious  form  (Visva-rupa- darsana).
 
8.  B H A K T I: (Divine love or prasada-grace) following this vision, it is clear that dependence upon the Lord’s grace is offered as most important means of release. Thus in the final word Krishna tells Arjuna to give up all his dharmas to take him as his sole refuge (sarama) and then he will be set free from all papa(sin). This Bhakti is the ultimate path to mukti according to the Gita.

Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: SS91 on February 02, 2013, 01:01:44 PM

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Chapter 1: Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra


Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 1.1

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca

dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre

samavetā yuyutsavaḥ

māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva

kim akurvata sañjaya

SYNONYMS

dhṛtarāṣṭraḥ uvāca — King Dhṛtarāṣṭra said; dharma-kṣetre — in the place of pilgrimage; kuru-kṣetre — in the place named Kurukṣetra; samavetāḥ — assembled; yuyutsavaḥ — desiring to fight; māmakāḥ — my party (sons); pāṇḍavāḥ — the sons of Pāṇḍu; ca — and; eva — certainly; kim — what; akurvata — did they do; sañjaya — O Sañjaya.

TRANSLATION

Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: O Sañjaya, after my sons and the sons of Pāṇḍu assembled in the place of pilgrimage at Kurukṣetra, desiring to fight, what did they do?

PURPORT

Bhagavad-gītā is the widely read theistic science summarized in the Gītā-māhātmya (Glorification of the Gītā). There it says that one should read Bhagavad-gītā very scrutinizingly with the help of a person who is a devotee of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and try to understand it without personally motivated interpretations. The example of clear understanding is there in the Bhagavad-gītā itself, in the way the teaching is understood by Arjuna, who heard the Gītā directly from the Lord. If someone is fortunate enough to understand Bhagavad-gītā in that line of disciplic succession, without motivated interpretation, then he surpasses all studies of Vedic wisdom, and all scriptures of the world. One will find in the Bhagavad-gītā all that is contained in other scriptures, but the reader will also find things which are not to be found elsewhere. That is the specific standard of the Gītā. It is the perfect theistic science because it is directly spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

The topics discussed by Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Sañjaya, as described in the Mahābhārata, form the basic principle for this great philosophy. It is understood that this philosophy evolved on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, which is a sacred place of pilgrimage from the immemorial time of the Vedic age. It was spoken by the Lord when He was present personally on this planet for the guidance of mankind.

The word dharma-kṣetra (a place where religious rituals are performed) is significant because, on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, the Supreme Personality of Godhead was present on the side of Arjuna. Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the father of the Kurus, was highly doubtful about the possibility of his sons' ultimate victory. In his doubt, he inquired from his secretary Sañjaya, "What did they do?" He was confident that both his sons and the sons of his younger brother Pāṇḍu were assembled in that Field of Kurukṣetra for a determined engagement of the war. Still, his inquiry is significant. He did not want a compromise between the cousins and brothers, and he wanted to be sure of the fate of his sons on the battlefield. Because the battle was arranged to be fought at Kurukṣetra, which is mentioned elsewhere in the Vedas as a place of worship — even for the denizens of heaven — Dhṛtarāṣṭra became very fearful about the influence of the holy place on the outcome of the battle. He knew very well that this would influence Arjuna and the sons of Pāṇḍu favorably, because by nature they were all virtuous. Sañjaya was a student of Vyāsa, and therefore, by the mercy of Vyāsa, Sañjaya was able to envision the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra even while he was in the room of Dhṛtarāṣṭra. And so, Dhṛtarāṣṭra asked him about the situation on the battlefield.

Both the Pāṇḍavas and the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra belong to the same family, but Dhṛtarāṣṭra's mind is disclosed herein. He deliberately claimed only his sons as Kurus, and he separated the sons of Pāṇḍu from the family heritage. One can thus understand the specific position of Dhṛtarāṣṭra in his relationship with his nephews, the sons of Pāṇḍu. As in the paddy field the unnecessary plants are taken out, so it is expected from the very beginning of these topics that in the religious field of Kurukṣetra, where the father of religion, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, was present, the unwanted plants like Dhṛtarāṣṭra's son Duryodhana and others would be wiped out and the thoroughly religious persons, headed by Yudhiṣṭhira, would be established by the Lord. This is the significance of the words dharma-kṣetre and kuru-kṣetre, apart from their historical and Vedic importance.
Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: Sairamsai on February 02, 2013, 03:00:03 PM
May I ask you, there are so many schools of thought now which translate Bhagvat Gita. So which one do you follow or what is the source...

Wonderful job I will be a constant reader of this post....

Thanks from the bottom of my heart to you...
Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: SS91 on February 03, 2013, 12:01:43 PM




Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 1.2

sañjaya uvāca

dṛṣṭvā tu pāṇḍavānīkaḿ

vyūḍhaḿ duryodhanas tadā

ācāryam upasańgamya

rājā vacanam abravīt

SYNONYMS

sañjayaḥ uvāca — Sañjaya said; dṛṣṭvā — after seeing; tu — but; pāṇḍava-anīkam — the soldiers of the Pāṇḍavas; vyūḍham — arranged in a military phalanx; duryodhanaḥ — King Duryodhana; tadā — at that time; ācāryam — the teacher; upasańgamya — approaching; rājā — the king; vacanam — words; abravīt — spoke.

TRANSLATION

Sañjaya said: O King, after looking over the army arranged in military formation by the sons of Pāṇḍu, King Duryodhana went to his teacher and spoke the following words.

PURPORT

Dhṛtarāṣṭra was blind from birth. Unfortunately, he was also bereft of spiritual vision. He knew very well that his sons were equally blind in the matter of religion, and he was sure that they could never reach an understanding with the Pāṇḍavas, who were all pious since birth. Still he was doubtful about the influence of the place of pilgrimage, and Sañjaya could understand his motive in asking about the situation on the battlefield. Sañjaya wanted, therefore, to encourage the despondent king and thus assured him that his sons were not going to make any sort of compromise under the influence of the holy place. Sañjaya therefore informed the king that his son, Duryodhana, after seeing the military force of the Pāṇḍavas, at once went to the commander in chief, Droṇācārya, to inform him of the real position. Although Duryodhana is mentioned as the king, he still had to go to the commander on account of the seriousness of the situation. He was therefore quite fit to be a politician. But Duryodhana's diplomatic veneer could not disguise the fear he felt when he saw the military arrangement of the Pāṇḍavas.
Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: SS91 on February 04, 2013, 12:59:29 PM


Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 1.3


paśyaitāḿ pāṇḍu-putrāṇām
ācārya mahatīḿ camūm
vyūḍhāḿ drupada-putreṇa
tava śiṣyeṇa dhīmatā

SYNONYMS
paśya — behold; etām — this; pāṇḍu-putrāṇām — of the sons of Pāṇḍu; ācārya — O teacher; mahatīm — great; camūm — military force; vyūḍhām — arranged; drupada-putreṇa — by the son of Drupada; tava — your; śiṣyeṇa — disciple; dhī-matā — very intelligent.


TRANSLATION
O my teacher, behold the great army of the sons of Pāṇḍu, so expertly arranged by your intelligent disciple the son of Drupada.

PURPORT
Duryodhana, a great diplomat, wanted to point out the defects of Droṇācārya, the great brāhmaṇa commander in chief. Droṇācārya had some political quarrel with King Drupada, the father of Draupadī, who was Arjuna's wife. As a result of this quarrel, Drupada performed a great sacrifice, by which he received the benediction of having a son who would be able to kill Droṇācārya. Droṇācārya knew this perfectly well, and yet as a liberal brāhmaṇa he did not hesitate to impart all his military secrets when the son of Drupada, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, was entrusted to him for military education. Now, on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, Dhṛṣṭadyumna took the side of the Pāṇḍavas, and it was he who arranged for their military phalanx, after having learned the art from Droṇācārya. Duryodhana pointed out this mistake of Droṇācārya's so that he might be alert and uncompromising in the fighting. By this he wanted to point out also that he should not be similarly lenient in battle against the Pāṇḍavas, who were also Droṇācārya's affectionate students. Arjuna, especially, was his most affectionate and brilliant student. Duryodhana also warned that such leniency in the fight would lead to defeat.
Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: SS91 on February 05, 2013, 01:39:43 PM

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 1.4


atra śūrā maheṣv-āsā
bhīmārjuna-samā yudhi
yuyudhāno virāṭaś ca
drupadaś ca mahā-rathaḥ


SYNONYMS

atra — here; śūrāḥ — heroes; mahā-iṣu-āsāḥ — mighty bowmen; bhīma-arjuna — to Bhīma and Arjuna; samāḥ — equal; yudhi — in the fight; yuyudhānaḥ — Yuyudhāna; virāṭaḥ — Virāṭa; ca — also; drupadaḥ — Drupada; ca — also; mahā-rathaḥ — great fighter.

TRANSLATION

Here in this army are many heroic bowmen equal in fighting to Bhīma and Arjuna: great fighters like Yuyudhāna, Virāṭa and Drupada.

PURPORT

Even though Dhṛṣṭadyumna was not a very important obstacle in the face of Droṇācārya's very great power in the military art, there were many others who were causes of fear. They are mentioned by Duryodhana as great stumbling blocks on the path of victory because each and every one of them was as formidable as Bhīma and Arjuna. He knew the strength of Bhīma and Arjuna, and thus he compared the others with them.
Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: SS91 on February 06, 2013, 02:35:27 PM


Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 1.5


dhṛṣṭaketuś cekitānaḥ
kāśirājaś ca vīryavān
purujit kuntibhojaś ca
śaibyaś ca nara-puńgavaḥ

SYNONYMS

dhṛṣṭaketuḥ — Dhṛṣṭaketu; cekitānaḥ — Cekitāna; kāśirājaḥ — Kāśirāja; ca — also; vīrya-vān — very powerful; purujit — Purujit; kuntibhojaḥ — Kuntibhoja; ca — and; śaibyaḥ — Śaibya; ca — and; nara-puńgavaḥ — hero in human society.


TRANSLATION

There are also great, heroic, powerful fighters like Dhṛṣṭaketu, Cekitāna, Kāśirāja, Purujit, Kuntibhoja and Śaibya.
Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: SS91 on February 08, 2013, 09:15:08 AM


Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 1.6

yudhāmanyuś ca vikrānta
uttamaujāś ca vīryavān
saubhadro draupadeyāś ca
sarva eva mahā-rathāḥ

SYNONYMS

yudhāmanyuḥ — Yudhāmanyu; ca — and; vikrāntaḥ — mighty; uttamaujāḥ — Uttamaujā; ca — and; vīrya-vān — very powerful; saubhadraḥ — the son of Subhadrā; draupadeyāḥ — the sons of Draupadī; ca — and; sarve — all; eva — certainly; mahā-rathāḥ — great chariot fighters.

TRANSLATION


There are the mighty Yudhāmanyu, the very powerful Uttamaujā, the son of Subhadrā and the sons of Draupadī. All these warriors are great chariot fighters.
Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: SS91 on February 09, 2013, 04:25:01 PM



Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 1.7

asmākaḿ tu viśiṣṭā ye

tān nibodha dvijottama

nāyakā mama sainyasya

saḿjñārthaḿ tān bravīmi te

SYNONYMS

asmākam — our; tu — but; viśiṣṭāḥ — especially powerful; ye — who; tān — them; nibodha — just take note of, be informed; dvija-uttama — O best of the brāhmaṇas; nāyakāḥ — captains; mama — my; sainyasya — of the soldiers; saḿjñā-artham — for information; tān — them; bravīmi — I am speaking; te — to you.

TRANSLATION

But for your information, O best of the brāhmaṇas, let me tell you about the captains who are especially qualified to lead my military force.
Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: SS91 on February 10, 2013, 12:00:42 PM


Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 1.8
bhavān bhīṣmaś ca karṇaś ca

kṛpaś ca samitiḿ-jayaḥ

aśvatthāmā vikarṇaś ca

saumadattis tathaiva ca

SYNONYMS

bhavān — your good self; bhīṣmaḥ — Grandfather Bhīṣma; ca — also; karṇaḥ — Karṇa; ca — and; kṛpaḥ — Kṛpa; ca — and; samitim-jayaḥ — always victorious in battle; aśvatthāmā — Aśvatthāmā; vikarṇaḥ — Vikarṇa; ca — as well as; saumadattiḥ — the son of Somadatta; tathā — as well as; eva — certainly; ca — also.

TRANSLATION

There are personalities like you, Bhīṣma, Karṇa, Kṛpa, Aśvatthāmā, Vikarṇa and the son of Somadatta called Bhūriśravā, who are always victorious in battle.

PURPORT

Duryodhana mentions the exceptional heroes in the battle, all of whom are ever victorious. Vikarṇa is the brother of Duryodhana, Aśvatthāmā is the son of Droṇācārya, and Saumadatti, or Bhūriśravā, is the son of the King of the Bāhlīkas. Karṇa is the half brother of Arjuna, as he was born of Kuntī before her marriage with King Pāṇḍu. Kṛpācārya's twin sister married Droṇācārya.
Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: SS91 on February 11, 2013, 12:56:05 PM



Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 1.9


anye ca bahavaḥ śūrā
mad-arthe tyakta-jīvitāḥ
nānā-śastra-praharaṇāḥ
sarve yuddha-viśāradāḥ

SYNONYMS

anye — others; ca — also; bahavaḥ — in great numbers; śūrāḥ — heroes; mat-arthe — for my sake; tyakta-jīvitāḥ — prepared to risk life; nānā — many; śastra — weapons; praharaṇāḥ — equipped with; sarve — all of them; yuddha-viśāradāḥ — experienced in military science.

TRANSLATION

There are many other heroes who are prepared to lay down their lives for my sake. All of them are well equipped with different kinds of weapons, and all are experienced in military science.

PURPORT

As far as the others are concerned — like Jayadratha, Kṛtavarmā and Śalya — all are determined to lay down their lives for Duryodhana's sake. In other words, it is already concluded that all of them would die in the Battle of Kurukṣetra for joining the party of the sinful Duryodhana. Duryodhana was, of course, confident of his victory on account of the above-mentioned combined strength of his friends.
Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: SS91 on February 14, 2013, 11:44:34 AM


Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 1.10


aparyāptaḿ tad asmākaḿ
balaḿ bhīṣmābhirakṣitam
paryāptaḿ tv idam eteṣāḿ
balaḿ bhīmābhirakṣitam

SYNONYMS

aparyāptam — immeasurable; tat — that; asmākam — of ours; balam — strength; bhīṣma — by Grandfather Bhīṣma; abhirakṣitam — perfectly protected; paryāptam — limited; tu — but; idam — all this; eteṣām — of the Pāṇḍavas; balam — strength; bhīma — by Bhīma; abhirakṣitam — carefully protected.

TRANSLATION


Our strength is immeasurable, and we are perfectly protected by Grandfather Bhīṣma, whereas the strength of the Pāṇḍavas, carefully protected by Bhīma, is limited.

PURPORT

Herein an estimation of comparative strength is made by Duryodhana. He thinks that the strength of his armed forces is immeasurable, being specifically protected by the most experienced general, Grandfather Bhīṣma. On the other hand, the forces of the Pāṇḍavas are limited, being protected by a less experienced general, Bhīma, who is like a fig in the presence of Bhīṣma. Duryodhana was always envious of Bhīma because he knew perfectly well that if he should die at all, he would only be killed by Bhīma. But at the same time, he was confident of his victory on account of the presence of Bhīṣma, who was a far superior general. His conclusion that he would come out of the battle victorious was well ascertained.
Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: SS91 on February 15, 2013, 05:33:59 PM


Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 1.11

ayaneṣu ca sarveṣu

yathā-bhāgam avasthitāḥ

bhīṣmam evābhirakṣantu

bhavantaḥ sarva eva hi

SYNONYMS

ayaneṣu — in the strategic points; ca — also; sarveṣu — everywhere; yathā-bhāgam — as differently arranged; avasthitāḥ — situated; bhīṣmam — unto Grandfather Bhīṣma; eva — certainly; abhirakṣantu — should give support; bhavantaḥ — you; sarve — all respectively; eva hi — certainly.

TRANSLATION

All of you must now give full support to Grandfather Bhīṣma, as you stand at your respective strategic points of entrance into the phalanx of the army.

PURPORT

Duryodhana, after praising the prowess of Bhīṣma, further considered that others might think that they had been considered less important, so in his usual diplomatic way, he tried to adjust the situation in the above words. He emphasized that Bhīṣmadeva was undoubtedly the greatest hero, but he was an old man, so everyone must especially think of his protection from all sides. He might become engaged in the fight, and the enemy might take advantage of his full engagement on one side. Therefore, it was important that other heroes not leave their strategic positions and allow the enemy to break the phalanx. Duryodhana clearly felt that the victory of the Kurus depended on the presence of Bhīṣmadeva. He was confident of the full support of Bhīṣmadeva and Droṇācārya in the battle because he well knew that they did not even speak a word when Arjuna's wife Draupadī, in her helpless condition, had appealed to them for justice while she was being forced to appear naked in the presence of all the great generals in the assembly. Although he knew that the two generals had some sort of affection for the Pāṇḍavas, he hoped that these generals would now completely give it up, as they had done during the gambling performances.
Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: PiyaSoni on February 16, 2013, 12:28:01 AM
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 1.12

tasya sañjanayan harṣaḿ
kuru-vṛddhaḥ pitāmahaḥ
siḿha-nādaḿ vinadyoccaiḥ
śańkhaḿ dadhmau pratāpavān

SYNONYMS

tasya — his;
sañjanayan — increasing;
harṣam — cheerfulness;
kuru-vṛddhaḥ — the grandsire of the Kuru dynasty (Bhīṣma);
pitāmahaḥ — the grandfather;
siḿha-nādam — roaring sound, like that of a lion;
vinadya — vibrating;
uccaiḥ — very loudly;
śańkham — conchshell;
dadhmau — blew;
pratāpa-vān — the valiant.

TRANSLATION

Then Bhīṣma, the great valiant grandsire of the Kuru dynasty, the grandfather of the fighters, blew his conchshell very loudly, making a sound like the roar of a lion, giving Duryodhana joy.

PURPORT

The grandsire of the Kuru dynasty could understand the inner meaning of the heart of his grandson Duryodhana, and out of his natural compassion for him he tried to cheer him by blowing his conchshell very loudly, befitting his position as a lion. Indirectly, by the symbolism of the conchshell, he informed his depressed grandson Duryodhana that he had no chance of victory in the battle, because the Supreme Lord Kṛiṣhṇa was on the other side. But still, it was his duty to conduct the fight, and no pains would be spared in that connection.
Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: SS91 on February 16, 2013, 06:24:16 PM


Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 1.13

tataḥ śańkhāś ca bheryaś ca

paṇavānaka-gomukhāḥ

sahasaivābhyahanyanta

sa śabdas tumulo 'bhavat

SYNONYMS

tataḥ — thereafter; śańkhāḥ — conchshells; ca — also; bheryaḥ — large drums; ca — and; paṇava-ānaka — small drums and kettledrums; go-mukhāḥ — horns; sahasā — all of a sudden; eva — certainly; abhyahanyanta — were simultaneously sounded; saḥ — that; śabdaḥ — combined sound; tumulaḥ — tumultuous; abhavat — became.

TRANSLATION

After that, the conchshells, drums, bugles, trumpets and horns were all suddenly sounded, and the combined sound was tumultuous.
Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: SS91 on February 17, 2013, 07:50:39 AM


Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 1.14

tataḥ śvetair hayair yukte

mahati syandane sthitau

mādhavaḥ pāṇḍavaś caiva

divyau śańkhau pradadhmatuḥ

SYNONYMS

tataḥ — thereafter; śvetaiḥ — with white; hayaiḥ — horses; yukte — being yoked; mahati — in a great; syandane — chariot; sthitau — situated; mādhavaḥ — Kṛṣṇa (the husband of the goddess of fortune); pāṇḍavaḥ — Arjuna (the son of Pāṇḍu); ca — also; eva — certainly; divyau — transcendental; śańkhau — conchshells; pradadhmatuḥ — sounded.

TRANSLATION

On the other side, both Lord Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, stationed on a great chariot drawn by white horses, sounded their transcendental conchshells.

PURPORT

In contrast with the conchshell blown by Bhīṣmadeva, the conchshells in the hands of Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna are described as transcendental. The sounding of the transcendental conchshells indicated that there was no hope of victory for the other side because Kṛṣṇa was on the side of the Pāṇḍavas. Jayas tu pāṇḍu-putrāṇāḿ yeṣāḿ pakṣe janārdanaḥ. Victory is always with persons like the sons of Pāṇḍu because Lord Kṛṣṇa is associated with them. And whenever and wherever the Lord is present, the goddess of fortune is also there because the goddess of fortune never lives alone without her husband. Therefore, victory and fortune were awaiting Arjuna, as indicated by the transcendental sound produced by the conchshell of Viṣṇu, or Lord Kṛṣṇa. Besides that, the chariot on which both the friends were seated had been donated by Agni (the fire-god) to Arjuna, and this indicated that this chariot was capable of conquering all sides, wherever it was drawn over the three worlds.
Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: SS91 on February 18, 2013, 02:12:03 PM


Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 1.15


pāñcajanyaḿ hṛṣīkeśo
devadattaḿ dhanañjayaḥ
pauṇḍraḿ dadhmau mahā-śańkhaḿ
bhīma-karmā vṛkodaraḥ


SYNONYMS

pāñcajanyam — the conchshell named Pāñcajanya; hṛṣīka-īśaḥ — Hṛṣīkeśa (Kṛṣṇa, the Lord who directs the senses of the devotees); devadattam — the conchshell named Devadatta; dhanam-jayaḥ — Dhanañjaya (Arjuna, the winner of wealth); pauṇḍram — the conch named Pauṇḍra; dadhmau — blew; mahā-śańkham — the terrific conchshell; bhīma-karmā — one who performs herculean tasks; vṛka-udaraḥ — the voracious eater (Bhīma).


TRANSLATION

Lord Kṛṣṇa blew His conchshell, called Pāñcajanya; Arjuna blew his, the Devadatta; and Bhīma, the voracious eater and performer of herculean tasks, blew his terrific conchshell, called Pauṇḍra.


PURPORT

Lord Kṛṣṇa is referred to as Hṛṣīkeśa in this verse because He is the owner of all senses. The living entities are part and parcel of Him, and therefore the senses of the living entities are also part and parcel of His senses. The impersonalists cannot account for the senses of the living entities, and therefore they are always anxious to describe all living entities as senseless, or impersonal. The Lord, situated in the hearts of all living entities, directs their senses. But He directs in terms of the surrender of the living entity, and in the case of a pure devotee He directly controls the senses. Here on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra the Lord directly controls the transcendental senses of Arjuna, and thus His particular name of Hṛṣīkeśa. The Lord has different names according to His different activities. For example, His name is Madhusūdana because He killed the demon of the name Madhu; His name is Govinda because He gives pleasure to the cows and to the senses; His name is Vāsudeva because He appeared as the son of Vasudeva; His name is Devakī-nandana because He accepted Devakī as His mother; His name is Yaśodā-nandana because He awarded His childhood pastimes to Yaśodā at Vṛndāvana; His name is Pārtha-sārathi because He worked as charioteer of His friend Arjuna. Similarly, His name is Hṛṣīkeśa because He gave direction to Arjuna on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra.
Arjuna is referred to as Dhanañjaya in this verse because he helped his elder brother in fetching wealth when it was required by the king to make expenditures for different sacrifices. Similarly, Bhīma is known as Vṛkodara because he could eat as voraciously as he could perform herculean tasks, such as killing the demon Hiḍimba. So the particular types of conchshell blown by the different personalities on the side of the Pāṇḍavas, beginning with the Lord's, were all very encouraging to the fighting soldiers. On the other side there were no such credits, nor the presence of Lord Kṛṣṇa, the supreme director, nor that of the goddess of fortune. So they were predestined to lose the battle — and that was the message announced by the sounds of the conchshells.
Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: SS91 on February 21, 2013, 02:29:31 PM


Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 1.16-18


anantavijayaḿ rājā
kuntī-putro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ
nakulaḥ sahadevaś ca
sughoṣa-maṇipuṣpakau
kāśyaś ca parameṣv-āsaḥ
śikhaṇḍī ca mahā-rathaḥ
dhṛṣṭadyumno virāṭaś ca
sātyakiś cāparājitaḥ
drupado draupadeyāś ca
sarvaśaḥ pṛthivī-pate
saubhadraś ca mahā-bāhuḥ
śańkhān dadhmuḥ pṛthak pṛthak


SYNONYMS

ananta-vijayam — the conch named Ananta-vijaya; rājā — the king; kuntī-putraḥ — the son of Kuntī; yudhiṣṭhiraḥ — Yudhiṣṭhira; nakulaḥ — Nakula; sahadevaḥ — Sahadeva; ca — and; sughoṣa-maṇipuṣpakau — the conches named Sughoṣa and Maṇipuṣpaka; kāśyaḥ — the King of Kāśī (Vārāṇasī); ca — and; parama-iṣu-āsaḥ — the great archer; śikhaṇḍī — Śikhaṇḍī; ca — also; mahā-rathaḥ — one who can fight alone against thousands; dhṛṣṭadyumnaḥ — Dhṛṣṭadyumna (the son of King Drupada); virāṭaḥ — Virāṭa (the prince who gave shelter to the Pāṇḍavas while they were in disguise); ca — also; sātyakiḥ — Sātyaki (the same as Yuyudhāna, the charioteer of Lord Kṛṣṇa); ca — and; aparājitaḥ — who had never been vanquished; drupadaḥ — Drupada, the King of Pāñcāla; draupadeyāḥ — the sons of Draupadī; ca — also; sarvaśaḥ — all; pṛthivī-pate — O King; saubhadraḥ — Abhimanyu, the son of Subhadrā; ca — also; mahā-bāhuḥ — mighty-armed; śańkhān — conchshells; dadhmuḥ — blew; pṛthak pṛthak — each separately.

TRANSLATION


King Yudhiṣṭhira, the son of Kuntī, blew his conchshell, the Ananta-vijaya, and Nakula and Sahadeva blew the Sughoṣa and Maṇipuṣpaka. That great archer the King of Kāśī, the great fighter Śikhaṇḍī, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, Virāṭa, the unconquerable Sātyaki, Drupada, the sons of Draupadī, and the others, O King, such as the mighty-armed son of Subhadrā, all blew their respective conchshells.

PURPORT

Sañjaya informed King Dhṛtarāṣṭra very tactfully that his unwise policy of deceiving the sons of Pāṇḍu and endeavoring to enthrone his own sons on the seat of the kingdom was not very laudable. The signs already clearly indicated that the whole Kuru dynasty would be killed in that great battle. Beginning with the grandsire, Bhīṣma, down to the grandsons like Abhimanyu and others — including kings from many states of the world — all were present there, and all were doomed. The whole catastrophe was due to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, because he encouraged the policy followed by his sons.
Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: SS91 on February 22, 2013, 12:02:02 PM


Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 1.19



sa ghoṣo dhārtarāṣṭrāṇāḿ
hṛdayāni vyadārayat
nabhaś ca pṛthivīḿ caiva
tumulo 'bhyanunādayan

SYNONYMS

saḥ — that; ghoṣaḥ — vibration; dhārtarāṣṭrāṇām — of the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra; hṛdayāni — hearts; vyadārayat — shattered; nabhaḥ — the sky; ca — also; pṛthivīm — the surface of the earth; ca — also; eva — certainly; tumulaḥ — uproarious; abhyanunādayan — resounding.

TRANSLATION

The blowing of these different conchshells became uproarious. Vibrating both in the sky and on the earth, it shattered the hearts of the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra.


PURPORT

When Bhīṣma and the others on the side of Duryodhana blew their respective conchshells, there was no heart-breaking on the part of the Pāṇḍavas. Such occurrences are not mentioned, but in this particular verse it is mentioned that the hearts of the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra were shattered by the sounds vibrated by the Pāṇḍavas' party. This is due to the Pāṇḍavas and their confidence in Lord Kṛṣṇa. One who takes shelter of the Supreme Lord has nothing to fear, even in the midst of the greatest calamity.
Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: SS91 on March 02, 2013, 09:00:31 AM


Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 1.10

aparyāptaḿ tad asmākaḿ

balaḿ bhīṣmābhirakṣitam

paryāptaḿ tv idam eteṣāḿ

balaḿ bhīmābhirakṣitam

SYNONYMS

aparyāptam — immeasurable; tat — that; asmākam — of ours; balam — strength; bhīṣma — by Grandfather Bhīṣma; abhirakṣitam — perfectly protected; paryāptam — limited; tu — but; idam — all this; eteṣām — of the Pāṇḍavas; balam — strength; bhīma — by Bhīma; abhirakṣitam — carefully protected.

TRANSLATION

Our strength is immeasurable, and we are perfectly protected by Grandfather Bhīṣma, whereas the strength of the Pāṇḍavas, carefully protected by Bhīma, is limited.

PURPORT

Herein an estimation of comparative strength is made by Duryodhana. He thinks that the strength of his armed forces is immeasurable, being specifically protected by the most experienced general, Grandfather Bhīṣma. On the other hand, the forces of the Pāṇḍavas are limited, being protected by a less experienced general, Bhīma, who is like a fig in the presence of Bhīṣma. Duryodhana was always envious of Bhīma because he knew perfectly well that if he should die at all, he would only be killed by Bhīma. But at the same time, he was confident of his victory on account of the presence of Bhīṣma, who was a far superior general. His conclusion that he would come out of the battle victorious was well ascertained.
Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: SS91 on March 03, 2013, 06:05:40 PM

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 1.11

ayaneṣu ca sarveṣu

yathā-bhāgam avasthitāḥ

bhīṣmam evābhirakṣantu

bhavantaḥ sarva eva hi

SYNONYMS

ayaneṣu — in the strategic points; ca — also; sarveṣu — everywhere; yathā-bhāgam — as differently arranged; avasthitāḥ — situated; bhīṣmam — unto Grandfather Bhīṣma; eva — certainly; abhirakṣantu — should give support; bhavantaḥ — you; sarve — all respectively; eva hi — certainly.

TRANSLATION

All of you must now give full support to Grandfather Bhīṣma, as you stand at your respective strategic points of entrance into the phalanx of the army.

PURPORT

Duryodhana, after praising the prowess of Bhīṣma, further considered that others might think that they had been considered less important, so in his usual diplomatic way, he tried to adjust the situation in the above words. He emphasized that Bhīṣmadeva was undoubtedly the greatest hero, but he was an old man, so everyone must especially think of his protection from all sides. He might become engaged in the fight, and the enemy might take advantage of his full engagement on one side. Therefore, it was important that other heroes not leave their strategic positions and allow the enemy to break the phalanx. Duryodhana clearly felt that the victory of the Kurus depended on the presence of Bhīṣmadeva. He was confident of the full support of Bhīṣmadeva and Droṇācārya in the battle because he well knew that they did not even speak a word when Arjuna's wife Draupadī, in her helpless condition, had appealed to them for justice while she was being forced to appear naked in the presence of all the great generals in the assembly. Although he knew that the two generals had some sort of affection for the Pāṇḍavas, he hoped that these generals would now completely give it up, as they had done during the gambling performances.
Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: SS91 on March 06, 2013, 07:31:30 PM




Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 1.12


tasya sañjanayan harṣaḿ

kuru-vṛddhaḥ pitāmahaḥ

siḿha-nādaḿ vinadyoccaiḥ

śańkhaḿ dadhmau pratāpavān

SYNONYMS

tasya — his; sañjanayan — increasing; harṣam — cheerfulness; kuru-vṛddhaḥ — the grandsire of the Kuru dynasty (Bhīṣma); pitāmahaḥ — the grandfather; siḿha-nādam — roaring sound, like that of a lion; vinadya — vibrating; uccaiḥ — very loudly; śańkham — conchshell; dadhmau — blew; pratāpa-vān — the valiant.

TRANSLATION

Then Bhīṣma, the great valiant grandsire of the Kuru dynasty, the grandfather of the fighters, blew his conchshell very loudly, making a sound like the roar of a lion, giving Duryodhana joy.

PURPORT

The grandsire of the Kuru dynasty could understand the inner meaning of the heart of his grandson Duryodhana, and out of his natural compassion for him he tried to cheer him by blowing his conchshell very loudly, befitting his position as a lion. Indirectly, by the symbolism of the conchshell, he informed his depressed grandson Duryodhana that he had no chance of victory in the battle, because the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa was on the other side. But still, it was his duty to conduct the fight, and no pains would be spared in that connection.
Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: SS91 on March 08, 2013, 12:25:06 PM


Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is  1.13


tataḥ śaṅkhāś ca bheryaś ca
paṇavānaka-gomukhāḥ
sahasaivābhyahanyanta
sa śabdas tumulo ’bhavat

Word for word:

tataḥ — thereafter; śaṅkhāḥ — conchshells; ca — also; bheryaḥ — large drums; ca — and; paṇava-ānaka — small drums and kettledrums; go-mukhāḥ — horns; sahasā — all of a sudden; eva — certainly; abhyahanyanta — were simultaneously sounded; saḥ — that; śabdaḥ — combined sound; tumulaḥ — tumultuous; abhavat — became.

Translation:

After that, the conchshells, drums, bugles, trumpets and horns were all suddenly sounded, and the combined sound was tumultuous.
Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: SS91 on March 10, 2013, 11:59:09 AM


Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 1.14


tataḥ śvetair hayair yukte

mahati syandane sthitau

mādhavaḥ pāṇḍavaś caiva

divyau śańkhau pradadhmatuḥ

SYNONYMS

tataḥ — thereafter; śvetaiḥ — with white; hayaiḥ — horses; yukte — being yoked; mahati — in a great; syandane — chariot; sthitau — situated; mādhavaḥ — Kṛṣṇa (the husband of the goddess of fortune); pāṇḍavaḥ — Arjuna (the son of Pāṇḍu); ca — also; eva — certainly; divyau — transcendental; śańkhau — conchshells; pradadhmatuḥ — sounded.

TRANSLATION

On the other side, both Lord Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, stationed on a great chariot drawn by white horses, sounded their transcendental conchshells.

PURPORT

In contrast with the conchshell blown by Bhīṣmadeva, the conchshells in the hands of Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna are described as transcendental. The sounding of the transcendental conchshells indicated that there was no hope of victory for the other side because Kṛṣṇa was on the side of the Pāṇḍavas. Jayas tu pāṇḍu-putrāṇāḿ yeṣāḿ pakṣe janārdanaḥ. Victory is always with persons like the sons of Pāṇḍu because Lord Kṛṣṇa is associated with them. And whenever and wherever the Lord is present, the goddess of fortune is also there because the goddess of fortune never lives alone without her husband. Therefore, victory and fortune were awaiting Arjuna, as indicated by the transcendental sound produced by the conchshell of Viṣṇu, or Lord Kṛṣṇa. Besides that, the chariot on which both the friends were seated had been donated by Agni (the fire-god) to Arjuna, and this indicated that this chariot was capable of conquering all sides, wherever it was drawn over the three worlds.
Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: SS91 on March 18, 2013, 01:23:33 PM


Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 1.15

pancajanyam hrsikeso
devadattam dhananjayah
paundram dadhmau maha-sankham
bhima-karma vrkodarah


SYNONYMS

pancajanyam--the conchshell named Pancajanya; hrsika-isah--Hrsikesa (Krsna, the Lord who directs the senses of the devotees); devadattam--the conchshell named Devadatta; dhanam-jayah--Dhananjaya (Arjuna, the winner of wealth); paundram--the conch named Paundra; dadhmau--blew; maha-sankham--the terrific conchshell; bhima-karma--one who performs herculean tasks; vrka-udarah--the voracious eater (Bhima).

TRANSLATION

Then, Lord Krsna blew His conchshell, called Pancajanya; Arjuna blew his, the Devadatta; and Bhima, the voracious eater and performer of Herculean tasks, blew his terrific conchshell called Paundram.

PURPORT

Lord Krsna is referred to as Hrsikesa in this verse because He is the owner of all senses. The living entities are part and parcel of Him, and, therefore, the senses of the living entities are also part and parcel of His senses. The impersonalists cannot account for the senses of the living entities, and therefore they are always anxious to describe all living entities as sense-less, or impersonal. The Lord, situated in the hearts of all living entities, directs their senses. But, He directs in terms of the surrender of the living entity, and in the case of a pure devotee He directly controls the senses. Here on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra the Lord directly controls the transcendental senses of Arjuna, and thus His particular name of Hrsikesa. The Lord has different names according to His different activities. For example, His name is Madhusudana because He killed the demon of the name Madhu; His name is Govinda because He gives pleasure to the cows and to the senses; His name is Vasudeva because He appeared as the son of Vasudeva; His name is Devaki-nandana because He accepted Devaki as His mother; His name is Yasoda-nandana because He awarded His childhood pastimes to Yasoda at Vrndavana; His name is Partha-sarathi because He worked as charioteer of His friend Arjuna. Similarly, His name is Hrsikesa because He gave direction to Arjuna on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra.
Arjuna is referred to as Dhananjaya in this verse because he helped his elder brother in fetching wealth when it was required by the king to make expenditures for different sacrifices. Similarly, Bhima is known as Vrkodara because he could eat as voraciously as he could perform herculean tasks, such as killing the demon Hidimba. So, the particular types of conchshell blown by the different personalities on the side of the Pandavas, beginning with the Lord's, were all very encouraging to the fighting soldiers. On the other side there were no such credits, nor the presence of Lord Krsna, the supreme director, nor that of the goddess of fortune. So, they were predestined to lose the battle--and that was the message announced by the sounds of the conchshells.
Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: SS91 on March 26, 2013, 09:50:19 AM


Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gita As It Is 1.16-18

anantavijayam raja
kunti-putro yudhishthirah
nakulah sahadevas ca
sughosha-manipushpakau
kasyas ca parameshv-asah
sikhandi ca maha-rathah
dhrishtadyumno viratas ca
satyakis caparajitah
drupado draupadeyas ca
sarvasah prithivi-pate
saubhadras ca maha-bahuh
sankhan dadhmuh prithak prithak


SYNONYMS


ananta-vijayam -- the conch named Ananta-vijaya; raja -- the king; kunti-putrah -- the son of Kunti; yudhishthirah -- Yudhishthira; nakulah -- Nakula; sahadevah -- Sahadeva; ca -- and; sughosha-manipushpakau -- the conches named Sughosha and Manipushpaka; kasyah -- the King of Kasi (Varanasi); ca -- and; parama-ishu-asah -- the great archer; sikhandi -- Sikhandi; ca -- also; maha-rathah -- one who can fight alone against thousands; dhrishtadyumnah -- Dhrishtadyumna (the son of King Drupada); viratah -- Virata (the prince who gave shelter to the Pandavas while they were in disguise); ca -- also; satyakih -- Satyaki (the same as Yuyudhana, the charioteer of Lord Krishna); ca -- and; aparajitah -- who had never been vanquished; drupadah -- Drupada, the King of Pancala; draupadeyah -- the sons of Draupadi; ca -- also; sarvasah -- all; prithivi-pate -- O King; saubhadrah -- Abhimanyu, the son of Subhadra; ca -- also; maha-bahuh -- mighty-armed; sankhan -- conchshells; dadhmuh -- blew; prithak prithak -- each separately.

TRANSLATION

King Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, blew his conchshell, the Ananta-vijaya, and Nakula and Sahadeva blew the Sughosha and Manipushpaka. That great archer the King of Kasi, the great fighter Sikhandi, Dhrishtadyumna, Virata, the unconquerable Satyaki, Drupada, the sons of Draupadi, and the others, O King, such as the mighty-armed son of Subhadra, all blew their respective conchshells.

PURPORT

Sanjaya informed King Dhritarashtra very tactfully that his unwise policy of deceiving the sons of Pandu and endeavoring to enthrone his own sons on the seat of the kingdom was not very laudable. The signs already clearly indicated that the whole Kuru dynasty would be killed in that great battle. Beginning with the grandsire, Bhishma, down to the grandsons like Abhimanyu and others -- including kings from many states of the world -- all were present there, and all were doomed. The whole catastrophe was due to King Dhritarashtra, because he encouraged the policy followed by his sons.
Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: SS91 on April 02, 2013, 02:11:48 PM


Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gita As It Is 1.19

sa ghosho dhartarashtranam
hridayani vyadarayat
nabhas ca prithivim caiva
tumulo 'bhyanunadayan

SYNONYMS

sah -- that; ghoshah -- vibration; dhartarashtranam -- of the sons of Dhritarashtra; hridayani -- hearts; vyadarayat -- shattered; nabhah -- the sky; ca -- also; prithivim -- the surface of the earth; ca -- also; eva -- certainly; tumulah -- uproarious; abhyanunadayan -- resounding.

TRANSLATION

The blowing of these different conchshells became uproarious. Vibrating both in the sky and on the earth, it shattered the hearts of the sons of Dhritarashtra.

PURPORT

When Bhishma and the others on the side of Duryodhana blew their respective conchshells, there was no heart-breaking on the part of the Pandavas. Such occurrences are not mentioned, but in this particular verse it is mentioned that the hearts of the sons of Dhritarashtra were shattered by the sounds vibrated by the Pandavas' party. This is due to the Pandavas and their confidence in Lord Krishna. One who takes shelter of the Supreme Lord has nothing to fear, even in the midst of the greatest calamity.
Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: v2birit on April 08, 2013, 09:21:44 AM
Study of Gita is very meritorious. It is like coupling yourself with God or like riding on God's vehicle. One gets the grace & favor of Lord by reading & understanding the same.

Only the fortunate few, get associated with Gita.

Kindly keep up the good work.

Om Sai Ram
Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: PiyaSoni on June 08, 2013, 01:13:47 AM
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gita As It Is 1.20

vatha vyavasthitān dṛṣṭvā
dhārtarāṣṭrān kapi-dhvajaḥ
pravṛtte śastra-sampāte
dhanur udyamya pāṇḍavaḥ
hṛṣīkeśaḿ tadā vākyam
idam āha mahī-pate


SYNONYMS

atha — thereupon; vyavasthitān — situated; dṛṣṭvā — looking upon; dhārtarāṣṭrān — the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra; kapi-dhvajaḥ — he whose flag was marked with Hanumān; pravṛtte — while about to engage; śastra-sampāte — in releasing his arrows; dhanuḥ — bow; udyamya — taking up; pāṇḍavaḥ — the son of Pāṇḍu (Arjuna); hṛṣīkeśam — unto Lord Kṛṣṇa; tadā — at that time; vākyam — words; idam — these; āha — said; mahī-pate — O King.

TRANSLATION

At that time Arjuna, the son of Pāṇḍu, seated in the chariot bearing the flag marked with Hanumān, took up his bow and prepared to shoot his arrows. O King, after looking at the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra drawn in military array, Arjuna then spoke to Lord Kṛṣṇa these words.

PURPORT

The battle was just about to begin. It is understood from the above statement that the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra were more or less disheartened by the unexpected arrangement of military force by the Pāṇḍavas, who were guided by the direct instructions of Lord Kṛṣṇa on the battlefield. The emblem of Hanumān on the flag of Arjuna is another sign of victory because Hanumān cooperated with Lord Rāma in the battle between Rāma and Rāvaṇa, and Lord Rāma emerged victorious. Now both Rāma and Hanumān were present on the chariot of Arjuna to help him. Lord Kṛṣṇa is Rāma Himself, and wherever Lord Rāma is, His eternal servitor Hanumān and His eternal consort Sītā, the goddess of fortune, are present. Therefore, Arjuna had no cause to fear any enemies whatsoever. And above all, the Lord of the senses, Lord Kṛṣṇa, was personally present to give him direction. Thus, all good counsel was available to Arjuna in the matter of executing the battle. In such auspicious conditions, arranged by the Lord for His eternal devotee, lay the signs of assured victory.



Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: PiyaSoni on June 10, 2013, 06:28:32 AM
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gita As It Is 1.21-22

arjuna uvāca
senayor ubhayor madhye
rathaḿ sthāpaya me 'cyuta
yāvad etān nirīkṣe 'haḿ
yoddhu-kāmān avasthitān
kair mayā saha yoddhavyam
asmin raṇa-samudyame


SYNONYMS

arjunaḥ uvāca — Arjuna said; senayoḥ — of the armies; ubhayoḥ — both; madhye — between; ratham — the chariot; sthāpaya — please keep; me — my; acyuta — O infallible one; yāvat — as long as; etān — all these; nirīkṣe — may look upon; aham — I; yoddhu-kāmān — desiring to fight; avasthitān — arrayed on the battlefield; kaiḥ — with whom; mayā — by me; saha — together; yoddhavyam — have to fight; asmin — in this; raṇa — strife; samudyame — in the attempt.

TRANSLATION

Arjuna said: O infallible one, please draw my chariot between the two armies so that I may see those present here, who desire to fight, and with whom I must contend in this great trial of arms.

PURPORT

Although Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, out of His causeless mercy He was engaged in the service of His friend. He never fails in His affection for His devotees, and thus He is addressed herein as infallible. As charioteer, He had to carry out the orders of Arjuna, and since He did not hesitate to do so, He is addressed as infallible. Although He had accepted the position of a charioteer for His devotee, His supreme position was not challenged. In all circumstances, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hṛṣīkeśa, the Lord of the total senses. The relationship between the Lord and His servitor is very sweet and transcendental. The servitor is always ready to render service to the Lord, and, similarly, the Lord is always seeking an opportunity to render some service to the devotee. He takes greater pleasure in His pure devotee's assuming the advantageous position of ordering Him than He does in being the giver of orders. Since He is master, everyone is under His orders, and no one is above Him to order Him. But when He finds that a pure devotee is ordering Him, He obtains transcendental pleasure, although He is the infallible master of all circumstances.

As a pure devotee of the Lord, Arjuna had no desire to fight with his cousins and brothers, but he was forced to come onto the battlefield by the obstinacy of Duryodhana, who was never agreeable to any peaceful negotiation. Therefore, he was very anxious to see who the leading persons present on the battlefield were. Although there was no question of a peacemaking endeavor on the battlefield, he wanted to see them again, and to see how much they were bent upon demanding an unwanted war.



Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: PiyaSoni on June 11, 2013, 05:55:01 AM
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gita As It Is 1.23

yotsyamānān avekṣe 'haḿ
ya ete 'tra samāgatāḥ
dhārtarāṣṭrasya durbuddher
yuddhe priya-cikīrṣavaḥ


SYNONYMS

yotsyamānān — those who will be fighting; avekṣe — let me see; aham — I; ye — who; ete — those; atra — here; samāgatāḥ — assembled; dhārtarāṣṭrasya — for the son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra; durbuddheḥ — evil-minded; yuddhe — in the fight; priya — well; cikīrṣavaḥ — wishing.

TRANSLATION

Let me see those who have come here to fight, wishing to please the evil-minded son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra.

PURPORT

It was an open secret that Duryodhana wanted to usurp the kingdom of the Pāṇḍavas by evil plans, in collaboration with his father, Dhṛtarāṣṭra. Therefore, all persons who had joined the side of Duryodhana must have been birds of the same feather. Arjuna wanted to see them on the battlefield before the fight was begun, just to learn who they were, but he had no intention of proposing peace negotiations with them. It was also a fact that he wanted to see them to make an estimate of the strength which he had to face, although he was quite confident of victory because Kṛṣṇa was sitting by his side.



Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: PiyaSoni on June 19, 2013, 04:31:51 AM
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gita As It Is 1.24

sañjaya uvāca
evam ukto hṛṣīkeśo
guḍākeśena bhārata
senayor ubhayor madhye
sthāpayitvā rathottamam

SYNONYMS

sañjayaḥ uvāca — Sañjaya said; evam — thus; uktaḥ — addressed; hṛṣīkeśaḥ — Lord Kṛṣṇa; guḍākeśena — by Arjuna; bhārata — O descendant of Bharata; senayoḥ — of the armies; ubhayoḥ — both; madhye — in the midst; sthāpayitvā — placing; ratha-uttamam — the finest chariot.

TRANSLATION

Sañjaya said: O descendant of Bharata, having thus been addressed by Arjuna, Lord Kṛṣṇa drew up the fine chariot in the midst of the armies of both parties.

PURPORT

In this verse Arjuna is referred to as Guḍākeśa. Guḍākā means sleep, and one who conquers sleep is called guḍākeśa. Sleep also means ignorance. So Arjuna conquered both sleep and ignorance because of his friendship with Kṛṣṇa. As a great devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he could not forget Kṛṣṇa even for a moment, because that is the nature of a devotee. Either in waking or in sleep, a devotee of the Lord can never be free from thinking of Kṛṣṇa's name, form, qualities and pastimes. Thus a devotee of Kṛṣṇa can conquer both sleep and ignorance simply by thinking of Kṛṣṇa constantly. This is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or samādhi. As Hṛṣīkeśa, or the director of the senses and mind of every living entity, Kṛṣṇa could understand Arjuna's purpose in placing the chariot in the midst of the armies. Thus He did so, and spoke as follows.




Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: PiyaSoni on July 03, 2013, 02:57:42 AM
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gita As It Is 1.25

bhīṣma-droṇa-pramukhataḥ
sarveṣāḿ ca mahī-kṣitām
uvāca pārtha paśyaitān
samavetān kurūn iti


SYNONYMS

bhīṣma — Grandfather Bhīṣma; droṇa — the teacher Droṇa; pramukhataḥ — in front of; sarveṣām — all; ca — also; mahī-kṣitām — chiefs of the world; uvāca — said; pārtha — O son of Pṛthā; paśya — just behold; etān — all of them; samavetān — assembled; kurūn — the members of the Kuru dynasty; iti — thus.

TRANSLATION

In the presence of Bhīṣma, Droṇa and all the other chieftains of the world, the Lord said, Just behold, Pārtha, all the Kurus assembled here.

PURPORT

As the Supersoul of all living entities, Lord Kṛṣṇa could understand what was going on in the mind of Arjuna. The use of the word Hṛṣīkeśa in this connection indicates that He knew everything. And the word Pārtha, or the son of Kuntī, or Pṛthā, is also similarly significant in reference to Arjuna. As a friend, He wanted to inform Arjuna that because Arjuna was the son of Pṛthā, the sister of His own father Vasudeva, He had agreed to be the charioteer of Arjuna. Now what did Kṛṣṇa mean when He told Arjuna to "behold the Kurus"? Did Arjuna want to stop there and not fight? Kṛṣṇa never expected such things from the son of His aunt Pṛthā. The mind of Arjuna was thus predicted by the Lord in friendly joking.


Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: PiyaSoni on November 15, 2013, 12:12:22 AM
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gita As It Is 1.26

tatrāpaśyat sthitān pārthaḥ
pitrn atha pitāmahān
ācāryān mātulān bhrātrn
putrān pautrān sakhīḿs tathā
śvaśurān suhṛdaś caiva
senayor ubhayor api


SYNONYMS

tatra — there; apaśyat — he could see; sthitān — standing; pārthaḥ — Arjuna; pitrn — fathers; atha — also; pitāmahān — grandfathers; ācāryān — teachers; mātulān — maternal uncles; bhrātrn — brothers; putrān — sons; pautrān — grandsons; sakhīn — friends; tathā — too; śvaśurān — fathers-in-law; suhṛdaḥ — well-wishers; ca — also; eva — certainly; senayoḥ — of the armies; ubhayoḥ — of both parties; api — including.

TRANSLATION

There Arjuna could see, within the midst of the armies of both parties, his fathers, grandfathers, teachers, maternal uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons, friends, and also his fathers-in-law and well-wishers.

PURPORT

On the battlefield Arjuna could see all kinds of relatives. He could see persons like Bhūriśravā, who were his father's contemporaries, grandfathers Bhīṣma and Somadatta, teachers like Droṇācārya and Kṛpācārya, maternal uncles like Śalya and Śakuni, brothers like Duryodhana, sons like Lakṣmaṇa, friends like Aśvatthāmā, well-wishers like Kṛtavarmā, etc. He could see also the armies which contained many of his friends.


Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: ShAivI on August 20, 2014, 05:28:49 AM
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 1.27

tān samīkṣya sa kaunteyaḥ
sarvān bandhūn avasthitān
kṛpayā parayāviṣṭo
viṣīdann idam abravīt

SYNONYMS

tān — all of them; samīkṣya — after seeing; saḥ — he; kaunteyaḥ — the son of Kuntī; sarvān — all kinds of; bandhūn — relatives; avasthitān — situated; kṛpayā — by compassion; parayā — of a high grade; āviṣṭaḥ — overwhelmed; viṣīdan — while lamenting; idam — thus; abravīt — spoke.

TRANSLATION

When the son of Kuntī, Arjuna, saw all these different grades of friends and relatives, he became overwhelmed with compassion and spoke thus.

Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: ShAivI on August 26, 2014, 05:47:50 AM
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gita As It Is 1.28

arjuna uvāca
dṛṣṭvemaḿ sva-janaḿ kṛṣṇa
yuyutsuḿ samupasthitam
sīdanti mama gātrāṇi
mukhaḿ ca pariśuṣyati

SYNONYMS

arjunaḥ uvāca — Arjuna said; dṛṣṭvā — after seeing; imam — all these; sva-janam — kinsmen; kṛṣṇa — O Kṛṣṇa; yuyutsum — all in a fighting spirit; samupasthitam — present; sīdanti — are quivering; mama — my; gātrāṇi — limbs of the body; mukham — mouth; ca — also; pariśuṣyati — is drying up.

TRANSLATION

Arjuna said: My dear Kṛṣṇa, seeing my friends and relatives present before me in such a fighting spirit, I feel the limbs of my body quivering and my mouth drying up./color]

PURPORT

Any man who has genuine devotion to the Lord has all the good qualities which are found in godly persons or in the demigods, whereas the nondevotee, however advanced he may be in material qualifications by education and culture, lacks in godly qualities. As such, Arjuna, just after seeing his kinsmen, friends and relatives on the battlefield, was at once overwhelmed by compassion for them who had so decided to fight amongst themselves. As far as his soldiers were concerned, he was sympathetic from the beginning, but he felt compassion even for the soldiers of the opposite party, foreseeing their imminent death. And while he was so thinking, the limbs of his body began to quiver, and his mouth became dry. He was more or less astonished to see their fighting spirit. Practically the whole community, all blood relatives of Arjuna, had come to fight with him. This overwhelmed a kind devotee like Arjuna. Although it is not mentioned here, still one can easily imagine that not only were Arjuna's bodily limbs quivering and his mouth drying up, but he was also crying out of compassion. Such symptoms in Arjuna were not due to weakness but to his softheartedness, a characteristic of a pure devotee of the Lord. It is said therefore:

yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā
sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ
harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā
mano-rathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ


"One who has unflinching devotion for the Personality of Godhead has all the good qualities of the demigods. But one who is not a devotee of the Lord has only material qualifications that are of little value. This is because he is hovering on the mental plane and is certain to be attracted by the glaring material energy." (Bhāg. 5.18.12)

Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: ShAivI on August 28, 2014, 04:50:27 AM
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gita As It Is 1.29

vepathuś ca śarīre me
roma-harṣaś ca jāyate
gāṇḍīvaḿ sraḿsate hastāt
tvak caiva paridahyate

SYNONYMS

vepathuḥ — trembling of the body; ca — also; śarīre — on the body; me — my; roma-harṣaḥ — standing of hair on end; ca — also; jāyate — is taking place; gāṇḍīvam — the bow of Arjuna; sraḿsate — is slipping; hastāt — from the hand; tvak — skin; ca — also; eva — certainly; paridahyate — is burning.

TRANSLATION

My whole body is trembling, my hair is standing on end, my bow Gāṇḍīva is slipping from my hand, and my skin is burning.

PURPORT

There are two kinds of trembling of the body, and two kinds of standings of the hair on end. Such phenomena occur either in great spiritual ecstasy or out of great fear under material conditions. There is no fear in transcendental realization. Arjuna's symptoms in this situation are out of material fear — namely, loss of life. This is evident from other symptoms also; he became so impatient that his famous bow Gāṇḍīva was slipping from his hands, and, because his heart was burning within him, he was feeling a burning sensation of the skin. All these are due to a material conception of life.
Title: Re: The Meaning of Peace in the Bhagavad Gita
Post by: ShAivI on September 02, 2014, 06:49:34 AM
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gita As It Is 1.30

na ca śaknomy avasthātuḿ
bhramatīva ca me manaḥ
nimittāni ca paśyāmi
viparītāni keśava

SYNONYMS

na — nor; ca — also; śaknomi — am I able; avasthātum — to stay; bhramati — forgetting; iva — as; ca — and; me— my; manaḥ — mind; nimittāni — causes; ca — also; paśyāmi — I see; viparītāni — just the opposite; keśava — O killer of the demon Keśī (Kṛṣṇa).

TRANSLATION

I am now unable to stand here any longer. I am forgetting myself, and my mind is reeling. I see only causes of misfortune, O Kṛṣṇa, killer of the Keśī demon.

PURPORT

Due to his impatience, Arjuna was unable to stay on the battlefield, and he was forgetting himself on account of this weakness of his mind. Excessive attachment for material things puts a man in such a bewildering condition of existence. Bhayaḿ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syāt (Bhāg. 11.2.37): such fearfulness and loss of mental equilibrium take place in persons who are too affected by material conditions. Arjuna envisioned only painful reverses in the battlefield — he would not be happy even by gaining victory over the foe. The words nimittāni viparītāni are significant. When a man sees only frustration in his expectations, he thinks, "Why am I here?"  Everyone is interested in himself and his own welfare. No one is interested in the Supreme Self. Arjuna is showing ignorance of his real self-interest by Kṛṣṇa's will. One's real self-interest lies in Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa. The conditioned soul forgets this, and therefore suffers material pains.  Arjuna thought that his victory in the battle would only be a cause of lamentation for him.