BHAGAVAD GEETA: 54 - Swami Advayanandaji.
Bhagavatham village:
Mumbai-Chembur - Shell Colony Ayyappa Temples all committee office bearers and devotees.
Prana Pratishtha took place in Chembur during Bhagavata Saptaha which started from 2024 Jan 20 in Ayodhya.
It is not enough to thank Ayyappa Temple commitee who arranged to go to Prana Pratishtha in Ayodhya in between Saptaham. Similarly, fellow teachers Puthillam Unni Krishnan ji and Narayana Murtiji celebrated Sri Rama Maholsavam without informing my absence for the Saptaha Yagna on JAN 22 and made the Saptaha grand. Heartfelt thanks and prostrations to everyone.
Swami Udit Chaithanya
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BHAGAVAD GEETA
Chapter - 2
Discourse – 2 (72 Slogas)
“Yoga of the SUPREME SELF”
Sri Veda Vyasaji
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Tuesday, 30 Jan 2024 06:30.
2.7 ARJUNA’S SWADHARMA CLARIFIED
( Slogas : 31-38, 8 No.)
Post - 54.
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Slogam -32: An Open Door to Heaven
1
Yaddricchhayaa cha apapannam = And coming of its own accord,
2
svarga-dvaaram apaavritam; = as a door opened wide to heaven –
3
sukhinah kshatriyaah, Paartha, = what can be more pleasing to a Kshatriya,
4
labhante yuddham eedrisham. = O Partha, than obtaining such a War!
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Sri Krishna reveals his superb skill in this dialogue by pressing the right buttons to
inflame confidence in the erstwhile devastated Arjuna. Every word of the Lord breathes
courage and valour into Arjuna. Everything is going right to restore Arjuna’s frame of mind
to resume the war. All the lights are green in his favour.
1-2
An open door to Heaven: It is by no means a free entry.
The Pandavas would have deservedly earned every inch of their way through the “golden gates”. Here is why:
i) The Pandavas were fighting for a righteous cause.
ii) They were not the aggressors, but defenders of their just cause.
iii) They had followed all the codes of how to settle a dispute.
iv) Only after failing to come to a settlement, were they compelled to take the last
resort and fight it out with their cousins.
Indeed, the Pandavas had not put a foot on the wrong side of Dharma.
Yadrichhayaa: This has been an “unsolicited opportunity” to fight. Death in a war of
this nature would mean certain entry into heaven. There is a heavenly world called Veera
Swarga which is especially reserved for those who die in a righteous war.
3-4
These Padas are a repeat from the previous verse. Arjuna is addressed as Partha,
son of Pritha, another name for Queen Kunti. Krishna utters it as though He has just heard
Kunti say to Him, “O Krishna, remind him of the very purpose for which I have given him
birth. The moment for fulfilling it has come. O tell him now; this is the moment.”
THE RULES OF WAR :
Modern warfare has acquired an ugly reputation. Influenced by today’s war
standards, people may not grasp the respectability that war once had in the times of ancient
India. In comparison, today’s wars are brutal and ruthless, and bring out the animal nature
of man. At the time of the Mahabharata War, there were gentleman’s rules in place
regarding the conduct of war which made it an honourable activity.
Here are some rules that may surprise the people of today:
i)
Battles were only to be fought between sunrise and sunset. Those were ‘Business
Hours’ for war. After hours, people from both sides could meet each other openly without
any threat of danger.
ii)
One could not fight someone who leaves the battlefield, whatever their reason
could be. If a soldier suffered an injury, or if he just wanted to have some rest, he just had to
step out of the battlefield and he would be safe from attack.
iii)
If an individual or an army surrenders in the appropriate manner, he or they could
not be attacked and killed.
iv)
If a general was challenged by an opponent to engage with him in battle, it was
his duty to oblige and accept the challenge, even if he had planned some other attack.
v)
One could not enter into a scuffle or engage with an opponent who is already
engaged in a fight with an opponent. If a fight is in progress between two soldiers, no one is
allowed to interfere unless invited to do so or called for help.
vi)
Fighting could only be between equally ranked opponents.
vii)
Before beginning a fight, the opponent had to be notified of one’s intention to
fight. There had to be some order in the proceeding, as for example in a boxing match.
viii)
Fights between highly ranked generals followed certain rules. One had to defeat
the opponent in stages before killing him. For instance, the opponents ensign would be
brought down as a first warning; then his head cover; then his helmet; then his chariot. At
each of these warnings, the opponent is given a chance to surrender. If he opts to continue
to fight, only then is he killed.
ix)
It was illegal to ambush a soldier by outnumbering him. One could not gang up
against a lone soldier. That was accepted as being cowardly.
Occasionally, soldiers from both sides would break these codes of conduct. For that,
there were codes by which these breaches of conduct were punishable in a manner agreed
by both parties, so that a vicious cycle of revenge is averted. That being said, we have in the
Mahabharata itself, an almost endless string of revenge killings, breaking of the established
codes, etc, some of which are given in the Episodes that precede this Volume.
Generally, the code of honour made the duty of a warrior an honourable profession.
It was an honour to be a Kshatriya and represent one’s country in battle.
At this point, Acharyaji made a poignant remark about war:
“War does not show who is RIGHT ; it only shows who is LEFT !”
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NEXT
Slogam - 33: Not Fighting – the Sin of Omission
To be continued
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