Bhagavad Gita, The Song of God - 1-2 : Swami Mukundananda

========================================================================

Sunday, 28  May, 2023. 06:30.

Chapter 1: Arjuna Vishada Yogam : 2

=========================================================================

Teachings of the Bhagavad Gita :

1.Imparts Brahma Vidya

Unable to deal with the immediate problem at hand, Arjun approached Shree Krishna for a palliative to overcome the anguish he was experiencing. Shree Krishna did not just advise him on his immediate problem, but digressed to give a profound discourse on the philosophy of life. Hence, the purpose of the Bhagavad Gita, above everything else, is to impart Brahma Vidya, the science of God-realization.

========================================================================

Slogam 2.

sanjaya uvacha

"drishtva tu pandavanikam vyudham duryodhanastada

acharyamupasangamya raja vachanamabravit."

========================================================================

sanjaya uvacha - Sanjaya said 

vyudham—standing in a military formation; 

duryodhanh—King Duryodhan; 

tada—then; 

acharyam—teacher; 

upasangamya—approached; 

raja—the king; 

vachanam—words; 

abravit—spoke.

=========================================================================

Translation :

BG 1.2: Sanjay said: On observing the Pandava army standing in military formation, King Duryodhana approached his teacher Dronacharya, and said the following words.

=======================================================================

Commentary :

Sanjay understood Dhritarashtra’s concern, who wanted an assurance that the battle would eventuate. Sanjay tried to allay his worry by informing that the Pandava army was standing in a military formation, ready for battle. Then he moved on to tell him what his son Duryodhana was doing on the battlefield.

As King Dhritarashtra was blind, his eldest son Duryodhana virtually ruled the kingdom of Hastinapur. In the Mahabharata, he is described as very rude, egoistic, evil and cruel by nature. Since his childhood, he had a strong dislike for the Pandavas and left no opportunity to demean them. He was aware that to rule over the entire kingdom of Hastinapur unchallenged he needed to eliminate them. However, standing on the battlefield, when he saw the large Pandava army, he was baffled.  He had underestimated the Pandavas, the extent of military might they had gathered was way beyond his expectation.

Duryodhana approached his guru Dronacharya with the pretense of offering respect, but his actual purpose was to palliate his own nervousness. His move towards his guru also reveals that the mammoth military formation of the Pandava army unnerved him and he was now fearful of the outcome of this war.

The next nine slogas are spoken by Duryodhana.

*****

To be continued

=======================================================================