In the previous episode, we had witnessed the continuation of the discussion on the significance of the Bhagawad Gita. As we know that since this has directly come from Bhagawan’s mouth, this automatically assumes enormous significance. In due course, we’ve also tried to split the entire Gita into three parts – “Prathama Shadkam” (First six Adhyaayas), “Madhyama Shadkam” (Second six Adhyaayas) and “Charama Shadkam” (Last six Adhyaayas). The “Prathama Shadkam” talks in-depth about Karma Yoga and Gnyaana Yoga. What can we attain through the Karma Yoga and the Gnyaana Yoga? We can attain something called “Atma-Saakshaadkaaram”. The “Madhyama Shadkam” talks about the owner of this “Atman” and sows the seeds for the most important Bhakti Yoga, which is spoken about in-depth in the last six Adhyaayas. With this detailed introduction, we shall now commence the discussion on the second “Adhyaaya” of the Bhagawad Gita. We’ve already witnessed the first one – The “Arjuna-Vishaada Yoga”, wherein Arjuna expresses his anguish and emotional instability upon seeing all his family members, other near and dear ones standing around him, ready to have a go at each other on the battlefield.
Now moving on, we shall get into what Bhagawan has to reply to Arjuna. The shloka begins thus:
“Sanjaya Uvaacha:
Tam tathaa krupaya vrishtam ashva purna kulekshanam!
Visheedantam idam vaakyam uvaacha madhusudhanaha!!”
As we’re already witnessing as part of this discussion, it is Sanjaya who is narrating all these to King Dhritarashtra. Hence, Sanjaya sees Arjuna crying and as he is doing so, he expects Bhagawan to wipe his tears and talk to him with a lot of compassion and love. In fact, even in our daily lives we encounter this situation – If we’re so depressed or sad, we expect someone to pat our shoulders and lift us up from the sadness, isn’t it? Or, there is another way to tackle such people who are sad – Give them a nice beating on their back and make them get up on their own! Now this might be a harsh way of treating a person who is weeping with sadness, but this is exactly what Bhagawan Krishna decides to do here! 🙂 Upon seeing Arjuna weeping in the midst of a battlefield with lakhs of people standing around, Bhagawan decides that there’s no place for compassion and love here, and thus, adopts the harsh route straightaway! Bhagawan Krishna asks thus,
“Kutah tvaa kashmalam idam vishametam upaschitham!
Anaadyajushta asvaryam akeertiparam arjuna!!”
Here, Bhagawan Krishna straightaway asks a hard-hitting question to Arjuna thus, “Oh Arjuna! How come out of all the people standing here, you are going through such sadness and mental depression? You belong to the “Kshatrya” clan and for people who come from this clan, this is something that I’ve never seen! For the stable and strong mind that you have and I’ve seen till now, will this sadness be a fit? Oh Arjuna! Elders and ancestors of the “Kshatrya” clan will never accept such behaviour from a great warrior like you!” Here, the word “Kashmalam” indicates Arjuna’s unusually depressed state of mind and Bhagawan is trying to question Arjuna as to what makes him get into this state so easily upon just a mere look at all of them standing in front of him!
So for today, let us understand up to this point and today, we’ve seen a real hard-hitting statement that Bhagawan is making to Arjuna. In the next episode, we shall continue this further and see how harder Bhagawan is going to hit Arjuna with His divine words! Stay tuned for an interesting accord! 🙂
The Indian Dharma 