BHAGAVAD-GITA 1:36

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 1:36

 

papam evasrayed asman

hatvaitan atatayinah

tasman narha vayam hantum

dhartarastran sa-bandhavan

sva-janam hi katham hatva

sukhinah syama madhava

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

papam--vices; eva--certainly; asrayet--must come upon; asman--us;

hatva--by killing; etan--all these; atatayinah--aggressors;

tasmat--therefore; na--never; arhah--deserving; vayam--we; hantum--to

kill; dhartarastran--the sons of Dhrtarastra; sa-bandhavan--along with

friends; sva-janam--kinsmen; hi--certainly; katham--how; hatva--by

killing; sukhinah--happy; syama--will we become; madhava--O Krsna,

husband of the goddess of fortune.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Sin will overcome us if we slay such aggressors. Therefore it is not

proper for us to kill the sons of Dhrtarastra and our friends. What

should we gain, O Krsna, husband of the goddess of fortune, and how

could we be happy by killing our own kinsmen?

 

PURPORT

 

According to Vedic injunctions there are six kinds of aggressors: (1)

a poison giver, (2) one who sets fire to the house, (3) one who

attacks with deadly weapons, (4) one who plunders riches, (5) one who

occupies another's land, and (6) one who kidnaps a wife. Such

aggressors are at once to be killed, and no sin is incurred by killing

such aggressors. Such killing of aggressors is quite befitting any

ordinary man, but Arjuna was not an ordinary person. He was saintly by

character, and therefore he wanted to deal with them in saintliness.

This kind of saintliness, however, is not for a ksatriya. Although a

responsible man in the administration of a state is required to be

saintly, he should not be cowardly. For example, Lord Rama was so

saintly that people even now are anxious to live in the kingdom of

Lord Rama (rama-rajya), but Lord Rama never showed any cowardice.

Ravana was an aggressor against Rama because Ravana kidnapped Rama's

wife, Sita, but Lord Rama gave him sufficient lessons, unparalleled in

the history of the world. In Arjuna's case, however, one should

consider the special type of aggressors, namely his own grandfather,

own teacher, friends, sons, grandsons, etc. Because of them, Arjuna

thought that he should not take the severe steps necessary against

ordinary aggressors. Besides that, saintly persons are advised to

forgive. Such injunctions for saintly persons are more important than

any political emergency. Arjuna considered that rather than kill his

own kinsmen for political reasons, it would be better to forgive them

on grounds of religion and saintly behavior. He did not, therefore,

consider such killing profitable simply for the matter of temporary

bodily happiness. After all, kingdoms and pleasures derived therefrom

are not permanent, so why should he risk his life and eternal

salvation by killing his own kinsmen? Arjuna's addressing of Krsna as

"Madhava," or the husband of the goddess of fortune, is also significant in

this connection. He wanted to point out to Krsna that, as husband of

the goddess of fortune, He should not induce Arjuna to take up a

matter which would ultimately bring about misfortune. Krsna, however,

never brings misfortune to anyone, to say nothing of His devotees.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.