BHAGAVAD GEETA: Chapter 1-18. Swami Advayanandaji.

Chinmaya Mission

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

Sri Veda Vyasaji

Discourse – 1 (47 Slogas)

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Monday, 31 Jul 2023. 06:20.

Post - 18.

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1.5 ARJUNA’S MOHA OR DELUSION

(Slogas - 31B-37, 6 No.

AS WE READ THE following verses, we see in the words a compassion that is not in 

keeping with the context of the war. Independent of the war they are very noble. Later, we 

will see why the Lord considers such out of context expressions of nobility as nothing but 

Moha or Delusion. 

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For now let us get a scan of Arjuna’s mind in these Slogas:

Slogam - 31B: Why Kill Kinsmen?

1 Na cha shreyah anu-pashyaami  = Nor do I see any good 

2 hatvaa swajanam aahave.  = in killing my own kinsmen in battle.

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Slogam - 32: “I Desire Not Victory”

3 Na kaangkshe vijayam Krishna  = For I desire not victory, O Krishna,

4 na cha raajyam sukhaani cha;  = nor kingdom, nor pleasures.

5 kim nah raajyena Govinda  = Of what avail to us is dominion, O Govinda?

6 kim bhogaih jeevitena vaa.  = Of what avail are pleasures, or even life itself?

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Slogam - 33: “Kingdom, Enjoyment & Pleasures – What For?”

7 Yeshaam arthe kaangshitam nah  = They for whose sake is desired by us

8 raajyam bhogaah sukhaani cha;  = a kingdom, enjoyment and pleasures;

9 te ime avasthitaah yuddhe  = those very ones stand here in battle,

10 praanaan tyaktvaa dhanaani cha.  = having renounced life and wealth.

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Slogam - 34: “Kinsmen Alone Do I See Everywhere

11 Aachaaryaah pitarah putraah  = Teachers, fathers, sons,

12 tathaa eva cha pitaa-mahaah;  = and so also grandfathers;

13 maatulaah shvashuraah pautraah  = maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons,

14 shyaalaah sam-bandhinah tathaa;  = brothers-in-law, as well as other relatives…

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Slogam - 35: “Dominion by Killing?”

15 Etaan na hantum icchaami  = These I do not wish to kill

16 ghnatah api Madhusoodana;  = even though killed by them, O Madhusudana,

17 api trai-lokya-raajyasya  = even for the sake of dominion over the three worlds.

18 hetoh kim nu maheekrite.  = How much less for the sake of this world!

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Slogam - 36: “Pleasure in Killing

19 Nihitya Dhaartaraashtraan nah  = Killing these sons of Dhritarashtra,

20 kaa preetih syaat Janaardana;  = what pleasure can be ours, O Janardana?

21 Paapam eva aashrayet asmaan  = Sin alone will be our gain

22 hatvaa etaan aatataayinah.  = by killing these wretched felons.

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Slogam - 37: “Happiness by Killing?

23 Tasmaat na arhaah vayam hantum  = Therefore, we are not justified to kill 

24 Dhartaraashtraan swa-baandhavaan  = Dhritarashtra’s sons, our own relatives;

25 swajanam hi katham hatvaa for how,  = having killed our kinsmen,

26 sukhinah syaama Maadhava.  = can we be happy, O Madhava?

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In the above slogas, from 31b to 37, the Drishta Phala, the “fruit that can be seen”, 

i.e. the fruit that is available for enjoyment on earth itself, as well as the Adrishta Phala, the 

“fruit that cannot be seen”, i.e. heavenly pleasures – both are denied by Arjuna. 

Arjuna declares in verse 32 that he does not desire three things:

i) He does not desire victory. 

ii) He does not desire the kingdom.

iii) He does not desire the pleasures resulting from kingship.

His explanation follows in the rest of the slogas, 33-37. Those for whom he would 

want these will not be there. The whole clan will be destroyed in this war. He does not mind 

being killed by them but he has no desire to kill them to enjoy these three things. 

There is a dilemma that faces Arjuna. Is it not his duty, he feels, to protect his race 

rather than destroy it? He is an integral part of the world, not independent of it. Every 

thought and deed of his affects the world, and everything that goes on in the world affects 

him. How can he act with violence just because he differs with the other?

This is the moral dilemma that has taken a grip over Arjuna’s mind. What he says 

makes a lot of sense. Out of the war context, it is difficult to fault the thinking of Arjuna.

Assessment of Arjuna’s Views Independent of the War

If the war is put aside for the time being, we see a side of Arjuna that is very 

sensitive about his social responsibilities. That becomes even more pronounced in later 

verses in this chapter. This sensitivity is a trait that aligns him to the Law of Dharma, the 

laws of Righteousness, by which society can function smoothly. To To have this sensitivity is 

one of the basic conditions for a moral and upright citizen. Only such a citizen can contribute 

positively towards the growth of civilisation.

Adherence to Dharma is the difference between a person who lives only for himself 

and a person who lives for the welfare of the whole community. In terms of spiritual 

growth, this quality is a fundamental necessity. We are seeing in Arjuna this fundamental 

qualification upon which further spiritual development can take place. That is the spiritual 

assessment of Arjuna’s views given in the last few sloga, and a few more to follow.

The fact that Lord Krishna’s sees it as Delusion is a separate issue altogether. It is 

from the perspective of Arjuna’s duty as a citizen to protect righteousness which is being 

threated by the Kauravas. But we had precluded the circumstances of the war in our 

assessment of Arjuna’s views, and seen them from the standpoint of Dharma.

Therefore, as students of the Geeta, we should appreciate that Arjuna’s views reflect 

his basic eligibility to be on the spiritual path. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with his 

views. The majority of mankind today cannot match Arjuna’s sense of social commitment. 

For this reason, we should give him credit where it is due, before criticising him.

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Next

1.6 ARJUNA’S ARGUMENTS

(Verses 38-47, 10 No.)

To be continued

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