Thursday, March 24, 2011

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 - Samkhya Yoga - Sloka 5


The entire content of this mail is from Swami Chidbhavananda's translation of  The Bhagavad Gita, published by Ramakrishna Mission.

Arjuna declines to fight against the revered ones - slokas 4-6


Chapter 2 - Samkhya Yoga - Sloka 5

Gurun hatva hi maha anubhavan shreyah bhoktum bhaikshyam api iha loke I
hatva artha kaman tu gurun iha eva bhunjiya bhogan rudhira pradigdhan II sloka 5
गुरून हत्वा हि महा अनुभावान श्रेयः भोक्तुं भैक्ष्यं अपि इह लोके ।
हत्वा अर्थ कामान तु गुरून इह एव भुञ्जीय भोगान रुधिर प्रदिग्धान ।। श्लोक ५ 

To eat the beggar's bread even is far better in this world than to slay these great souled masters. But if I kill them, my enjoyment of wealth and desires in this world itself will be stained with blood.

Bhishma is verily the emodiment of continence. Chastity gets itself defined in this exemplary person. The boon that he has obtained is that death would not  overtake him against his consent. Self denial is his life long austerity. The preceptor Drona is a versatile genius; a man of right conduct. Arjuna owes his skill in archery to this teacher. Kripa is another eminent person on the other side. Arjuna has always been holding these men of merit in high veneration. To treat them as enemies now all of a sudden is well nigh impossible to the noble minded Arjuna. And if he should happen to kill them, this earthly life itself would become hell for him.

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