Bhagavad-gita As It Is - Macmillan 1972 Edition -- Prabhupada Books (7 page)

In this present day, man is very eager to have one scripture, one God, one religion, and one occupation. So let there be one common scripture for the whole world-
Bhagavad-gītā.
And let there be one God only for the whole world-Śrī Kṛṣṇa. And one
mantra
only-Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. And let there be one work only-the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

THE DISCIPLIC SUCCESSION

Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ.
(
Bhagavad-gīta,
4.2) This
Bhagavad-gītā As It Is
is received through this disciplic succession:

1)
Kṛṣṇa
, 2) Brahmā, 3) Nārada; 4) Vyāsa, 5) Madhva, 6) Padmanābha, 7) Nṛhari, 8) Mādhava, 9) Akṣobhya, 10) Jayatīrtha, 11) Jñānasindhu, 12) Dayānidhi, 13) Vidyānidhi, 14) Rājendra, 15) Jayadharma, 16) Puruṣottama, 17) Brahmaṇyatīrtha, 18) Vyāsatīrtha, 19) Lakṣmīpati, 20) Mādhavendra Purī, 21) Īśvara Purī, (Nityānanda, Advaita),
22)
Lord Caitanya,
23) Rūpa (Svarūpa, Sanātana), 24) Raghunātha, Jīva, 25) Kṛṣṇadāsa, 26) Narottama, 27) Viśvanātha, 28) (Baladeva) Jagannātha, 29) Bhaktivinode, 30) Gaurakiśora, 31) Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, 32) His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda.

Bg 1: Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra

1. Observing the Armies on the
Battlefield of Kurukṣetra

Bg 1.1

TEXT 1

TEXT

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca

dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre

samavetā yuyutsavaḥ

māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva

kim akurvata sañjaya

SYNONYMS

dhṛtarāṣṭraḥ
-King Dhṛtarāṣṭra;
uvāca
-said;
dharma-kṣetre
-in the place of pilgrimage;
kuru-kṣetre
-in the place named Kurukṣetra;
samavetāḥ
-assembled;
yuyatsavaḥ
-desiring to fight;
māmakāḥ
-my party (sons);
pāṇḍavāḥ
-the sons of Pāṇḍu;
ca
-and; eva-certainly;
kim
-what;
akurvata
-did they do;
sañjaya
-O Sañjaya.

TRANSLATION

Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: O Sañjaya, after assembling in the place of pilgrimage at Kurukṣetra, what did my sons and the sons of Pāṇḍu do, being desirous to fight?

PURPORT

Bhagavad-gītā
is the widely read theistic science summarized in the
Gītā-māhātmya (Glorification of the Gītā).
There it says that one should read
Bhagavad-gītā
very scrutinizingly with the help of a person who is a devotee of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and try to understand it without personally motivated interpretations. The example of clear understanding is there in the
Bhagavad-gītā
itself, in the way the teaching is understood by Arjuna, who heard the
Gītā
directly from the Lord. If someone is fortunate enough to understand
Bhagavad-gītā
in that line of disciplic succession, without motivated interpretation, then he surpasses all studies of Vedic wisdom, and all scriptures of the world. One will find in the
Bhagavad-gītā
all that is contained in other scriptures, but the reader will also find things which are not to be found elsewhere. That is the specific standard of the
Gītā
. It is the perfect theistic science because it is directly spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

The topics discussed by Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Sañjaya, as described in the
Mahābhārata,
form the basic principle for this great philosophy. It is understood that this philosophy evolved on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, which is a sacred place of pilgrimage from the immemorial time of the Vedic age. It was spoken by the Lord when He was present personally on this planet for the guidance of mankind.

The word
dharma-kṣetra
(a place where religious rituals are performed) is significant because, on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, the Supreme Personality of Godhead was present on the side of Arjuna. Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the father of the Kurus, was highly doubtful about the possibility of his sons' ultimate victory. In his doubt, he inquired from his secretary Sañjaya, "What did my sons and the sons of Pāṇḍu do?" He was confident that both his sons and the sons of his younger brother Pāṇḍu were assembled in that Field of Kurukṣetra for a determined engagement of the war. Still, his inquiry is significant. He did not want a compromise between the cousins and brothers, and he wanted to be sure of the fate of his sons on the battlefield. Because the battle was arranged to be fought at Kurukṣetra, which is mentioned elsewhere in the
Vedas
as a place of worship-even for the denizens of heaven-Dhṛtarāṣṭra became very fearful about the influence of the holy place on the outcome of the battle. He knew very well that this would influence Arjuna and the sons of Pāṇḍu favorably, because by nature they were all virtuous. Sañjaya was a student of Vyāsa, and therefore, by the mercy of Vyāsa, Sañjaya was able to envision the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra even while he was in the room of Dhṛtarāṣṭra. And so, Dhṛtarāṣṭra asked him about the situation on the battlefield.

Both the Pāṇḍavas and the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra belong to the same family, but Dhṛtarāṣṭra's mind is disclosed herein. He deliberately claimed only his sons as Kurus, and he separated the sons of Pāṇḍu from the family heritage. One can thus understand the specific position of Dhṛtarāṣṭra in his relationship with his nephews, the sons of Pāṇḍu. As in the paddy field the unnecessary plants are taken out, so it is expected from the very beginning of these topics that in the religious field of Kurukṣetra where the father of religion, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, was present, the unwanted plants like Dhṛtarāṣṭra's son Duryodhana and others would be wiped out and the thoroughly religious persons, headed by Yudhiṣṭhira, would be established by the Lord. This is the significance of the words
dharma-kṣetre
and
kuru-kṣetre,
apart from their historical and Vedic importance.

Bg 1.2

TEXT 2

TEXT

sañjaya uvāca

dṛṣṭvā tu pāṇḍavānīkaṁ

vyūḍhaṁ duryodhanas tadā

ācāryam upasaṅgamya

rājā vacanam abravīt

SYNONYMS

sañjayaḥ-
Sañjaya;
uvāca-
said;
dṛṣṭvā-
after seeing;
tu-
but;
pāṇḍava-anīkam-
the soldiers of the Pāṇḍavas;
vyūḍham-
arranged in military phalanx;
duryodhanaḥ-
King Duryodhana;
tadā-
at that time;
ācāryam-
the teacher;
upasaṅgamya-
approaching nearby;
rājā-
the king;
vacanam-
words;
abravīt-
spoke.

TRANSLATION

Sañjaya said: O King, after looking over the army gathered by the sons of Pāṇḍu, King Duryodhana went to his teacher and began to speak the following words:

PURPORT

Dhṛtarāṣṭra was blind from birth. Unfortunately, he was also bereft of spiritual vision. He knew very well that his sons were equally blind in the matter of religion, and he was sure that they could never reach an understanding with the Pāṇḍavas, who were all pious since birth. Still he was doubtful about the influence of the place of pilgrimage, and Sañjaya could understand his motive in asking about the situation on the battlefield. He wanted, therefore, to encourage the despondent King, and thus he warned him that his sons were not going to make any sort of compromise under the influence of the holy place. Sañjaya therefore informed the King that his son, Duryodhana, after seeing the military force of the Pāṇḍavas, at once went to the commander-in-chief, Droṇācārya, to inform him of the real position. Although Duryodhana is mentioned as the king, he still had to go to the commander on account of the seriousness of the situation. He was therefore quite fit to be a politician. But Duryodhana's diplomatic veneer could not disguise the fear he felt when he saw the military arrangement of the Pāṇḍavas.

Bg 1.3

TEXT 3

TEXT

paśyaitāṁ pāṇḍu-putrāṇām

ācārya mahatīṁ camūm

vyūḍhāṁ drupada-putreṇa

tava śiṣyeṇa dhīmatā

SYNONYMS

paśya-
behold;
etām-
this;
pāṇḍu-putrāṇām-
of the sons of Pāṇḍu;
ācārya-
O teacher;
mahatīm-
great;
camūm-
military force;
vyuḍham-
arranged;
drupada-putreṇa-
by the son of Drupada;
tava-
your;
śiṣyeṇa-
disciple;
dhīmatā-
very intelligent.

TRANSLATION

O my teacher, behold the great army of the sons of Pāṇḍu, so expertly arranged by your intelligent disciple, the son of Drupada.

PURPORT

Duryodhana, a great diplomat, wanted to point out the defects of Droṇācārya, the great
brāhmaṇa
commander-in-chief. Droṇācārya had some political quarrel with King Drupada, the father of Draupadī, who was Arjuna's wife. As a result of this quarrel, Drupada performed a great sacrifice, by which he received the benediction of having a son who would be able to kill Droṇācārya. Droṇācārya knew this perfectly well, and yet, as a liberal
brāhmaṇa,
he did not hesitate to impart all his military secrets when the son of Drupada, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, was entrusted to him for military education. Now, on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, Dhṛṣṭadyumna took the side of the Pāṇḍavas, and it was he who arranged for their military phalanx, after having learned the art from Droṇācārya. Duryodhana pointed out this mistake of Droṇācārya's so that he might be alert and uncompromising in the fighting. By this he wanted to point out also that he should not be similarly lenient in battle against the Pāṇḍavas, who were also Droṇācārya's affectionate students. Arjuna, especially, was his most affectionate and brilliant student. Duryodhana also warned that such leniency in the fight would lead to defeat.

Bg 1.4

TEXT 4

TEXT

atra śūrā maheṣv-āsā

bhīmārjuna-samā yudhi

yuyudhāno virāṭaś ca

drupadaś ca mahā-rathaḥ

SYNONYMS

atra-
here;
śūrāḥ-
heroes;
maheṣvāsāḥ-
mighty bowmen;
bhīma-arjuna-
Bhīma and Arjuna;
samāḥ-
equal;
yudhi-
in the fight;
yuyudhānaḥ-
Yuyudhāna;
virāṭaḥ-
Virāṭa;
ca-
also;
drupadaḥ-
Drupada;
ca-
also;
mahārathaḥ-
great fighter.

TRANSLATION

Here in this army there are many heroic bowmen equal in fighting to Bhīma and Arjuna; there are also great fighters like Yuyudhāna, Virāṭa and Drupada.

PURPORT

Even though Dhṛṣṭadyumna was not a very important obstacle in the face of Droṇācārya's very great power in the military art, there were many others who were the cause of fear. They are mentioned by Duryodhana as great stumbling blocks on the path of victory because each and every one of them was as formidable as Bhīma and Arjuna. He knew the strength of Bhīma and Arjuna, and thus he compared the others with them.

Bg 1.5

TEXT 5

TEXT

dhṛṣṭaketuś cekitānaḥ

kāśirājaś ca vīryavān

purujit kuntibhojaś ca

śaibyaś ca nara-puṅgavaḥ

SYNONYMS

dhṛṣṭaketuḥ-
Dhṛṣṭaketu;
cekitānaḥ
-Cekitāna;
kāśirājaḥ-
Kaśirāja;
ca-
also;
vīryavān-
very powerful;
purujit-
Purujit;
kuntibhojaḥ-
Kuntibhoja;
ca-
and;
śaibyaḥ-
Śaibya;
ca-
and;
nara-puṅgavaḥ-
heroes in human society.

TRANSLATION

There are also great, heroic, powerful fighters like Dhṛṣṭaketu, Cekitāna, Kāśirāja, Purujit, Kuntibhoja and Śaibya.

Bg 1.6

TEXT 6

TEXT

yudhāmanyuś ca vikrānta

uttamaujāś ca vīryavān

saubhadro draupadeyāś ca

sarva eva mahā-rathāḥ

SYNONYMS

yudhāmanyuḥ-
Yudhāmanyu;
ca-
and;
vikrāntaḥ-
mighty;
uttamaujāḥ
-Uttamaujā;
ca-
and;
vīryavān-
very powerful;
saubhadraḥ-
the son of Subhadrā;
draupadeyāḥ-
the sons of Draupadī;
ca-
and;
sarve-
all;
eva-
certainly;
mahā-rathāḥ-
great chariot fighters.

TRANSLATION

There are the mighty Yudhāmanyu, the very powerful Uttamaujā, the son of Subhadrā and the sons of Draupadī. All these warriors are great chariot fighters.

Bg 1.7

TEXT 7

TEXT

asmākaṁ tu viśiṣṭā ye

tān nibodha dvijottama

nāyakā mama sainyasya

saṁjñārthaṁ tān bravīmi te

SYNONYMS

asmākam-
our;
tu-
but;
viśiṣṭāḥ
-especially powerful;
ye-
those;
tān-
them;
nibodha-
just take note, be informed;
dvijottama-
the best of the
brāhmaṇas; nāyakāḥ-
captains;
mama-
my;
sainyasya-
of the soldiers;
saṁjñā-artham-
for information;
tān-
them;
bravīmi-
I am speaking;
te-
your.

TRANSLATION

O best of the brāhmaṇas, for your information, let me tell you about the captains who are especially qualified to lead my military force.