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Veeraswamy Krishnaraj: Tolerance with love is to speak in tongues of all faiths, hold in the heart the Truth of all faiths and see all faiths in the face of humanity.

About the author:

Veeraswamy Krishnaraj, M.D; F.R.C.P (Canada) is a board certified pediatrician in active practice until the end of 1998. He immersed himself in study of Hinduism in depth. He has sufficient knowledge and understanding of Hindu religion that he is confident to publish this book. He kept the words simple, supple, illuminating and to the point, while retaining the original flavor, beauty and grace. Compound words in Sanskrit are a nightmare for the beginner, as they are spliced together compactly in one continuous stretch of characters. He parsed the compound words into digestible syllables or words with superscripts and sequential numbers and rearranged the words in the verse in a readable form in English. In this book, he claims ownership of shortcomings and cedes the rest to Bhagavan. 

This book is good for students, and devotees reading the Bhagavad-Gita in Satsang (true company). Two verses nestle in two boxes in one page with no break or carry-over to the next page. Diacritics help the reader enunciate the words like a Sanskritist. The English words are reader-friendly. Wherever there is a need for elaboration, an addendum supports it.

Simplicity, authority, universality, and profundity are the hallmark of the Bhagavadgita, the Bible of the Hindus. The Bhagavadgita is the Song of the Lord. It provides guidelines for daily living with no dogmas and ritual overtones. It encourages and supports your individuality. It also explains the consequence of errant ways. Total surrender to Bhagavan releases the devotee from the ills of life on earth. Hinduism as a term is an external appellation from non-Hindus. Its true name is Sanatana Dharma (Eternal Law or Eternal Order) commensurate with Rta (Cosmic Order). The beauty about the Bhagavadgita is its appeal is universal.

 

 

Bhagavadgita in Sanskrit, Transliteration, and Translation
ISBN: 9781440176418.  Published Nov 2009
Available in bookstores (Barnes&Noble.com; Amazon.com....)

  

BGALLCOLOR.pdf    3181.08KB (3257428 bytes)

The above file has all 18 chapters in Sanskrit, Transliteration, colorized words for easy identification, word 4 word translation, superscription of words, rearrangement of words in a readable form in English.  This is the best you can get on the internet in one file. This file will be uploaded and sent to you as an attachment to your email upon payment of fees.  The above file (18 Chapters and 700 verses) costs  USD 18.00 for email upload in PDF format and $22.00 for DVD within US and $25.00 for shipment outside US.  Method of payment is through Paypal, the beneficiary being Veeraswamy Krishnaraj.  There is a delay between payment and upload because of verification by paypal.

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http://www.bhagavadgitausa.com

02/12/2010 

 

 

 

Tanjore painting of Mahabharata war

PREFACE

Karma Yoga: Doctrine of communion of individual consciousness with Universal Consciousness through deeds.	Bhakti Yoga: Doctrine of Devotion in communion of individual soul with the World Soul.	Jnana Yoga: Doctrine of Knowledge in communion of Jivatma with Paramatma.
BG1. Aruja's distress BG 2 Samkhya Yoga BG 3 Karma Yoga BG 4 The Yoga of Knowledge BG 5 Yoga of Renunciation of Action BG 6 The Yoga of self-control	BG 7 Knowledge and Realization BG 8 Brahman the Imperishable BG 9 Yoga of Sovereign Knowledge and Sovereign Secret BG 10 Manifestation BG 11 The Grand Vision BG 12 Bhakti	BG 13 The Knower, the Field, and the Nature BG 14 The Three-Guna Psychology BG 15 The Supreme Person BG 16 The Divine and the Demon BG 17 Gunas and Faith BG 18 Renunciation and Liberation

 

Bhagavad-Gita is based on the inspired wisdom found in the Upanishads. Upa = near, ni=down, sad=sit.  The teacher taught Upanishads to the pupils sitting down near him.  Another explanation. Upa + ni + shadah. Shadah = (the Jnanam or knowledge that renders) the doubts, miseries, and karmic merits and demerits into dust.  The Bhagavad-Gita is considered as Gitopanishad.

Swami Vivekananda: The origin of ancient Sanskrit is 5000 B.C.; the Upanishads [are at least] two thousand years before that. Nobody knows [exactly] how old they are. The Gita takes the ideas of the Upanishads and in [some] cases the very words. They are strung together with the idea of bringing out, in a compact, condensed, and systematic form, the whole subject the Upanishads deal with.-- The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda  Volume 1  Page 446. 

The Hebrew word Yeshiva also means sitting (Sad in Sanskrit). Yeshiva is a Jewish school of religious learning.

BG is part of Mahabharata, and Vyasa was its author. It is claimed by the West that Vyasa was a generic name for an author, compiler, (editor) and or  "oral-aural-memory-scribe / writer /  publisher". The West surmises there were many Vyasas. ...Biardeau has remarked, "even the most staunch supporters of Western textual criticism in India would never dream of 'critically editing the Vedas. .., since they are absolutely authoritative as they are."

Dr. Mahadevan of Madras university (1972) quotes Bhāmati that Vyasa was the incarnation of Vishnu's Cognitive Energy (Jñānaśakti-avatāra).

Robert Louis Stevenson  writes

To learn aright from any teacher, we must first of all , like a historical artist, think ourselves into sympathy with his position. If a saying is hard to understand, it is because we are thinking of something else. There is always a ruling spirit behind the code of rules, an attitude, a relation, a point of the compass, in virtue of which we conform or dissent.

 

Translations:

I read many translations of the Bhagavadgita.  Purports and commentaries by Ramanujacharya and Sankaracharya (with English translations by Indian scholars) are the most precious and accurate. What I generally find in Indian authors with literary distinction is that their writings demonstrate cultural intimacy and scholarship.  Translations by some Indian authors of devotional nature intentionally conceal and suppress what may appear as inimical to their sect and or viewpoint and exaggerate to High Heavens what promotes their sect and stand. Some translations of devotional literature in Sanskrit and Tamil by both Indian and foreign authors  are guilty of inventiveness, intentional omissions, exaggerations, bias, ellipticalness, and strained explanations. One of the reasons why Bible is read all over the world is simplicity of language and high morality in everyday word. If an author writes and explains simple concepts as if it is his or her Ph.D thesis, it serves no purpose. It may fetch a Ph.D and not a popular following. If it has no currency with the public, however laudable and lofty the work is, it does not serve the ultimate purpose of liberating man. It is dead as a doornail.

 

Commentaries and purports by some Indian explicators of Bhagavad Gita and other devotional works (in Tamil) use abstruse words, phrases and sentences when the original words in the verses are simple and straightforward. Some seem to indulge in making the commentary as dense as they possibly can just to show off their literacy, when the verse itself is as lucid and translucent as clear water. The authors forget very often that they are here to make verses lucid for everyday reader.

KISS should be the guiding principle. By KISS, the writer or speaker is advised to "Keep It Simple, Stupid."

 

What the West writes about Hinduism is in a number of cases a tiresome impersonal exegesis of uncertain scholarship and a hostile stance to a culture they don't understand; a watermark of cultural antipathy runs between the lines. Of course there are many significant exceptions. Take for instance Sir John Woodroffe who authored many books on Hinduism, Saktas, The Serpent Power, Tantrics etc. If it is not for many dedicated western authors, Hinduism would not have been known well in the west. Some authors don't seem to understand and acknowledge that the South Asian religions borrowed heavily Hindu concepts. They don't give due credit to Hinduism, but assign originality to the daughter  religions. As matter of fact, I am yet to stumble upon original ideas, concepts, and doctrines in other religions of the world that are not found in Hinduism, which in my humble opinion is the most comprehensive religion of man. Hinduism is the Religion of religions. Other religions are partial mirror images of Hindu religion. Hinduism is the only religion that explored human thought, God and man in a comprehensive manner.  Hindu religion is an elephant and men know only just one aspect of it.

Translation of Bhagavadgita represents the inner soul of that individual translator. One example:

18.66:  Sarama slokam

Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam saranam vraja:

aham tvā sarva-pāpebhyo moksayisyāmi mā sucah.

Sankaracharya:translation into English from Sanskrit.

Abandoning all forms of rites and duties, take refuge in Me alone. I shall free you from all sins. (Therefore) do not grieve.

Sarva-Dharman: all forms of rites and duties: Here the word Dharma (righteousness) includes adharma (unrighteousness) as well; for what is intended is total renunciation of all actions, as enjoined in the Vedic and Smrit texts like, 'one who has not desisted from bad actions. Give up religion and irreligion.

religion = ritual observance of the faith.

Ramanujacharya: translation into English from Sanskrit.

Completely abandoning all Dharmas, seek Me alone for refuge. I will release you from all sins. Grieve not.

Relinquishing Dharma: the complete relinquishment of the sense of agency, possessiveness, fruits etc., in the practicing of Karma, Jnana, and Bhakti Yogas in the way instructed, and the realizing of Me as the agent, object of worship, the means and the end.

Radhakrishnan:

Abandoning all duties, come to Me alone for shelter. Be not grieved, for I shall release thee from all evils.

Dharma: ritual and ethical duties, sacred duties of reverence to teachers, duties to ancestors or Pitrs, preservation of caste or Varna, the law of right action.

Swami Prabhupada:

Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.

Sarva-dharmān parityajya: Give up all the processes that have been explained to Arjuna in the past chapters. Here Prabhupada explains what he thinks what Dharma or religion is.

Mahatma Gandhi:

Abandon all duties and come to Me, the only refuge. I will release thee from all sins, grieve not.

Krishnaraj

Abandoning all duties, surrender unto Me only. I shall deliver you from all sins. Do not lament.

R.C.Zaehner:

Give up all things of law, turn to Me, your only refuge, (for) I will deliver you from all evils; have no care.

Giving up all things of law is a bad translation of Sarva-dharman parityajya, and a poor choice of words. Dharma is not law, but duties and rites. Law varies from land to land; duties stay the same. Dharma is broken everyday without fear of prosecution, because it is beyond the purview of enacted law.

Law = the principles and regulations established in a community by some authority and applicable to its people; law is secular and has nothing to do with religion in most countries with some significant exceptions.

Classical Hindu Mythology by Cornelia Dimmit & J.A. van Buitenen says the following about Avatars on page 63-64. As with epithets of Vishnu, the many avataras in the Puranas may well have been originally separate deities, each with its own deeds, devotees and cult, who in the course of time became subsumed under a single god. The animal descents in the Puranas may represent remnants of animal worship, or they may simply be the fruits of religious imagination. The same might be said for the semi-human avataras of Vamana the Dwarf, and Narasimha, the Man-Lion...heroes Rama and Krishna stand out as potentially historical figures first transformed by legend into deities, then later subsumed under the personality of Vishnu. (A dwarf is not semi-human as Dimmit characterizes. Her characterization of Vamana as semi-human is Dim Wit. Dwarf is a human being who has the intellect of humankind. What a colossal misperception! A growth hormone deficient person was called a dwarf in olden days, though he was human and intelligent.) It is likely that Krishna was first a hero, advanced to become a minor deity, and finally absorbed into godhead of the eternal and supreme Lord of the universe, Vishnu.

 

 

The view from the West

The theme of Gita declares that the ancient faith in sacrifice as the sole means of liberation is no longer valid. Only deeds springing from altruistic motives (NiskAma Karma), and devotion (bhakti) to Isvara and faith in his grace (prasAda) can lead to realization of Brahman.

The Gita confirms the definition of avatAra as an incarnation of the Supreme Being, which occurs from age to age in response to a particular need or crisis.

Opinions vary about the date of the original composition of the Gita, some placing it in or about the fourth century B.C., others in the third or second centuries. Whichever of these is correct, the work in its present form indicates considerable revision. Some are of the opinion that Bhagavad Gita predates the composition of Mahabharata, and Gita was an interpolation. Zaehner says that with each re-reading it appeared to him to be a far more unitary work than most modern scholars had been prepared to concede.

Of the thirty-four manuscripts used to compile the critical edition of the Mahabharata, two omit the Bhagavadgita entirely. On sound text-critical grounds all stanzas above 700 are, in all manuscripts unquestionably secondary insertions.

The Mahabharata was originally a secular work in which a number of sacred works were interpolated. Bhagavadgita is the earliest exposition of the Bhakti system of EkAntika Dharma. --Harper's Dictionary of Hinduism, page 40.

 

Aldous Huxley wrote: “The Bhagavad-Gita is the most systematic statement of spiritual evolution of endowing value to mankind. It is one of the most clear and comprehensive summaries of perennial philosophy ever revealed; hence its enduring value is subject not only to India but to all of humanity.” 

 

I read the Ph.D thesis manuscript of Professor Patricia Yvonne Mumme, The College of Wooster,  Wooster, Ohio 44691. It is treasure-trove of information, every Vaishnava should have.  The book "The Srivaisnava Theological Dispute: Manavalamamuni and Vedanta Deskia" is being reprinted and is forthcoming in 2008 from Navabharat Enterprises in Bangalore, India. The  book is authored by: Professor Patricia Yvonne Mumme, Ph.D, The College of Wooster, Wooster, Ohio 44691 USA.

 

Joseph Campbell (03/26/1904 -- 10/30/1987) was an American mythology professor, writer, and orator well-versed in comparative mythology and comparative religion. He is the most authentic erudite American professor in his field of study. He wanted to study Sanskrit, modern art, and Medieval literature for his Ph.D; his advisors did not support him. Then he followed his bliss. He did well without the Ph.D appendage to his name. Here is a man who went after true knowledge and not a Ph.D. His knowledge is so immense,  ten of the Ivory Tower Ph.Ds and professors cannot match him.  He was a heavy weight in his field and understood other religions and cultures very well. The light weights of today with rare exceptions are a curse to their profession. He was a professor at Sarah Lawrence college for 38 years from 1934 to 1972.

 

 

The following is an extract from Wikipedia.

Hinduism Today Magazine is a quarterly magazine published by the Himalayan Academy in Kapaa, Hawaii, USA. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally, currently in 60 nations. Founded by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami in 1979, it is a public service of his monastic order to promote an understanding of the Hindu faith, culture, and traditions. Hinduism Today Magazine was launched in 1979 by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (Gurudeva), published by his non-profit organization Himalayan Academy.

Specific goals of the magazine include:

• 1. To foster Hindu solidarity as a unity in diversity among all sects and lineages;
• 2. To inform and inspire Hindus worldwide and people interested in Hinduism;
• 3. To dispel myths, illusions and misinformation about Hinduism;
• 4. To protect, preserve and promote the sacred Vedas and the Hindu religion;
• 5. To nurture and monitor the ongoing spiritual Hindu renaissance;
• 6. To publish a resource for Hindu leaders and educators who promote Sanatana Dharma. ^[5]

As a highly objective magazine with such a diverse presentation of thought, its appeal extends far beyond the Hindu community, especially to those interested in its portrayal of Hindu culture, as well as the thought processes and sentiment used to convey this content. (Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami is a white American, who in the tradition of Great Sages of India attained Realization of Siva.)

India Abroad reports in its Feb 29, 2008 issue about the famous Jagannatha Temple in Puri which prevents entry of foreign-born Bhaktas (White Baktas), who have been Pujaris of the same deity in the West for many years. I have witnessed white Bhaktas or visitors sitting inside some temples were not allowed into the Sanctum Sanctorum. There are white Hindu priests in USA performing Hindu rituals in temples and homes. It is a welcome sign, affirming the  universality of Sanatana Dharma, its native genius and  willingness to embrace one and all.

 

In the West, there is no restriction of admission based on race, color, creed... into the Hindu temples.

While visiting Goa India,  we were ejected unceremoniously from Basilica Bom Jesus by a caretaker. My wife's Bindi (Red Dot, = Tilakam = ¾¢Ä¸õ, ¦À¡ðÎ ) on the forehead was the mark of abomination and the external marker of our Hindu faith in the eyes of the caretaker, whose forefathers must have been Hindus. We did not succeed to abate his visible anger, when we confessed our love for Jesus Christ.

 

The following write-up is based on many published accounts.

American Universities and educational system are chock-full of errant information masquerading as teaching material on Hinduism. There is a campaign among concerned citizens to rectify this erroneous depiction of Hinduism in American schools, colleges and Ivory towers. My understanding from Sanskrit scholars of repute is that some Ivory Tower Religion Departments are mere dung heaps manned by bigots and pseudosanskritists whose vicarious scholarship (of Sanskrit) results in misinterpretation of Vedas, Upanishads and other Sacred Texts because of lack of intimate personal exposure to Sanskrit culture, cultural disaffection, unsecular credentials and interpretation from an alien cultural environment and mindset. One has to live, breath, and study Sanskrit among and from Indian Sanskrit Scholars in India to know the language and its subtleties. Sir John Woodroffe was one such Scholar. Others are mere shadows (with no substance).

The following is a depiction of sorry state of affairs in the so-called halls of higher learning in the US and the West.

The description of the following professor based in USA is collected from published material with my comments. The names have been withheld. She is a professor of Religion (Hinduism), a Big Kahuna in her field with double Ph.Ds, who has written many books and lectured extensively  on Hinduism.  She is popular among her eager students and controversial in her pedestrian quips, quotes, lectures, writings, and acerbic comments on Bhagavad Gita. If it is not for her, there won't be many Ph.Ds with special interest in Hinduism. To that extent we should be grateful to her. She churns out many Ph.Ds like there is no tomorrow. Those Ph.Ds may have been fed pablum instead of  pabulum (nutritious food) so much so they have been serving pablum to other Ph.D students in their capacity as department chairpersons. She made Hinduism popular among her students and the public, more as a perverse curiosity. Some Indians believe she is antithetical to or ignores and distorts the values, beliefs, achievements and glories of Sanatana Dharma. Some believe that her translations and interpretations lack Sanskrit Cultural suffusion and intimacy. There are Sanskritists who believe that her translations show lack of vitality, context, intimacy, native nuance, and scholarship (in Sanskrit). Some claim that her words contain more prurience than punditry. (Another professor, a purveyor of perversion of Pelvic Basin, sees a flaccid phallus in a proboscis and schnazzola, when he is face to face with corpulent elephant-faced Lord Ganesa.) A newspaper attributes the following to her: “The Bhagavad Gita is not as nice a book as some Americans think,” the good professor informed her audience. “Throughout the Mahabharata ... Krishna goads human beings into all sorts of murderous and self-destructive behaviours such as war.... The Gita is a dishonest book ; it justifies war.” Prof. added for good measure: “I'm a pacifist. I don’t believe in ‘good’ wars.” (Philadelphia Inquirer, 19th November, 2000.)  What depth, What insight, what incandescence! Such pedestrian profession comes from a professor with porcupine prickliness and interrupted intellect.

 She misses the forest for the trees. Bhagavadgita is all about the human struggle against evil; it is a war in the fields of mind, soul and body between evil and virtuous forces within oneself. She missed the message by a light year. The Harper's Dictionary of Hinduism says (page 157) "Kurksetra symbolizes the struggle to maintain right against the forces of evil." If a Religion dept Chairperson does not get the essence of this message, how could any student learn from this person? If she has any residual penchant for Bhagavad Gita, she should study the Sanskrit original Bhasya (Commentary) made by Ramanuja (1017-1137) and Sankaracharya (788-820 CE). Of course, they did not have Ph.D from the so-called prestigious university appended to their names. They were stalwart intellectuals with full command of Sanskrit. Likewise, William Shakespeare did not have a Ph.D in English appended to his name. The appended Ph.D does not mean anything; it is the mind and its content that matter.  Ph.D = Phantom doctor in her case.

Since she does not believe in The Bhagavad-Gita we have to assume that she does not believe in Bible either; according to Bible, the world was created in 7 days and world was thrust in space at 9AM on 23rd October 4004 BCE. Parlaying this kind of information, people say Indians have no concept of Time. According to the Bible, Time did not exist before 4004 BCE.  Then came along people who say that earth is about 4.54 billion years old.

Her translations and comments, they claim, are not precise and contextual but display a vinegary word salad.   She tends to forget to mention the contribution of Hindus in mathematics and numbers while talking about Yugas but is quick to comment on the futility of Indian cosmology, and the glory of Darwin's Theory of evolution. I wonder whose ancient cosmology is more precise than that of Hindus. Actually to the Hindu, the world was round when the rest of the world believed it was flat. It did not take a genius to say the world was round. The Hindu looked at the sun and the moon and made the connection and conclusion. The ancient Hindu Sacred Texts say that there are crores and crores (Crore = 10 million) of universes like ours. The rest of the world in ancient times had no concept of zero, a thousand, a crore, a billion or a trillion until Hindus taught them. Santana Dharma is too big, ancient, peaceful, secular, strong and overpowering in its concepts, and practices. One woman (Hello, she is NOT a Kali or Durga) however big her foreign (universities) credentials (Ph.Ds) are, cannot bring it down. She is not a Ph.D in religion and or Sanskrit from Benares Hindu University. What would you like to order in a restaurant: genuine Basmati rice and Indian Mangoes or imitation? Receiving Ph.D in Sanskrit and Hindu religion from a western university is not the same as from a reputable Indian University.

 

Don't forget you can buy degrees and Ph.Ds on line for a fee. People are in high places including academia with fake degrees or with degrees obtained in Ivory Towers just by having a famous legacy name, by making contributions, by paying fees, partying in the campus, submitting 'term papers from high-tech term-paper firms', having cozy relationship with department chairperson, creating nonexistent transcripts and doing everything under the sun without putting in an effort. Take elite college admissions. The NYTimes reports the following (Jan/15/08): The usual justification for legacy preferences is candidly cynical: they generate contributions from alumni. That crass bargain seems a poor substitute for the usual considerations in admissions decisions, like merit and diversity. But private universities are certainly entitled to trade money for principle. That preferences for the children of alumni were a relatively recent phenomenon, a result of anti-Semitism and xenophobia in the first part of the last century. Some conclusions: People with children gave more. Giving increased as the children of alumni who applied to the university neared 18. Giving dropped off after the admissions decision, and the decline was far greater when the child was rejected. Justice Clarence Thomas said the Constitution’s equal protection clause did not prohibit “unseemly legacy preferences” because they did not directly involve race.

Hello Hindus! Don't get upset with her. Don't forget she is making a living by talking ill of Hinduism; that pays her bills; I am glad and proud that Hinduism pays her bills and puts food on her table. Hinduism is her bread and butter. That much we are sure; to that extent she must in her mind be grateful. Sanatana Dharma does not believe in taking the food out of the mouth, which spills unfiltered toxic sewage of feigned scholarship in the form of words and phrases, however much one does not appreciate a person's distorted views. 

A baker takes the dough, beats, slaps, kneads, rolls, dips, twists, ties it in a knot, dabs it in salt and bakes it to make a pretzel. That is what some academics do with the truth, submit a cockamamie thesis, and get a Ph.D for it from other incompetent department chairpersons. Perversion and prurience are the stock in trade in some instances. The real Truth is immutable. The sad truth is that articles on Hinduism in Encyclopedias are written by trusted but incompetent westerners. I recently pointed out to the most subscribed encyclopedia of our time with references about the erroneous information on Tenkalais and Vadakalais, most likely written by a westerner who has no knowledge of Tamil, its culture and tradition. The encyclopedia in a matter of a few weeks rewrote the article and presented the correct information in its online edition. Some of these professors write books out of unbound ego, perpetuate wrong information and teach rubbish to the yearning Ph.D students. Many of the Ph.Ds are the mental clones of these professors, who seek immortalization through their effete clones. They perpetuate and teach the same stereotypical hogwash to others.

Actually I thank her for her talks on Hinduism. Among the western audience there will be a worthy one or two who can see the Truth through the smoke and mirrors. All alleged acerbic comments will sink in in some of the listeners and thinkers in a benignly advantageous fashion so much so they will make a comparative assessment with their own faith. All the immediate reflexive snickers, giggles and belly laughs  evaporate once the thinker makes an intelligent reflection. Some will be turned off; some will find the Truth. Hinduism is older than other's faith, has a rich culture, and outlived many invasions, turbulence, ostracism, conversions, and all other adverse events. It is actually alive and well, thriving, and kicking. If Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) cannot withstand an attack from every quarter, it is not worth its salt and cannot be proud of its intrinsic value. Sanatana Dharma can take verbal, physical (Dot Busters and Curry Bashers), and unjust assaults from intellectual dwarfs with Ph.Ds and thrive as it has done for millenniums. These dwarfish Dot Busters armed with Ph.Ds, computers and privileged appointments inhabit the nooks and corners of the Ivory Towers, ambush the unsuspecting on their prowls in the classrooms and steal the impressionable minds.

Professor, I believe you are a Crypto Hindu; prove me wrong by not talking about Hinduism. Welcome in our midst. Say what you want without fear or favor; but don't forget to add some spice and flavor. Don't forget to do the following when you give the talk: Massage their ego, make them salivate on juicy tidbits, tickle their fancy and prurience, convince them that the true locus of their brain is in the pelvis or abdomen and not in the head, stir up their emotion, make them revile other religions, tell them they are the best and the brightest you ever spoke to. All this will get you an invitation before you leave the lecture hall. Laugh all the way to the bank. We count on your standup comedy and entertainment to attract and humor your audience. You are a better Hindu than some of us are. We belong to an all-inclusive Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism), which accommodates in its fold rats, bats, cats, dogs, fish, elephants,  horses, boars, turtles, eagles, peacocks, bulls, cows, atheists, theists, gnostics, agnostics, infidels, skeptics, Tantrics, Saktas and all other imponderables. There is only one religion that treats all living creatures equally. Bhagavan says in Bhagavad-Gita the following: 5.18: A learned humble Brahmin, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and even a dog-eater are seen with an equal eye by a punditah (sage). 

In Hinduism you can hate and revile God and still attain liberation. God as seen by the Hindu eye is not a jealous and angry God (as perceived by some Non-Hindus). Here is the way one can attain to heaven. God says: Love Me once, you are free (liberation/moksa); hate Me once, your are free; ignore Me, you will fry in hell. The Gopis attained liberation (moksa) by love, Kamsa by fear, Sisupala by hatred, Pandavas by friendship, Yadhavas by attachment, Narada by devotion. The key is thinking and remembering the Lord in love, fear, hate, friendship, attachment, devotion or any one of  myriad feelings. The Lord seems to say, "Ignore me at your own peril."

The very fact that you reviled Bhagavad Gita is your ticket to heaven. You thought about Bhagavan and criticized Him. The very fact you think about Him and His word will certainly take you to heaven. What other religion can say that with conviction and proof? Kamsa hated Krishna to the extreme and tried to kill Him many times; Krishna killed him and dispatched him to heaven because Kamsa died at the hands of God. Under the same circumstances, other god would say, "go to Hell." 12/31/2007; 07/04/2008.

Krishna is the central Supreme Persona  in BG.   Krishna descended on this earth in a human form, was not only divine but subjected himself to activities,  limitations, trial and tribulations that humans are prone to, in the interest of humanity. Reciting the name of Krishna once brings benefits obtained by reciting the whole Sahasranama three times. Of all names, he likes to be called by the name of Govinda. All incarnations and names and forms of Vishnu are those of Krishna. One source (Brahma Samhita translation by Thakura Gosvami) tells that Krsi/Krs means Existence, Truth, Attractive and na means Bliss. Krishna = black.

View from the West continued

Krishna means black, while Arjuna means white; there is no racial significance in the names, just as English surname Black, and the German Schwartz have no racial connotation. It is by no means certain, as is usually assumed, that Krishna, the Pandavas, the Kauravas, and Jarasandha were Aryans, for evidence is gradually  accumulating that a fairly developed culture and powerful non-Aryan kingdoms flourished in that part of India before the entry of the Aryans. Page 150 Harper's Dictionary of Hinduism.

Janmastami is the celebration of birth (Janma) of Krishna on the eighth day of the dark fortnight (Krishna Paksa) of the month of Bhadrapada (Aug-Sep). The number 8 has significance in that He is the 8th incarnation of Vishnu, and the 8^th child of His mother Devaki. The devotees fast and keep a vigil  until midnight, the hour of His birth in Mathura by the Yamuna River. He was ferried across Yamuna in a basket on the head by His father Vasudeva to escape the  tyranny of His maternal uncle Kamsa.

Compare this to Moses, the son of Yochebed and Amram (Amram, Jacob's great-grandson married his aunt Yochebed) who, from fear of being discovered, was put in a bulrush basket and floated down the Nile under the watchful eyes of his sister Miriam. The baby was found in the Nile River by the bathing princess Bathya (or Merries) who took pity, adopted the baby and hired Yochebed to nurse the baby on the recommendation of Miriam. (God's miraculous way of saving Moses). Miriam and Yochebed kept the secret.

BG is a treatise, which teaches man the means and the  methods to attain spiritual knowledge, liberation and eventual union with Brahman as opposed to Faustian knowledge. It is a kind of home coming for the atman (self) after many travels through  and sojourns in many bodies. It is as if the self caught in the physical body,  burdened with unresolved karma, and yet pure and unblemished, is striving hard to attain liberation from the cycle of births and rebirths, until the time the self can go home to its origins, namely Brahman /Atman.

The View from the West

09/04/2006

Donald A. Mackenzie in his book Myths and legends of India (Chapter 8 Page 138) offers an opinion. "the original narrative was greatly hampered by inserting  long speeches and discussions regarding Brahmanic conceptions and beliefs. An excellent example of this process is afforded by the famous Bhagavad-gita, from which we have quoted in the previous chapter. The narrative of the first day's battle is interrupted to allow Krishna to expound the doctrines of the Vaishnava faith, with purpose to make converts to the cult of Vishnu." 

If Mackenzie were alive today he would say,  "the Bhagavad Gita is the unwanted commercial interruption in the two-hour telecast of an interesting war movie."  --Krishnaraj

What brilliance! Bravo Mackenzie! Mackenzie must have written his opinion during his happy hour of demented inebriation.--Krishnaraj

Siva says, "anyone who does not consider Vishnu as equal to Me is not My devotee." --Krishnaraj

Mackenzie contradicts himself by saying, "Vishnu and Shiva figure as great gods in the Mahabharata, and now and anon the other is given the first place."

If Siva is called a great god, Mack implies that Saivism receives equal treatment. That being so, where is the promotion of one cult over the other? (This is an example of Mackenzie's drooling words from a demented mind.)

Another westerner offers an interesting view. The invaders did not kill off all the Hindus because an average Hindu does not have a vicious bone in his body. On top of that, the Hindu thinks, believes, and says all foreigners (Mlecchas) are crypto-Hindus. There is nothing that Hinduism hasn't fathomed that we have in our religions (religion other than Hinduism). How threatening is it when a Hindu says Jesus Christ is an incarnation of Vishnu? Allah and Ram are one and the same with different names. How could you hate a fellow who says such endearing things?

Here is what Bhagavan says:

7.21: Whatsoever is the form of deity, a devotee desires to worship with faith, I make sure that his faith is steady (in that deity).

(Christians, Muslims, Jews... shouldn't have any problem with this statement from Krishna.)

7.23: Finite and limited is the fruit gained by these men of small intelligence (small minds). The worshippers of gods go to those gods, but my devotees come to Me. 

12.15: He by whom the world is not shuddered, who is not shuddered by the world, and who is free from delight, displeasure, fear, agitation, is also dear to Me.  (It appears that Krishna knew the one who shuddered the world: Hitler.)

Tanjore painting 19 depicts the conversation between Krishna and Arjuna. Go to http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Crete/3739/GODS/

 

exoticindia.com

The Battlefield and Arjuna's depression

Kurukshetra War and Chennai connection

IT was a battle royal between Pandavas and Kauravas (Kurus). It was cousins against cousins. Pandu, the father of  five Pandavas died leaving the kingdom to his half-brother Dhrtarastra, who had one hundred sons. When Dhrtarastra decided to give the kingdom - what is rightfully theirs -to Pandavas,  Duryodhana, the eldest son of  Dhrtarastra took the throne for himself by enticing Yudhisthira, the eldest of Pandavas, to a game of dice and stacking all odds against him. The Pandavas lost  the kingdom in the game of dice, and were banished to the forest for twelve years. The last year - the thirteenth - was  spent incognito according to the agreement. Upon their return, Duryodhana wouldn't even give a land the size of a postage stamp - five villages.  Krishna tried to bring the cousins together in vain and offered the warring factions to choose either Him or his military machine  Krishna, the head of the Yadhava clan joined the Pandavas upon their choice and request, while the Kauravas opted for Krishna's army. Krishna refused to bear arms against the Kurus and made a promise to that effect. Bhishma the grandfather of the Kurus who wanted Krishna to break his vow and enter the war with weapons, sent rains of arrows on Krishna which drew blood and scarred his face for ever. Krishna stood there, took the assault and kept his promise. There is a temple in Chennai that celebrates Krishna in the form of Parthasarathy, meaning Partha's Charioteer. Partha =Arjuna.; Sārathy = charioteer. The Parthasarathy Temple (8th Century) in Chennai shows Krishna with scars on his face. The legend says that Krishna, after the Kurushetra war, came to a pond replete with Alli flowers. That site became the holy place and temple, Tiruvallikeni, which was corrupted to Triplicane by the British. The Parthasarathy  temple was built by a Pallava king.

Vishnu incarnates when Dharma is on descent. Vayu Purana Chapter 35 lists the Deva-Asura wars, Vishnu is involved in. The first war was Narasimha (caused by Man-Lion). The second war was Vamana as the Dwarf when He intervened in the war between Devas and Bali and restored the suzerainty of the gods. The 3rd, the 4th, the 5th were VArAha, the churning of the ocean, and the war of TArakAmaya on the abduction of TAtA by Candra. The 6th, 7th, the 8th and the 9th were Adhibaka, Traipura, AndhakAra and Dhvaja wars. The 10th, 11th, and the 12th were VArta, HalAhala and KolAhala. in all these wars Vishnu extracts victory over His opponents either alone by Himself, with others or through surrogate gods.

Krishna became the charioteer of Arjuna, one of the Pandavas. The war was fought in Kuruksetra.  In modern times the area would have been in the vicinity of Delhi. 

AUM is portrayed well in Krishna-Arjuna chariot, which is of the form of Pranavam. A is Krishna, Ma is Arjuna, everything else is U. A is in front; M is behind A. Paramatma the 26th Tattva is in front of the 25th Tattva, Arjuna the Jivatma.

Krishna, upon request from Arjuna, drove the chariot and stationed it between the two armies.  Arjuna took one look at the armies and immediately became disheartened. He saw his friends, relatives, and  teachers on either side. He couldn't  get himself to kill his near and dear just for the sake of gaining a kingdom or a piece of land. He would rather die in the hands of Kurus ( Kauravas) than to kill any of them. His body, mind, and heart sank in deep depression. He lost his will to kill his enemies. 

Comments:

Throughout the battle between the Pandavas and Kauravas,  Sanjaya, a charioteer, a friend and secretary was acting as a reporter to the blind king Dhrtarastra, the father of Kauravas, on the battlefield happenings. Sanjaya had this  unique "Omnivision", by which he could see in his mind and narrate all  events  in real time on the battlefield, while staying close to the blind king in safety, away from the battlefield. He was in effect the seeing eyes of the blind king, with omnivision.  One compensated for the other more than one can imagine. The blind king Dhrtarastra didn't have the foresight to see the destruction of  his own sons, when he went along with his eldest son Duryodhana in the game of dice  and entrapment of Yudhisthira, the eldest of the Pandavas.

Krishna, related to both Pandavas and Kauravas, was neutral. Krishna tried his best to avert a war between Pandavas and Kauravas. When  imminence of war was in the horizon, He proposed that one party can get his military machine and the other can have Him. Duryodhana, in his egoistic ignorance, chose Krishna's military machine, while the Pandavas chose Krishna.  That clinched the outcome of the battle.

Krishna as Ambassador in the court of Kurus attempting to prevent war: Painting by Raja Ravi Varma. Credit www.kamat.com

The God in human form has dark blue skin like the nimbus clouds; there is no way one can miss Him.

Gita talks about Dharmaksetra and Kuruksetra in one breath. The former is a field of Dharma - duty and righteousness and the latter is a battleground in the land of the Kurus / Kauravas. It was a battle between the good and the evil.    The battleground itself is representative of  life's struggle and the desire of atman (self)  to merge with Brahman or Atman (Self).  Dharma is the underlying framework for that struggle. Life and struggle without Dharma are futile and even worse, the breeder of karma. The  body is the chariot  and the atman is  riding the chariot. Buddhi - intuitive intelligence -is the chariot driver. The mind is the reins and the senses are the horses.  Buddhi controls the mind and the senses. And Krishna is the Self or Brahman. This analogy is mentioned in the Upanishads.  The senses are compared to vicious horses in Sv. Up 2.9

Arjuna's unwillingness to go to war  and cause the death of his near and dear, was one of compassion, but in his confusion, did not address the duty he was sworn to as a Ksatriya. Arjuna worried about the death of his kith and kin and leaving so many widows, who without their husbands, brothers and fathers, were susceptible to deprivation and degradation of their status and moral values.

Krishna the Charioteer and Arjuna the Warrior Prince.

Chapter 1: Arjuna's Distress

BHAGAVADA GITA

CHAPTER 1

धृतराष्ट्र उवाच 

धर्मक्षेत्रे कुरुक्षेत्रे समवेता युयुत्सवः ।

मामकाः पाण्डवाश्चैव किमकुर्वत सय ॥१-१॥ 1.1

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca
dharmakṣetre kurukṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ
māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś cai 'va kim akurvata sañjaya 1.1

1.1: Dhritarāstra said:

Assembled in Dharmaksetra and Kuruksetra eager for battle, what did my people and the sons of Pandu do, O Sanjaya? 

Dharmaksetra: The field of righteousness. Kuruksetra: The field of Kurus. The implication is that a battle is about to happen between the forces of right and wrong in the land of the Kurus.   

 

सञ्जय उवाच 

दृष्ट्वा तु पाण्डवानीकं व्यूढं दुर्योधनस्तदा ।

आचार्यमुपसंगम्य राजा वचनमब्रवीत्  ॥१-२॥ 1.2

sañjaya uvāca
dṛṣṭvā tu pāṇḍavānīkaṁ vyūḍhaṁ duryodhanas tadā
ācāryam upasaṅgamya rājā vacanam abravīt 1.2

1.2: Sanjaya said:

Seeing the Pandava army in battle formation, Duryodhana approached his teacher and spoke these words.

Drona was his Guru. 

 

पश्यैतां पाण्डुपुत्राणामाचार्य महतीं चमूम् ।

व्यूढां द्रुपदपुत्रेण तव शिष्येण धीमता ॥१-३॥ 1.3

paśyaitāṁ pāṇḍuputrāṇām ācārya mahatīṁ camūm
vyūḍhāṁ drupadaputreṇa tava śiṣyeṇa dhīmatā 1.3

1.3: Behold this great army of the sons of Pandu deployed in battle formation by the son of Drupada, your intelligent disciple, O teacher. 

अत्र शूरा महेष्वासा भीमार्जुनसमा युधि ।

युयुधानो विराटश्च द्रुपदश्च महारथः ॥१-४॥ 1.4

atra śūrā maheṣvāsā bhīmārjunasamā yudhi
yuyudhāno virāṭaś ca drupadaś ca mahārathaḥ 1.4

1.4: Here are the heroes and the great archers equal to Bhima and Arjuna in battle: Yuyudhana, Virata, and Drupada, the great charioteer.   

धृष्टकेतुश्चेकितानः काशिराजश्च वीर्यवान् ।

पुरुजित्कुन्तिभोजश्च शैब्यश्च नरपुङ्गवः ॥१-५॥ 1.5

dhṛṣṭaketuś cekitānaḥ kāśirājaś ca vīryavān
purujit kuntibhojaś ca śaibyaś ca narapungavaḥ 1.5

1.5: Dhristaketu, Cekitana, valiant Kasiraja, Purujit, Kuntibhoja, and Saibya, the foremost among men.   

युधामन्युश्च विक्रान्त उत्तमौजाश्च वीर्यवान् ।

सौभद्रो द्रौपदेयाश्च सर्व एव महारथाः  ॥१-६॥ 1.6

yudhāmanyuś ca vikrānta uttamaujāś ca vīryavān
saubhadro draupadeyāś ca sarva eva mahārathāḥ 1.6

1.6: Yudhamanyu the valiant, Uttamauja the powerful, the son of Subhadra, and the sons of Draupadi are great chariot fighters.   

अस्माकं तु विशिष्टा ये तान्निबोध द्विजोत्तम ।

नायका मम सैन्यस्य संज्ञार्थं तान्ब्रवीमि ते  ॥१-७॥ 1.7

asmākaṁ tu viśiṣṭā ye tān nibodha dvijottama
nāyakā mama sainyasya saṁjñārthaṁ tān bravīmi te 1.7

1.7: Know also, O Dvija Uttama, the leaders of the army, who are distinguished. I will name them for your information.   

Dvija-Uttama: The “twice-born supreme,” the best of the Brahmanas.   

भवान्भीष्मश्च कर्णश्च कृपश्च समितिंजयः ।

अश्वत्थामा विकर्णश्च सौमदत्तिस्तथैव च  ॥१-८॥ 1.8

bhavān bhīṣmaś ca karṇaś ca kṛpaś ca samitiṁjayaḥ
aśvatthāmā vikarṇaś ca saumadattis tathai 'va ca 1.8

1.8: (Like) yourself, Bhishma, Karna, Kripa, Asvatthama. Vikarna, and the sons of Somadatta as well, ever victorious in battle.

अन्ये च बहवः शूरा मदर्थे त्यक्तजीविताः ।

नानाशस्त्रप्रहरणाः सर्वे युद्धविशारदाः  ॥१-९॥ 1.9

anye ca bahavaḥ śūrā madarthe tyaktajīvitāḥ
nānāśastrapraharaṇāḥ sarve yuddhaviśāradāḥ 1.9

1.9: Many other heroes have risked their lives for my sake. They are equipped with many  weapons, and all of them are skilled in war.   

अपर्याप्तं तदस्माकं बलं भीष्माभिरक्षितम् ।

पर्याप्तं त्विदमेतेषां बलं भीमाभिरक्षितम्  ॥१-१०॥ 1.10

aparyāptaṁ tad asmākaṁ balaṁ bhīṣmābhirakṣitam
paryāptaṃ tv idam eteṣāṁ balaṁ bhīmābhirakṣitam 1.10

1.10: Our strength is unlimited, protected by Bhisma. Protected by Bhima, the strength of Pandavas is limited.  

 

अयनेषु च सर्वेषु यथाभागमवस्थिताः ।

भीष्ममेवाभिरक्षन्तु भवन्तः सर्व एव हि  ॥१-११॥ 1.11

ayaneṣu ca sarveṣu yathābhāgam avasthitāḥ
bhīṣmam evā  'bhirakṣantu bhavantaḥ sarva eva hi 1.11

1.11: All of you, stationed everywhere on all fronts in your respective positions, protect Bhishma without remiss.

तस्य संजनयन्हर्षं कुरुवृद्धः पितामहः ।

सिंहनादं विनद्योच्चैः शङ्खं दध्मौ प्रतापवान्  ॥१-१२॥ 1.12

tasya sañjanayan harṣaṃ kuruvṛddhaḥ pitāmahaḥ
siṃhanādaṃ vinadyocchaiḥ śaṅkhaṃ dadhmau pratāpavān 1.12

1.12: The valiant Bhishma, the elder of the Kurus and the grandfather, roared like a lion and blew his conch loudly to cheer up Duryodhana.

 

ततः शङ्खाश्च भेर्यश्च पणवानकगोमुखाः ।

सहसैवाभ्यहन्यन्त स शब्दस्तुमुलोऽभवत्  ॥१-१३॥ 1.13

tataḥ śaṅkhāś ca bheryaś ca paṇavānakagomukhāḥ
sahasai  'vā  'bhyahanyanta sa śabdas tumulo 'bhavat 1.13

1.13: Thereafter, conches, kettledrums, trumpets, tabors, and horns were sounded all together. It was a tumultuous riot.

 

ततः श्वेतैर्हयैर्युक्ते महति स्यन्दने स्थितौ ।

माधवः पाण्डवश्चैव दिव्यौ शङ्खौ प्रदध्मतुः  ॥१-१४॥ 1.14

tataḥ śvetair hayair yukte mahati syandane sthitau
mādhavaḥ pāṇḍavaś cai 'va divyau śaṅkhau pradaghmatuḥ 1.14

1.14: Thereafter, Madhava and Pandava (Lord Krishna and Arjuna) sitting on the great chariot yoked with white horses sounded the divine conches.  

 

पाञ्चजन्यं हृषीकेशो देवदत्तं धनञ्जयः ।

पौण्ड्रं दध्मौ महाशङ्खं भीमकर्मा वृकोदरः  ॥१-१५॥ 1.15

pāñcajanyaṁ hṛṣīkeśo devadattaṁ dhanañjayaḥ
pauṇḍraṁ dadhmau mahāśaṅkhaṁ bhīmakarmā vṛkodaraḥ 1.15

1.15: Hrisikesa blew His conch, Pāchajanya; Dhanajaya blew his conch, Devadatta; and Bhima the big eater and formidable doer of deeds blew his big conch, Paundra.

  Hrisikesa is Lord Krishna, Dhananjaya is Arjuna and Virokdara [Bhima] is Arjuna's sibling. Panchajanya, Devadatta and Paundram are the names of conches of the respective personas.

Bhima means 'The Terrible', and thus are the epithet Bhima and eponymous acts, Bhima Karma (= terrible deeds).  

 

अनन्तविजयं राजा कुन्तीपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः ।

नकुलः सहदेवश्च सुघोषमणिपुष्पकौ  ॥१-१६॥ 1.16

anantavijayaṁ rājā kuntīputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ
nakulaḥ sahadevaś ca sughoṣamaṇipuṣpakau 1.16

काश्यश्च परमेष्वासः शिखण्डी च महारथः ।

धृष्टद्युम्नो विराटश्च सात्यकिश्चापराजितः  ॥१-१७॥ 1.17

kāśyaś ca parameṣvāsaḥ śikhaṇḍī ca mahārathaḥ
dhṛṣṭadyumno virāṭaś ca sātyakiś cā 'parājitaḥ 1.17

द्रुपदो द्रौपदेयाश्च सर्वशः पृथिवीपते ।

सौभद्रश्च महाबाहुः शङ्खान्दध्मुः पृथक्पृथक्  ॥१-१८॥ 1.18
drupado draupadeyāś ca sarvaśaḥ pṛthivīpate
saubhadraś ca mahābāhuḥ śaṅkhān dadhmuḥ pṛthak-pṛthak 1.18

1.16-18: Yuddhisthira, Nakula and Sahadeva, Sikhandin, Dhristadyumna, Virata, Satyaki, Drupada, the sons of Draupadi, and the son of Subhadra all blew their respective conches.  

The verses were condensed to convey the meaning only. Nakula and Sahadeva are twins.

 

स घोषो धार्तराष्ट्राणां हृदयानि व्यदारयत् ।

नभश्च पृथिवीं चैव तुमुलो व्यनुनादयन्  ॥१-१९॥ 1.19

sa ghoṣo dhārtarāṣṭrāṇāṁ hṛdayāni vyadārayat
nabhaś ca pṛthivīṁ cai 'va tumulo vyanunādayan 1.19

1.19: The tumultuous roar (of the conches), reverberating through the sky and the earth, tore the hearts of the sons of Dhritarastra (the Kauravas).

 

अथ व्यवस्थितान्दृष्ट्वा धार्तराष्ट्रान्कपिध्वजः ।

प्रवृत्ते शस्त्रसंपाते धनुरुद्यम्य पाण्डवः  ॥१-२०॥ 1.20

atha vyavasthitān dṛṣṭvā dhārtarāṣṭrān  kapidhvajaḥ
pravṛtte śastrasaṁpāte dhanur udyamya pāṇḍavaḥ 1.20

1.20: O King, thereupon Arjuna, whose flag bore the crest of Hanuman, seeing the sons of Dhritarastra ready for battle, took up his bow, and spoke these words to Lord Krishna.

 

The insignias (limbs) of a king are the following: NAdu = Country, Mala = mountain, Nadi = River, Ijru = Village, Kottara = Palace, Kutira = Horse, Ana = Elephant, Murasu = War Drum, Koji = Flag, CenkOl (Scepter).  The only thing Arjuna was left with was his chariot, his horses, his bow and arrows, and his flag. More importantly, Arjuna had Krishna on his side and front as his Charioteer. His final victory was made possible by Krishna, his friend, relative (brother-in-law) and Bhagavan. Arjuna married Krishna's sister and his cousin Subhadra.

 

Hanuman means that he is heavy-jawed; he is the chief of Vānarās, ape-like beings, which helped Rama fight Ravana, the demon-king of Sri Lanka. The latter abducted the wife, Sita, of Lord Rama; when Rama sent Lord Hanuman to look for Sita, he reached Lanka in one long jump. Ravana ordered his servants (Raksasas/devils or demons) to set Lord Hanuman’s tail on fire, and paraded Hanuman on the streets of Lanka with his tail in blaze; abducted Sita, knowing this, invoked Agni, the Lord of Fire, who let the end of the tail glow in the flame, but not burn and stay fire-resistant.

Hanuman, in the spirit of teaching a lesson to Ravana and Indrajit, set the city on fire. Lord Hanuman's services are recognized and celebrated by man and God and He is always imaged along with Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana, Rama's brother. Hanuman claims His lineage from Vayu (Enlil of Summeria), the wind God and Añjanā, an apsarasa. An apsarasa is a celestial nymph and dancer and is usually a mistress of Gandharva living in Svarga, Indira's paradise. Lord Hanuman's image adorns Arjuna’s flag.  

 

Author's note: Smokes, flags, and drums have been in use for a long time. It is claimed that Egyptians used the flags as early as 4000 B.C., on their ships identifying its registry. Vexillum is the Latin word for flag. A flag historian is called Vexillologist. Sanskrit word for flag is Dhvaga. Flags were used in ancient India in front of liquor stores, announcing they were open for business.

In Summerian mythology, the god of wind (Air, Airspace) is Enlil, the second most powerful god of Sumerians. Enlil was born of ANU (heaven) and KI (earth) and became the chief of gods (the Indra of Hindu mythology). He also put together the Laws of the Universe, ME known in Hindu mythology as RTA. Sanskrit Rta, English Right, Persian arta, and Latin ritus are cognate.

 

 

 

 

 

Hanuman 

 

 

हृषीकेशं तदा वाक्यमिदमाह महीपते । 

अर्जुन उवाच सेनयोरुभयोर्मध्ये रथं स्थापय मेऽच्युत  ॥१-२१॥ 1.21

hṛṣīkeśaṁ tadā vākyam idam āha mahīpate
senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya me 'cyuta 1.21

यावदेतान्निरिक्षेऽहं योद्‌धुकामानवस्थितान् ।

कैर्मया सह योद्धव्यमस्मिन् रणसमुद्यमे  ॥१-२२॥ 1.22

yāvad etān nirikṣehaṁ yoddhukāmān avasthitān
kair mayā saha yoddhavyam asmin raṇasamudyame 1.22

1.21- 22: O Acyuta (Krishna), stand my chariot between the two armies in order for me to look upon those who are eager for a battle and with whom I have to fight.   

The meaning of the verses are condensed to convey the meaning only.

 

योत्स्यमानानवेक्षेऽहं य एतेऽत्र समागताः ।

धार्तराष्ट्रस्य दुर्बुद्धेर्युद्धे प्रियचिकीर्षवः  ॥१-२३॥ 1.23

yotsyamānān avekṣe 'haṁ ya ete 'tra samāgatāḥ
dhārtarāṣṭrasya durbuddher yuddhe priyacikīrṣavaḥ 1.23

1.23: I wish to see those assembled here willing to fight and serve the evil-minded son of Dhrtarāstra.

 

सञ्जय उवाच 

एवमुक्तो हृषीकेशो गुडाकेशेन भारत ।

सेनयोरुभयोर्मध्ये स्थापयित्वा रथोत्तमम्  ॥१-२४॥ 1.24

Sañjaya Uvāca:

evam ukto hṛṣīkeśo guḍākeśena bhārata
senayor ubhayor madhye sthāpayitvā rathottamam 1.24

1.24: Sanjaya said:

O Bharata (Dhrtarāstra), having been addressed by Gudakesana (Arjuna), Hrsikesa (Lord Krishna) placed the best of chariots in the midst of both armies. 

 

भीष्मद्रोणप्रमुखतः सर्वेषां च महीक्षिताम् ।

उवाच पार्थ पश्यैतान्समवेतान्कुरूनिति  ॥१-२५॥ 1.25

bhīṣmadroṇapramukhataḥ sarveṣāṁ ca mahīkṣitām
uvāca pārtha paśyai 'tān samavetān kurūn iti 1.25

1.25: Facing Bhisma, Drona, and all great chiefs (the Lord) said to Partha: Behold (all of) the Kurus gathered thus.

 

तत्रापश्यत्स्थितान्पार्थः पितॄनथ पितामहान् ।

आचार्यान्मातुलान्भ्रातॄन्पुत्रान्पौत्रान्सखींस्तथा  ॥१-२६॥ 1.26

tatrā  'paśyat sthitān pārthaḥ pitṛn atha pitāmahān
ācāryān mātulān bhrātṛn putrān pautrān sakhīṁs tathā 1.26

श्वशुरान्सुहृदश्चैव सेनयोरुभयोरपि ।

तान्समीक्ष्य स कौन्तेयः सर्वान्बन्धूनवस्थितान्  ॥१-२७॥ 1.27

śvaśurān suhṛdaś cai 'va senayor ubhayor api
tān samīkṣya sa kaunteyaḥ sarvān bandhūn avasthitān 1.27

कृपया परयाविष्टो विषीदन्निदमब्रवीत् । 

अर्जुन उवाच दृष्ट्वेमं स्वजनं कृष्ण युयुत्सुं समुपस्थितम्  ॥१-२८॥ 1.28

kṛpayā parayā 'viṣṭo viṣīdann idamabravīt
dṛṣṭve 'maṁ svajanaṁ kṛṣṇa yuyutsuṁ samupasthitam 1.28

सीदन्ति मम गात्राणि मुखं च परिशुष्यति ।

वेपथुश्च शरीरे मे रोमहर्षश्च जायते  ॥१-२९॥ 1.29

sīdanti mama gātrāṇi mukhaṁ ca pariśuṣyati
vepathuś ca śarīre me romaharṣaś ca jāyate 1.29

 

1.26-29: Partha could see standing there (on the battlefield) fathers, also grandfathers, teachers, maternal uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons, friends too, fathers-in-law, well-wishers and the armies of both sides. Kaunteya, after seeing all of them, and all kinds of relatives, overwhelmed by compassion and lamentation spoke. Arjuna said: O Krishna, after seeing all the relatives present before me all ready and eager to fight, I feel the limbs of (my) body shake, (my) mouth dry, my body quiver, and my hair stand on end.

 

गाण्डीवं स्रंसते हस्तात्त्वक्चैव परिदह्यते ।

न च शक्नोम्यवस्थातुं भ्रमतीव च मे मनः  ॥१-३०॥ 1.30

gāṇḍīvaṁ sraṁsate hastāt tvak cai 'va paridahyate
na ca śaknomy avasthātuṁ bhramatī 'va ca me manaḥ 1.30

निमित्तानि च पश्यामि विपरीतानि केशव ।

न च श्रेयोऽनुपश्यामि हत्वा स्वजनमाहवे  ॥१-३१॥ 1.31

nimittāni ca paśyāmi viparītāni keśava
na ca śreyo 'nupaśyāmi hatvā svajanam āhave 1.31

1.30-31: My bow, Gandiva, is slipping from my hand. My skin is burning. I am not able to stand steadily. I am forgetting myself. My mind is reeling. O Kesava, I see adverse omens; I foresee no good by killing my own people in battle.

 

न काङ्क्षे विजयं कृष्ण न च राज्यं सुखानि च ।

किं नो राज्येन गोविन्द किं भोगैर्जीवितेन वा  ॥१-३२॥ 1.32

na kāṅkṣe vijayaṁ kṛṣṇa na ca rājyaṁ sukhāni ca
kiṃ no rājyena govinda kiṁ bhogair jīvitena vā 1.32

1.32: O Krishna, I long neither for victory, nor for kingdom and nor for happiness. O Govinda, of what use is the kingdom, enjoyment, or living?

 

येषामर्थे काङ्क्षितं नो राज्यं भोगाः सुखानि च ।

त इमेऽवस्थिता युद्धे प्राणांस्त्यक्त्वा धनानि च  ॥१-३३॥ 1.33

yeṣām arthe kāṅkṣitaṁ no rājyaṁ bhogāḥ sukhāni ca
ta ime 'vasthitā yuddhe prāṇāṁs tyaktvā dhanāni ca 1.33

1.33: They, for whose sake kingdom, enjoyment, and happiness are desired, are standing here in the battlefield ready to give up their lives and riches.

 

आचार्याः पितरः पुत्रास्तथैव च पितामहाः ।

मातुलाः श्वशुराः पौत्राः श्यालाः संबन्धिनस्तथा  ॥१-३४॥ 1.34

ācāryāḥ pitaraḥ putrās tathai 'va ca pitāmahāḥ
mātulāḥ śvaśurāḥ pautrāḥ śyālāḥ sambandhinas tathā 1.34

1.34: Teachers, fathers, sons, as well as grandfathers, maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law, and other relatives.

 

एतान्न हन्तुमिच्छामि घ्नतोऽपि मधुसूदन ।

अपि त्रैलोक्यराज्यस्य हेतोः किं नु महीकृते  ॥१-३५॥ 1.35

etān na hantum icchhāmi ghnato 'pi madhusūdana
api trailokyarājyasya hetoḥ kiṁ nu mahīkṛte 1.35

1.35: I do not want to kill them, though they (want to) kill me, O Madhusudhana, even for the three worlds, not to speak of an earthly kingdom.  

 

निहत्य धार्तराष्ट्रान्नः का प्रीतिः स्याज्जनार्दन ।

पापमेवाश्रयेदस्मान्हत्वैतानाततायिनः  ॥१-३६॥

nihatya dhārtarāṣṭrān naḥ kā prītiḥ syāj janārdana
pāpam evā 'śrayed asmān hatvai 'tān ātatāyinaḥ 1.36

1.36: By killing the sons of Dhrtrastra, what pleasure can there be? O Janardhana, upon killing these heinous sinners, sin will descend on us. 

 

तस्मान्नार्हा वयं हन्तुं धार्तराष्ट्रान्स्वबान्धवान् ।

स्वजनं हि कथं हत्वा सुखिनः स्याम माधव  ॥१-३७॥ 1.37

tasmān nā 'rhā vayaṃ hantuṁ dhārtarāṣṭrān svabāndhavān
svajanaṁ hi kathaṁ hatvā sukhinaḥ syāma mādhava 1.37

1.37: Therefore, it is not becoming of us that we kill the sons of Dhritrastra. How, by killing kinsmen, can we become happy O Madhava?

 

यद्यप्येते न पश्यन्ति लोभोपहतचेतसः ।

कुलक्षयकृतं दोषं मित्रद्रोहे च पातकम्  ॥१-३८॥ 1.38

yady apy ete na paśyanti lobhopahatacetasaḥ
kulakṣayakṛtaṁ doṣaṁ mitradrohe ca pātakam 1.38

1.38:  Even if they, whose minds are overwhelmed by greed, do not see sin in the ruin of the family, or crime in treachery to friends…  

Even if they, whose greed overwhelms their mind, do not see sin in the ruin of the family, or crime in treachery to friends…

 

कथं न ज्ञेयमस्माभिः पापादस्मान्निवर्तितुम् ।

कुलक्षयकृतं दोषं प्रपश्यद्भिर्जनार्दन  ॥१-३९॥ 1.39

kathaṁ na jñeyam asmābhiḥ pāpād asmān nivartitum
kulakṣayakṛtaṁ doṣaṁ prapaśyadbhir janārdana 1.39

1.39: Why should not we have the wisdom to see the crime in the ruin of the family O Janardhana, and turn away from the sins?

 

कुलक्षये प्रणश्यन्ति कुलधर्माः सनातनाः ।

धर्मे नष्टे कुलं कृत्स्नमधर्मोऽभिभवत्युत  ॥१-४०॥ 1.40

kulakṣaye praṇaśyanti kuladharmāḥ sanātanāḥ
dharme naṣṭe kulaṃ kṛtsnam adharmo 'bhibhavaty uta 1.40

1.40: With the ruin of the family, the eternal kula dharma is destroyed. When dharma is destroyed, the whole family turns to adharma.  

Kula dharma: Established order of the family, family institution. Dharma: Established order. Adharma: Unrighteousness.

 

अधर्माभिभवात्कृष्ण प्रदुष्यन्ति कुलस्त्रियः ।

स्त्रीषु दुष्टासु वार्ष्णेय जायते वर्णसंकरः  ॥१-४१॥ 1.41

adharmābhibhavāt kṛṣṇa praduṣyanti kulastriyaḥ
strīṣu duṣṭāsu vārṣṇeya jāyate varṇasaṁkaraḥ 1.41

1.41: When Adharma prevails, O Krishna, the women of the family become morally corrupt, and when women are tainted, O Varsneya (Krishna), Varna Samkara comes into existence.

 

To this day in India, women bear the heavier burden than men in guarding  morality and any scrofulousness on their part brings disproportionably erosive shame to the family.  

 

Adharma: Unrighteousness. Varna Samkara: mixture of castes by intermarriage.

 

ससरो नरकायैव कुलघ्नानां कुलस्य च ।

पतन्ति पितरो ह्येषां लुप्तपिण्डोदकक्रियाः  ॥१-४२॥ 1.42

saṅkaro narakāyai 'va kulaghnānāṃ kulasya ca
patanti pitaro hy eṣāṁ luptapiṇḍodakakriyāḥ 1.42

1.42:  Commingling (of castes) brings hell to the family and those who destroyed the race. The spirits of the ancestors fall, deprived of their offerings of food and water.

Purport:

Because of commingling of castes, the family and the destroyers of the race go to hell. The spirit of the ancestor falls, deprived of the offerings of food and water.

 

Sankara: Commingling of castes (looked down upon at that time as miscegenation) was looked down upon in the west in the past. Kula-ghnānām: destruction of race.

Many of the commentators have deliberately altered the meaning the Sanskrit word, Sankara. In keeping with the modern view of equality of races, many of the commentators on this verse conveniently do not address this issue of commingling of races out of embarrassment, common courtesy and decency. Commingling of races is deliberately altered to such word as confusion. If one wants to get a correct translation of this verse, one has to read Sankara and Ramanuja.

Sankara's commentary in Sanskrit as translated by Swami Ghambirananda:

And the intermingling in the family leads the ruiners of the family verily into hell. The forefathers of these fall down (into hell) because of being deprived of the offering of rice-balls and water.

Ramanuja's commentary in Sanskrit as translated by Svami Adidevananda:

This mixing of classes leads to hell the clan itself and its destroyers; for the spirits of their ancestors fall degraded, deprived of the ritual offering of food and water.

 

The confusion verily drags the family-slayer, as well as the family, to hell, and for want of obsequial offerings and rites their departed sires fall from blessedness.

Gandhi's comment:  Hindu Dharma by M.K.Gandhi page 56-65.

Gandhi is a firm believer in Varnasrma Dharma. Gandhi admits he was born of Vaishya (Traders) parents, 3rd down the line. Gandhi says, "I as a Vaisya would be earning my bread by selling drugs (pharmacist) or groceries. Vaisya Varna includes all professions.  A tailor may not become a blacksmith although both may be and should be called as Vaisyas. No one is superior to any other (among the four varnas). A scavenger has the same status as a Brahmin. He endorses the view of Max Muller by quoting him: In Hinduism more than any other religion that life was no more and no less than DUTY. Varna does not make life dull and rob it of all ambition. Under the cover of Varna, hideous inequalities and tyrannies are practiced at the present day in Hinduism. Varna is not a mere institution made by man but it is a law discovered by him. The evil lies in the doctrine of superiority and inferiority superadded to it. I do regard Varnashrma as a healthy division of work based on birth. The present idea of caste is a perversion of the original. He (a non-Brahmin) who performs the duty of a Brahmin will easily  become one in the next incarnation.

It appears that according to Gandhi, any Varna can do any work suited to his temperament, training, intellect, aptitude, and education, as long as he or she does not call himself or herself  by other than his Birth-Varna.

 

Apart from four main castes, Brahmin, Ksatriya, Vaisya and Sudra, there is the fifth class, Antyaja. Antya (last in order) + Ja (caste) = the lowest caste. The Antyajas are the washer men, tanners, mimics (actor), Varudas (cane-weavers), Kaivartas (fishermen), Bhedas*, and Bhillas (hill tribes).

Bhedas*: name of certain tribe.

Below these people, there are the Mlecchas and Dumbas. Mlecchas generally are the foreigners, barbarians, non-Aryans and those who do not speak Sanskrit. Dumbas are basket and rope makers, cremation workers,  street musicians and dancers.  

The view from the west.

A note on cremation: Cremation of the dead as a Hindu custom came down from the Indo-Aryan Agni worshippers in the Vedic age. Modes of disposal of the dead have been passed from antiquity: Agni Dagdhah (burning by fire), An-Agni Dagdhah (not burnt but buried), Paroptah (casting off), Uddhitah (Exposure of the dead).  The Persian fire-worshippers exposed the dead to the vultures in the tower of silence,  the custom practiced by Zoroastrians (Parsees).  The cremation custom spread to Europe later.  In olden days in Europe, the wealthy dead were reduced to ashes; the poor were buried. The  Aryans invading into Europe introduced this custom. Since the Aryans were nomads, they cremated the dead.  Burial place and the relatives, according to belief, were haunted and threatened by spirits of Pitris or ancestors; therefore, the nomads cremated their near and dear to avoid haunting by the ghosts, which ran away because the fire took the souls to Hades, a welcome house for the departed souls of the earth.  The Indo-Aryans were of the belief that the dead take the path of Agni to the world of forefathers and Yama, live in splendor like the gods, leave behind all the miseries and evils of the earth-life, live a better and more perfect life, receive solace and recognition from Yama, enjoy fulfillment of all desires, and move among gods. Sanskrit Yama, Tamil Yaman, Persian Yima, Nordic Ymir, and Canaanite god Yam are one and the same god.

Agni, glorified by gods and men, is invoked by them to make the path of the departed fathers straight and trouble-free, show kindness and carry the oblations. The Dead make their journey to Yama on foot. Yama and His sister Yami are no different from the twins, Persian Yima and Yimeh, whose parents are Vivahvant as the Indian counterparts had Vivasvat as their parent. Yami woos Yama (!), who rejects her proposal outright. Yama wears blood-red garments and sports a glittering sable hue and appearance. He rides a buffalo and holds a club and noose. Yami is identified with post-Vedic River Goddess, Yamuna. Yama has two grey dogs, each with four eyes ( four eyes = two physical eyes and a yellow pigmented fur by each eye), and two messengers, owl and pigeon. The Dead, who faithfully fulfilled all religious observances, are welcomed and assured of their original shining form without the sin, shame and taint of the earth.  Yama is Dharma Raja, King Righteousness, and Pitrapathi, Lord of the fathers, Samavurti, the Impartial Judge, Kritana, the Finisher, Antaka, He who Ends Life, and Samana, the Leveler. His Minister and chronicler keeps a record of the deeds of men in a book called Agra SamAdhanA (a Register of Human Actions) from which he reads out a litany of bad (and also good) acts, which demand suitable rewards. Post-Vedic Yama is the Chief Executive of a complicated system of Hells and goes also by the name of Dandadhara, the Wielder of the rod or mace.  He binds the souls with the noose and carries out the decrees of gods (an exclusive franchise) and takes charge of the soul of the size of a thumb at the appointed time. (Vaishnavas are of the belief that Yama and his minions show deference to Vishnu's devotees, irrespective of their caste or any other terrestrial differences.

Commentary section following chapter and verse 5.18, describes mixed castes according to Garuda Purana 1.96-1-73, as narrated by Yajnavalkya.

 

The spirits of the ancestors fall, deprived of their offerings of food and water. (Read the Verse 1.42)

There is a beautiful description about CirArtham (Sraddha), offering of food to the ancestors (manes) in Book 6 KuraiOnrumIllai by Mukkur Lakshmi Narasimhachariar.  Achariar quotes Pitru-Gitam in Vishnupuranam. Cirartham (º¢Ã¡÷ò¾õ) is a two-way fare. The manes are pleased with the offering from their descendants, who offer blessings to their progeny who perform the ceremony. The ceremony is presided by a deity, Harshana. The offered food is called Pinda and the act is Sraddha.  The following is an extract from Vishnu Puranam, translated from Sanskrit to English by H.H.Wilson. They who are desirous of worshipping their Pitrs or the gods can do Sraddha on a day of new moon when the stars Dhanishtha, PurvaBhadraPada or Sata-Bhisha. Another class of Sraddha is done on the third lunar day of the month of VaisAkha (April, May) and the ninth of Kartika (October-November) in Sukhla Paksha (Bright Fortnight). Other dates are 13th of  Nabha (July-August) and the 15th of Magha (Jan-February) in Krishna Paksha (Dark Fortnight). They are the first days of a Yuga (age) and most sacred.  On these above days; solar and lunar eclipses; and 8th lunations of the Dark Fortnight of Agrahanya, Magha, and Phalguna (Dec-Feb); the days commencing  the solstices, when the nights and the days alternately begin to diminish; the anniversaries of manvantaras; the day, the sun is in the path of the goat; days of meteoric occurrences;  Sesamum seeds and water are offered to the progenitors of the mankind. A Sraddha on these days and seasons gives happiness to the Manes for a thousand years. The songs of the forefathers give the descendants purity of heart, integrity of wealth, prosperous seasons, perfect rites,  devout faith, and all that men desire. That blessed descendant will be born in a distinguished family. If the descendant cannot afford elaborate food items and gifts of wealth, jewels, clothes, land, conveyances, and any valuable gifts to the officiating Brahmana priest, there are alternatives in the descending order: 1) unboiled grain, affordable gifts, plantain, dal; 2) a fistful of sesame seeds; 3) about ten to fifteen sesame seeds stuck on a wet thumb; 4) one day's worth of  grass for the cow; 5) going to the forest, throwing the hands up in the air to the sun and other celestials and declaring that he cannot afford anything to the forefathers and the officiating Brahmana. Actually these are the words and recommendations of the manes themselves to their descendants.

Narasimhachariar adds no one should think of Sraddha as wasteful. We have seen how Sastras made Sraddha simple.

Pitru Devatas are RudrAs, Vasus, and Adityas. Sraddha offers contentment to the Devatas and not to the departed parents. Their blessing and grace give prosperity to the progeny. Some of the Devatas are wandering without receiving the Sraddha. They desire that one of their progeny would perform Sraddha and make them happy and contented and thus facilitate liberation.  That is why one should do Sraddha on a the day Bhishma attained liberation. The Devatas will be supremely happy upon receiving Pitru Karyam (Sraddha= À¢òÕ ¸¡¡¢Âõ) and send their Anugraha. The descendants will also attain liberation just like Bhishma.

 

 

Swami Sivananda says the following on offering of food to manes (Sraddha).

The Pitrus are forefathers who dwell in Pitru-loka. They possess clairvoyance and clairaudience. Recitation of Mantras exercises tremendous influence through their vibration. The Pitrus hear the sounds through the power of clairaudience and they are pleased. They bless those who offer the oblation. In Sraddha, the essence of food offerings is taken up by sun’s rays to Suryaloka and the departed souls are pleased with the offerings. Even in the West many persons perform Tarpana and Sraddha. They have scientifically investigated into the beneficial effects of such oblations. It is the imperative duty of all householders to perform Sraddha and Tarpana to please the Rishis and the Pitrus. It is only the deluded souls with perverted intellects who misconstrue things and neglect to perform the sacred ceremonies and consequently suffer. 

दोषैरेतैः कुलघ्नानां वर्णसरकारकैः ।

उत्साद्यन्ते जातिधर्माः कुलधर्माश्च शाश्वताः  ॥१-४३॥ 1.43

doṣair etaiḥ kulaghnānāṁ varṇasaṁkarakārakaiḥ
utsādyante jātidharmāḥ kuladharmāś ca śāśvatāḥ 1.43

1.43: By such evil deeds such as kula ghānām and Varna Sankara, eternal Jāti dharmā and kula dharmā are destroyed.

 

Kula ghānām: destruction of race.  Varna Sankara: mixture of castes by intermarriage. Jāti dharmā: established order of caste or institution of caste.  Kula dharmā: established order of the family, family institution, practice or observance peculiar to a tribe or family, peculiar duty of a caste or race.  Sivapurana (Rudrasamhita Section II,Chapter 13, V35) mentions the three debts that Brahmanas, Ksatriyas and Vaisyas owe, to which two more are added later. The first debt is Brahmacharya or study of Vedas owed to the Rsis; second, sacrifice and worship owed to the gods; third, begetting a son owed to the manes; fourth, benevolence owed to humanity; fifth, hospitality owed to guests.

 

उत्सन्नकुलधर्माणां मनुष्याणां जनार्दन ।

नरकेऽनियतं वासो भवतीत्यनुशुश्रुम  ॥१-४४॥ 1.44

utsannakuladharmāṇāṁ manuṣyāṇāṁ janārdana
narake niyataṁ vāso bhavatī  'ty anuśuśruma 1.44

1.44: We have heard it said (by the learned) that those men, whose kula dharma is destroyed, O Janardana, would always dwell in hell.

  Purport: O Janardana, we heard it said (by the learned): once kula dharma is annihilated, hell is the habitation for these men.

 

अहो बत महत्पापं कर्तुं व्यवसिता वयम् ।

यद्राज्यसुखलोभेन हन्तुं स्वजनमुद्यताः  ॥१-४५॥ 1.45

aho bata mahat pāpaṁ kartuṁ vyavasitā vayam
yad rājyasukhalobhena hantuṁ svajanam udyatāḥ 1.45

1.45: Alas! We have decided to commit great sins, by getting ready to kill our kinsmen because of greed for the pleasures of kingdom.

 

Rājya-sukha-lobha: kingdom-pleasure-greed: greed for the pleasures of kingdom.

 

यदि मामप्रतीकारमशस्त्रं शस्त्रपाणयः ।

धार्तराष्ट्रा रणे हन्युस्तन्मे क्षेमतरं भवेत्  ॥१-४६॥ 1.46

yadi mām apratīkāram aśastraṁ śastrapāṇayaḥ
dhārtarāṣṭrā raṇe hanyus tan me kṣemataraṁ bhavet 1.46

1.46: Better would it be for me, if the sons of Dhritrastra with weapons on hand were to kill me on the battlefield, while I, unarmed, offer no resistance.

 

Purport: It is better for me that the sons of Dhritrastra kill me on the battlefield with weapons on hand, while I am unarmed and offer no resistance.

 

सञ्जय उवाच 

एवमुक्त्वार्जुनः सख्ये रथोपस्थ उपाविशत् ।

विसृज्य सशरं चापं शोकसंविग्नमानसः  ॥१-४७॥ 1.47

Saṅjaya uvāca

evam uktvā 'rjunaḥ saṅkhye rathopastha upāviśat
visṛjya saśaraṁ cāpaṁ śokasaṁvignamānasaḥ 1.47

1.47: Sanjaya said:

Thus saying in the battlefield, Arjuna sat down on the seat of the chariot, laying aside his bow and arrow with his mind taken over by sorrow.

End BG Chapter 1