Gita Satsangh Chapter 11 Verses 25 to 26

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Gita Satsangh Chapter 11 Verses 25 to 26

 

(Verse Translation by Swami Gambirananda, Gita Bhasya and commentary

by Swami Chinmayanandaji)

 

Damshtraakaraalaani cha te mukhaani Drishtwaiva

kaalaanalasannibhaani;

Disho na jaane na labhe cha sharma Praseeda devesha jagannivaasa.

Verse 25

 

25. Having merely seen Your mouths made terrible with (their) teeth

and resembling the fire of Dissolution, I have lost the sense of

direction and find no comfort. Be gracious, O Lord of gods, O Abode

of the Universe.

 

Drstva eva, having merely seen

te, Your

mukhani, mouths

damstra-karalani, made terrible with (their) teeth

and kala-anala-sannibhani, resembling the fire of Dissolution is

kalanala

similar to that

na jane, I have lost

the sense of disah, direction-I do not know the directions as to

which is East or which is West

and hence, na labhe, find no

sarma, comfort. Therefore, prasida, be gracious

devesa, O Lord of gods

jagannivasa, O Abode of the Universe!

 

'The apprehension which was there of my getting defeated by those

offers, that too has cleared away, since-'

 

" SEEING THE UNIVERSAL-MOUTH TERRIBLE WITH TUSKS, THREATENING AS THE

FIRE-OF-DELUGE, " CONFESSES ARJUNA, " I HAVE LOST MY SENSE OF DIRECTION

AND I FEEL NO PEACE. " This is the picture of Time --- Time, the

leveler of everything, the consumer of all forms. When the intellect

comes to comprehend such a vast field, and that too all of a sudden,

the very magnitude of it smothers all powers of discrimination and

benumbs the individual for a moment. This chaotic condition of

confusion is expressed here, " I KNOW NOT THE FOUR QUARTERS. " And this

is not all. " I FIND NO PEACE " either.

 

In such a condition of extreme wonderment, the astounded mortal comes

to realize that his physical might, his mental capacities and his

intellectual subtleties are all, both individually and in their

aggregate, unimportant vehicles indeed. The little ego drops down its

veil of vanity and its amour of false strength, and stands naked

meekly surrendering itself to the influence of the Cosmic-Power.

Prayer is the only resort of the individual, who has thus fully

realized the emptiness of his own hollow vanities, in the presence of

the Mighty-Total and the Supreme-Divine.

 

In concluding the stanza with the humble prayer, " BE GRACIOUS, O

LORD, THOU ART THE HOME OF THE UNIVERSE, " Vyasa has rightly indicated

that true prayers can never rise up from a heart that is swollen with

pride and entertains an exaggerated sense of self-importance. Only

when man understands his own individual insignificance, in the

context of the total Universe, then true prayer can rise up from him

almost involuntarily.

 

THIS PARTICULAR SECTION (Starting from XI-21) IS MAINLY FOR

REASSURING ARJUNA OF THE SUCCESS THAT IS YET TO COME IN THE FUTURE

FOR HIMSELF AND HIS ARMY. THEREFORE, THE LORD DIRECTLY SHOWS THE

FORCES ENTER THE INESCAPABLE " MOUTH OF TIME " AND DISAPPEAR:

 

Amee cha twaam dhritaraashtrasya putraah Sarve

sahaivaavanipaalasanghaih;

Bheeshmo dronah sootaputrastathaa'sau Sahaasmadeeyairapi

yodhamukhyaih. Verse 26

 

26. And into You (enter) all those sons of Dhrtarastra along with

multitudes of the rulers of the earth (also) Bhisma, Drona and that

son of a Suta (Karna), together with even our prominent warriors.

 

Ca, and

tvam, into You-this is to be connected with 'rapidly enter' in the

next verse

sarve, all

ami, those

putrah, sons-Duryodhana and others

dhrtarastrasya, of Dhrtarastra

saha, along with

avanipala-sanghaih, multitudes of the rulers (pala) of the earth

(avani)

also Bhisma, Drona, tatha, and

asau, that

suta-putrah, son of a Suta, Karna

saha, together with

api, even

asmadiyaih, our

yodha-mukhyaih, prominent warriors, the commanders-Dhrstadyumna and

others.

 

A philosophy that comprehends the totality without fear or favor and

is even true to its mission of seeking Truth, cannot afford to ignore

the DESTRUCTIVE-aspect in nature. No creation is possible without

being preceded by the process of destruction of its own existence as

the raw material from which the created is produced. On the face of

the Universe also, wherever there is " existence " it is nothing but a

repetition of constant change and change can be interpreted either in

terms of constant-creation with regard to the MADE-PRODUCTS, or as a

process of constant-destruction with regard to the RAW-MATERIAL that

changed.

 

Thus, we see that in Hinduism, the daring Masters of the Aryan fold,

while extolling the beauty of the Reality, indulged themselves in

viewing It not only as the Omniscient-Creator, or as the Omnipotent-

Sustainer, but also as the All-powerful-Devourer of all names and

forms. This may look dreadful to those creeds that have not yet come

to watch and analyze Life in its totality.

 

Arjuna's words are significant. He does not see the Universal-Form

itself devouring the names and forms. On the other hand, he observed

that all names and forms " ENTER IN HASTE INTO THY MOUTH. " When we

watch an ocean, we do not find the ocean ever rising up to absorb the

waves, but the waves which have risen from the ocean, after a

momentary play upon the surface, rush back to disappear into the very

ocean. The multiplicity that has risen from the Totality, after its

play upon the surface of Truth, must necessarily rush back in all

hurry into the very Whole from which they had arisen.

 

Arjuna watches " ALL THE SONS OF DHRITARASHTRA, THE HOSTS OF KINGS,

BHISHMA, DRONA, KARNA, THE SON OF A CHARIOTEER, ALONG WITH THE

WARRIOR CHIEFTAINS OF OURS " entering precipitately into the yawning

mouth of the Principle of Destruction in nature. This not only

frightens Arjuna and unnerves him, but also gives him a confidence to

look ahead --- in spite of the fact that in numerical strength, in

supplies, and in technicians, his own army was much inferior to the

mighty forces of the Kurus. The Vision which he saw was in fact a

peep into the future. In the Vishwaroopa, when the Lord expresses

Himself as the entire world of phenomena, a conception of oneness

arises in which not only space shrinks, but even Time becomes an

object-of-observation.

[Guest guest]

Swami Dayananda Saraswati's Commentary and Explanations:

 

Indeed, seeing your faces which have protruding canines and are

equivalent to the fire of time, 1 do not Know the directions and I

have no peace. Be pleased, 0 Lord of the gods, 0 Lord in whom the

world exists.

 

" Your faces all have protruding teeth, " damstrakaralani ca te

mukhani. All the faces -within the cosmic form are m^ -epulsive and

frightening by these damstras. Even a human canine is not a ver asant

sight. But the canines of a cat or a dog, and much more so of a wild

ar' , like a tiger, have a fierce appearance. Because they are meant

for tearing fle'b. Jie canines are always frightening. And here, all

the faces Arjuna is seeing have these canines, damstras, exposed.

Even though these creatures may be benign, their appearance is

terrifying. That is a papayoni. Any body that is frightening to look

at is considered a papaSanra. Seeing all this, Arjuna is frightened.

 

He likens what he is seeing to the dissolution, pralaya, when it is

said that a great conflagration will consume the entire creation.

Everything will be burnt in that all-consuming fire, called kala-

analah. Analah means that which never has enough, alam na vidyate

yasya Hi analah. The more you feed it, the more it wants. That is

analah, fire. Seeing all these mouths with their canines protruding

swallowing everything in sight, Arjuna compares it to the fire which

destroys everything at the end of the cycle.

 

Besides this, he says, " I do not know the quarters, " disah na

jane. " Seeing this form, I don't know which is east, which is west,

which is north, which is south. I have no idea because everywhere I

look, you are there. " He does not know where the sun rises, where it

sets. He finds all kinds of suns - and moon also so he does not even

know whether it is day or night. Both sun and moon are shining at the

same time. It is a problem for him because he says, " I have no

happiness, " na labhe ca tarma. In the beginning he had some amusement

but not any more. There is no longer any joy in seeing this cosmic

form.

 

Then he implores Bhagavan to restore his tranquility. Addressing him

as cfeve3a, Lord of all the gods, Arjuna says, " May you become

pleased now, prasida. " Reinforcing his entreaty, Arjuna addresses

Krishna a second time as jagannivasa, the one in whom the world

exists. " May you be pleased so that you can bless me, " is Arjuna's

prayer. Arjuna's doubt about who would win the war is resolved by

what he now sees.

 

As he is seeing it, Arjuna says, " All these people are entering into

your frightening mouths with projecting canines. All these sons of

Dhrtarastra, dhrtarastrasya, ami sarve putrah, all these sons. Along

with them, sahaiva, are seen hosts of kings, avani-pala-samghaih.

Avani means earth and avani-palah are those who protect the earth,

the rulers. Various kings and chieftans have assembled for the

impending battle and Arjuna sees them all now entering into these

mouths. Further, he sees the grand old man of this kuru family, the

imposing, invincible Bhlsma. And Drona, his own archery teacher. They

are both on the other side as is suta-putra, Karna, the son of a

charioteer. Even though he was the son of Kunti, no one here knows

this except Krishna and Kunti. Even Arjuna does not yet know this is

his own brother standing in the enemy's camp.