Gita : Ch-1. Slo-30.

Srimad Bhagavad-Gita :



Chapter-1. ( Arjuna-vishada-yogam )



Slokam-30. (The burning sensation in his skin and tremors in the left side of the body are all indicative of evil forecasting adverse omens of dire consequences )



gandivam    sramsate    hastat   tvak    caiva    paridahyate,


na    ca    sakanomyavasthatum     bramativa    ca   me    manah.




hastat    Gandivam    sramsate   =    My bow "Gandivam" is slipping from my hand;

tvak   eva    paridahyate   =   And my skin is burning;

avasthatum     ca   =    I am now unable to stand here any longer;

na    sakanomi    =    I am loosing my strength;

me    manahbramati   iva    ca    =     I am forgetting myself, and my mind is reeling.  



Furthermore I am not able to stand here and compose myself for I see adverse omens and portents which forebode evil. 


It is as if my mind is unsteady. With these words of dejection the weakness of Arjuna is disclosed and it can be understood that he is close to losing consciousness. He says: in in this war I am seeing the consequence of opposing results. This means that even if he were victorious in obtaining the kingdom he would not feel any satisfaction. To the contrary he would feel just the opposite, he would feel remorse. Here in this sense the word nimittani meaning inauspicious omens is not given as a symptom but as a result. 


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 Gandiva 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.


Due to his impatience, Arjuna was unable to stay on the battlefield, and he was forgetting himself on account of the weakness of his mind. Excessive attachment for material things puts a man in a bewildering condition of existence. Bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ: such fearfulness and loss of mental equilibrium take place in persons who are too affected by material conditions. Arjuna envisioned only unhappiness in the battlefield—he would not be happy even by gaining victory over the foe. The word nimitta is 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 supposed to show disregard for self-interest by submission to the will of Krishna, who is everyone's real self-interest. 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.

To be continued ...