Bhagavad Gita, The Song of God - 36 & 37 : Swami Mukundananda.

Chinmaya Mission 

Swami Brahmananda orchestrated a Gita Jnana Yajna in Kannada, centered on the theme "Knowledge is Life," drawing from the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita. This enlightening event took place at Bunts Hall in Vijayanagar, Bengaluru and was inaugurated by Sri Murlidhar Hegde, the esteemed President of Bunts Sangha.

During the Yajna, Swamiji emphasized the importance of deriving inspiration and practical lessons from each shloka of the Bhagavad Gita, integrating them into our daily lives. The core message of the Bhagavad Gita is to unveil the truth that true peace and happiness cannot be found in the external world but lie within our own true nature. Misunderstandings and strained relationships arise from the delusions and misinterpretations surrounding concepts of 'I' and 'Mine.' True liberation (Moksha) is not the escape from bondage but the realization that bondage itself is illusory.

Swamiji urged us to face life's challenges with equanimity, living in the present without dwelling on the past or future, and surrendering our ego to live in harmony with our surroundings. This way, we can perceive the divine in all and lead a purposeful life.

Additionally, Swamiji presided over the Paduka Puja of Bhagavan Veda Vyas and Pujya Gurudev on August 6, 2023, in observance of Guru Poornima and Gurudev Aradhana. The Yajna was a resounding success, attended by numerous devoted individuals

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Thursday, 14 Sep 2023. 08:10.

Chapter -1. Arjuna Vishada Yogam: 36 & 37.

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"Nihatya dhartarashtran nah ka pritih syaj janardana

papam evashrayed asman hatvaitan atatayinah." (36)

"Tasman narha vayam hantum dhartarashtran sa-bandhavan

sva-janam hi katham hatva sukhinah syama madhava." (37)

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36

Nihatya—by killing; 

dhartarashtran—the sons of Dhritarashtra; 

nah—our; 

ka—what; 

pritih—pleasure; 

syat—will there be; 

janardana—he who looks after the public, Shree Krishna; 

papam—vices; 

eva—certainly; 

ashrayet—must come upon; 

asman—us; 

hatva—by killing; 

etan—all these; 

atatayinah—aggressors; 

37.

tasmat—hence; 

na—never; 

arhah—behoove; 

vayam—we; 

hantum—to kill; 

dhartarashtran—the sons of Dhritarashtra; 

sva-bandhavan—along with friends; 

sva-janam—kinsmen; 

hi—certainly; 

katham—how; 

hatva—by killing; 

sukhinah—happy; 

syama—will we become; 

madhava—Shree Krishna, the husband of Yogmaya

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Translation:

BG 1.36-37: 

"O Maintainer of all living entities, what pleasure will we derive from killing the sons of Dhritarasthra? Even though they may be aggressors, sin will certainly come upon us if we slay them. Hence, it does not behoove us to kill our own cousins, the sons of Dhritarashtra, and friends. O Madhav (Krishna), how can we hope to be happy by killing our own kinsmen?"

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Commentary:

Similar to the previous verses, Arjun continues to explicate his unwillingness to kill his relatives by using the words “even though” again. Addressing Shree Krishna as Janardhana, sustainer of the populace, he said, “Even though I am aware that they are willing to attack us, I feel it would be a sin to kill my uncle Dhritarashtra’s sons.”

Then addressing him as Madhav, Goddess Lakshmi’s husband, Arjun said, “It is not proper on our part to kill our cousins and relatives, how can we ever be happy by doing such a deed?”

Under most circumstances killing or taking someone’s life is considered a grave sin, which subsequently causes guilt and repentance.   The Vedas state: mā hinsyāt sarvā bhūtāni “Do not kill any living being.” Unless absolutely necessary in an extreme situation, violence in any form is a sin and non-violence a superior virtue. In Arjun’s case, even though the enemy’s wrong deeds were unpardonable, he was not willing to kill them considering it to be immoral.  

However, according to Vasishah Smriti (Mantram - 3.19) under six circumstances it is acceptable to kill; in order to protect themselves from such enemies who have: set fire to their property, tried to poison them, conspired to murder, loot their wealth, kidnap or dishonor their women, or seize their kingdom.  Even the Manu Smṛiti (8.351) mentions that it is not considered a sin if someone kills an attacker in self-defense.

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To be continued

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