Bhagavad Gita - Daily One Verse Brief Explanation - II 2:2 II

[Guest guest]

|| Shree Hari ||

 

II 2:2 II

 

Sri-Bhagavan uvaca

kutas tvaa kashmalam idam, vishame samupasthitam

anarya-jushtham asvargyam, akeerti-karam arjuna (Gita 2:2)

 

Sri-Bhagavan said:

" Arjuna, how has this affliction overtaken you at this odd hour? It

is shunned by noble souls; neither could it bring heaven nor fame to

you. "

 

From Gita Prabodhani in Hindi pg. 18 by Swami Ramsukhdasji

 

---------------------------

Chapter 2, Verse 2 is as follows;

 

Shree Bhagavan = Lord Shree Krishna

Uvaacha = said

KutaH = whence

Tvaa = upon you

Kashmalam = dejection

Idam = this

ViShame = in perilous strait / crisis

Sam-Upasthitam = comes

An- Aarya - JuShtam = unworthy of an Aryan i.e. a noble man

A-Swargyam = not attaining the Heaven

A-Keertikaram = disgraceful / not attaining fame

Arjun = O Arjun!

 

English translation:-

 

The blessed Lord Krishna said, " O Arjuna, how this dejection has

come upon you in a crisis, unworthy of a noble man, attaining

neither heaven nor fame? "

 

The term `Aarya' in our scriptures does not refer to any race or

creed. It only refers to a highly evolved and cultured person. It

connotes much more than a perfect gentleman. An Aaryan is one who

scrupulously adheres to `Dharma' i.e. righteousness. In Manu Smruti

i.e. in the laws codified by King Manu of Solar dynasty in ancient

India, children born of parents imbued with self-control and

austerity were defined to be `Aaryans' and those born of lust were

treated as `Non-Aaryans'. The function of Vedanta philosophy is to

induce an ordinary man to initiate extra-ordinary performance in

one's obligatory duties and in the process become an `Aaryan' in all

respects.

 

Even a man of the calibre and stature of Arjuna, who has sunk in the

lowest state of mental stupor and who has lost his intellectual

capacities of proper discrimination, is referred to as `Un-Aaryan'

by Lord Krishna.

 

The word `Aarya' in Sanskrit language means a respectable,

honourable and noble person. In ancient times women used to refer to

men as `Aarya' i.e. a noble man or `Aarya-Putra' i.e. son of a noble

person. In the similar manner men used to refer to women as `Aaryaa'

i.e. a noble woman or " Aarya-Kanyaa' i.e. daughter of a noble

person.

 

The contemporary meaning of `Aarya' conveys a class or a type of a

race of Indo-Iranian and Indo-European warriors who invaded ancient

India and fought against the aboriginals called as `Dravida'

warriors. This theory was deliberately propagated by the British to

divide and rule India. The term `Aaryans' was used in 1861 by the

German Indologist Max Mueller (1823-1900) to refer to " worshippers

of the ancient Hindu gods " , which was closer to the original sense

of the word.

 

The Nazi Germans accentuated the problem that was originally created

by the British, by proposing the theory of `Aaryans' i.e. the people

belonging to a superior race of Northern Europe, who were destined

to resolve the `Juden Frage' i.e. the question of Jews, forever.

 

The `Aaryas' as referred here are those who accept a particular type

of introspective culture and social practices, which insist on

courage, courtesy, modesty, nobility and forthrightness.

 

Lord Krishna exhorts and rebukes Arjuna by selection of the choicest

of the adjectives.

 

It reminds me of the terse yet brief, forceful and meaningful

expression that is full of vigor, substance and everlasting message

as follows;

 

" Om PurNamadaH PurNam Idam PurNaat PurNamudachyate,

PurNasya PurNamaadaaya PurNam Eva Avashishyate "

 

" Omkaara, the mono-syllable, represents the origin of the Universe.

The Invisible is the Whole, the Visible is the Whole. From the

Whole, the visible Universe has come out. The Whole remains ever

Itself even though the infinite Universe has come out of it. " This

is the fundamental principle enunciated in the Upanishads.

 

Lord Krishna's celestial divine song is indeed based on the rock

solid foundation of the Upanishads.

 

There is nothing in this mortal world or the next world for those

with confused and dejected mind. `Keerti' i.e. fame is attained by

those who lead exemplary life in the mortal world. Arjuna's

performance so far on the battlefield of Kuru-Kshetra is

unfortunately shamefully incompetent and therefore, as per Lord

Krishna, the question of attainment of the Heaven does not arise for

unworthy Arjuna.

 

Thanks & Best Regards,

Shrikant Joshi.

 

-----------------------------

 

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