Bhagavad-gita As It Is - Macmillan 1972 Edition -- Prabhupada Books (18 page)

Bg 2.27

TEXT 27

TEXT

jātasya hi dhruvo mṛtyur

dhruvaṁ janma mṛtasya ca

tasmād aparihārye 'rthe

na tvaṁ śocitum arhasi

SYNONYMS

jātasya-
one who has taken his birth;
hi-
certainly;
dhruvaḥ-
a fact;
mṛtyuḥ-
death;
dhruvam-
it is also a fact;
janma-
birth;
mṛtasya-
of the dead;
ca-
also;
tasmāt-
therefore;
aparihārye-
for that which is unavoidable;
arthe-
in the matter of;
na-
do not;
tvam-
you;
śocitum-
to lament;
arhasi-
deserve.

TRANSLATION

For one who has taken his birth, death is certain; and for one who is dead, birth is certain. Therefore, in the unavoidable discharge of your duty, you should not lament.

PURPORT

One has to take birth according to one's activities of life. And, after finishing one term of activities, one has to die to take birth for the next. In this way the cycle of birth and death is revolving, one after the other without liberation. This cycle of birth and death does not, however, support unnecessary murder, slaughter and war. But at the same time, violence and war are inevitable factors in human society for keeping law and order.

The Battle of Kurukṣetra, being the will of the Supreme, was an inevitable event, and to fight for the right cause is the duty of a
kṣatriya.
Why should he be afraid of or aggrieved at the death of his relatives since he was discharging his proper duty? He did not deserve to break the law, thereby becoming subjected to the reactions of sinful acts, of which he was so afraid. By avoiding the discharge of his proper duty, he would not be able to stop the death of his relatives, and he would be degraded due to his selection of the wrong path of action.

Bg 2.28

TEXT 28

TEXT

avyaktādīni bhūtāni

vyakta-madhyāni bhārata

avyakta-nidhanāny eva

tatra kā paridevanā

SYNONYMS

avyaktādīni-
in the beginning unmanifested;
bhūtāni-
all that are created;
vyakta-
manifested;
madhyāni-
in the middle;
bhārata-
O descendant of Bharata;
avyakta-
nonmanifested;
nidhanāni-
all that are vanquished;
eva-
it is all like that;
tatra-
therefore; kā-what;
paridevanā-
lamentation.

TRANSLATION

All created beings are unmanifest in their beginning, manifest in their interim state, and unmanifest again when they are annihilated. So what need is there for lamentation?

PURPORT

Accepting that there are two classes of philosophers, one believing in the existence of soul and the other not believing in the existence of the soul, there is no cause for lamentation in either case. Nonbelievers in the existence of the soul are called atheists by followers of Vedic wisdom. Yet even if, for argument's sake, we accept the atheistic theory, there is still no cause for lamentation. Apart from the separate existence of the soul, the material elements remain unmanifested before creation. From this subtle state of unmanifestation comes manifestation, just as from ether, air is generated; from air, fire is generated; from fire, water is generated; and from water, earth becomes manifested. From the earth, many varieties of manifestations take place. Take, for example, a big skyscraper manifested from the earth. When it is dismantled, the manifestation becomes again unmanifested and remains as atoms in the ultimate stage. The law of conservation of energy remains, but in course of time things are manifested and unmanifested-that is the difference. Then what cause is there for lamentation either in the stage of manifestation or unmanifestation? Somehow or other, even in the unmanifested stage, things are not lost. Both at the beginning and at the end, all elements remain unmanifested, and only in the middle are they manifested, and this does not make any real material difference.

And if we accept the Vedic conclusion as stated in the
Bhagavad-gītā (antavanta ime dehāḥ)
that these material bodies are perishable in due course of time
(nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ)
but that soul is eternal, then we must remember always that the body is like a dress; therefore why lament the changing of a dress? The material body has no factual existence in relation to the eternal soul. It is something like a dream. In a dream we may think of flying in the sky, or sitting on a chariot as a king, but when we wake up we can see that we are neither in the sky nor seated on the chariot. The Vedic wisdom encourages self-realization on the basis of the nonexistence of the material body. Therefore, in either case, whether one believes in the existence of the soul, or one does not believe in the existence of the soul, there is no cause for lamentation for loss of the body.

Bg 2.29

TEXT 29

TEXT

āścarya-vat paśyati kaścid enam

āścarya-vad vadati tathaiva cānyaḥ

āścarya-vac cainam anyaḥ śṛṇoti

śrutvāpy enaṁ veda na caiva kaścit

SYNONYMS

āścaryavat-
amazing;
paśyati-
see;
kaścit-
some;
enam-
this soul;
āścaryavat-
amazing;
vadati-
speak;
tathā-
there;
eva-
certainly;
ca-
also;
anyaḥ
-others;
āścaryavat-
similarly amazing;
ca-
also;
enam-
this soul;
anyaḥ-
others;
śṛṇoti-
hear;
śrutvā-
having heard;
api-
even;
enam-
this soul;
veda
-do know;
na-
never;
ca-
and;
eva-
certainly;
kaścit-
anyone.

TRANSLATION

Some look on the soul as amazing, some describe him as amazing, and some hear of him as amazing, while others, even after hearing about him, cannot understand him at all.

PURPORT

Since
Gītopaniṣad
is largely based on the principles of the
Upaniṣads,
it is not surprising to also find this passage in the
Kaṭha Upaniṣad.

śravaṇāyāpi bahubhir yo na labhyaḥ
śṛṇvanto 'pi bahavo yaḥ na vidyuḥ
āścaryo vaktā kuśalo 'sya labdhā
āścaryo jñātā kuśalānuśiṣṭaḥ.

The fact that the atomic soul is within the body of a gigantic animal, in the body of a gigantic banyan tree, and also in the microbic germs, millions and billions of which occupy only an inch of space, is certainly very amazing. Men with a poor fund of knowledge and men who are not austere cannot understand the wonders of the individual atomic spark of spirit, even though it is explained by the greatest authority of knowledge, who imparted lessons even to Brahmā, the first living being in the universe. Owing to a gross material conception of things, most men in this age cannot imagine how such a small particle can become both so great and so small. So men look at the soul proper as wonderful either by constitution or by description. Illusioned by the material energy, people are so engrossed in subject matter for sense gratification that they have very little time to understand the question of self-understanding, even though it is a fact that without this self-understanding all activities result in ultimate defeat in the struggle for existence. Perhaps one has no idea that one must think of the soul, and also make a solution of the material miseries.

Some people who are inclined to hear about the soul may be attending lectures, in good association, but sometimes, owing to ignorance, they are misguided by acceptance of the Supersoul and the atomic soul as one without distinction of magnitude. It is very difficult to find a man who perfectly understands the position of the soul, the Supersoul, the atomic soul, their respective functions, relationships and all other major and minor details. And it is still more difficult to find a man who has actually derived full benefit from knowledge of the soul, and who is able to describe the position of the soul in different aspects. But if, somehow or other, one is able to understand the subject matter of the soul, then one's life is successful. The easiest process for understanding the subject matter of self, however, is to accept the statements of the
Bhagavad-gītā
spoken by the greatest authority, Lord Kṛṣṇa, without being deviated by other theories. But it also requires a great deal of penance and sacrifice, either in this life or in the previous ones, before one is able to accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Kṛṣṇa can, however, be known as such by the causeless mercy of the pure devotee and by no other way.

Bg 2.30

TEXT 30

TEXT

dehī nityam avadhyo 'yaṁ

dehe sarvasya bhārata

tasmāt sarvāṇi bhūtāni

na tvaṁ śocitum arhasi

SYNONYMS

dehī-
the owner of the material body;
nityam-
eternally;
avadhyaḥ-
cannot be killed;
ayam-
this soul;
dehe-
in the body;
sarvasya-
of everyone;
bhārata
-O descendant of Bharata;
tasmāt-
therefore;
sarvāṇi-
all;
bhūtāni-
living entities (that are born);
na-
never;
tvam-
yourself;
śocitum
-to lament;
arhasi-
deserve.

TRANSLATION

O descendant of Bharata, he who dwells in the body is eternal and can never be slain. Therefore you need not grieve for any creature.

PURPORT

The Lord now concludes the chapter of instruction on the immutable spirit soul. In describing the immortal soul in various ways, Lord Kṛṣṇa establishes that the soul is immortal and the body is temporary. Therefore Arjuna as a
kṣatriya
should not abandon his duty out of fear that his grandfather and teacher-Bhīṣma and Droṇa-will die in the battle. On the authority of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, one has to believe that there is a soul different from the material body, not that there is no such thing as soul, or that living symptoms develop at a certain stage of material maturity resulting from the interaction of chemicals. Though the soul is immortal, violence is not encouraged, but at the time of war it is not discouraged when there is actual need for it. That need must be justified in terms of the sanction of the Lord, and not capriciously.

Bg 2.31

TEXT 31

TEXT

sva-dharmam api cāvekṣya

na vikampitum arhasi

dharmyād dhi yuddhāc chreyo 'nyat

kṣatriyasya na vidyate

SYNONYMS

svadharmam-
one's own religious principles;
api-
also;
ca-
indeed;
avekṣya-
considering;
na-
never;
vikampitum-
to hesitate;
arhasi-
you deserve
; dharmyāt-
from religious principles;
hi-
indeed;
yuddhāt-
of fighting;
śreyaḥ-
better engagements;
anyat-
anything else;
kṣatriyasya-
of the
kṣatriya
;
na-
does not;
vidyate-
exist.

TRANSLATION

Considering your specific duty as a kṣatriya, you should know that there is no better engagement for you than fighting on religious principles; and so there is no need for hesitation.

PURPORT

Out of the four orders of social administration, the second order, for the matter of good administration, is called
kṣatriya. Kṣat
means hurt. One who gives protection from harm is called
kṣatriya (trayate-
to give protection). The
kṣatriyas
are trained for killing in the forest. A
kṣatriya
would go into the forest and challenge a tiger face to face and fight with the tiger with his sword. When the tiger was killed, it would be offered the royal order of cremation. This system is being followed even up to the present day by the
kṣatriya
kings of Jaipur state. The
kṣatriyas
are specially trained for challenging and killing because religious violence is sometimes a necessary factor. Therefore,
kṣatriyas
are never meant for accepting directly the order of
sannyāsa
or renunciation. Nonviolence in politics may be a diplomacy, but it is never a factor or principle. In the religious law books it is stated:

āhaveṣu mitho 'nyonyaṁ jighāṁsanto mahīkṣitaḥ
yuddhamānāḥ paraṁ śaktyā svargaṁ yānty aparāṅmukhāḥ
yajñeṣu paśavo brahman hanyante satataṁ dvijaiḥ
saṁskṛtāḥ kila mantraiś ca te 'pi svargam avāpnuvan.

"In the battlefield, a king or
kṣatriya,
while fighting another king envious of him, is eligible for achieving heavenly planets after death, as the
brāhmaṇas
also attain the heavenly planets by sacrificing animals in the sacrificial fire." Therefore, killing on the battle on the religious principle and the killing of animals in the sacrificial fire are not at all considered to be acts of violence, because everyone is benefitted by the religious principles involved. The animal sacrificed gets a human life immediately without undergoing the gradual evolutionary process from one form to another, and the
kṣatriyas
killed in the battlefield also attain the heavenly planets as do the
brāhmaṇas
who attain them by offering sacrifice.

There are two kinds of
svadharmas,
specific duties. As long as one is not liberated, one has to perform the duties of that particular body in accordance with religious principles in order to achieve liberation. When one is liberated, one's
svadharma-
specific duty-becomes spiritual and is not in the material bodily concept. In the bodily conception of life there
are specific duties for the
brāhmaṇas
and
kṣatriyas
respectively, and such duties are unavoidable.
Svadharma
is ordained by the Lord, and this will be clarified in the Fourth Chapter. On the bodily plane
svadharma
is called
varṇāśrama-dharma,
or man's steppingstone for spiritual understanding. Human civilization begins from the stage of
varṇāśrama-dharma,
or specific duties in terms of the specific modes of nature of the body obtained. Discharging one's specific duty in any field of action in accordance with
varṇāśrama-dharma
serves to elevate one to a higher status of life.