BHAGAVAD GEETA: Chapter 1-20. Swami Advayanandaji.

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Arjuna Vishadha yogam  (“Yoga of Arjuna’s Despondency”)

Sri Veda Vyasaji

Discourse – 1 (47 Slogas)

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1.6 ARJUNA’S ARGUMENTS

(Slogas - 38-47, 10 No.)

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Thursday, 10 Aug  2023. 06:20.

Post - 20.

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1.6 ARJUNA’S ARGUMENTS :

Slogam-40: iii) “Irreligiosity & Impiety Results;”

1 Kula-kshaye pranashyanti  = Owing to the destruction of a family, will perish

2 kula-dharmaah sanaatanaah;  = the immemorial religious rites of that family;

3 dharma nashte kulam kritsnam  = From destruction of religiosity, the whole family

4 adharmah abhi-bhavati uta.  = will be overcome by impiety.

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Slogam - 41: iv) “Women Get Corrupt & Castes Confused.”

1 Adharma abhi-bhavaat,  = Krishna From the prevalence of impiety, O Krishna,

2 pradushyanti kula-striyah;  = the women of the family become corrupt;

3 streeshu dushtaasu,  Vaarshneya = And with women becoming corrupt, O descendent of the Vrishni clan,

4 jaayate varna-sankarah.  = there arises the “intermingling of castes”.

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Slogam - 42: v) “Family Falls into Evil Ways.”

1 Sankarah narakaaya eva  = The “confusion of castes” means hell

2 kula-ghnaanaam kulasya cha;  = for the slayers of the family; and

3 patanti pitarah hi eshaam  = from their fall into evil, the family forefathers

4 lupta-pinda-udaka-kriyaah.  = are deprived of the offering of riceball and water.

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Slogam - 43: vi) “Then Religious Rites are Destroyed.”

1 Doshaih etaih kula-ghnaanaam  = By the evil arising from destroying the family unit,

2 varna-sankara-kaarakaih;  = and by the admixture of castes, arise

3 utsaadyante jaati-dharmaah  = the destruction of the caste religious rites,

4 kula-dharmaah cha shaashvataah.  = as well as the age-old family religious rites.

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Slogam - 44: vii) “People are Condemned to Hell

1 Utsanna-kula-dharmaanaam  = Those whose family religious rites are destroyed,

2 manushyaanaam, Janaardana;  = for such human beings, O Janardana,

3 narake aniyatam vaasah  = dwelling in Hell for an unknown period

4 bhavati iti anu-shushruma.  = is inevitable – so have we heard.

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Slogam - 45: viii) “. . . All Because of Greed!”

1 Aho bata! mahat paapam  = Alas! A great sin, indeed,

2 kartum vyavasitaah vayam;  = have we resolved to do;

3 yat raajya- sukha- lobhena  = Out of Greed for the pleasures of a kingdom,

4 hantum swajanam udyataah.  = we are prepared to kill our kinsmen!

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Slogam - 46: “Death by Enemy is Preferable!”

1 Yadi maam aprateekaaram  = If I remain unresisting

2 ashastram shastra-paanayah;  = and unarmed, then, with weapons in hand

3 Dhaartaraashtraah rane hanyuh  = let Dhritarashtra’s sons slay me in battle.

4 tat me kshemataram bhavet.  = Indeed, that would be preferable for me.

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Slogam - 47: Arjuna Disarm

Sanjaya uvaacha: Sanjaya said:

1 Evam uktvaa Arjunah samkhye  = Having thus spoken in the midst of the battlefield,

2 rathopasthah upaavishat;  = Arjuna sat down on the seat of the chariot;

3 visrijya sasharam chaapam  = he cast away his bow along with the arrows,

4 shoka-samvigna-maanasah. = with his mind overwhelmed by sorrow.

The Logic in Arjuna’s Argumants :

It would be a good revision to recap the logic of Arjuna’s thinking:

i) S.38 & 39: “Why should we copy what they do and destroy the Family Unit?

ii) S.40: “That will only lead to Irreligiosity and Impiety;

iii) S.41: “These will lead to Corruption of Women, and Caste-mixing;

iv) S.42: “The family will then pursue Evil ways; 

v) S.43: “The caste and family Religious Rites will be destroyed;

vi) S.44: “We shall all spend an unknown, unlimited period in Hell!

vii) S.45: “And all this only because of Greed!

viii) S.46: “God forbid, I would rather prefer to Be Killed by the enemy.”

ix) S.47: And with that, Arjuna flings down his bow and collapses in the chariot, 

refusing to fight, with his mind thus totally confused and deluded, and filled with Sorrow.

We cannot fault Arjuna’s moral stand, his moral fibre and his social consciousness. 

Minus the War, Arjuna is perfectly correct in all that he has said. Yet, why is the Lord not 

happy with Arjuna’s outburst? It is solely because it does not take his Duty into account.

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The Yoga of Arjuna’s Sorrow:

The chapter is called the “Yoga of Arjuna’s Despondency”. There are two reasons:

i) Yoga is ‘union’. Arjuna is presently united to Sorrow.

ii) This sorrow itself becomes the means by which Arjuna is to attain union with God.

Sorrow has brought many people towards God. Sorrow is about to make Arjuna turn 

to Krishna for a lasting solution Krishna. Sorrow can become a Sadhana, a Yoga, to take one 

Godward. [See Essay 2 below)

Pain can make one BETTER; or it can make one BITTER.

Pain made Arjuna change his attitude towards Krishna from a friend to a disciple.

Fortunately for Arjuna, he remained humble and surrendered himself to Krishna. If 

he had not done that, his pain would have made him stubbornly attached to his delusion, 

and then no one could have helped him, not even the Lord beside him.

We learn from this chapter that when we are in difficulty we should turn humbly to 

God for guidance.

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Om Tat Sat!

END OF DISCOURSE 1

“YOGA OF ARJUNA’S DESPONDENCY”

To be continued

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