Chapter 01 Bhagavad Gita
Chapter 01 Bhagavad Gita
Chapter 01 Bhagavad Gita
çré-kåñëa-caitanya prabhu-nityänanda
çré-advaita gadädhara çréväsädi-gaura-bhakta-vånda
Bhisma Vyasadev
Dusala
Draupadi Subhadra Abhimanyu Uttara
Dushasana
Sister of
98 Sons Parikshit
Son
Lord Lord
Krsna Balarama
Janamejaya
Divisions of Bhagavad Gita
Prominently
Srila
from
Srila Visvanath
Baldeva Chakravarti
Vidyabhushana Thakura
Srila Sripad
Sridhara Ramanujacarya
Swami
Division of 700 Verses in Bhagavad Gita
Lord Krishna - 574 Arjuna - 84
82% 12%
Sanjaya - 41 Dhritarashtra - 1
5.9% 0.1%
Chapter 1- Sections
• Dhrtarastra’s Fear/Concerns :
Kuruksetra dharma-ksetre
Where religious Rituals are performed
Key Points
How to Understand Srimad Bhagavad Gita
Dhrtarastra’s Fear/Concerns : Regarding
dharma-ksetre
Dhrtarastra distinguishes Pandavas from
Kurus
Observing the Armies on the Battlefield
Verse ~ 2
Duryodhana Approaches Dronacharya
• Duryodhana Approaches Dronacharya after accessing Military formation of the
Pandavas.
• Duryodhana addressed as King (to encourage despondent King Dhrtarastra)
• Though Duryodhana is King still he has to approach Commander in Chief for advice
(fear).
Observing the Armies on the Battlefield
Verse ~ 3
• Duryodhana is a expert politician/diplomat.
• Opposing General (Dhrstadyumna) is called by referred to as Son of Drupada (His
Enemy)
• By calling Dhrstadyumna as Son of Drupada (His Enemy), provoking Drona.
• Dhrstadyumna was trained by Dronacharya (See the result of his training) (pointed his
mistake.)
• Dhrstadyumna is always disciple of Dronacharya, so being Guru is always an expert.
• Similarly, Pandavas are also trained by Dronacharya, he should not be lenient in
fighting.
Observing the Armies on the Battlefield
Verse 2 ~ 3
Duryodhana Approaches Dronacharya
Key Points
Duryodhana : expert politician/diplomat
Duryodhana referring Dhrstadyumna as
Son of Drupada
Dhrtarastra distinguishes Pandavas from
Kurus
Akshohini (Ref : Mahabharata-Adi Parva 2.15-23)
15
Krsna Panchajanya
Krsna Arjuna Devadatta
Parts & Parcel
including senses Hrisikesa Bhima Paundra
Situated in Heart
directs senses Living 16-18 Yudhisthira Ananta-vijaya
based on Living Entity Nakula Sughosa
Entity’s desire
Sahadeva Manipuspaka
Different names of Krsna, Arjuna & Bhima
Names Meaning
Krsna All attractive
Hrisikesa Master of the Senses (owner of senses)
Madhava Husband of the Goddess of Fortune
Acyuta Infallible One
Madhusudana Killer of demon named Madhu
Govinda one who gives pleasure to the senses or cows.
Vasudeva Son of Vasudeva
Devaki-nandana Son of Devaki
Yasoda-nandana Son of Yasoda
Partha-sarathi Charioteer of Partha (Arjuna)
Kesava Killer of demon Kesi
Janardana Maintainer of all Living entities OR Killer of all living entities
Dhananjaya (Arjuna) conqueror of wealth
Partha Son of Pritha (Kunti devi)
Gudakesa One who conquers sleep
Vrkodara (Bhima) Voracious eater and perform herculean tasks.
Observing the Armies on the Battlefield
Verse 19
Blowing became uproarious, shattered hearts of sons of Dhrtarastra
21 • Arjuna calls Lords as Acyuta (infallible one) : never fails in His affection for His devotees
22 • Lord Krsna out of love and causeless mercy accepted position of charioteer.
• Lord Krsna takes pleasure in serving his unalloyed pure devotees.
• In any position his supremacy is never challenged.
• Arjuna being pure devotee, has no desire to fight, wanted to see how much they (his
23
relatives and friends) were bent upon demanding an unwanted war. He wanted to
see the supporters who wanted to please evil-minded Duryodhana, estimate their
strength, not for peace proposal.
Text 23 - Analogy – Birds of same Flocks fly together
- KAURAVAS
Observing the Armies on the Battlefield
Verse 24-27
Lord Krsna draws chariot in the midst of two armies
24 • Gudakesa : Arjuna - one who conquers sleep or ignorance (b/c being Krsna’s friend)
• Arjuna always thinking of Krsna, similarly devotees, Samadhi
25 • Lord Krsna, Hrisikesa : can understand heart of Arjuna.
• Partha : Son of Prtha (kunti), Arjuna being friend and son of Kunti agreed to be
his charioteer.
• Lord Krsna jokingly said “just behold(see with attention)”,
he didn’t expect him not to fight being son of Prtha. Father &
Mother
26 • Arjuna could see : Grand
Fathers
Teacher
Arjuna's Doubts
28-46 Arjuna's mind reels thinking how this battle
will finish his family and its traditions. He
sees great sinful reactions awaiting him if he
kills his family members. Feeling it better to
be killed unarmed than to fight, Arjuna, his
mind overwhelmed with grief, casts aside his
bow and sits down upon his chariot.
Observing the Armies on the Battlefield
Verse 28-29
Arjuna’s reaction after seeing his relatives.
28 •Arjuna symptoms - limbs of my body quivering and my mouth drying up.
• Reason : Sympathy & Compassion (overwhelmed by kindness), foreseeing their
imminent death, symptoms not due to weakness but to his softheartedness, a
characteristic of a pure devotee of the Lord
• Arjuna astonished to see their fighting spirit.
• Genuine devotees of Lord has all Godly qualities, non devotees lacks such qualities.
29 • Further symptoms : body trembling, hair standing on end, bow slipping, skin burning
great spiritual ecstasy which do not
body trembling, could
cause any Fear
hair standing on end happen
By Arjuna’s
Krsna’s Forgetting Weakness of Mind
Symptom himself
will
Bewildering conditions
similarly
Attracted to bodily
No Happiness Killing relationships, hoping
in Life Relatives to be happy
Trying to
Order
Spiritual Understanding
Living supplier
• Kaurava’s did all 6 kinds of aggression on the Pandava’s hence killing them
would not give any sinful reaction.
• Madhava : Husband of goddess of fortune.
• Arjuna calling Krsna as Madhava indicating that Krsna should not engage Arjuna
that would ultimately bring about misfortune. Krsna, however, never brings
misfortune to anyone, to say nothing of His devotees.
Observing the Armies on the Battlefield
Verse 37-39
Arjuna sees Destruction of Family
37
• Arjuna sees due to Greed, the opposite party is ready Fight and Kill each other.
38 • Arjuna understands result of war (destruction of family), he sees not benefits in
participating in this sinful activity.
• Ksatriya should not refuse invitation of gambling and war.
• Arjuna sees the other party is blind of effect of this challenge, he knowing he evil
consequence, not ready to fight.
39
Family Family
Destruction
tradition involved in
of Dynasty
vanquished irreligion
In Varnasrama System :
Death of
Elder Responsible for Young Lose chance
elder will
members of purifying processes members will for Spiritual
stop
the family. in family from become Salvation.
purification
birth to death irreligious
process.
Garbhadhanam Pumsavanam Seemantam Jatakarmam
For Protection of For Intellectual
Before 3rd Month of
Mother before Child development of
Conception Pregnancy birth Child
Anthyeshti Namakaranam
Antim Sanskara Name giving
Last Rites ceremony
Vivaham
Marriage
16-Samskaras Nishkramanam
Taking child first
time out of house
Samavartanam
Manu Smriti Annaprasanam
End of Student First time feeding
Life Solid food
Samskaras – Purificatory Process
Kesantham (Boy) Total 40 Samskaras Choodakaranam
First Shave
Ritusuddhi (Girl) 16-Major First time cutting
First Menstrual Cycle Hair
Arjuna
46
(overwhelmed with grief)
cast aside his bow and
arrows and sat down in
the Chariot
Saintly Qualities of Arjuna
1 Softheartedness (1.28)
2 Does not want to kill even for exchange of three worlds (1.35)
3 Ready to forgive any aggressors (1.36), though there is no
reaction in killing them.
4 Considers evil consequences even at the risk of refusing
obligation to fight (1.37 – 1.38)
5 Conscious of obligations to protect family traditions and
morals (1.39 – 1.44)
• He does not think that: “I am transcendental and I have
no obligations”
• Arjuna being saintly is conscious of moral principles –
How he can kill one’s relatives based on selfish motives
(1.44)
6 Ready to be killed unarmed, but not retaliate (1.45)
7 Custom according to Ksatriya fighting principles – unarmed
and unwilling foe should not be attacked
• These symptoms are due to soft heartedness resulting
from being a great devotee
8 Kept his bow down (even broke his vow of not keeping the
bow once lifted) (1.46)
Conclusion: Such a kind and softhearted person is fit to receive
Self-Knowledge (Transcendental Knowledge) (1.46 purport) Courtesy :
Gauranga Priya Das
Summary – Arjuna’s Reasons
Arjuna offered the following reasons for not fighting the battle:
1) Compassion: Arjuna's compassion for those he's about to slay dictates he
shouldn't fight.
2) Enjoyment: Arjuna thinks he will not be able to enjoy his kingdom if the
kingdom is won at the cost of the lives of his family members.
3) Destruction of family: Irreligion and unwanted progeny will overcome
the family, performance of traditional, varnasrama-oriented Vedic rituals will
end, and hell will await both the family and the destroyer of the family.
4) Saintliness and fear of sinful reactions: Arjuna thinks enjoying royal
happiness is not worth the resulting sinful reactions for destroying the family
and killing his superiors.
In the beginning of Chapter 2, gave the following reason.
5) Indecision: Arjuna does not actually know which is better, conquering
the enemy or being conquered by them.
Compiled by Amritananda das email : [email protected]
End of
Bhagavad Gita -1