Commentary by Swami Venkatesanandaji

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Chapter I: 38-39

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Though they, with intelligence overpowered by greed,

see no evil in the destruction of families and no sin

in hostility to friends, why should not we, who

clearly see evil in the destruction of a family, learn

to turn away from this sin, Oh Krishna?

 

Commentary

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It is easier to perceive fault in others than within

oneself. The Kaurava were greedy. They would do

anything to retain sovereignty of the usurped kingdom.

"So they do not see the sin in killing kinsmen; we are

wiser and so should desist from it" - is Arjuna's

argument. One man's vanity shields another's

transgression with a seemingly lofty rationalization.

 

No wise man will ever justify war. But wise men have

from time immemorial indulged in what they regarded as

righteous war. War itself is evil, but when it is the

only remedy for a greater evil - to dethrone evil

which has usurped the place of dharma - war is a

necessity. Then, and only then, to fight is dharma

(righteousness or duty). To run away from it is

adharma! Just as an unruffled mind and a loving heart

guide the surgeon's skilled hand to remove a malignant

growth, the wise and chivalrous ruler must be guided

by a clear vision of dharma and by a deep love for all

his people in order to deal firmly with wickedness.

 

Arjuna was wrong in saying that as they were his

kinsmen, he should not kill them, nor is it right to

say that since they were his enemies, Krishna asked

him to kill them. It was only because they were the

perpetrators of adharma that it was Arjuna's duty (as

a prince) to exterminate them. If dharma was on the

Kaurava side, even if they were his enemies, Krishna

would have asked Arjuna to look within himself and

destroy his real enemy - adharma, (unrighteousness).

 

Chapter I: 40-42

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In the destruction of a family, the immemorial rites

of that family perish. On the destruction of

spirituality, impiety overcomes the whole family. By

the prevalence of impiety, Oh Krishna, the women of

the family become corrupt. And, with the women being

corrupted there arises intermingling of castes.

Confusion of castes leads the slayers of the family to

hell, for their forefathers' fall, deprived of the

offerings of rice balls and libations.

 

Commentary

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This is an argument of sterling value and unassailable

logic, though not in this context. As Aldous Huxley

points out in his "Perennial Philosophy", the chaos in

the world of today is partly attributable to the

collapse of the caste system. No one seems to know

what is each one's duty (which is one's function in

society), and when an inner conflict arises, different

theorists, leaders and philosophers pull him in

different directions. The poor man himself goes to the

hospital with "tension" and nervous breakdown.

 

When knowledgeable persons in a society are either

killed in war or lured away to other countries or

avocations, the "spirit" of the customs, traditions

and rites is lost, leaving the dead carcass of a

ritual to which the masses cling. When the spirit is

lost, piety or righteousness is lost. The custodians

of piety (our womenfolk) become corrupt and there is

confusion of castes. No one has a clear idea of his

duty, and consequently there is chaos.

 

Though all are equal - socially, politically,

economically and in the eyes of God - this does not

mean that interracial or inter-caste marriage is the

only or even the best way in which to demonstrate this

equality. The history of mankind is the story of such

inter-racial fusion, though its primary result may be

confusion of duties and neglect of the cultures of

both the parties. However, it leads to a re-awakening

of the spirit, a re-assessment of cultural values and

a new civilization. But, this natural process of

blending should not be forced prematurely.

 

Chapter I: 43-44

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By these evil deeds of the destroyers of the family,

which cause confusion of castes, the eternal religious

rites of the caste and the family are destroyed. We

have heard, Oh Krishna, that dwelling in hell for an

unknown period is inevitable for those men in whose

families the religious practices have been destroyed.

 

Commentary

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The hell referred to need not be elsewhere, but here

itself! Every war leaves a long, tragic and horrendous

trail of widows, orphans, "illegitimate" children,

social misfits and outcastes. All this happens even

without war, in a rootless or uprooted community. When

the motive is physical attraction or material

consideration, marriage between people of different

cultural backgrounds, intellectual equipment and

spiritual values or even tastes and temperaments

sooner

or later leads to unhappiness. If some of these

families appear to be "happy" it is only because they

have no idea at all of real domestic harmony.

 

Of course, this does not apply where the parties to

the marriage belong to different cultural groups but

their intellectual and spiritual equipment is similar

or complementary, and they are therefore prepared to

and capable of making the necessary adjustments.

 

With regard to the social structure, Aldous Huxley

says in his Perennial Philosophy: "Contemporary

history is the hideous record of what happens when

political bosses, businessmen or class-conscious

proletarians assume the Brahman's function of

formulating a philosophy of life; when usurers dictate

policy and debate the issues of war and peace; and

when the warrior's caste duty is imposed on all and

sundry, regardless of psycho-physical make-up and

vocation."

 

Such a world in which this sort of chaos prevails is

hell. Whereas in ancient times even the events in a

war were predictable, today our daily life even in

peacetime is unpredictable. The result is continuous

anxiety and tension.

 

Chapter I: 45-47

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Alas! We are involved in a great sin in that we are

prepared to kill our kinsmen through greed for the

pleasures of a kingdom.

 

If the sons of Dhrtarastra with weapons in hand should

slay me in battle, unresisting and unarmed, that would

be better for me.

 

Sanjaya said: Having thus spoken in the midst of the

battlefield, Arjuna, casting away his bow and arrow,

sat down on the seat of the chariot, his mind

overwhelmed with sorrow.

 

 

Commentary

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If the motive of the war was "greed for the pleasures

of a kingdom," that war was undoubtedly unrighteous,

but here the noble heart of Arjuna was merely

reflecting the wrong attitude of the Kauravas! "They

are greedy and they are ready to fight; we are ready

to fight and so we are also greedy" - is the simple

equation in his mind. Krishna will point out that his

attitude, the divine will, was different and hence

Arjuna had to fight.

 

"Resist not evil" should never be misconstrued to mean

"encourage evil." There is an orderly (democratic, if

you like) way of dealing with evil, which does not

involve the disturbance of the mental equilibrium of

anyone. "Great sin" is not this action

or that action, but according to Krishna, kama

(desire) and krodha (hatred) are the fountains of the

greatest sins. Selfish motive is the greatest sin.

Lust, anger and greed disturb one's inner equilibrium

and hence they are the "gates to hell", according to

the Bhagavad Gita. They are "of insatiable hunger",

says Krishna: they consume our peace of mind, our

happiness, our vitality and the tranquillity of our

inner being, which is one of the fundamental

characteristics of yoga.

 

Thus are we led to the threshold of this yoga.

 

OM TAT SAT

 

Thus in the upanisad of the glorious Bhagavad Gita,the

science of the eternal, the scripture of yoga, the

dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, ends the

first discourse entitled: THE YOGA OF THE DESPONDENCY

OF ARJUNA.

 

 

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