Sankhya Yoga: Shlokas 4 to 9
If you have not already done so, I would request you to review the Chapter 1, Arjuna Vishada Yoga before studying chapter 2 as that would help set the right context.
You can find the Introduction and explanation of shlokas 1 to 3 here. Please go through that to get better understanding of the context.
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अर्जुन उवाच |
कथं भीष्ममहं सङ्ख्ये द्रोणं च मधुसूदन |
इषुभि: प्रतियोत्स्यामि पूजार्हावरिसूदन || 4||
arjuna uvācha
kathaṁ bhīṣhmam ahaṁ sankhye droṇaṁ cha madhusūdana
iṣhubhiḥ pratiyotsyāmi pūjārhāvari-sūdana
अर्जुन उवाच arjuna uvāca Arjuna said: कथम् kathaṁ how भीष्मम् bhīṣmaṁ Bhishma अहम् ahaṁ I संख्ये saṁkhye in battle द्रणम् droṇaṁ Drona च ca and मधुसूदन madhusūdana O Madhusudana इषुभिः iṣubhiḥ with arrows प्रतियोत्स्यामि pratiyotsyāmi shall fight पूजार्हौ pūjārhau worthy to be worshipped अरिसूदन arisūdana O destroyer of enemies
Arjun said: O Madhusudan, how can I shoot arrows in battle on men like Bheeshma and Dronacharya, who are worthy of my worship, O destroyer of enemies?
गुरूनहत्वा हि महानुभावान्
श्रेयो भोक्तुं भैक्ष्यमपीह लोके |
हत्वार्थकामांस्तु गुरूनिहैव
भुञ्जीय भोगान् रुधिरप्रदिग्धान् || 5||
gurūnahatvā hi mahānubhāvān
śhreyo bhoktuṁ bhaikṣhyamapīha loke
hatvārtha-kāmāṁstu gurūnihaiva
bhuñjīya bhogān rudhira-pradigdhān
गुरून् gurūn the Gurus (teachers) अहत्वा ahatvā instead of slaying हि hi indeed महानुभावान् mahānubhāvan most noble श्रेयः śreyaḥ better भोक्तुम् bhoktuṁ to eat भैक्ष्यम् bhaikṣyam alms अपि api even इह iha here लोके loke in the world हत्वा harvā having slain अर्थकामान् arthakāmān wealth and desires तु tu indeed gurūn Gurus इह iha here एव eva also भुञ्जीय bhuñjīya enjoy भोगान् bhogān enjoyments रुधिरप्रदिग्धान् rudhirapradigdhān stained with blood
It would be better to live in this world by begging, than to enjoy life by killing these noble elders, who are my teachers. If we kill them, the wealth and pleasures we enjoy will be tainted with blood.
न चैतद्विद्म: कतरन्नो गरीयो
यद्वा जयेम यदि वा नो जयेयु: |
यानेव हत्वा न जिजीविषाम
स्तेऽवस्थिता: प्रमुखे धार्तराष्ट्रा: || 6||
na chaitadvidmaḥ kataranno garīyo
yadvā jayema yadi vā no jayeyuḥ
yāneva hatvā na jijīviṣhāmas
te ’vasthitāḥ pramukhe dhārtarāṣhṭrāḥ
न na not च ca and एतत् etat this विद्मः vidmaḥ (we) know कतरत् katarat which नः naḥ for us गरीयः garīyaḥ better यत् yat that वा vā or जयेम jayema we should conquer यदि yadi if वा vā or नः naḥ us जयेयुः jayeyuḥ they should conquer यान् yān whom एव eva even हत्वा hatvā having slain न na not जिजीविषामः jijīviṣāmaḥ we wish to live ते te those अवस्थिताः avasthitāḥ (are) standing प्रमुखे pramukhe in face धार्तराष्ट्राः dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ sons of Dhrtarashtra
We are uncertain which outcome of this war would be more favorable for us – defeating them or being defeated by them. Even after killing them, we will have no desire to continue living. However, they have allied themselves with the sons of Dhritarashtra and now stand before us on the battlefield.
कार्पण्यदोषोपहतस्वभाव:
पृच्छामि त्वां धर्मसम्मूढचेता: |
यच्छ्रेय: स्यान्निश्चितं ब्रूहि तन्मे
शिष्यस्तेऽहं शाधि मां त्वां प्रपन्नम् || 7||
kārpaṇya-doṣhopahata-svabhāvaḥ
pṛichchhāmi tvāṁ dharma-sammūḍha-chetāḥ
yach-chhreyaḥ syānniśhchitaṁ brūhi tanme
śhiṣhyaste ’haṁ śhādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam
कार्पण्य दोष उपहतस्वभावः kārpaṇya doṣa upahatasvabhāvaḥ with nature overpowered by the taint of pity पृच्छामि pṛcchāmi I ask त्वाम् tvāṁ thee धर्मसंमूढचेताः dharma saṁmūḍhacetāḥ with a mind in confusion about duty यः yaḥ which श्रेयः śreyaḥ good स्यात् syāt may be निश्चितम् niścitaṁ decisively बूहि brūhi say तत् tat that मे me for me शिष्यः śiṣyaḥ disciple ते te thy अहम् ahaṁ I शाधि śādhi teach माम् māṁ me त्वाम् tvāṁ to thee प्रपन्नम् prapannam taken refuge
My mind is confused about my duty and I am consumed by anxiety and doubt. I am Your devoted student, and have fully surrendered to You. Please enlighten me on the most appropriate path for me to take.
न हि प्रपश्यामि ममापनुद्याद्
यच्छोकमुच्छोषणमिन्द्रियाणाम् |
अवाप्य भूमावसपत्नमृद्धं
राज्यं सुराणामपि चाधिपत्यम् || 8||
na hi prapaśhyāmi mamāpanudyād
yach-chhokam uchchhoṣhaṇam-indriyāṇām
avāpya bhūmāv-asapatnamṛiddhaṁ
rājyaṁ surāṇāmapi chādhipatyam
न हि na hi not प्रपश्यामि prapaśyāmi I see मम mama my अपनुद्यात् apanudyāt would remove यत् yat that शोकम् śokam grief उच्छोषणम् ucchoṣaṇam drier up इन्द्रियाणाम् indriyāṇām of my senses अवाप्य avāpya having obtained भूमौ bhūmau in the earth असपत्नम् asapatnam unrivalled ऋद्घम् ṛddhaṁ prosperous राज्यम् rājyaṁ dominion सुराणाम् surāṇām over the gods अपि api even च ca and आधिपत्यम् ādhipatyam lordship
I am unable to shake off this overwhelming grief that is sapping my strength. Even if I attain a successful and unparalleled kingdom on earth, or wield power akin to the gods in heaven, I will not be able to alleviate this pain.
सञ्जय उवाच |
एवमुक्त्वा हृषीकेशं गुडाकेश: परन्तप |
न योत्स्य इति गोविन्दमुक्त्वा तूष्णीं बभूव ह || 9||
sañjaya uvācha
evam-uktvā hṛiṣhīkeśhaṁ guḍākeśhaḥ parantapa
na yotsya iti govindam uktvā tūṣhṇīṁ babhūva ha
संजय उवाच saṁjaya uvāca Sanjaya said: एवम् evaṁ thus उक्त्वा uktvā having spoken हृषीकेशम् hṛṣῑkeśaṁ to Hrishikesa गुडाकेशः guḍākeśaḥ (the conqueror of sleep) परन्तपः paraṁtapaḥ destroyer of foes न योत्स्ये na yotsye I will not fight इति iti thus गोविन्दम् govindam to Govinda उक्त्वा uktvā having said तूष्णीम् tūṣnῑṁ silent बभूव ह babhūva ha became
Sanjay said: Having thus spoken, Gudakesh, that chastiser of enemies, addressed Hrishikesh: “Govinda, I shall not fight,” and became silent.
Knowledge vs Intelligence
Shri Kṛṣṇa knew that Arjuna was in a very emotional state of mind and needs to be pacified with knowledge because as per Kṛṣṇa, knowledge and intelligence are the greatest tools we can use to rid ourselves of ignorance and succeed in our spiritual as well as material endeavors.
Knowledge and intelligence are related concepts, but they are not the same thing. Knowledge refers to the information that a person has acquired throughout their life by observation, studies or experience. Knowledge can be stored and shared with others.
However, Intelligence is a higher concept that refers to the ability to understand, and apply the knowledge. This is a very profound concept which is mentioned in other scriptures like the Chandogya Upanishads.
In the context of the Bhagavad Gita, if we just read the gita and memorize all the shlokas or just remember all the names of kings and kingdoms, etc. that is not going to be serving our true purpose. What is absolutely essential is for us to introspect upon the lessons being learned and utilize those learnings in day to day lives. That is one of the true values of being associated with a group of like minded devotees which we call as a Satsanga. The Satsanga group is not just for chatting and forwarding information, it is a group for interactive learning and helping each other introspect and truly understand the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita. I hope that strikes a chord in your minds and you will start utilizing our Satsanga the right way to fulfill your true purpose.
Arjuna had a lot of knowledge about vedas and various scriptures, but he demonstrated a lack of intelligence in applying that knowledge to resolve the grim situation at hand. Shri Krishna will address this later in the 11th Shloka.
Dangers of an emotional mind
Arjuna felt that the great warriors Bheeshma, Dronacharya and Kripacharya were his seniors and worthy of his respect and he would not even dare argue with them, let alone battle with them. He felt that it would be a sin to battle them and even if he was victorious, he would not be able to enjoy the victory. So instead, Arjuna says he would rather let them kill him in battle, unarmed.
However, the fact was that these great warriors had taken the side of the unrighteous Kauravas based on the various obligations that they had to the wicked Duryodhana. So, it was not a sin to battle them and kill them in the war if required. In fact, before his death, Bheeshma himself said that a teacher who acts immorally and takes the side of unrighteousness or adharma is fit to be abandoned.
Here, you can see what an emotional state of mind did to Arjuna. He, one of the greatest warrior of his times was considering suicide! So Kṛṣṇa had to calm his mind and sharpen his intellect by imparting the knowledge of Samkhya yoga in this chapter.
One of the lessons here is that we should not say or do anything when we are in a very emotional state of mind. Because whatever we say or do will not be correct or good for us. Our feelings should be controlled by intelligence. As an experiment, next time we are typing an angry email or message to someone, we should just save it without sending it, and look at it again a few minutes or hours later. We will invariably tone down and modify the message. We may even feel shocked that we had written such harsh and hurtful words!
Being careful and mindful of material obligations
Another interesting point to note is that Arjuna deeply respected Bhishma, Drona and Shalya (Nakul and Sahdev’s maternal uncle). He had requested them to fight on his side or remain neutral. However all three of them said that they were ‘bound’ by their duty to serve Kauravas. Basically they all received wealth and material support from Kauravas and that made them become obliged to the Kauravas and they had to fight on their side. On top of that, Bhishma had also taken a vow to protect the ruling Kuru king.
Drona was in extreme poverty and was given material support by Bhishma on behalf of Hastinapur kingdom so he was obliged to the Kauravas. Shalya had also received material support from the Kauravas and felt obliged to them. Both knew that the Kauravas were on the side of Adharma but they still had to fight on the side of Kauravas.
If both Bhishma and Drona had refused to fight on the side of Adharmic Duryodhana, the battle would probably have ended in just one day. In spite of all their virtues and wisdom and pious nature, they had to fight on the side of Adharma.
In the Bhishma-parva of the Mahabharata it is said that “Man is the servant of Wealth, wealth is never the servant of anybody”.
So the other important lesson in life is that we should be very careful from whom we accept monetary help and support because otherwise we may land up becoming obliged to serve the wrong people.
If possible, we should avoid seeking monetary help from others. If we are compelled to seek monetary help from others, then we should be very careful who we are seeking it from. Otherwise, we may end up in bondage and suffering.
The food we eat shapes our destiny
When Bhishma was his death bead, Lord Krishna took the Pandavas to hear some life lessons from him. That is when Bhishma recites the Vishnu Saharsanama (1000 names of Vishnu) and he advises Yudhishttra on Raja neeti (political science). Draupadi who was listening to this, laughs and asks Bhishma how come he was talking about so many Dharminc topics on his deathbed, while supporting the Adharmic side while he was well and alive.
Bhishma then says “daughter draupadi all these days I have been eating food offered by Duryodhna and its negative energy had gotten into my blood and my intellect became clouded. And after Arjuna pierced me with all his arrows, all that blood had gone out of my body and I have regained my senses and my intellect”.
That is the reason Lord Shri Krishna says later in Bhagavad Gita that the food we eat shapes our destiny. Food, body and soul are interlinked and hence Krishna says that we should always offer food to Him before we eat so that He can take away all the negative energies from it and purify it and give it back to us.
Arjuna’s surrender to Krishna
In verse 2.7, Arjuna admits that he is confused. He Admits that He does not know what was the right thing to do. The truly ignorant are those who do not know that they do not know. We become ready to learn only when we acknowledge that we do not know. There is an interesting saying “If someone does not know that they do not know, ignore them. If someone knows that they do not know, teach them. If someone knows that they know, learn from them”.
Here, Arjuna says “My mind is confused about my duty and I am consumed by anxiety and doubt.” And then he says “शिष्यस्तेऽहं शाधि मां त्वां प्रपन्नम् (śiṣyaste’ham śādhi mām tvām prapannam)” I am Your devoted student, and have fully surrendered to You. Please enlighten me on the most appropriate path for me to take.”.
This is a very important turning point in Arjuna’s life. Until this point, Arjuna was seeing only a friend in Shree Krishna, however, from this point onwards, He sees the Guru in Krishna and surrenders to Him and requests him to accept him as a student and teach him what is best for him.
It is only when a student surrenders to the guru will the guru begin to teach. Unsought advice is prohibited in Vedanta. Unless we seek something, what is given to us has no value. We should also keep this in mind. If we just go on giving things to people who are not seeking it, what we give will have no value. Be it knowledge or material things.
Importance of a Guru
The guru is given a lot of importance in vedic literature. Saint Kabir has written some insightful lines about the importance of a guru:
गुरु गोविंद दोऊँ खड़े,
काके लागूं पांय।
बलिहारी गुरु आपने,
गोविंद दियो बताय॥
Guru Govind Dhoun Khade, Kake lagun paay.
Balihari guru aapne, Govind diyo batay.
Someone is asking Kabir, “My Guru and My God are both standing in front of me, who should I pay my respects to first?”
Saint Kabir responds “First bow down to your guru because he is the one who taught you how to recognize and reach God”.
Kṛṣṇa is the original, supreme guru, imparting the divine knowledge of the Bhagavad Gita and Arjuna is his first disciple for getting this knowledge on behalf of all of humanity.
In these verses you will see that Arjuna starts to get his clarity and his depression is no more there. He is beginning to realize that he has been overtaken by weak heartedness. However, he admits that he is still overcome by grief, anxiety and sadness and feels incapable of fighting the righteous war. He really needs the help of the guru to overcome his weakness of heart and get the required clarity.
We are all Arjuna’s who are fighting our own battles in our lives. We all have to face problems and overcome them. That challenge is there before all of us. The Bhagavad Gita teaches us how we can manage our own selves, evolve, become stronger, overcome the various hurdles in our lives and help others too in their journeys. That is why, after the first half of the second chapter, the word ‘war’ does not appear anywhere in the Bhagavad Gita. It is all about character, purity, love, compassion, self-development and spiritual evolution.
Now Arjuna, the student is ready to learn
Now Arjuna, the student, is ready for receiving knowledge and from here onwards, Shri Kṛṣṇa will start imparting that divine knowledge to Arjuna.
In his commentary on this part of the Gita, Swami Vivekananda quotes from the Katha Upanishad which says “Uttishthata jagrata prapya varan nibodhata” which means “Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached”.
Our goal in life should be for self realization leading to God realization. We must first open our eyes to this reality, seek the required guidance and stop not until we have reached that absolute goal.
At this point in the Gita, Shloka 2.9, Arjuna surrenders to Shri Krishna and confesses his lack of clarity and says “Govinda, I shall not fight”. Let us see how Shri Krishna addresses the situation.
You can find the next set of shlokas, 10 to 13 over here:
kṛṣṇadaasa
Servant of Krishna
Aka +Vinayak Raghuvamshi