Bhagavad Gita - Daily One Verse Brief Explanation - II 1:39 II

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II 1:39 II

 

katham na jneyam asmabhih, papad asman nivartitum

kula-ksaya-kritam dosam, prapasyadbhir janardana (Gita 1:39)

 

Why should not we, who see clearly the sin involved, in the

destruction of the family, not think of turning away from such a

sin, O Janardana (Krishna)?

 

From Gita Prabodhani in Hindi pg. 14-15 by Swami Ramsukhdasji

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Chapter 1, Verse 39 is as follows;

 

Katham = why

Na = not

Dnyeyam = should be learnt

AsmaabhiH = by us i.e. including Lord Krishna

Paapaat = from sin

Asmaat = this

Nivartitum = to turn away

Kulakshaya = the destruction of a family

Krutam = in the process of

Dosham = evil

Prapashyadbhi = clearly seeing

Janaardan = O Krishna!

 

English translation:-

 

Why should not we, who clearly see evil in the destruction of a

(Kuru) family, learn to turn away from such a sin, O Krishna?

 

Arjuna continues his argument that, being driven by passion and

avarice the Kauravaas have lost all their sense of purpose and

proportion. But we the Paandavaas, are still in our best of the

senses. We are able to visualise the doom and gloom due to the

impending brutal battle and therefore, we must reverse the course of

action and avoid the battle at any costs and consequences. We should

not be a party to the perpetration of heinous crimes, which are soon

going to be committed by all the participants of the royal battle.

 

On the one hand, goaded by greed, the Kauravaas want to exterminate

the Paandavaas one for all so that `Na Rahegaa Baasa, Na Bajegee

Baasuree' i.e. there will be no more any bamboo tree and no more

tunes from the musical instrument called flute.

 

On the other hand, Arjuna amongst the Paandavaas was driven by

debilitating attachment to the kith and kin to spare the

desperadoes. Arjuna is not aware that abdication of obligatory

duties and aversion of worldly pleasures without devotion to the

Supreme Being is a guaranteed path of degradation due to self-

imposed misery and poverty-stricken life.

 

Are greed and attachment the only guiding forces in human life? This

is precisely the question implicit in the total silence of Lord

Krishna.

 

By inclusion of the word `AsmaabhiH' i.e. by us, Arjuna implies that

being a maternal cousin of the Paandavaas, Lord Krishna is equally

guilty of inciting the Paandavaas to commit such sinful acts. This

is indeed the height of indiscretion and perverted logic on the part

of Arjuna.

 

SampoorNa Purushottama Lord Krishna does not consider Arjuna's

charge to be a personal affront, as he knows that Arjuna's heart is

enshrouded by spiritual ignorance.

 

It reminds me of a famous song from Hindi movie `Chitralekha' sung

by late Mohamed Rafi;

 

" Mana Re Tu Kaahe Na Dheer Dhare; O Nirmohi, Moha Na Jaane Jinakaa

Moha Kare " .

 

It means - O man - normally devoid of attachment, why are you not

able to control your fickle mind? You do not seem to understand the

implicit misery in attachment of the things that your mind is

attached with.

 

It is always easy to find fault with others. It is very difficult to

find fault in oneself.

 

The essence of Arjuna's argument is, `If the Kauravaas do not see

the sin in killing the kinsmen; however, we being wiser, we must

desist from such heinous crimes'. It is a classic example of

Arjuna's vanity that is shielding the brutal aggression of the

Kauravaas with seemingly lofty ideals and apparently irrefutable

rationalization.

 

Arjuna does not seem to know that life is not fair and the world is

not favorably disposed to him.

 

It also reminds me of a famous song from Hindi movie `Upakaara' sung

by Manna De;

 

" Koyi Kisi Ka Nahi Ye Jhoothhe, Naate Hain Naato Ka Kya? "

 

It means – In the hour of personal crisis, if nobody is there to

look up to, then of what avail are all these relations that we

blindly cherish?

 

No wise man will ever justify war. But only wise men have from time

immemorial indulged in what they have regarded as righteous war. War

itself is evil, but when it is the only remedy left over to deal

with a greater evil - to dethrone the very evil which has usurped

the place of Dharma - war is the sole alternative. Then and only

then, to fight is indeed a `Dharma' i.e. righteous duty and to run

away from fighting is indeed `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 subjects, must deal firmly with the wickedness.

 

Arjuna is not correct in his assessment that as the Kauravaas are

his kinsmen, he should not kill them, nor he is right in his charge

that since they are his opponents, Krishna has asked him to kill

them. It was only because they were the perpetrators of `Adharma'

and it was Arjuna's imminent obligatory duty in the role of a royal

prince to exterminate them. If `Dharma' was on the Kauravaas' side,

even if they were his enemies, Krishna would have certainly asked

Arjuna to look within himself and destroy his real enemy - Adharma,

the unrighteousness.

 

Lord Krishna himself has said in verse 29 of chapter 9 that he is

equal to all.

 

Thanks & Best Regards,

Shrikant Joshi

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RESPONSE TO SADHAK - Suhas Gogate

 

In response to the question raised by Suhas Gogate, about the

various avatars of Lord Vishnu, I would to submit as follows;

 

As a conventional wisdom, we consider `Dasha-Avatara' i.e. ten

special manifestations of Lord Vishnu and they are listed as under,

 

 

1. Matsya: The giant fish

2. Kachchha: The giant tortoise

3. Varaaha: The giant pig

4. Nara-Simha: The man with the head of a lion

5. Vaamana / Batu: The young Brahmin

6. Parashuraama: The great warrior in the Brahmins

7. Shree Raama: The Maryaadaa Purushottama, king of Ayoddhya in

the solar dynasty

8. Shree Krishna: The SampoorNa Purushottama, king of Dwarakaa

9. Gautam Buddha: The Sage who preceded Bodhisatvaas

10. Kalanki: The would be king in the Kaliyuga who will be the

saviour of one and all

 

However, the devout Hindus do not consider Gautam Buddha as the 9th

avatar as Buddha had renounced Vedas and ridiculed Vedanta as the

sole philosophy of life. No one knows when and how the Kalanki is

going to appear in this mortal world.

 

You will appreciate that these avatars are in consonance with the

theory of evolution of species on this Earth.

 

Therefore, being an ardent follower of Vedanta philosophy, I have

discounted Gautam Buddha and Kalanki as avatars of Lord Vishnu. That

is the basis of my reference to Lord Krishna as the 10th incarnation

of Lord Vishnu.

 

In the 10th chapter of Shreemad Bhagawad Geeta, you will notice the

unique illustration by Lord Krishna himself of the `Vibhutim' i.e.

numerous manifestations of Lord Vishnu.

 

The starting point of the entire universe is the electromagnetic

radiations in the form of intermingling rings of successive electric

field and magnetic field. It has been scientifically proven that

changing electric fields generate magnetic fields and changing

magnetic fields generate electric fields. That is how the

electromagnetic radiations travel at the speed of light from any two

points in the universe.

 

These vibrations are the foundation of what we denote as `Omkaara'

i.e. the origin of the entire universe.

 

Even Saint Dnyaaneshwara has written in the epic called

Dnyaneshwari, " Omkaara Pradhaana Rupa GaNeshaache, He Teenhee

Devaamche Janmasthaana " i.e. the personification of God Ganesh is

the mono-syllable called as `Omkaara' which is the birth place of

the Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesha.

 

Please refer the 6th verse in chapter 10.

 

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The seven great sages and the four Manus, endowed with My power,

were born of My mind; and from them have come forth all these

creatures in the world.

 

Lord Vishnu first created four young virgin boys named Sanaka,

Sanandana, Sanaatana and Sanat. These four Sanat Kumaaras occupy the

highest position in the occult hierarchy. However, they were not

interested in siring any progeny.

 

Then Lord Vishnu created seven great sages namely Bhrugu,

Vivasvaana, Sudaama, Angirasa, Atri, Vishvaamitra and Vashishtha.

They were inclined to siring children.

 

This started the evolution of man as the highest manifestation or

the personification of the Self, the Aatman which is a fraction of

the universal eternal source of energy that we refer to as Brahman.

 

As per Hindu mythology, the following twenty four are the exhaustive

avatars of Lord Vishnu in this mortal world.

 

1. For Sanat Kumars

2. Matsya: The giant fish

3. Kachchha: The giant tortoise

4. Varaaha: The giant pig

5. Hamsa: The white celestial bird

6. Nara – NaaraayaNa: a pair of man and God

7. Naarada

8. Kapila Muni: the inventor of Saamkhya Darshan

9. Shree Datta: The Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesha

10. Yadnya: The Sacrifice

11. Rhishabha Deva

12. Prutha

13. Dhanvantari: the doctor of the Gods & Goddesses

14. Mohinee

15. Nara-Simha: The man with the head of a lion

16. Vaamana / Batu: The young Brahmin

17. Hayagreeva

18. Maharshee Veda Vyaasa

19. Hari

20. Parashuraama: The great warrior in the Brahmins

21. Shree Raama: The Maryaadaa Purushottama, king of Ayoddhya in

the solar dynasty

22. Shree Krishna: The SampoorNa Purushottama, king of Dwarakaa

23. Gautam Buddha: The Sage who preceded Bodhisatvaas

24. Kalanki: The would be king in the Kaliyuga who will be the

saviour of one and all

 

However, out of these 24 avatars only 10 avatars are revered by

students of Vedanta philosophy.

 

Please refer 41st verse in Chapter 10.

 

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Whatever being is glorious, prosperous or powerful, you (better)

know that to be a manifestation of a part of My splendour.

 

Therefore, as true Saadhakaas, we should be large hearted to

accommodate even Jesus Christ, Prophet Mohamed and Gautam Buddha as

the special manifestations of the `Param Aatman' in this mortal

world.

 

This is indeed the sum and substance of the goal of Self

realisation, that is well illustrated in the verse 30 of chapter 6.

 

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He who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, I never get

separated from him nor he gets separated from Me.

 

Thanks and Best Regards,

Shrikant Joshi

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Shree Hari

Ram Ram

Thank you Shri Shrikantji Joshi for taking the initiative to support

this divine work and to Mrs. K Asani for requesting shloka

explanation on a daily basis.

From Gita Talk Moderators

Ram Ram