BHAGAVAD-GITA 1:24

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 1:24

 

sanjaya uvaca

evam ukto hrsikeso

gudakesena bharata

senayor ubhayor madhye

sthapayitva rathottamam

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

sanjayah uvaca--Sanjaya said; evam--thus; uktah--addressed;

hrsikesah--Lord Krsna; gudakesena--by Arjuna; bharata--O descendant of

Bharata; senayoh--of the armies; ubhayoh--both; madhye--in the midst;

sthapayitva--placing; ratha-uttamam--the finest chariot.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Sanjaya said: O descendant of Bharata, having thus been addressed by

Arjuna, Lord Krsna drew up the fine chariot in the midst of the armies

of both parties.

 

PURPORT

 

In this verse Arjuna is referred to as Gudakesa. Gudaka means sleep,

and one who conquers sleep is called gudakesa. Sleep also means

ignorance. So Arjuna conquered both sleep and ignorance because of his

friendship with Krsna. As a great devotee of Krsna, he could not

forget Krsna even for a moment, because that is the nature of a

devotee. Either in waking or in sleep, a devotee of the Lord can never

be free from thinking of Krsna's name, form, qualities and pastimes.

Thus a devotee of Krsna can conquer both sleep and ignorance simply by

thinking of Krsna constantly. This is called Krsna consciousness, or

samadhi. As Hrsikesa, or the director of the senses and mind of every

living entity, Krsna could understand Arjuna's purpose in placing the

chariot in the midst of the armies. Thus He did so, and spoke as

follows.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.