Bhagavad Gita -Srila Prabhupada 25

Shrimad Bhagavad Gita As It Is -Shri Shrimad A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra
Chapter 1: Verse-32-35

kim no räjyena govinda
kim bhogair jivitena vä
yesam arthe kanksitam no
rajyam bhogah sukhäni ca
ta ime ’vasthitä yuddhe
pranams tyaktvä dhanäni ca
acaryah pitarah puträs
tathaiva ca pitamahah
matulah svasurah pauträh
syalah sambandhinas tathä
etän na hantum icchämi
ghnato ’pi madhusüdana
api trailokya-räjyasya
hetoh kim nu mahi-krte
nihatya dhartarastran nah
kä pritih syäj janärdana[1]

TRANSLATION

O Govinda, of what avail to us are a kingdom, happiness or even life itself when all those for whom we may desire them are now arrayed on this battlefield? O Madhusüdana, when teachers, fathers, sons, grandfathers, maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law and other relatives are ready to give up their lives and properties and are standing before me, why should I wish to kill them, even though they might otherwise kill me? O maintainer of all living entities, I am not prepared to fight with them even in exchange for the three worlds, let alone this earth. What pleasure will we derive from killing the sons of Dhrtarastrah?

PURPORT

Arjuna has addressed Lordkrsnaas Govinda becausekrsnais the object of all pleasures for cows and the senses. By using this significant word, Arjuna indicates that krsna should understand what will satisfy Arjuna’s senses. But Govinda is not meant for satisfying our senses. If we try to satisfy the senses of Govinda, however, then automatically our own senses are satisfied. Materially, everyone wants to satisfy his senses, and he wants God to be the order supplier for such satisfaction. The Lord will satisfy the senses of the living entities as much as they deserve, but not to the extent that they may covet. But when one takes the opposite way—namely, when one tries to satisfy the senses of Govinda without desiring to satisfy one’s own senses—then by the grace of Govinda all desires of the living entity are satisfied.Arjuna’s deep affection for community and family members is exhibited here partly due to his natural compassion for them. He is therefore not prepared to fight. Everyone wants to show his opulence to friends and relatives, but Arjuna fears that all his relatives and friends will be killed on the battlefield and he will be unable to share his opulence after victory.


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References

  1. kim=what use; nah=to us; räjyena=is the kingdom; govinda=O Krsna; kim=what; bhogaih=enjoyment; jivitena=living; vä=either; yesam=of whom; arthe=for the sake; kanksitam=is desired; nah=by us;
    räjyam=kingdom; bhogah=material enjoyment; sukhäni=all happiness; ca=also; te—all of them; ime=these; avasthitäh=situated; yuddhe=on this battlefield; pranan=lives; tyaktvä=giving up; dhanäni=riches; ca—also; acaryah=teachers; pitarah=fathers; putrah=sons; tathä=as well as; eva=certainly; ca=also; pitamahah=grandfathers; matulah=maternal uncles; svasurah=fathers-in-law; pauträù=grandsons; syalah=brothers-in-law; sambandhinah=relatives; tathä=as well as; etän=all these; na=never; hantum=to kill; icchämi=do I wish; ghnatah=being killed; api=even; madhusüdana=O killer of the demon Madhu (Krsna); api=even if; trai-lokya=of the three worlds; räjyasya=for the kingdom; hetoh=in exchange; kim nu=what to speak of; mahi-krte=for the sake of the earth; nihatya=by killing; dhartarastran=the sons of Dhrtarastrah; naù=our; kä=what; pritih=pleasure; syät=will there be; janärdana=O maintainer of all living entities.

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