Gita Overview English Lecture

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
So, on the Kaurava side the commander is Bhishma. But Duryodhana does not go to Bhishma. He is going to Dronacharya.
Because he suspects about the commitments of both these personalities. He is doubtful about the commitment of Dronacharya and Bhishma. So, what he does is, he goes to Dronacharya because Dronacharya is a Brahmana and he is an Acharya.
So, he goes to the teacher to consult. And while going there, he will also talk about Bhishma. And that way he will try to balance both of them.
And especially, he sees that the military has been arranged very nicely and he wants to incite Dronacharya for that. And that is why he chooses Dronacharya and not Bhishma. So, what are the words that he speaks? So, now interestingly here, Raja Vachanam Abrave.
So, there is no Dronacharya or Vachanam Bhagavad Gita. So, he is just speaking those words. So, sarcasm.
Sarcasm. Sometimes when we want to incite a person into action, then somebody is very lazy. You are doing this work so fast.
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu will also do that. Oh, you have cleaned so nicely. That person will become embarrassed.
So, he is saying, he is your disciple who is working against you now. The enemy which you have to fight has been arranged by your disciple. So, the implication is that, as a Brahmana you think you will be impartial, but that impartiality got you into trouble.
So, don’t be impartial now. You are on my side, fight wholeheartedly for my side. And especially we know he has enmity with Drupada.
So, therefore, he is not just using Drupada, he is using the word Drupada Putrena. And he starts doing an assessment. He will first assess, as it is described over there, first he will assess the forces on the Pandavas’ side and then on his own side.
Atrashura Mahesh Vasha, Bhima Arjuna Samajuddhi, Yudhano Viratashya, Drupadashya Maharatha. So, again he brings the word Drupada, just to incite Drupadacharya. And then he compares all of them to Bhima and Arjuna.
So, for him he is afraid of Bhima and he knows Arjuna is the most formidable warrior. So, he compares others with these two people. And who are the people from Yudhano is Satyaki.
Satyaki is a student of Arjuna. He is one of the Yadus. So, the Yadu army fights.
The whole Sena goes to the Kaurava side. Krishna comes to the Pandava side. But the individuals, Satyaki comes with Krishna.
And Krita Varman is a friend of the Kauravas. So, he goes to the Kauravas. He is not exactly a friend of the Kauravas, but because the army is there, he has to go there.
So, apart from these two personalities, none of the Yadus are fighting. The Yadus are not fighting in the war. Satyaki, Yudhano is on this side.
Krita Varman is on that side. And when they start fighting, because for him the greatest danger is Bhima and Arjuna, he compares everyone with them. Now, he does not focus on Arjuna because his goal is to inspire inside Dronacharya to fight.
And Dronacharya already has too much affection towards Arjuna. So, he does not harp on Arjuna, but he compares others with Arjuna. And then he goes forward and he says, So, it’s interesting, if you see the Krishna book, Krishna has been killing demons right from his childhood.
There are so many demons coming and Krishna kills Kamsa. And now, at this time, Krishna has come from Mathura to Dwarka. And after killing so many demons also, still there are so many kings who are ready to be on Duryodhana’s side.
And that’s why Duryodhana’s army is bigger than Pandavas’ army. So, Janasandha has been killed, and Chishupal, Lantavakra, all of them have been killed. But in spite of that, even in the time of Krishna, there are so many demoniac kings who are there.
So, the nature of this world, because Kali Yuga was about to start, the adharma was very, very high. So, he will give a few names on his side, on the opposite side, then he will come to his own side. So, now, after this, one charioteer who can fight at one time with 100,000 charioteers.
Ardharatha is one who can fight with 60,000 charioteer warriors. Ratha is one who can fight with one charioteer warrior. And Ardharatha is one who cannot fight with even one charioteer warrior.
So, at the start of the battle, Bhishma, when he is told to assist the two parties, he calls Karna as Ardharatha. And Karna is incensed. Now, everybody knows this is not true, but Bhishma sees that Karna is very arrogant.
So, just to cut down his arrogance, he says that. And Karna gets so angry, he says, I will not fight. I will not fight as long as Bhishma is here.
Because if I fight and win the war, Bhishma will get the credit. So, then, it is interesting, now after this war, he will bring Karna. Although Karna is not there on the battlefield and he is assisting the army, but Karna is very much in the mind of Duryodhana.
Because he knows Karna is, he is not sure about how much committed Bhishma and Drona are. But he knows Karna is 100% committed. So, although Karna is not there on the battlefield, Karna is there in his mind.
And he is comparing warriors, he comes to his own side now. So, now, he wants to encourage Dronacharya by saying, first he wants to incite him by saying, see, all those warriors are there. But don’t think anybody is left on my side also.
So, he starts describing his warriors now. Asmā kanto viśiṣṭhāye kāṇḍibodhadvijyotama nāyakaṁ saññaśya saññārthaṁ tāṅkravīte Vijyautama, he is referring to Dronacharya as the best of the Brāhmaṇas. Because he again wants to encourage him.
Saññārthaṁ. Saññā refers to, as we know, noun. Saññā refers to that which every battle, every warrior has a particular symbol, a particular code by which he can be identified.
So, saññārthaṁ, I am going to give the information of the different warriors now. And then he starts speaking. Now, he has a crisis.
Because he is thinking, Bhishma is the senior most and Bhishma is the commander. So, whose name should I start first with? If I start with, if I write in front of Dronacharya and if I mention Bhishma first, Drona might feel offended. But if I don’t speak Bhishma first, will Bhishma be offended? He thinks no.
Dronacharya is a Brāhmaṇa. Therefore, he will not be offended. So, he speaks Drona first and then he speaks Bhishma.
So, as I said, because Karna is already in his mind. So, first he thinks about these two and as soon as these two arrive, he thinks of Karna. But then actually there is another much more senior person there.
That is Kṛpa. So, therefore, now he has to make up. So, he gives an adjective to describe Kṛpa.
Kṛpaśca samitiṁ jaya. He is always victorious. So, in this way, he tries to balance out.
Kṛpaśca samitiṁ jaya. Aśvatthāma Vikarṇasya. Now, as you know, Aśvatthāma, he is trying to please Dronacharya.
So, he talks about two relatives of his. Kṛpa and Aśvatthāma. Now, Vikarna is not a very dedicated, not a very formidable warrior.
But he is afraid. Why is he afraid? Because Vikarna was the only one of the hundred Kaurava brothers who objected when Draupadi was being disrobed. And Draupadi challenged the assembly.
Nobody spoke. But Vikarna spoke. He said, this is unjust.
And Karna shot him down. So, he was afraid that he might defect over. So, according to the codes of war, during the battle, nobody can defect after the battle has started.
But before the battle starts, one party can go to the other side. So, just after this gets over, Bhagavad Gita gets over, you still make an announcement. So, all of you know that the cause for which I am fighting is righteous.
If any of you want to give up and come to the cause of righteousness, I welcome you to open arms. At that time, Yudhisthira emerges from there. Yudhisthira is the son of Dhritarashtra through a maidservant.
So, he is the half-brother of the Kauravas. He is not mentioned over here. But that defection happens.
Actually, it is Yudhisthira who does the funeral rites for the Kauravas. Because the whole generation is killed. Practically speaking, all the hundred sons are killed and their sons are also killed in the rites.
Yudhisthira alone remains. So, because he is afraid that Vikarna might defect, so although Vikarna is not in that calibre, he mentions Vikarna. Saumadatti.
Saumadatti is Bhurishrava, son of Saumadatta. He is also a formidable warrior. He was killed by Arjuna.
First he was wounded by Arjuna and killed by Satyaki on the 13th day when they killed Jayadratha. So, now he speaks. There are many others also.
So, then he goes and generalises. Anye cha bahava shoora, madarthe chakta jeevita, nana shastra praharna, sarve yuddha visharadaha. So, nana shastra praharna.
They are expert. He is equipped for expert. Visharadaha.
They are expert in fighting. So, actually, sometimes Saraswati speaks through the demons to pronounce the truth. So, what is he saying? Actually, grammatically speaking, what is he saying? Chakta jeevitaha.
So, chakta is the past tense in grammar. They have given up their life for my sake. Actually, what he wants to say is, they are ready to give their life for my sake.
They are so dedicated to me. So, he is trying to say that you should also be dedicated like them. But Saraswati revances his son and makes him speak.
Chakta jeevitaha. They have given up their life for me. And Vishwanath Chatterjee says that Krishna will, in the 11th chapter, 33rd verse, when he gives the Vishwaroopadarshan, he says, All of them are killed by me already only.
So, he correlates this. So, because they are already killed, Krishna speaks that later. But now, Saraswati speaks this to him.
They are ready to give up their life. But he speaks indirectly, they have given up their life for me. And then, after giving this comparison, he gives a summary of their two forces.
This was a very interesting insight of something which we will encounter repeatedly in Acharya Gita. An apparent contradiction between the Acharyas. We will come to that.
Aparyaptam tad atmakam balambhishmabhirakshitam paryaptam tvayadame tesham balambhimabhirakshitam Yes. So, now the word paryaptam and aparyaptam. So, the word paryaptam can mean two things.
One is limited and unlimited. Or one can be sufficient and insufficient. So, when the prefix or comes in Sanskrit, it can magnify or it can oppose.
Both ways it can happen. So, now, Prabhupada follows mostly Baldevidya Bhushan. Prabhupada dedicates his commentary also to Baldevidya Bhushan, Gita Bhushan commentary.
So, Prabhupada translates this as, our strength is immeasurable. It is unlimited. Their strength is measurable.
Now, Chakravarti says exactly opposite. He says, our strength is insufficient and their strength is sufficient. So, now, why is there this apparent difference? Actually, Baldevidya Bhushan is a Gatavacharya.
And Vishwanath Chakravarti is a Rafikacharya. So, in the background, in our Sampradaya, before Shila Prabhupada, three main Acharyas have commented in the Bhagavad Gita. Bhagavad Gita is quoted extensively by Jiyugoswami Nisandarbha.
And it is also talked about occasionally by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in his discussions. Although Chaitanya Mahaprabhu focusses more on Bhagavatam. So, the first Acharya to write a complete commentary on the Bhagavad Gita is Vishwanath Chakravarti Thakur.
So, he wrote his commentary called Sarartha Darshan. Then, after that, Baldevidya Bhushan wrote the Gita Bhushan. So, Vishwanath Chakravarti Thakur wrote two commentaries, Sarartha Varshini and Sarartha Darshani.
Sarartha Varshini is his Bhagavata commentary. Sarartha Darshani is his Bhagavatam commentary. Now, after him, Bhaktivinoda Thakur wrote two commentaries.
Although he did not comment on all the verses, either at the beginning or at the end. One is Gita Ranjan and the second is Rasik Ranjan. And Bhaktivinoda Thakur personally did not comment on the Bhagavata.
But Prabhupada commented and he dedicated his Bhagavata to Baldevidya Bhushan. Now, if we see, Prabhupada did not comment on Brahma Samhita because he said that my spiritual master has already commented and it will be Maratha Adhikrama. But we see Baldevidya Bhushan is like the direct disciple of Vishwanath Chakravarti Thakur and still Baldevidya Bhushan also comments on the Gita.
And if we look at it, the two Gitas, they appear to be quite different. Yes, he occasionally refers, but not very frequently does he refer to Vishwanath Chakravarti Thakur’s commentary in his commentary, Baldevidya Bhushan. Because according to time, place, circumstance.
So, we know historically that Baldevidya Bhushan had to defend the Gaudiya Sampradaya when it was challenged in which place? Jaipur. Jaipur, yes. When those deities were, Radharani was separated from Krishna from the altar because of the effect of the Ramanandis.
So, now in the traditional Vedic scholarly circles, for every Sampradaya to be established as authoritative, that Sampradaya’s teachers should write commentaries on three books. These are called the Prasthanatraya. Prasthan is like the pillar or the foundation.
So, Traya is three. So, the Prasthanatraya is Shruti, it’s basically Vedanta Sutra, Bhagavad Gita and Upanishad. So, Vedanta Sutra, Bhagavad Gita and Upanishad.
So, in our Sampradaya, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says the natural commentary in the Vedanta Sutra is Srimad Bhagavatam. There is no need to write any other commentary. But by the time, so that’s why none of our Acharyas wrote the commentary before Vandevidya Bhushan.
But when this was, when this argument was presented by Vandevidya Bhushan to the Ramanandis, Ramanandis, this is just your excuse. You don’t have any commentary, that’s why you are saying like this. They said, no, we can’t write a commentary.
So, then, because he had to establish the body of Sampradaya as authoritative, he wrote commentaries on Vedanta Sutra, Govinda Bhashya. He wrote a commentary on Bhagavad Gita also, Gita Bhushan and he wrote a commentary on the ten principles of Upanishads also. So, that way, because he had to establish his Siddhanta, so he wrote his commentary.
Now, Vandevidya Bhushan is focussing more on Tattva, philosophical truth. And Vishwanath also talks about Tattva, but he focusses more on Rasa. So, from Tattva point of view, from the factual point of view, Bhishma is much more powerful.
He is far more experienced, he is far more expert and he has so much counsel, he has so much, you know, he has actually been trained by Parashurama. So, Bhishma, from the military valour point, military skill and military valour point of view, Bhishma is more powerful. That’s why, guided by Bhishma, we are saying, our strength is immeasurable.
That’s what Vandevidya Bhushan says. Now, what Vishwanath Indira Kaur says is, that yes, actually, one’s fighting performance will be determined not just by one’s fighting skills, but by one’s fighting spirit. And as far as the fighting spirit is concerned, Bhishma’s heart is not there in the war.
Because Bhishma loves the Pandavas. And had it not been for, had it not been for the strange quirk of fate by which he took a vow that I will always serve the ruling king of the Kuruvangas, he would not be there on the Kaurava side. But he has to be there.
So, because he loves the Pandavas, he knows their causes just, so his heart is not there so much in the war. And that’s why in the Mahabharata repeatedly, Duryodhana comes and tries to incite Bhishma to fight. On the other hand, what about Bhishma? His heart was there in the war from 14 years.
You know, he has been wanting him for the war to start. And because his heart is fully there in the war, that’s why Vishnuji says that their strength is greater. So, their aparayaptam would mean at immeasurable.
So, from Sattva point of view, what Baldevi Devji says and what Prabhupada follows is that Bhishma’s side is greater. Because Bhishma is more experienced. From Rasa point of view, because Bhima has more fighting spirit, so he is greater.
So, that’s why sometimes there may be some apparent contradiction in the Acharyas. But the Acharyas have one purpose. Just like there is a difference of opinion between, say, Bhima and, are you interested in Bhima, what to do with Ashwathama, what to do with Ashwathama.
But both of them have the purpose of serving Krishna. But there is a difference of opinion between Bhima and Duryodhana, of what to do. One is demoniac and other is a devotee.
So, there is a difference. So, like that, different Acharyas may give different interpretation in certain verses, but they are all common in the purpose of glorifying Krishna. But when a Mayavadi gives a commentary, actually they are completely minimising Krishna.
Therefore, their purpose is very different. And now, after glorifying Bhishma, now he thinks that, oh, Bhishma, certainly he is the senior most warrior, but because we don’t know how committed he will be, he says that yes, we have to make sure that others also protect him. So, if we take that Bhima’s commitment is lacking, then it means others have to make sure that if Bhima doesn’t fight voluntarily, you should fight.
I like to say that Bhima is, sorry, Bhishma, not Bhima. Bhishma is our most important warrior, then we have to make sure that enemy doesn’t attack and kill him. Because then our whole planet will be devastated.
So, all of us should protect him. That’s where the next verse comes. ayaneshu ca sarvesu yatha bhagama vastitaha bhishma meva abhirakshantu bhavantah sarva evahi Now, when Bhishma is at rest, in two verses, Bhishma gets tired.
What is all this politicking going on? It’s enough now. Let’s start the battle. So, he starts doing his commentary.
tasya sanjanayan harisham guru vruddha pitamaha simmanatham vinadyochai sankham dhanmah pratapavan simmanatham vinadyochai So, for the warriors, just like certain businessmen sport their own cars, or certain cricketers have their own bags. So, all warriors have their own weapons, but the start of the war is inaugurated by the conch. So, everybody has their own conch.
So, Bhishma, on one side, he’s fed up with Duryodhana. On the other side, he also, you know, he’s my grandson, so I have to encourage him. tasya sanjanayan harisham guru vruddha pitamaha simmanatham vinadyochai So, actually Sanskrit and, as we know, English, the languages originated from the Greek and the Roman languages.
And the Greek and Roman originally came from Sanskrit. You know, when the Kali Yuga started off, many of the kings from India went out. Especially in the time of Parashuram, they started going out.
And Kali Yuga started, the rule of the Indian monarch, emperor got loosened, so they got disconnected. There are remarkable linguistic similarities between Sanskrit and Greek and Roman. So, tumulo is related with a tumultuous.
So, there are some indications we will get throughout the Gita like this. Now, the focus shifts. The first time there is a focus on Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita.
There is a very beautiful entry of Krishna in this. tatah svetair hayai yukte mahate chandane sthitao madhava pandava sharipya yudhyau shankhau pradasmato So, sometimes in a movie when the hero is making his first entry, they will show a car moving, the brakes squeal, and then you show the legs coming out, and then you see the camera moving upward, upward, and then you see the hero. So, like that, when he is describing Krishna, tatah svetair hayai yukte, beautiful white horses are there.
And then behind the white horses, mahate chandane sthitao, a magnificent chariot is there. And then, who is there in the chariot? Madhava Pandava sharipya. There is Krishna and there is Arjuna.
But, the striking contrast is that the hero is not the warrior, he is the charioteer. The hero is there, you have a hero, that doesn’t happen in the movie, the hero is not a shopper of somebody else. But, Krishna is like that.
Actually, same entry is there even in the Bhagavatam. When Krishna enters in the Bhagavatam in the 7th chapter, son of Dronacharya, and there also he is the charioteer of Arjuna. And this is the Bhaktavatsal mode.
And he describes, of course, because both of them are the lord and the devotee, they are considered to be transcendental. So, from the other side, the call of war comes out, so they also respond to the call of war. And now he describes how the different Pandavas start responding.
So, Krishna and Arjuna describe first time. Interesting, you see, Yudhishthira, although he is righteous, he is not the most powerful of all the warriors. And that’s why while assessing them, Duryodhana does not even mention Yudhishthira.
And even while the focus goes to the Pandavas, first is Krishna and Arjuna, then it is Bhima, and after that Yudhishthira will come. Actually, when Kunti is supposed to get sons, Pandu gives his logic. He first asks, you know, now my son is supposed to become my successor.
So, I want a son who will be very very righteous. Therefore, you go to Dharmaraja and get a son who is righteous. When he gets the son, and then he thinks, yes, righteousness is very important, but righteousness alone is not enough.
You know, a Kshatriya should also have strength. Therefore, please give me one more son who will be extremely strong. Then he gets Bhima.
But then he starts thinking that, you know, for a Kshatriya, just strength alone is not enough. One has to have skill. One has to have expertise.
So, give me a son who will have tremendous skill. And then he gets Arjuna. Again, of course, you know, so he finishes his desires over there.
Then Madhuri comes and says, what about me? You have not given any sons to me. Then he gets two more sons. One who is a very expert horseman, and second is one who is an expert picker.
So, that way, he gets five sons with five different qualities. So, as far as the battle is concerned, after Bhima and Arjuna mentioned, now after this, you will have Yudhishthira being mentioned. But now Bhima has a special adjective.
What is that? So, udhara is belly. Bhurka is very heavy or strong or powerful. So, his belly will work overtime.
So, we know that we have this Virjalekha that she is telling. Isn’t it? Bhima said, you know, I can’t fast. He went to Vyasadeva and he said, I can’t fast.
He said, no, you have to fast. Manikkatha, he said, no, I can’t fast. He said, therefore, at least make some arrangement.
I cannot fast every week, every fortnight. So, he said, once a year you fast. And you get the full credit for all of that.
So, Bhima, he had a huge appetite. At the same time, Prabhupada carefully qualified. He was not only a huge eater, but he was also a huge worker, performer of herculean tasks.
So, Prabhupada would say that, sometimes he would overeat and Prabhupada would eat so much. Prabhupada said, if you eat too much, don’t go to sleep after eating. You work hard and you digest all the food.
But generally, it’s easy to do the first part. Second part is not so easy. Actually, when the Kauravas would, when the Pandavas were in the first Rangyatvas, first Vanavas, after the Varnavat was burnt.
So, actually Bhima would carry all the Pandavas. He would just run out and everybody else would get tired because he had so much, you know, he would eat so much. They thought that he was heavy and unwieldy.
He was very strong and very powerful. Because of his weight, he had tremendous reserve energy. So, everybody else would get exhausted but still he had reserve energy.
He would carry the four Kauravas brothers, four Pandavas brothers as well as Kunti. He would just run to the forest. So, he was performing herculean deeds.
So, now after this time, he goes to the other. So, Saubhadra is Abhinavanyu. He is a very powerful warrior.
And his role will come up later as we know. I will describe all these warriors. So, how it was? When the Kauravas blow their conchshells, the effect was that there is a huge amount of noise.
But there is no effect on the Pandavas. When the Pandavas speak, blow their conchshells, it is not just a huge noise. That noise is described and the effect of that sound is described in the next verse.
sa-ghoṣodhārtha-rāśrāṇāṁ hṛdayāni-vyadārayat na bhaśca-pratim chaiva-mūlobdhenu-nādayan hṛdayāni-vyadārayat So, they got a heart attack. Normally, when we go for Mangala Aarti, if we have not reached the temple hall where the conchshell blows, we get a heart attack. So, those who are inside the temple hall are the Pandavas.
They are happy when the conchshell blows. Those who have not yet reached, they are the Kauravas. So now, here, more or less, the assessment of the forces had got over.
Now, let us see what happens after that. atha vyavasthitāṁ hṛṣṭhvā dhāta-rākṣāṁ kapīd-bhajā pravṛtthe śastra-sampāte dhana-rūpyaṁ ya pāṇḍava hṛṣīkeśaṁ tadāvākyam nidamāha-mahīpate So, kapīd-bhajā. Bhajā is flag.
Kapīd is monkey. So now, every warrior has his own flag. It is called the standard.
So, every warrior has his own standard. And from far away, even if one is not able to see who is the warrior in the chariot, just by noticing the standard, one knows who it is. So, Arjuna had a monkey standard.
And when Bheema and Hanuman met in Badrikashram, in the mountainous area, at the request of Bheema, Hanuman decided to manifest himself through the symbol of the monkey. So, was there actually Hanuman there or not? Yes, Hanuman decided to manifest himself. And actually, when Duryodhana sees for the first time, he says, that standard, that monkey appears to be alive.
How is it alive? It does not appear to be alive. It is actually alive. And, especially when the war would start, Hanuman promises Bheema that, by my roaring, I will strike terror in the hearts of the Kauravas.
So, you know, they see that there are so many warriors here, but this roaring sound, where is it coming from? Because there is no monkey on their side. And Hanuman is not like an ordinary monkey also. His roaring is thunderous.
So, although he does not actively participate in the war, but he is there to encourage the Pandavas and to demoralise the Kauravas. So, he does that. So, because Hanuman was on the victorious side, and the Lord was also there, at that time Lord Ram, so now, it is an indication that he is going to be victorious.
And it is described that, he is holding his bow, and the bow is raised for fighting. But at that time, the word used for describing Krishna is Rishikesh. He is the controller of the senses.
So, both Baldev and Krishna would describe, that when Krishna came to this world, you know, he exhibited his pastimes, and by beholding those pastimes, everybody would get liberated. But Krishna was thinking, what about those souls who are not present right now? How will they get liberated? For them, I should teach the path of Dharma. And to teach them the path of Dharma, I have to speak the message of Dharma.
And therefore, by the will of Krishna, Arjuna goes into illusion. Therefore, Rishikesh, Rishikesh is the controller of the senses. So, Arjuna’s senses get into delusion, by the will of Krishna.
So, here Mahipatya refers to Uttarashtra. Mahi is the earth, Pate is the thing. This is what he spoke.
So, what did he speak? So now, you know Achyuta, you never fail in delivering your devotee, in protecting your devotee. So now, Arjuna also knows. So, we can see Arjuna’s situation from two perspectives.
One is that, actually he is going into illusion by Krishna’s will. But still, even if it is by Krishna’s will, there is a process by which the illusion happens. So, Arjuna knows, I am making an extraordinary request, because the consciousness has been blown, and the water should start.
Now, instead of sending arrows on the opposite side, what is the meaning of sending the child in between? Therefore, Therefore, Achyuta, he knows, I am going to ask you for something which is extraordinary, but I know you never fail to satisfy your devotee. You are infallible. Therefore, Achyuta, please follow, do what I am telling you.
What does he say? I want to go in the middle. Now, Krishna wonders, why do you want to place it there? You are not… So, he says, He says, I want to see. And he says, I want to see.
I want to observe. So, Krishna says to Arjuna, Now, Krishna’s realisation goes into the mind of Krishna and Arjuna. Krishna tells Arjuna, Arjuna, you are not a spectator meant to see the two sides.
You are a warrior meant to fight. What is this? He is asking you to go in between. He says, no, no.
I want to see who it is fighting, because I want to understand. Actually, the Pandavas never wanted the war. And he says, I want to see who are the people who have gone on this.
Even-minded, Dhritarashtra’s front side. So, let me discuss in the next verse. We all know Dhritarashtra’s son is evil.
But who are the people who are there on his side, who are also evil like him? So, I want to see that. You have any questions? Yeah. As soon as the conch shells were blown, they started, he simply said, please take us in between.
So, what happened was that when suddenly the chariots started coming in between, Bhishma observed. Bhishma was surprised. Dronacharya was surprised.
Duryodhana was surprised. And they waited to see what is happening. Because, in one sense, the war was something which none of the Pandavas did not want it.
And the commander like Bhishma and Dronacharya said they didn’t want it. Observing, is there some last minute chance of peace or something? What is the matter? So, he waits. And then eventually he describes that when they start having an earnest conversation, Arjuna will put aside his bow and surrender.
And Bhishma raises his hand. Stop. Stop.
Stop. So then, that’s why, for almost one hour or so, they stopped. Because, as long as Bhishma is the commander, generally, the codes of law, the war codes are not broken.
Almost everybody follows the war codes. Even on the Kaurava side. But once Bhishma falls, then all sorts of immoral things start happening.
The biggest immoral thing is killing of Abhimanyu. And once that happens, even the Pandavas don’t care then. Then they also, of course, whatever the Pandavas do, is not immoral.
It is trans-moral. For the pleasure of Krishna, it is transcendental morality. But still, from the material point of view, it is, it may seem to be immoral.
But still, though Bhishma is in command, Bhishma is very, very strict. He follows all the codes of morality. And that’s why Bhishma says, Stop.
And that’s why, although the war is about to start, everything is ready, but still the war doesn’t start. Now, Sanjay is speaking. now, because, see, how it is, the narration is two-fold.
Especially in the 11th chapter, you will see this. And Krishna has the Vishvarupa darshan. So, first, Krishna tells Arjuna, This is what you will see.
And then, so the narration, discussion between Krishna and Arjuna, Krishna does here, you will see this. And then, the narration goes backwards. And Sanjay says to Dhritarashtra, This is what Arjuna is seeing.
And the narration goes further inwards, and then Arjuna says, This is what I am seeing. So, the Vishvarupa is described three times. So, first by Krishna, second by Sanjay, and third by Arjuna.
So, basically, whatever is done to help us get a clear understanding of the action, that is done. So, now, in one sense, it was, although it was throughout Sanjay speaking, but now Arjuna was speaking. So, the action had gone between Arjuna and Krishna.
Now, it goes backwards. Now, Sanjay tells, Ok, what is going to happen? He told, move it ahead. So, now what happens? So, the narrator goes backwards.
So, Sanjay is speaking now. So, now, Mahabharata is a conversation between two people. Who is that? Does anyone know? The sage Vaishampayan is describing it to Janmaijay.
Janmaijay is the son of Parshit Maharaj. Yes. Janmaijay is describing.
This whole thing is described by Vaishampayan. So, they are having this conversation, and it is described over here. So, now, what does Sanjay speak? Sanjay speaks, Muktvao Rishikesho, Gudakeshena Bharata, So, Gudakeshena Bharata.
So, Krishna is Rishikesha, and Arjuna is called as Gudakesha. Now, Gudakesha has many meanings. The one meaning which Prabhupada refers to is that Guda is ignorance or darkness.
So, Arjuna has conquered sleep. All of us know that story. Arjuna, one night, the candle blew off when he was taking food.
Arjuna thought, if I can take food, then why can’t I fight? He was practising even at night. So, he had conquered sleep by his dedication. Because he knew that eventually he had to fight for the service of the Lord.
So, he had conquered sleep. Now, Sri Ramachandra Goswami has another meaning of Gudakesha. He says, Guda refers to jaggery, gud.
And he says, Gudakesha. So, like we have the word Keshava. So, there, Ka refers to Brahma.
Isha refers to Shiva. And a Gudakesha. A refers to Vishnu.
So, he says, Gudakesha means one who gives the gur to Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. Gudakesha. So, why he refers to it this way? Because he says, the form of Krishna is so attractive and Krishna’s pastimes are so enchanting that everybody gets enchanted.
So, what is the enchantment here? And we see that in Tenth Canto. In Tenth Canto, actually, everybody is enchanted. There is the Brahma Vimohan Veda offering Brahmaji offers prayers.
There is the Vanasura incident offering Shivaji offers prayers. And we have the kidnapping of the Brahmana’s son offering Mahavishnu offers prayers. So, that is there in the Bhagavatam.
So, he is describing that this particular incident is twofold. First is that Supreme Lord who is the controller of everyone, first of all, he has become the charioteer of a devotee. That itself is amazing to see.
And more amazing is that now that person who has become charioteer is now going to become the instructor. Normally, if you want some counselling or some philosophical discussion, we don’t go to our driver. Isn’t it? We will go to somebody.
So, that Krishna becomes the driver is amazing. And then the driver becomes the philosopher and gives instruction. So, such an extraordinary pastime is about to happen.
That is why this pastime, Krishna by his behaviour or Arjuna, rather, by being such a wonderful devotee that by his devotion the nectar of the Bhagavad Gita is going to manifest. And that nectar is going to be released even by Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. That is why Arjuna is referred to as Gudakesha.
So, the best of the Rathas. It is called the best of the Rathas because it was given by Agni. You know, all of you know the story of Agni.
Even in the Indraprastha area, Khandavaprastha, Agni wanted to burn. So, when Indra was not allowing it to be burned, Agni said, I will give you a chariot which will not get burned, which will move like fire everywhere and which will never be burned by fire. So, that is why the word is Rathottamam.
Now, what happens after that? Krishna does something very special. Actually, when the soul desires to go into illusion, Krishna arranges an exit illusion that will put the soul into illusion. So, just like we say, maya knows our weaknesses.
So, whenever, if we have particular weakness and maya will exactly send the attack in that weakness only. So, now Arjuna is going to see the battle, see the opponents but now the weakest link in his heart, most affectionate people on the upper side are the Bhishma and Drona. So, see again, just see, you want to see, please see now.
So, now here, this is like the last verse, from this verse to the next verse, the transition will happen. So, Arjuna is doing Sainyaniriksha. The next verse also is Sainyaniriksha and the power of Dhritarashtra for Duryodhana when the Sainyaniriksha is done, it just activates his political intelligence.
But the Sainyaniriksha on Arjuna has some other effect. So, we did not specifically go through these three sections but it is more or less obvious. First we have how both sides are prepared for war and then they described how for the Pandavas there are signs of victory.
It starts from the description of how the consuls are transcendental, how the consuls cause the shattering of the heart, how there is Kapidhoja, how there is Athottama and then Krishna as Bhaktavatsala is described. So, this is all in Sainyaniriksha Yoga. Now, what happens after that? Now, let’s see what is the effect on it.
TATRA PASHYA STHITAN PARTHA SITRIN ASA PITA MAHAN ACHAYAN MADHULAN BHATRAN UTRAN PAUTRAN SAKHIN TATHA CHASURAN SURYAS SHAYEVA SINAYO RUBHAYO RAPI So, now it’s very interesting, the Bhagavata setting, it illustrates how that by pratyaksha, by over-reliance on pratyaksha praman, even a great soul like Arjuna can get builded. So, what is, although Krishna is there next to him, but instead of asking for Krishna, he says, I want to see Iksha. And, just see, the instant effect.
Earlier, before he actually went and saw, before he goes in the middle of the battlefield, he is saying, I want to see those who are STHATRASYA SE DURGUDHE, YUDHE PRIYA CHIKIR CHAVA, who are those who are assisting the evil-minded son of Dhritarashtra. But, as soon as he goes inside and sees, he doesn’t see them as evil-minded, he sees them as, oh, they are my grandfather, they are my brother-in-law, they are my sons, they are my grandsons, they are my brothers. So, the whole bodily concept starts overpowering him.
So, actually, the Bhagavata setting illustrates, the next three verses illustrate the effects of PRAPTIKSHA. And then, after that, Arjuna starts to use ANUMANI. And, the end result of PRAPTIKSHA and ANUMANI is VILAP, LAMENTATION.
So, that’s what happens, when we rely too much on PRAPTIKSHA and ANUMANI, PRAPTIKSHA and ANUMANI can be used. If we rely too much on that, then, we will become discouraged in our devotional service. If we rely too much on PRAPTIKSHA, we think, you know, how can we ever preach Krishna Consciousness, so much opposition is there.
If we rely too much on PRAPTIKSHA, the sense objects are so much and so tempting, how can I keep resisting? And then, we start doing ANUMANI, you know, actually, this is Kaliyuga only, you know, and Kaliyuga as it is, people are going to become unrealistic. How can I alone fight against Maya? You know, we will start justifying. So, what happens, PRAPTIKSHA and ANUMANI mislead a person.
Now, from here onwards, the effect, Arjuna’s vilas starts. Arjuna Vishadayo, tan samikshasa kaunteya, sarvaan bandhun avasthitaan, krupaya paraya vishtho, visheedhan nitham agravit. So, here, it’s more clearly made out, they are sarvaan bandhun, all of them are relatives, they are all my bandhu, and what happens, krupaya paraya vishtho.
So, krupaya is compassion. Now, paraya can refer to transcendental or it can refer to overpowering. That, he is overpowered by the compassion or he has got transcendental compassion.
Now, is Arjuna’s compassion transcendental? No, it is not transcendental because he is getting overpowered by the bodily compassion. So, the point here is, he is overpowered by the compassion. And visheedhan, he starts lamenting and he starts speaking.
Now, what does he speak? Arjuna vacha vishve mam svajanam krishna yudtum tam pathitam siddhanti mamagatrani mukham cha parishushyati So, now here, Arjuna starts getting what in modern language we call emotional breakdown. So, what happens to him? He gets overwhelmed. He is mamagatrani siddhanti mukham cha parishushyati My mouth is drying up.
So, let us see what happens further to him. Vepa tushcha sharire me roma harishat cha jayate gaandhi vam tramsate hatta tyak kapjaiva So, he is describing all these symptoms and Prabhupada explains that rushcha roma that higher standing on end. So, this can happen because of ecstasy, it can happen about fear.
In Arjuna’s case, it is because of fear, fear of imminent destruction. Rushcha roma will be described at the end of 11th chapter also. There it is about wonder.
Here, after describing the physical symptoms, now the physical effects, now he goes further to describe the emotional effects. Deeper, what is happening? I am now unable to stand here any longer. I am forgetting myself and my mind is reeling.
I see only causes of misfortune, O Krishna, killer of Keshi, demon. Here, without knowing that one’s self-interest in Vishnu, hoping to be happy in such situations. The word nivrtani, vipritani are significant.
When a man sees only frustration in his expectations, he thinks, why am I here? Why am I here? Everyone is interested in himself and his own welfare. No one is interested in the Supreme Self. So, basically, Arjuna starts seeing his situation as a lose-lose situation.
Modern terminology has win-win, lose-lose, win-lose, lose-win, whatever. So, he is a lose-lose and he will explain how it is a lose-lose option. And, basically, what happens? When a person starts thinking, what should I do? This or that? And, this also is going to cause me suffering, this also is going to cause me suffering.
What to do? Therefore, one just gets completely frustrated. And, when people get frustrated, what nowadays people do is commit suicide sometimes. So, actually, it all begins because one is seeing only from one’s perspective.
What is there in it for me? And, if he looks from a selfish perspective, both ways he will see there is loss. And, describe what is the loss. And, the word nimitta can refer to cause or nimitta can refer to instrument or science.
So, nimitta, I can see actually in auspiciousness. For a kshatriya to feel his weapon slipping away is inauspicious. For him to feel his weapon slipping away is inauspicious.
So, like that for a kshatriya, to see himself becoming weak is considered inauspicious. So, he says, I am seeing all this viparita nimitta, this is not very good. So, viparita nimitta affects on himself, he is feeling alarmed by that.
Viparita nimitta is also, if he is looking in the future, he thinks, oh, whatever I fight, I am not going to gain in any way. And how he feels he is not going to gain, he starts describing. So, the bhagavad gita historically is one particular incident that happened 5000 years ago.
But the principle is eternal. And the principle is that at the material level of life, sooner or later, everybody becomes frustrated. Whatever we do, we find that it doesn’t lead to a solution.
That I do this or do that. So, at that time, the bhagavad gita actually raises Arjuna’s consciousness to help him to see from a higher perspective. Let’s see what sort of reasoning Arjuna gives.
So, as we know, Arjuna has his four, five main reasons for not fighting. Compassion is what he feels initially. And he feels, why should we just kill them? Why have so much bloodshed? Let’s avoid it.
After all, they are my relatives. So, actually, when maya comes, especially for a serious devotee, maya doesn’t come directly as a sense of gratification. You know how maya came to Bhagavat Maharaj? Actually, compassion.
His baby is dying. For mother Sita, if he had come as a demon, he would never accept her. So, Arjuna initially has compassion.
From compassion, it starts going down. Once the mood catches, he keeps dragging down. First reason is, why should we fight? Why should we have so much bloodshed? But then he thinks, if we have the bloodshed, even if we have the bloodshed, how will I enjoy? So, his next reason comes up now.
How can I possibly enjoy? So, here, what benefit will I get? He thinks, if I kill them, all the people with whom I could possibly share my enjoyment. Imagine somebody comes first to this class. You become a topper in the university.
But he is told, we will make you a topper in the university, but you are not allowed to tell anyone that you are the topper. So, what is the use of being a topper? Because, the material things are enjoyable only when they bring us some social glory. Even when a boy gets a girlfriend or something, it’s one thing to enjoy with the girlfriend, the other thing is to show everyone else, I have got a girlfriend.
There is a parade around. So, material enjoyment is not so much in the enjoyment. It is more in the appreciation or the envy that one causes through that.
So, otherwise, like there was one car advertisement, purchase this car and enjoy the envy in your neighbour’s eyes. So, enjoy the envy in your neighbour’s eyes. So, actually, ultimately, all enjoyment is based on relationships.
Alone, we cannot enjoy. So, Arjuna is thinking, all those with whom I could enjoy, if they are all gone, how will I possibly enjoy? My grandfather, Bhishma, Bhishma was very happy when Arjuna would excel in his archery and he would encourage him. So, later on, it is described in the Mahabharata that when they are about to go for the last meeting with Bhishma and Bhishma is going to give them instructions and they eventually depart.
So, at that time, Arjuna tells Bhishma, what face will I show to Bhishma? You know, Bhishma, this was the same person, but he was the person, you know, when I was a small child, I would come and sit on his lap and I would play with his beard and he would say, father, father, and he would touch my hair and he would child, I am not your father, I am your father’s father. So, he, for Arjuna, is a virtuous person. What can I enjoy if all the people whom I love, with whom I would like to share, just like if we do some preaching.
And after doing our preaching, we would like to take those guidance to them. Now, that’s one level where it’s spiritual, but at the material level also, all material enjoyment is based on relationship. I cannot enjoy.
That’s the second reason. Now he goes further and he’s the third reason after that. He says, Agni do gar dashchai va shastra pane dhana paha kshetra dara paha rascha sad ete ya tatayi the arsonist.
Now you can tell how the Kauravas were actually atataina. The arsonist is one who burns by setting fire. One who poisons others.
Duryodhana tried to poison Bhima. One who attacks with weapons. Right now they are attacking but before also once.
Aghyatwa. Aghyatwa. Although they were not prepared for war still they had attacked at that time.
Then the thief. Through gambling they had taken away their weapons. So the stealer of property.
Thief and stealer of property are more or less the same thing. Thief means one who takes wealth, property especially wealth to land. So in the gambling they took both of them.
And the stealer of one’s wife. So basically in the Vedic culture, the Kauravas violence is not encouraged but it is not discouraged also when it is necessary. If somebody is a law breaker, somebody is an aggressor, then violence against that person is desirable.
For two reasons. One is that violence becomes an immediate reaction, a karmic reaction. Especially when it is administered by a king representing God.
Then his karmic reaction gets over over there only. And secondly it becomes a good example for society to see. Yes, law breakers are punished.
Now in modern society they have the idea that we can’t give life so how can we take life. So we should not kill others. But not having capital punishment, what is the end result of that? The end result is that the prisoners have to be maintained.
The prisoners have to be maintained in the jail. And who is going to maintain the prisoners in the jail? So you know, say somebody’s family member is killed by some criminal, that criminal is in jail. And that same murdered person’s family has to pay taxes to maintain the murderer afterwards.
So ultimately the prisoners, where are they maintained by? By the taxes of common people. So it is such a silly application of the principle of compassion. It is misdirected compassion.
That somebody who has murdered a relative, the relatives have to pay taxes to eventually maintain that very murderer. So that’s why atataina, the aggressors are allowed to be killed. But here, when aggressors are killed, there is no sin involved in that.
But Arjuna is saying that yes, atataina can be killed. But atatainas who are our own relatives, they cannot be killed. So actually, for Arjuna, essentially there is a conflict between two dharmas.
Kula dharma and Kshatriya dharma. According to Kula dharma, family values, one should always protect one’s family members. And one should not attack or punish or ever kill one’s family members.
Kula dharma says one should protect one’s Kula. And Kshatriya dharma says that one should kill the aggressors. So for Arjuna, this is the conflict.
Arjuna is not just a coward who is chickening out from a fight. No, he is thinking, now what should I do? So he is saying, yes, from the Kshatriya dharma point of view, killing atataina is not going to give path. But paapam eva shreyasma, still we will get path.
Why? Sattva itan atataina. Because these atataina are swajanam. They are our own people.
So at this level, both sides of the argument are right. Kshatriya dharma, he should kill. Kula dharma, he should not kill.
And what is Arjuna’s answer? Arjuna says, sarva dharman paritthich. You know, forget your Kshatriya dharma, forget your Kula dharma, just do what I am supposed to do. So he is teaching the para dharma.
So as long as the para dharma is not known, the apara dharma is there. But the apara dharma can lead to conflict sometimes. So he says, because they are swajanam, how can I kill them? So if I kill them, I will be overcome by sin.
If I am overcome by sin, how can I have possibility? Krishna says, yes, they are relatives, but they are greedy people. You know, they are completely contaminated by greed. Therefore, you should kill them.
So Arjuna refutes this by saying, yes, they will be contaminated by greed, but at least we are intelligent. If they will be contaminated, why should we act in the same contaminated way? So he tries to counter further. So when Arjuna’s argument is countered or objected to by Krishna by saying, yes, but they are greedy, he says, at least we should see the consequences.
And then he comes to the… So we can see at least that what is going to happen, we are going to kill. Now there is a very interesting discussion, very similar to the setting in the Udyog Parva. The Udyog Parva is the parva which comes before the Vishnu Parva.
There, several sages and other elderly persons try to persuade Duryodhana to avoid the war. And there also the conflict is between Kula Dharma and Kshatriya Dharma. So at that time Duryodhana says, actually Kshatriya Dharma is more important.
The kingdom is entrusted to me and I have to take care of it. And if they want it, they have to fight. So now here Arjuna, there are very similar parallels between the Mahabharata.
So there there is no Krishna, so there Duryodhana sticks to Kshatriya Dharma. But here Krishna will not just let Arjuna stay with either Kula Dharma or Kshatriya Dharma. Krishna will elevate Arjuna’s consciousness.
But here he is saying, how can we fight? Because we will lose everything. And at least we can see the consequences. They can’t see, we can see.
And because we can see, so we should not act in this way. So what does he say after this? What is he saying? We can see. What is that we can see? That he will describe in the next 3-4 verses.
Kulakshaya Pranashyanti Kula Dharma Sanatana Dharme Nashke Kulam Krishnam Dharmo Bhigavatyauta If any points are unclear, please feel free to ask questions. We will have time for question and answer at the end also. But if in the flow some questions are there, you can feel free to ask.
So now he is saying Kulakshaya Pranashyanti So two things he is saying. When we kill all these people, Kshatriyas, the Kula will be destroyed. And then what will happen? The Kula Dharma will get finished off.
Now interestingly Arjuna is using the word Sanatana. Eternal. Actually nothing in the material world is eternal.
Nothing in the material world is eternal. But he is thinking. Eternal family tradition.
Eternal family tradition. Actually the family is not eternal, the tradition is not eternal. But you think? Kula Dharma Sanatana Just like sometimes parents say.
You know, if you don’t get married, your wife becomes a Brahmachari, you are our only son, how will our Kula go on? Our Kula has been going on for so long. So the idea is, actually nothing is eternal in this world. So the nature, Krishna will tell in the 16th chapter afterwards, that Kaam Asita Duspuram Mohad Vrhitva Asadgran Pravartante Shivita Vrhitva Asadgran One of the characters of illusion is that one thinks that temporary to be eternal.
So, the family tradition is not eternal. But Arjuna is thinking it to be eternal. Sanatana Dharme Nashti When Dharma is destroyed, Adharma will rise.
Now how will Adharma rise? He describes in the next verse. Adharmabhivad Krishna Dushyanti Kulastriya Vishudushta Shubhashneya Jayate Varana Sankara Varana Sankara So actually, this shows Arjuna’s depth of thought, even in this situation. Although he is overcome by emotions, he has not just become emotionally irrational.
He is not just shouting, if ordinary people become angry or repressed, they start being completely irrational. Arjuna is still thinking in a far-sighted and relatively mature way. But what he is missing out is the essential point that we are not the body, we are the soul.
At the level of the body, he is talking very reasonably. He is saying that if the Kshatriyas are not protected, if the Kshatriyas are not there, then the women will get contaminated. When the women get contaminated, there will be Varana Sankara.
So now, this purport of Prabhupada is sometimes, especially in the western society, considered to be very volatile. Because Prabhupada says women are not less intelligent and should not be trusted. And of course, Prabhupada never treated his women disciples as less intelligent.
But Prabhupada used the word less intelligent in the sense that actually, in general, women are more emotional than rational. When they are more emotional than rational, they get attached to material things very easily. And for them to realise that we are not the body, we are the soul is very difficult.
Because it is so difficult for them to realise, they need Dharma to keep themselves engaged. Otherwise, they are very prone to be quickly degraded. And in the western society, we will discuss about this more in the 16th chapter, but this whole concept of Varana Sankara is practically seen nowadays.
You know, actually in America now, in America and Europe, more children are born outside marriage than inside marriage. More children are born outside marriage. So, it’s all, they do illicit connections and they have children.
And the children, not only are the, like we have, which is the story in the Mahabharata, in the Bhagavatam it is described, how improper contact leads to dangerous progeny. D.C. and Kashyap are uniting at an inappropriate time. Actually, both of them are not ordinary samsaritified.
Kashyap is a great sage. But even great personalities uniting at an inappropriate time can lead to disastrous consequences. Now, what to speak of two materialistic people uniting at an entirely arbitrary time.
So, we see, actually as compared to even 1950s, 1960s, the society that is there in America is far, far more degraded. Degraded in the sense that, so, yesterday I gave a seminar to our Utkarshi boys. So, we may say that there is technology, there are mobiles, and there are laptops, and there is internet, fast cars, it’s there.
So, from the technological point of view, there may be improvement. But from the social point of view, since 1960 to 2000, what has happened in America, according to them, according to American statistics themselves, what has happened, the divorce rate has increased 3 times, the violent crime rate has increased 4 times, the number of prisoners has increased 5 times, the number of children born outside marriage has increased 6 times, the number, the amount of living together, relationships has increased 7 times, and the amount of depression has increased more than 10 times. So, where is the happiness? Where is, and if you see, in American society, they don’t even consider drinking and smoking to be bad.
So, those statistics are far apart. So, they are already there. But even statistics which they can appreciate, the divorce rate has doubled, the criminal population, the violent crimes have tripled, the prisoners have increased 4 times.
And this is all ultimately starting from improper regulation of the sexuality in society. When the sexuality is not, when the sexual relationships are not regulated properly, then the whole degradation starts. So, actually, what happened, most of you know about Bill Clinton, you know, he had some sort of illicit contact, and then the opposite party, they started blaming, you know, he should resign, he should resign, he should resign.
So, he did not resign anyway, but within 3 years, subsequent to such a result, that out of the 6 people who were accusing, who were charging him to resign, all 6 of them themselves had illicit relationships. And they also had children. So, actually, practically speaking, in Kali Yuga, what to speak of being a Ugrumachari, even being a Rehasta is difficult.
Even being a regulated person in the household life is difficult. So, it all begins because, after the 1950s, when the Prabhupada was going to the West, at that time, the whole concept of sexual relationships was changed completely. So, basically what happened in the 1940s and 1950s, the tobacco market, they realised that we have reached a saturation now.
Because, till the First World War and after that, around 1910-1920, nobody knew about the harmful effects of tobacco. And they were suppressing it all. They were suppressing it all, and after that, when the data came out, then they started appealing to the daredevilish, come on, yes, it can cause cancer, but no one can enjoy it.
It will cause cancer to others, not to you. Enjoy it. And many people fell to that.
But then they realised that we have reached a saturation. So, in something like 1990, around the Second World War time, a little before that or something like that, they decided that there is only one way we can expand our market now. And that is by tapping women.
50% of the population has not tapped till now. And how do you, now women would never smoke till then. Because smoking was considered to be typically masculine thing to do.
And then they made, at that time, the major American tobacco market, special thin cigarette. And then they said that this is a female cigarette. And on the American Independence Day march, they got some of the, some 15 of the most popular women in America.
They were also there on the march. And at the most visible point in the march, they told them, when photographs were there, cameras, videos were there, they told them, flash out the cigarette. And they all started smoking.
And it became so much hyped. Because it was Independence Day, thousands of people were watching live, and so many cameras were there. And all of those women were pale.
When they were asked, why are you so liberating? That was the time when they wanted to appeal to the emotion of liberalisation. Women are suppressed, women are oppressed, repressed. So, this is liberating.
Now, actually, from the around 1890s to 1900s, turn of the century, before that, all the advertisements were appealing to the rational interest of the person. This product is so efficient. This product is so good.
This product is so cheap. Therefore, take it. But from the 19th century towards the turn of the 20th century, especially after the first world war, they realised that by appealing to the intelligence of people, you can’t persuade them to purchase much.
You have to appeal to the emotions of the people. So, all the advertisements you see today, there is no intelligence in the advertisements. It’s all emotions.
So, they appealed to the emotions, and because all these leading women, they said, cigarette smoking is liberating that irrational emotion took over. And women started smoking. Liberating.
And nobody asked how smoking is related to liberalisation of women. So, this is a practical example of how the advertising can completely be bewildered. And from that time onwards, women started throwing out what they felt were the repressive social factors.
It started coming out in the public. And from that time, American society has just gone down terribly. And as American society is coming to India, same thing is happening in India also.
So, actually, it’s not a question of blaming women or blaming men. Society is made in such a way, like the butter-fire analogy is given. Now, why the butter-fire analogy is given? It’s not that, you know, fire, why do you burn the butter? Butter, why do you get melted by the butter? That’s not the point.
The point is what? That the butter and the fire should be kept separate. So, the butter should be kept very far away, and the fire should be, you know, fire is very dangerous. So, depict both in such a way that they keep away from each other.
So, somebody has to work in human society. So, the people who work will be men. That’s how it traditionally has been.
And that doesn’t mean women are repressed. They have other alternative roles to play. And, you know, they did a survey of 100 serial killers of America.
Those people who have killed more than 25 persons. One person has killed more than 25 persons. And he’s not like a gang member.
He’s just a, what they call it as a psychopath. A psychic killer. And all these 25 people, they found they did not come from a family which is a normal nuclear family with mother and father.
They did not have, the father and mother were not together. They did not get the love of the mother and father. And especially, the mother did not emotionally support the child.
So, they say we want to have the career, but then a whole generation gets ruined by that. So, Prabhupada’s statements, we have to understand the broader social context. It’s not, say, it may be true that sometimes women have been exploited.
And that should not be. But the point is everybody has their role in society. Prabhupada, Prabhupada is the first Acharya.
If you look at Vishwanath Chakravarti Thakur or Baldev Vidya Bhushan, none of the previous Acharyas gave social commentary. Vishwanath Chakravarti Thakur was the time when the Mughals were breaking around in in Vrindavan. But he does not write anything about Islam as commentary.
Because he is giving a spiritual perspective and he is writing to scholars. Scholars of other Acharyas. So, Prabhupada is the first Acharya who gives social commentary.
Social commentary means, he shows how spiritual issues matter. How scriptural verses can be related with our day-to-day situation. But Vishwanath Chakravarti Thakur and Baldev Vidya Bhushan did not do so much of that.
Prabhupada was speaking in a culture which was entirely different. So, he had to tell about the social implications of the current values and the social implications of the Vedic values. So, when we see the broader social context, then we can explain to people in a way that doesn’t put off people.
Sometimes people may just say, why you say that women are less intelligent? What is this? Modern feminists don’t even allow that. In the Christian religion, the feminists are so aggressive that certain denominations of Christianity have changed the Bible only. Wherever God said, the pronoun for God should be he, they say he slash she said.
Why should God be male? He slash she said. In New York, they have made a big statue of Jesus. And they say, if Jesus is the representative of God, why should he be male? So, they have made Jesus with breasts and genitals.
And female genitals. You know, it’s so crazy. This is imposing the male sexuality, the abundant sexuality on divine.
And then some people said, how can you portray God as she? So, then they found a solution. Typical Mayavadi solution. Use it.
God said, it said. So, actually, the modern society has completely gone haywire. And all started because of irrational passions.
So, what Arjuna is describing, that what will happen is, Varana Sankara. So, we see Varana Sankara even in Kaliva. So much Varana Sankara.
Especially those who are born improperly, nurtured improperly, then they become chaos in society. Varana Sankara Narakayaiva. So, actually, when the Dharma is destroyed, it is not only those who are destroyed, they suffer, but those who destroy also suffer.
Because Dharma protects everyone. Dharma is destroyed, those who are supporting Dharma are destroyed, those who are destroying Dharma are also destroyed. That’s why I said, Kula Gnanam, Kula Svecha.
Both of them. And because the Mahabharata is primarily at the Karmakanda level. The Mahabharata primarily teaches Karmakanda.
And the Vaishnavas can reveal to us how it is also showing Bhakti. So, in Karmakanda, doing Pindadan is considered vitally important. In fact, you will see in the Mahabharata, if a king does not have a son, one of his concerns is, who will rule the world? Who will rule the kingdom? The second concern is, who will do Pinda for him? So, Arjuna is thinking that if no one will do Pinda, then look, the ancestors, they will not be able to maintain their destination and they will fall.
So, he is thinking very much in terms of Dharma. Arjuna is not just emotionally choked up in the mundane, modern sense. He is still thinking in a farsighted way.
But always he is farsighted, but not farsighted enough. So, actually, the Dharma supports not only the spiritual growth, but even the material growth. You know, when Machiavelli came to India, he writes in one of his letters, Machiavelli is one of the Governor General of British India.
He says, I have travelled over the length and breadth of India. This is just in the 19th century. So, he says, I have not seen a single beggar anywhere in India.
I have not seen a single beggar. Can we now imagine India without beggars? It’s difficult. So, if Dharma is there, Dharma leads to even material welfare.
That’s what he is saying, that all the material welfare, social welfare schemes will be destroyed by Dharma. Now, here, this is rhetorical unit. Nobody stays in Naraka forever.
But here, Arjuna wants to drive home the point. For so long. So, niratam is an ittyabaddha.
Ittyabaddha is not eternally bound. In the sense of forever. It means for a very, very long time.
For a very long time, somebody has to stay in Naraka. And he is saying that, it’s not just my opinion. Anushushurma.
This is what I have heard. So, he has heard from the great sages and other spiritual authorities that somebody will destroy Dharma. So, how can I be the destroyer of Dharma? So, this fear of sinful reactions, by which he will have to go to hell.
He will destroy the traditions in this life. Going to hell in the next life. So, now he starts lamenting.
How can I do so? I act so shamefully. So, now, for the first time, Arjuna is using the plural to refer to himself. Vayam.
Vayam. Earlier he has used it occasionally. So, he is saying that V means I and all my Pandavas.
And especially I and you. How can we fight like this? So, he is giving his reasoning. And he is trying to get Krishna also on his side.
Yes, how can we fight? Allah! How are we about to fight impelled by greed like this? He is saying. No, no. We cannot fight like this.
And then Krishna says, but if you don’t fight, it’s not that if you become compassionate, they will also become compassionate. They will not become compassionate. They are going to kill you.
So, actually, Prabhupada will quote here in the next chapter also. He says, non-violence for a Kshatriya may be just a matter of strategy. But it’s not a matter of principle.
Sometimes a Kshatriya may decide, you know, institution is not good to fight. So, let’s strike a deal. But non-violence is never a matter of principle.
You know, after, so, you know, Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi is referred as the apostle of non-violence. Now, certainly, his aspects of his being a celibate, or his living a simple life, his promoting a cottage-based industry, that is good. But non-violence, as a matter of principle, doesn’t work.
You know, Prabhupada said that actually, India won independence, not because of Gandhi, it was because of the Indian Army’s rebellion, Subhash Chandra Bose. But, there was a movie, sort of sarcastic movie made about Gandhi, which was banned in India. It was called Eight Minutes, after.
So, what was the movie? That, they basically showed that Nathuram Godse shot and killed Gandhi. And after he fell, that Gandhi had persuaded the whole country with his philosophy of non-violence, that nobody decided to do anything. And Nathuram Godse shot Gandhi and went away, cold.
Everybody just stood there like that, doing nothing. So, the idea was that there are certain situations when violence is absolutely essential. So, you know, so, if somebody has killed Gandhi, obviously, we will have to kill him.
Of course, whether that was right or wrong, that’s a whole different issue. We are not going to get into that. But the point is, Prabhupada also had to face this when he was in America.
He said, you know, how can God cause war? You know, God should bring peace, peace, peace. And especially because the Vietnam War was going on at that time, and youth were being forced into that. So, Prabhupada was so brilliant.
There was one goldsmith, he was a lawyer. He was the only respectable person coming for Prabhupada’s government. Others were all hippies.
So, Prabhupada was giving a class and that time he said, Swamiji, but how can God cause, how can God impel war? So, Prabhupada asked, what’s wrong? No, God should bring about peace. Prabhupada asked him, what is your definition of peace? Peace means no war. Isn’t that obvious? You are looking at everyone as if this is a stupid question.
Prabhupada said, even if there is no war, there will be thousands of things that will disturb your peace. So, he says, peace is not possible in this world at all. So, what Krishna is telling us is not a mundane war or mundane peace.
What Krishna talks about is the peace of the heart. Peace of the heart, when the heart comes in harmony with Krishna. So, Bhagavad Gita is not talking about ordinary war, basically.
There is one Hindu commentator who wrote in the Bhagavad Gita, Alas! Now, we Indians, we Hindus have not followed the Bhagavad Gita. And that is why India is suffering. If Indians had followed the Bhagavad Gita, you know, as soon as Pakistan was formed, we would have attacked and destroyed Pakistan.
And then we would have been true followers of Bhagavad Gita. Krishna told Arjuna to fight. So, we should all have fought also.
So, actually, the Bhagavad Gita was always a respected book. But during the independence time, it became a popular book. Why popular? Because, you know, all the independence leaders, because the Christians had their Bible, it was a handy book.
Small book, relatively speaking, actually the New Testament. And the Muslims had their Quran. And Hindus had no one book.
You know, somebody has their Shiv Puran, somebody has their Bhagavatam, somebody has their Upanishads. So, they decided, we need one book which can unify everyone. And they decided to release the Bhagavad Gita.
So, it’s interesting, practically all the political leaders, like Gandhi, Tilak, all of them, Aurobindo, all of them wrote their political commentaries when they were in jail. You know, especially, you know, basically in jail, you don’t have anything to do. And they, especially Gandhi and Tilak, they prize themselves on the fact that, you know, we did not refer to any traditional commentaries while reading the Bhagavad Gita.
We did not refer to anything. So, you know, there is reading from a book and there is reading into a book. Reading into a book means what? There is something in my mind and I find that inside the book.
So, it’s not, I am not reading to see what the book will tell me, I am reading to see what I can find inside the book. So, some of the political leaders, now, it’s not that nationalism is wrong, it’s not that India should not fight Pakistan. If it’s required, it can do that.
But that war is not the essential message of the Bhagavad Gita. Bhagavad Gita is something far higher. So, there were these political leaders, they said that actually, very interesting, that they said, actually, you know, dharma has to be re-established and dharma has to be destroyed.
So, actually, dharma is this British rule and avatar of Krishna that has come. You know what is that? That is the Indian National Congress. The Congress is the avatar and this Congress will uproot the dharma and we are following the Bhagavad Gita.
Now, there are Indian national leaders who wrote commentaries like this. So, no wonder Prabhupada was angry. You know, Prabhupada will say, Bhagavad Gita as it is.
As I say that, suppose, sometimes, if you have, say, some devotees giving a class and the audience is mostly Hindi. So, you have a speaker who is speaking in English and the translator is translating in Hindi. But, suppose you have a situation where nobody in the audience knows Hindi.
So, I do the translation and translation is a very difficult service. In public especially. Because all those who know both the languages, they are all testing how accurately you translate.
They hear this. Because otherwise, you know, what is the engagement for them? They have already heard first. They have already heard what the speaker has spoken.
So, when it is being repeated, what is there to engage them? So, they assess whether it is correct or not. That is why it is very difficult. But, the point is, imagine a situation where nobody in the audience knows English.
And the speaker is speaking in English and the translator is supposed to translate that and speak in Hindi. But, suppose the translator has given his own lecture. If the speaker is speaking something, the translator is doing something else.
And everybody thinks, oh, the translator is only going on. Now, if in that audience, one person is there. Hey, what are you doing? You are not speaking what he is speaking.
You are not translating properly. Don’t disturb. Be peaceful.
Be calm. It is a very peaceful atmosphere. Why are you disturbing? This is not peaceful.
This is nonsense. So, what happens is, Prabhupada is like that. Many people say, why does Prabhupada criticise so many people? But, see, Krishna is speaking the Bhagavad Gita and all these commentators, what they are doing is, they are speaking something else only.
Which has got very little to do with Bhagavad Gita. And most people don’t know what is Bhagavad Gita. They say, whatever you say, that is Bhagavad Gita.
So, Prabhupada is one Acharya who knows actually what is Bhagavad Gita. He says, this is not Bhagavad Gita. Now, everybody has a right to propagate their philosophy.
And that, we agree. Even in the Vedic times also, there were atheists, there were materialists, there were Charvak Munis. But Charvak Muni never wrote a commentary on Bhagavad Gita.
So, the point is, Prabhupada would say that, okay, you want to spread your own philosophy, spread your philosophy, but don’t claim that this philosophy is based on Bhagavad Gita. So, that is the essential problem. Because, people don’t know.
Common people are completely ignorant about the Bhagavad Gita. Therefore, anybody who speaks anything on the Bhagavad Gita, people accept that. They say, oh, Bhagavad Gita is speaking, then it must be true.
So, even Nehru, in his autobiography, writes, actually, I can never understand why people bow in front of stone and wood. And I have never found the idea of God as having any practical utility. But, in a religious country like India, knowing a few Sanskrit verses, and being able to quote from the Sanskrit books, is very useful.
That’s why I do this. Oh, you are so explicitly atheistic. But, most other commentators are not like that.
Most other Indian leaders are not like that. They were even implicit. They had no faith in Krishna, but, they would take the name of Krishna and try to get credibility for themselves.
That was the problem. Now, Arjuna is saying, that, actually speaking, if we don’t Krishna tells them that, if you don’t fight, then what will you do? You will lose. You will be killed ruthlessly.
So, Arjuna is saying, dying is better. Unarmed, and unresisting. Two things.
No weapons, and not even a fighting spirit. I will not fight at all. Let me be killed.
And why is this in Ashastra? Because, in the next verse, he will put down his Shastra. He will put down his Gandiva. So, So, Shara and Chapa is bow and arrow.
He puts them aside. So, actually, Arjuna’s bow represents the determination of the soul to serve Krishna. So, what happens by over-reliance on pratyakshana-anuman? There is no reason to serve Krishna.
Why should I serve? He becomes disheartened. And we will see, the imagery is also very significant. The last verse of the Bhagavad Gita is what? Yatra Yogeshwara Krishna Yatra Partho Dhanur Dhara So, he has again picked up the bow.
So, actually, at the start of the Bhagavad Gita, at the end of the Bhagavad Gita, he picks up his bow and is ready to fight. So, like that, for us also, it happens that by pratyakshana-anuman, we lose our determination. I cannot serve.
I cannot go on like this. But then, when we hear Shabda, when we hear the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness, that rejuvenates our determination. And then, we also become determined to fight.
So, when the first initiation ceremony took place, Prabhupada told the devotees that, from now on, whatever happens, you should never lament. Because, Krishna has taken the reins of your life chariot. Now that you have taken the centre of a spiritual master, it is like, our body is like a chariot.
Normally, it is like we say that the chariot is the intelligence. But when we surrender to a spiritual master, the spiritual master’s words become our intelligence. That means, Krishna becomes our intelligence.
So, Prabhupada told that, Krishna, you have handed the reins of your chariot to Krishna. And therefore, there is no reason for you to lament. Krishna will take care of everything.
So, actually, Krishna was on the chariot of Arjuna. But, Arjuna is rejected. Now, we will see from the next chapter onwards.
So, how Arjuna, one by one, all these arguments are refuted by Krishna. So, the first three arguments will be refuted in the next chapter itself. The last argument will be refuted in the third chapter.
And the final argument, which is the fifth reason for not fighting, will be indecision, which will come in the sixth verse of the next chapter. That will be refuted at the end of the Bhagavad Gita. In the sixth verse, Arjuna will say, I don’t know what to do.
What is better I don’t know. Then, in 18.73, Arjuna replies, I’ll do what you say. Then, and this way, Krishna will systematically answer specifically Arjuna’s questions, and Krishna will do one thing more.
Because Arjuna is confused about Kula Dharma and Kshatriya Dharma. So, all the different kinds of Dharma that are there in Vedic culture, Krishna will briefly explain them, hierarchise them, and show how Bhakti is the highest. So, because Arjuna has to choose a particular path.
That’s why Bhagavad Gita is the most practical book. You know, the kind of dramatic setting that the Bhagavad Gita has, no other book has it. Quran was not spoken on the battlefield.
Bible was not spoken on the battlefield. Or, the Bodhisattva, or whatever. No other, no other scripture is so deeply philosophical, at the same time, so eminently practical.
So, it is deep philosophy about the practical course of action. So, how Arjuna’s different questions and answers, we’ll discuss in tomorrow’s class. Thank you very much.
Shri Krishna Bhagavan ki, Shri Bhagavad Gita ki. Tomorrow, we’ll try to complete his 30th verse, because there one section ends, about the Atma. And the Karmakant section will start after that.
So, if you feel this space is too short,