Gita : Ch-2. Slo-6.

Srimad Bhagavad-Gita :


Chapter-2. ( Samkya-yogam ),


Slokam-6. ( Nor do we know which is better—conquering them or being conquered by them. The sons of Dhartarashtra, whom if we killed we should not care to live, are now standing before us on this battlefield.)





Na   caitadvidmah    kataranno   gariyah   

Yadva    jayema   yadi   va   no    jayeyuh 

Yaneva   hatva    na     jijivishamah    

Tevasthitah     pramukhe    dhartarashtrah.




yadva   =    perhaps;

jayema   =    we    would    have    win    the war;

yadi   va    =    otherwise;

nah    jayeyu    =    they    win   the   war     against    us;

katarat     nah    gariyah    =    between   these    two    ( options ), which   one   is    the  best    for   us ?

etat    ca    =    that    itself;

Na    vidmah   =    we     do   not   know;

Yan     hatva    =    killing     whom    we;

Na    jijivishamah   eva   =    have    no   desire    to    live;

Te   dhartarashtrah     =    those   kouravas;

Pramukhe     avsthitah   =    here   in-front-of    us.



Nor do we know what would be better for us: that we may conquer them or they may conquer us - certainly of those who do so by killing we would never want to live, all of us as we are positioned in front of the sons of Dratarashtra.


Morever even if we could choose the path of unrighteousness in this matter, we cannot determine which is better for us, victory or defeat. These two alternatives are pointed out, whether the Pandavas should conquer the Kauravas or be conquered by them. But even in conquering them the victory would still be virtually a defeat because it is stated here by Arjuna that: slaying those very persons whom after there would be no desire to live. So win or lose was defeat in his eyes. 


It may be questioned how can Arjuna abandon his duty to fight as a kshatriya which is prescribed in the Vedic scriptures and believe that begging which is one of the duties of a brahmana is better? To counter this Arjuna is stating that he does not know which one is better or if its even better to be victorious or be vanquished as victory itself could seem like defeat for by being forced into the situation of having to slay his relatives in the Kaurava army he would not wish to live any longer. 


Arjuna did not know whether he should fight and risk unnecessary violence, although fighting is the duty of the kshatriyas, or whether he should refrain and live by begging. If he did not conquer the enemy, begging would be his only means of subsistence. Nor was there certainty of victory, because either side might emerge victorious. Even if victory awaited them (and their cause was justified), still, if the sons of Dhartarashtra died in battle, it would be very difficult to live in their absence. Under the circumstances, that would be another kind of defeat for them. All these considerations by Arjuna definitely prove that he was not only a great devotee of the Lord but that he was also highly enlightened and had complete control over his mind and senses. His desire to live by begging, although he was born in the royal household, is another sign of detachment. He was truly virtuous, as these qualities, combined with his faith in the words of instruction of Sri Krishna (his spiritual master), indicate. It is concluded that Arjuna was quite fit for liberation. Unless the senses are controlled, there is no chance of elevation to the platform of knowledge, and without knowledge and devotion there is no chance of liberation. Arjuna was competent in all these attributes, over and above his enormous attributes in his material relationships.

To be continued   ...