Bhagawad Gita - Ch.2 - Verses 9 to 11

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Greetings Advaitin:

 

ProfVK presented an excellent overview of Gita with an emphasis on five

important points. He further elaborated how these five major arguments are

unified and crystallized in the 18th chapter and brought to a consummation in

the carama Sloka (verse no.66) of that chapter. Sri Sundar Hattangadi though

agreed with ProfVK, asserted that the five injunctions can be derived from the

first two mantras from Ishavasya Upanishad.

 

Sri Patrick participates in Gita Satsang implicitly and he often convincingly

injects the message of gita in all his postings. The list moderators encourage

his direct participation in Gita Satsang and invites him to post his

understanding of the verses under discussion.

 

Sadanandaji pointed out how Sri Krishna applied his mastery of human

psychology to force Arjuna to get back his true nature. Good teachers always

find and apply necessary methods to help their students to achieve the highest

level of learning. In modern times, Gurudev Chinmayanandaji has demonstrated

that this task is easy with determination and dedication. He is one of the

greatest exponent of Gita and he was responsible for the revival of Gita in

modern India. His greatest contribution to the society is the creation of a

machinery (mission) to produce capable teachers. His succeess of his mission

is ably demonstrated by Swami Tejomayananadaji and Swami Dayanandaji and

several others. Those who have listened to the discourse of Tejonmayandaji and

Dayanandaji would agree that we can see the presence of Chinmayanandaji in

their eyes and words.

 

I believe that the entire message of Gita is summarized in Chapter 2 and then

further elaborated in the rest of the chapters. This is the time for members

to raise questions and get clarifications. We should follow the example of

Arjuna to surrender our ego and ask any question, even if we think that they

are stupid. We are better off releasing the stupid questions from the system

rather storing it in!

 

regards,

 

Ram Chandran

 

 

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Discussion on Bhagawad Gita - Ch.2 - Verses 9 to 11 compiled from Bhagavdgita

- Multimedia CD (permission is obtained from the publisher for conducting Gita

Sang Discussion)

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Verse # 9

In this verse, Sanjaya says to Dhrtarastra, that after taking refuge in the

Lord, in the manner described above, and praying to Him for instruction and

guidance, and then expressing his own oppressive and disturbing thoughts,

Arjuna now definitely said that he would not fight, and there-after became

silent.

Sri Krsna who is called `Govinda' because of the manner described above, and

praying to according to the derivation 'Govindavedavakyavideyete labhate', the

truth about God is known through the words of the Vedas. The Gita also says-

"It is I whom the four Vedas seek to know." (XV. 15).

 

Verse # 10

 

Referring here to him who was "sorrowing in the midst of the two armies",

Sanjaya indirectly points out that the same Arjuna who, a little while ago,

had requested Bhagavan Sri Krsna to place his chariot between the two armies

in a bellicose and challenging spirit, was now at the sight of his kith and

kin in the two opposing armies greatly perturbed and agitated due to

infatuation. It was to this Arjuna, obsessed by grief, the Bhagavan Sri Krsna

addressed His words.

By the words, " Sri Krsna, as if laughing at him, addressed the following

words " Sanjaya gives an indication of what the Lord said, and the spirit in

which He said it. The intention was to bring out that instead of maintaining

the fighting attitude which Arjuna had evinced when he requested the Lord to

draw up the chariot between the two armies, he was now swayed by the opposite

sentiment of grief; and again, after taking refuge in the Lord, and praying to

him for instruction and guidance, and without waiting for His advice, he had

straightway declared that he would not fight. How utterly inconsistent these

actions of Arjuna were ! Therefore, mentally laughing at these

inconsistencies, the Lord said:

 

Verse # 11

It is with reference to Arjuna's state of grief at the sight of his uncles,

granduncles, other relations and teachers etc, in both the armies from fear of

their destruction, as described by himself in verses 28 to 30 of the first

chapter, his sorrow over the preparations for war as expressed in verse 45,

and the agitated state of his mind as described by Sanjaya in verse 47, that

the Lord here says, "You grieve over those who should not be grieved for."

This verse marks the beginning of the gospel of the Gita, which reaches its

conclusion in verse 66 of the eighteenth chapter.

Referring to the great sin accruing from the destruction of one's race in

verses 31 to 44 of Chapter I and 4 to 6 of Chapter II and egoistically

referring to the meanness of Duryodhana and others and harping on his own

sense of duty. Arjuna again attempted to establish by various arguments that

it would be wrong to engage in that fight. Referring to those arguments of

Arjuna, the Lord says in this verse that he was talking like the learned.

The uppermost thought in Arjuna's mind at that time was that the destruction

of his race, which was an inevitable consequence of the war, would lead to a

confusion of castes and bring about the fall of his ancestors who were in the

other world. He was also feeling anxious for his kith and kin who were arrayed

against him, and considered sovereignty and other enjoyments meaningless

without them. He also apprehended that the destruction of race would further

lead to the corruption of women. This is what is meant by Arjuna's grieving

for the dead and the living, and the Lord tells Arjuna that the wise never

grieve in this way. For in the eyes of the wise man God, who is an embodiment

of Truth, Knowledge and Bliss, is the only abiding reality and nothing exists

apart from Him. He is the Self of all and is absolutely indestructible,

whereas the bodies are transient and cannot stay. The association as well as

the separation of the body and the Soul, though inevitable from the worldly

point of view, are only imaginary as a dream. Under such circumstances, for

whom should he grieve and why? But Arjuna was certainly grieving, which showed

that he was not truly learned, but was merely holding forth as a learned man.