Showing posts with label Bhagavad Gita As It Is. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bhagavad Gita As It Is. Show all posts

Bg 1: Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

Saturday, May 17, 2008 by Hare Krsna

BG 1.20: At that time Arjuna, the son of Pāndu, seated in the chariot bearing the flag marked with Hanumān, took up his bow and prepared to shoot his arrows. O King, after looking at the sons of Dhrtarāstra drawn in military array, Arjuna then spoke to Lord Krsna these words.

atha vyavasthitān drstvā
dhārtarāstrān kapi-dhvajah
pravrtte śastra-sampāte
dhanur udyamya pāndavah
hrsīkeśam tadā vākyam
idam āha mahī-pate

SYNONYMS
atha — thereupon; vyavasthitān — situated; drstvā — looking upon; dhārtarāstrān — the sons of Dhrtarāstra; kapi-dhvajah — he whose flag was marked with Hanumān; pravrtte — while about to engage; śastra-sampāte — in releasing his arrows; dhanuh — bow; udyamya — taking up; pāndavah — the son of Pāndu (Arjuna); hrsīkeśam — unto Lord Krsna; tadā — at that time; vākyam — words; idam — these; āha — said; mahī-pate — O King.

TRANSLATION
At that time Arjuna, the son of Pāndu, seated in the chariot bearing the flag marked with Hanumān, took up his bow and prepared to shoot his arrows. O King, after looking at the sons of Dhrtarāstra drawn in military array, Arjuna then spoke to Lord Krsna these words.

PURPORT

The battle was just about to begin. It is understood from the above statement that the sons of Dhrtarāstra were more or less disheartened by the unexpected arrangement of military force by the Pāndavas, who were guided by the direct instructions of Lord Krsna on the battlefield. The emblem of Hanumān on the flag of Arjuna is another sign of victory because Hanumān cooperated with Lord Rāma in the battle between Rāma and Rāvana, and Lord Rāma emerged victorious. Now both Rāma and Hanumān were present on the chariot of Arjuna to help him. Lord Krsna is Rāma Himself, and wherever Lord Rāma is, His eternal servitor Hanumān and His eternal consort Sītā, the goddess of fortune, are present. Therefore, Arjuna had no cause to fear any enemies whatsoever. And above all, the Lord of the senses, Lord Krsna, was personally present to give him direction. Thus, all good counsel was available to Arjuna in the matter of executing the battle. In such auspicious conditions, arranged by the Lord for His eternal devotee, lay the signs of assured victory.

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Bg 1: Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

by Hare Krsna

BG 1.19: The blowing of these different conchshells became uproarious. Vibrating both in the sky and on the earth, it shattered the hearts of the sons of Dhrtarāstra.

sa ghoso dhārtarāstrānām
hrdayāni vyadārayat
nabhaś ca prthivīm caiva
tumulo 'bhyanunādayan

SYNONYMS
sah — that; ghosah — vibration; dhārtarāstrānām — of the sons of Dhrtarāstra; hrdayāni — hearts; vyadārayat — shattered; nabhah — the sky; ca — also; prthivīm — the surface of the earth; ca — also; eva — certainly; tumulah — uproarious; abhyanunādayan — resounding.

TRANSLATION
The blowing of these different conchshells became uproarious. Vibrating both in the sky and on the earth, it shattered the hearts of the sons of Dhrtarāstra.

PURPORT

When Bhīsma and the others on the side of Duryodhana blew their respective conchshells, there was no heart-breaking on the part of the Pāndavas. Such occurrences are not mentioned, but in this particular verse it is mentioned that the hearts of the sons of Dhrtarāstra were shattered by the sounds vibrated by the Pāndavas' party. This is due to the Pāndavas and their confidence in Lord Krsna. One who takes shelter of the Supreme Lord has nothing to fear, even in the midst of the greatest calamity.

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Bg 1: Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

by Hare Krsna

BG 1.16-18: King Yudhisthira, the son of Kuntī, blew his conchshell, the Ananta-vijaya, and Nakula and Sahadeva blew the Sughosa and Manipuspaka. That great archer the King of Kāśī, the great fighter Śikhandī, Dhrstadyumna, Virāta, the unconquerable Sātyaki, Drupada, the sons of Draupadī, and the others, O King, such as the mighty-armed son of Subhadrā, all blew their respective conchshells.

anantavijayam rājā
kuntī-putro yudhisthirah
nakulah sahadevaś ca
sughosa-manipuspakau
kāśyaś ca paramesv-āsah
śikhandī ca mahā-rathah
dhrstadyumno virātaś ca
sātyakiś cāparājitah
drupado draupadeyāś ca
sarvaśah prthivī-pate
saubhadraś ca mahā-bāhuh
śańkhān dadhmuh prthak prthak

SYNONYMS
ananta-vijayam — the conch named Ananta-vijaya; rājā — the king; kuntī-putrah — the son of Kuntī; yudhisthirah — Yudhisthira; nakulah — Nakula; sahadevah — Sahadeva; ca — and; sughosa-manipuspakau — the conches named Sughosa and Manipuspaka; kāśyah — the King of Kāśī (Vārānasī); ca — and; parama-isu-āsah — the great archer; śikhandī — Śikhandī; ca — also; mahā-rathah — one who can fight alone against thousands; dhrstadyumnah — Dhrstadyumna (the son of King Drupada); virātah — Virāta (the prince who gave shelter to the Pāndavas while they were in disguise); ca — also; sātyakih — Sātyaki (the same as Yuyudhāna, the charioteer of Lord Krsna); ca — and; aparājitah — who had never been vanquished; drupadah — Drupada, the King of Pāñcāla; draupadeyāh — the sons of Draupadī; ca — also; sarvaśah — all; prthivī-pate — O King; saubhadrah — Abhimanyu, the son of Subhadrā; ca — also; mahā-bāhuh — mighty-armed; śańkhān — conchshells; dadhmuh — blew; prthak prthak — each separately.

TRANSLATION
King Yudhisthira, the son of Kuntī, blew his conchshell, the Ananta-vijaya, and Nakula and Sahadeva blew the Sughosa and Manipuspaka. That great archer the King of Kāśī, the great fighter Śikhandī, Dhrstadyumna, Virāta, the unconquerable Sātyaki, Drupada, the sons of Draupadī, and the others, O King, such as the mighty-armed son of Subhadrā, all blew their respective conchshells.

PURPORT

Sañjaya informed King Dhrtarāstra very tactfully that his unwise policy of deceiving the sons of Pāndu and endeavoring to enthrone his own sons on the seat of the kingdom was not very laudable. The signs already clearly indicated that the whole Kuru dynasty would be killed in that great battle. Beginning with the grandsire, Bhīsma, down to the grandsons like Abhimanyu and others — including kings from many states of the world — all were present there, and all were doomed. The whole catastrophe was due to King Dhrtarāstra, because he encouraged the policy followed by his sons.

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Bg 1: Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

Tuesday, May 13, 2008 by Hare Krsna

BG 1.15: Lord Krsna blew His conchshell, called Pancajanya; Arjuna blew his, the Devadatta; and Bhīma, the voracious eater and performer of herculean tasks, blew his terrific conchshell, called Paundra.
pancajanyam hrsikeso
devadattam dhananjayah
paundram dadhmau maha-sankham
bhima-karma vrkodarah

SYNONYMS
pancajanyam — the conchshell named Pancajanya; hrsika-isah — Hrsikesa (Krsna, the Lord who directs the senses of the devotees); devadattam — the conchshell named Devadatta; dhanam-jayah — Dhananjaya (Arjuna, the winner of wealth); paundram — the conch named Paundra; dadhmau — blew; maha-sankham — the terrific conchshell; bhima-karma — one who performs herculean tasks; vrka-udarah — the voracious eater (Bhima).

TRANSLATION
Lord Krsna blew His conchshell, called Pancajanya; Arjuna blew his, the Devadatta; and Bhima, the voracious eater and performer of herculean tasks, blew his terrific conchshell, called Paundra.

PURPORT

Lord Krsna is referred to as Hrsikesa in this verse because He is the owner of all senses. The living entities are part and parcel of Him, and therefore the senses of the living entities are also part and parcel of His senses. The impersonalists cannot account for the senses of the living entities, and therefore they are always anxious to describe all living entities as senseless, or impersonal. The Lord, situated in the hearts of all living entities, directs their senses. But He directs in terms of the surrender of the living entity, and in the case of a pure devotee He directly controls the senses. Here on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra the Lord directly controls the transcendental senses of Arjuna, and thus His particular name of Hrsikesa. The Lord has different names according to His different activities. For example, His name is Madhusūdana because He killed the demon of the name Madhu; His name is Govinda because He gives pleasure to the cows and to the senses; His name is Vasudeva because He appeared as the son of Vasudeva; His name is Devaki-nandana because He accepted Devaki as His mother; His name is Yasoda-nandana because He awarded His childhood pastimes to Yasoda at Vrndavana; His name is Partha-sarathi because He worked as charioteer of His friend Arjuna. Similarly, His name is Hrsikesa because He gave direction to Arjuna on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra.
Arjuna is referred to as Dhananjaya in this verse because he helped his elder brother in fetching wealth when it was required by the king to make expenditures for different sacrifices. Similarly, Bhima is known as Vrkodara because he could eat as voraciously as he could perform herculean tasks, such as killing the demon Hidimba. So the particular types of conchshell blown by the different personalities on the side of the Pandavas, beginning with the Lord's, were all very encouraging to the fighting soldiers. On the other side there were no such credits, nor the presence of Lord Krsna, the supreme director, nor that of the goddess of fortune. So they were predestined to lose the battle — and that was the message announced by the sounds of the conchshells.

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Bg 1: Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

by Hare Krsna

BG 1.14: On the other side, both Lord Krsna and Arjuna, stationed on a great chariot drawn by white horses, sounded their transcendental conchshells.
tatah svetair hayair yukte
mahati syandane sthitau
madhavah pandavas caiva
divyau sankhau pradadhmatuh

SYNONYMS
tatah — thereafter; svetaih — with white; hayaih — horses; yukte — being yoked; mahati — in a great; syandane — chariot; sthitau — situated; madhavah — Krsna (the husband of the goddess of fortune); pandavah — Arjuna (the son of Pandu); ca — also; eva — certainly; divyau — transcendental; sankhau — conchshells; pradadhmatuh — sounded.

TRANSLATION
On the other side, both Lord Krsna and Arjuna, stationed on a great chariot drawn by white horses, sounded their transcendental conchshells.

PURPORT

In contrast with the conchshell blown by Bhismadeva, the conchshells in the hands of Krsna and Arjuna are described as transcendental. The sounding of the transcendental conchshells indicated that there was no hope of victory for the other side because Krsna was on the side of the Pandavas. Jayas tu pandu-putranam yesam pakse janardanah. Victory is always with persons like the sons of Pandu because Lord Krsna is associated with them. And whenever and wherever the Lord is present, the goddess of fortune is also there because the goddess of fortune never lives alone without her husband. Therefore, victory and fortune were awaiting Arjuna, as indicated by the transcendental sound produced by the conchshell of Visnu, or Lord Krsna. Besides that, the chariot on which both the friends were seated had been donated by Agni (the fire-god) to Arjuna, and this indicated that this chariot was capable of conquering all sides, wherever it was drawn over the three worlds.

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Bg 1: Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

by Hare Krsna

BG 1.13: After that, the conchshells, drums, bugles, trumpets and horns were all suddenly sounded, and the combined sound was tumultuous.
tatah sankhas ca bheryas ca
panavanaka-gomukhah
sahasaivabhyahanyanta
sa sabdas tumulo 'bhavat

SYNONYMS
tatah — thereafter; sankhah — conchshells; ca — also; bheryah — large drums; ca — and; panava-anaka — small drums and kettledrums; go-mukhah — horns; sahasa — all of a sudden; eva — certainly; abhyahanyanta — were simultaneously sounded; sah — that; sabdah — combined sound; tumulah — tumultuous; abhavat — became.

TRANSLATION
After that, the conchshells, drums, bugles, trumpets and horns were all suddenly sounded, and the combined sound was tumultuous.

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Bg 1: Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

Sunday, April 27, 2008 by Hare Krsna

BG 1.12: Then Bhisma, the great valiant grandsire of the Kuru dynasty, the grandfather of the fighters, blew his conchshell very loudly, making a sound like the roar of a lion, giving Duryodhana joy.


tasya sanjanayan harsam
kuru-vrddhah pitamahah
simha-nadam vinadyoccaih
sankham dadhmau pratapavan

SYNONYMS
tasya — his; sanjanayan — increasing; harsam — cheerfulness; kuru-vrddhah — the grandsire of the Kuru dynasty (Bhisma); pitamahah — the grandfather; simha-nadam — roaring sound, like that of a lion; vinadya — vibrating; uccaih — very loudly; sankham — conchshell; dadhmau — blew; pratapa-van — the valiant.

TRANSLATION
Then Bhisma, the great valiant grandsire of the Kuru dynasty, the grandfather of the fighters, blew his conchshell very loudly, making a sound like the roar of a lion, giving Duryodhana joy.

PURPORT

The grandsire of the Kuru dynasty could understand the inner meaning of the heart of his grandson Duryodhana, and out of his natural compassion for him he tried to cheer him by blowing his conchshell very loudly, befitting his position as a lion. Indirectly, by the symbolism of the conchshell, he informed his depressed grandson Duryodhana that he had no chance of victory in the battle, because the Supreme Lord Krsna was on the other side. But still, it was his duty to conduct the fight, and no pains would be spared in that connection.

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Bg 1: Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

by Hare Krsna

BG 1.11: All of you must now give full support to Grandfather Bhisma, as you stand at your respective strategic points of entrance into the phalanx of the army.

ayanesu ca sarvesu
yatha-bhagam avasthitah
bhismam evabhiraksantu
bhavantah sarva eva hi

SYNONYMS
ayanesu — in the strategic points; ca — also; sarvesu — everywhere; yatha-bhagam — as differently arranged; avasthitah — situated; bhismam — unto Grandfather Bhisma; eva — certainly; abhiraksantu — should give support; bhavantah — you; sarve — all respectively; eva hi — certainly.

TRANSLATION
All of you must now give full support to Grandfather Bhisma, as you stand at your respective strategic points of entrance into the phalanx of the army.

PURPORT

Duryodhana, after praising the prowess of Bhisma, further considered that others might think that they had been considered less important, so in his usual diplomatic way, he tried to adjust the situation in the above words. He emphasized that Bhismadeva was undoubtedly the greatest hero, but he was an old man, so everyone must especially think of his protection from all sides. He might become engaged in the fight, and the enemy might take advantage of his full engagement on one side. Therefore, it was important that other heroes not leave their strategic positions and allow the enemy to break the phalanx. Duryodhana clearly felt that the victory of the Kurus depended on the presence of Bhismadeva. He was confident of the full support of Bhismadeva and Dronacarya in the battle because he well knew that they did not even speak a word when Arjuna's wife Draupadi, in her helpless condition, had appealed to them for justice while she was being forced to appear naked in the presence of all the great generals in the assembly. Although he knew that the two generals had some sort of affection for the Pandavas, he hoped that these generals would now completely give it up, as they had done during the gambling performances.

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Bg 1: Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

by Hare Krsna

BG 1.10: Our strength is immeasurable, and we are perfectly protected by Grandfather Bhisma, whereas the strength of the Pandavas, carefully protected by Bhima, is limited.


aparyaptam tad asmakam
balam bhismabhiraksitam
paryaptam tv idam etesam
balam bhimabhiraksitam

SYNONYMS
aparyaptam — immeasurable; tat — that; asmakam — of ours; balam — strength; bhisma — by Grandfather Bhisma; abhiraksitam — perfectly protected; paryaptam — limited; tu — but; idam — all this; etesam — of the Pandavas; balam — strength; bhima — by Bhima; abhiraksitam — carefully protected.

TRANSLATION
Our strength is immeasurable, and we are perfectly protected by Grandfather Bhisma, whereas the strength of the Pandavas, carefully protected by Bhima, is limited.

PURPORT

Herein an estimation of comparative strength is made by Duryodhana. He thinks that the strength of his armed forces is immeasurable, being specifically protected by the most experienced general, Grandfather Bhisma. On the other hand, the forces of the Pandavas are limited, being protected by a less experienced general, Bhima, who is like a fig in the presence of Bhisma. Duryodhana was always envious of Bhima because he knew perfectly well that if he should die at all, he would only be killed by Bhima. But at the same time, he was confident of his victory on account of the presence of Bhisma, who was a far superior general. His conclusion that he would come out of the battle victorious was well ascertained.

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Bg 1: Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

Friday, April 25, 2008 by Hare Krsna

BG 1.9: There are many other heroes who are prepared to lay down their lives for my sake. All of them are well equipped with different kinds of weapons, and all are experienced in military science.

anye ca bahavah sura
mad-arthe tyakta-jivitah
nana-sastra-praharanah
sarve yuddha-visaradah

SYNONYMS
anye — others; ca — also; bahavah — in great numbers; surah — heroes; mat-arthe — for my sake; tyakta-jivitah — prepared to risk life; nana — many; sastra — weapons; praharanah — equipped with; sarve — all of them; yuddha-visaradah — experienced in military science.

TRANSLATION
There are many other heroes who are prepared to lay down their lives for my sake. All of them are well equipped with different kinds of weapons, and all are experienced in military science.

PURPORT

As far as the others are concerned — like Jayadratha, Krtavarma and salya — all are determined to lay down their lives for Duryodhana's sake. In other words, it is already concluded that all of them would die in the Battle of Kuruksetra for joining the party of the sinful Duryodhana. Duryodhana was, of course, confident of his victory on account of the above-mentioned combined strength of his friends.

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Bg 1 : Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

Monday, April 21, 2008 by Hare Krsna

BG 1.8: There are personalities like you, Bhisma, Karna, Krpa, Asvatthama, Vikarna and the son of Somadatta called Bhūrisrava, who are always victorious in battle.

bhavan bhismas ca karnas ca
krpas ca samitim-jayah
asvatthama vikarnas ca
saumadattis tathaiva ca

SYNONYMS
bhavan — your good self; bhismah — Grandfather Bhisma; ca — also; karnah — Karna; ca — and; krpah — Krpa; ca — and; samitim-jayah — always victorious in battle; asvatthama — Asvatthama; vikarnah — Vikarna; ca — as well as; saumadattih — the son of Somadatta; tatha — as well as; eva — certainly; ca — also.

TRANSLATION
There are personalities like you, Bhisma, Karna, Krpa, Asvatthama, Vikarna and the son of Somadatta called Bhūrisrava, who are always victorious in battle.

PURPORT

Duryodhana mentions the exceptional heroes in the battle, all of whom are ever victorious. Vikarna is the brother of Duryodhana, Asvatthama is the son of Dronacarya, and Saumadatti, or Bhurisrava, is the son of the King of the Bahlikas. Karna is the half brother of Arjuna, as he was born of Kunti before her marriage with King Pandu. Krpacarya's twin sister married Dronacarya.

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Bg 1 : Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

by Hare Krsna

BG 1.7: But for your information, O best of the brahmanas, let me tell you about the captains who are especially qualified to lead my military force.

asmakam tu visista ye
tan nibodha dvijottama
nayaka mama sainyasya
samjñartham tan bravimi te

SYNONYMS
asmakam — our; tu — but; visistah — especially powerful; ye — who; tan — them; nibodha — just take note of, be informed; dvija-uttama — O best of the brahmanas; nayakah — captains; mama — my; sainyasya — of the soldiers; samjña-artham — for information; tan — them; bravimi — I am speaking; te — to you.

TRANSLATION
But for your information, O best of the brahmanas, let me tell you about the captains who are especially qualified to lead my military force.

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Bg 1 : Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

Friday, April 18, 2008 by Hare Krsna

BG 1.6: There are the mighty Yudhamanyu, the very powerful Uttamauja, the son of Subhadra and the sons of Draupadi. All these warriors are great chariot fighters.


yudhamanyus ca vikranta
uttamaujas ca viryavan
saubhadro draupadeyas ca
sarva eva maha-rathah

SYNONYMS
yudhamanyuh — Yudhamanyu; ca — and; vikrantah — mighty; uttamaujah — Uttamauja; ca — and; virya-van — very powerful; saubhadrah — the son of Subhadra; draupadeyah — the sons of Draupadi; ca — and; sarve — all; eva — certainly; maha-rathah — great chariot fighters.

TRANSLATION
There are the mighty Yudhamanyu, the very powerful Uttamauja, the son of Subhadra and the sons of Draupadi. All these warriors are great chariot fighters.

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Bg 1 : Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

Wednesday, April 16, 2008 by Hare Krsna

BG 1.5: There are also great, heroic, powerful fighters like Dhrstaketu, Cekitana, Kasiraja, Purujit, Kuntibhoja and saibya.


dhrstaketus cekitanah
kasirajas ca viryavan
purujit kuntibhojas ca
saibyas ca nara-pungavah

SYNONYMS
dhrstaketuh — Dhrstaketu; cekitanah — Cekitana; kasirajah — Kasiraja; ca — also; virya-van — very powerful; purujit — Purujit; kuntibhojah — Kuntibhoja; ca — and; saibyah — saibya; ca — and; nara-pungavah — hero in human society.
TRANSLATION
There are also great, heroic, powerful fighters like Dhrstaketu, Cekitana, Kasiraja, Purujit, Kuntibhoja and saibya.

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Bg 1 : Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

Tuesday, April 15, 2008 by Hare Krsna

BG 1.4: Here in this army are many heroic bowmen equal in fighting to Bhima and Arjuna: great fighters like Yuyudhana, Virata and Drupada.

atra sura mahesv-asa
bhimarjuna-sama yudhi
yuyudhano viratas ca
drupadas ca maha-rathah


SYNONYMS
atra — here; surah — heroes; maha-isu-asah — mighty bowmen; bhima-arjuna — to Bhima and Arjuna; samah — equal; yudhi — in the fight; yuyudhanah — Yuyudhana; viratah — Virata; ca — also; drupadah — Drupada; ca — also; maha-rathah — great fighter.


TRANSLATION
Here in this army are many heroic bowmen equal in fighting to Bhima and Arjuna: great fighters like Yuyudhana, Virata and Drupada.


PURPORT


Even though Dhrstadyumna was not a very important obstacle in the face of Dronacarya's very great power in the military art, there were many others who were causes of fear. They are mentioned by Duryodhana as great stumbling blocks on the path of victory because each and every one of them was as formidable as Bhima and Arjuna. He knew the strength of Bhima and Arjuna, and thus he compared the others with them.

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Bg 1 : Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

Monday, April 14, 2008 by Hare Krsna

BG 1.3: O my teacher, behold the great army of the sons of Pandu, so expertly arranged by your intelligent disciple the son of Drupada.


pasyaitam pandu-putranam
acarya mahatim camum
vyudham drupada-putrena
tava sisyena dhimata

SYNONYMS
pasya — behold; etam — this; pandu-putranam — of the sons of Pandu; acarya — O teacher; mahatim — great; camum — military force; vyudham — arranged; drupada-putrena — by the son of Drupada; tava — your; sisyena — disciple; dhi-mata — very intelligent.

TRANSLATION
O my teacher, behold the great army of the sons of Pandu, so expertly arranged by your intelligent disciple the son of Drupada.

PURPORT

Duryodhana, a great diplomat, wanted to point out the defects of Dronacarya, the great brahmana commander in chief. Dronacarya had some political quarrel with King Drupada, the father of Draupadi, who was Arjuna's wife. As a result of this quarrel, Drupada performed a great sacrifice, by which he received the benediction of having a son who would be able to kill Dronacarya. Dronacarya knew this perfectly well, and yet as a liberal brahmana he did not hesitate to impart all his military secrets when the son of Drupada, Dhrstadyumna, was entrusted to him for military education. Now, on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, Dhrstadyumna took the side of the Pandavas, and it was he who arranged for their military phalanx, after having learned the art from Dronacarya. Duryodhana pointed out this mistake of Dronacarya's so that he might be alert and uncompromising in the fighting. By this he wanted to point out also that he should not be similarly lenient in battle against the Pandavas, who were also Dronacarya's affectionate students. Arjuna, especially, was his most affectionate and brilliant student. Duryodhana also warned that such leniency in the fight would lead to defeat.

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Bg 1 : Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

Thursday, April 3, 2008 by Hare Krsna

BG 1.2: Sanjaya said: O King, after looking over the army arranged in military formation by the sons of Pandu, King Duryodhana went to his teacher and spoke the following words.

sanjaya uvaca
drstva tu pandavanikam
vyudham duryodhanas tada
acaryam upasangamya
raja vacanam abravit

SYNONYMS
sanjayah uvaca — Sanjaya said; drstva — after seeing; tu — but; pandava-anikam — the soldiers of the Pandavas; vyudham — arranged in a military phalanx; duryodhanah — King Duryodhana; tada — at that time; acaryam — the teacher; upasangamya — approaching; raja — the king; vacanam — words; abravit — spoke.

TRANSLATION
Sanjaya said: O King, after looking over the army arranged in military formation by the sons of Pandu, King Duryodhana went to his teacher and spoke the following words.

PURPORT

Dhrtarastra was blind from birth. Unfortunately, he was also bereft of spiritual vision. He knew very well that his sons were equally blind in the matter of religion, and he was sure that they could never reach an understanding with the Pandavas, who were all pious since birth. Still he was doubtful about the influence of the place of pilgrimage, and Sanjaya could understand his motive in asking about the situation on the battlefield. Sanjaya wanted, therefore, to encourage the despondent king and thus assured him that his sons were not going to make any sort of compromise under the influence of the holy place. Sanjaya therefore informed the king that his son, Duryodhana, after seeing the military force of the Pandavas, at once went to the commander in chief, Dronacarya, to inform him of the real position. Although Duryodhana is mentioned as the king, he still had to go to the commander on account of the seriousness of the situation. He was therefore quite fit to be a politician. But Duryodhana's diplomatic veneer could not disguise the fear he felt when he saw the military arrangement of the Pandavas.

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Bg 1 : Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

Saturday, March 29, 2008 by Hare Krsna

BG 1.1: Dhrtarastra said: O Sanjaya, after my sons and the sons of Pandu assembled in the place of pilgrimage at Kuruksetra, desiring to fight, what did they do?

dhrtarastra uvaca
dharma-ksetre kuru-ksetre
samaveta yuyutsavah
mamakah pandavas caiva
kim akurvata sanjaya

SYNONYMS
dhrtarastrah uvaca — King Dhrtarastra said; dharma-ksetre — in the place of pilgrimage; kuru-ksetre — in the place named Kuruksetra; samavetah — assembled; yuyutsavah — desiring to fight; mamakah — my party (sons); pandavah — the sons of Pandu; ca — and; eva — certainly; kim — what; akurvata — did they do; sanjaya — O Sanjaya.

TRANSLATION
Dhrtarastra said: O Sanjaya, after my sons and the sons of Pandu assembled in the place of pilgrimage at Kuruksetra, desiring to fight, what did they do?

PURPORT

Bhagavad-gīta is the widely read theistic science summarized in the Gīta-mahatmya (Glorification of the Gīta). There it says that one should read Bhagavad-gīta very scrutinizingly with the help of a person who is a devotee of srī Krsna and try to understand it without personally motivated interpretations. The example of clear understanding is there in the Bhagavad-gīta itself, in the way the teaching is understood by Arjuna, who heard the Gīta directly from the Lord. If someone is fortunate enough to understand Bhagavad-gīta in that line of disciplic succession, without motivated interpretation, then he surpasses all studies of Vedic wisdom, and all scriptures of the world. One will find in the Bhagavad-gīta all that is contained in other scriptures, but the reader will also find things which are not to be found elsewhere. That is the specific standard of the Gīta. It is the perfect theistic science because it is directly spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord srī Krsna.
The topics discussed by Dhrtarastra and Sanjaya, as described in the Mahabharata, form the basic principle for this great philosophy. It is understood that this philosophy evolved on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, which is a sacred place of pilgrimage from the immemorial time of the Vedic age. It was spoken by the Lord when He was present personally on this planet for the guidance of mankind.
The word dharma-ksetra (a place where religious rituals are performed) is significant because, on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, the Supreme Personality of Godhead was present on the side of Arjuna. Dhrtarastra, the father of the Kurus, was highly doubtful about the possibility of his sons' ultimate victory. In his doubt, he inquired from his secretary Sanjaya, "What did they do?" He was confident that both his sons and the sons of his younger brother Pandu were assembled in that Field of Kuruksetra for a determined engagement of the war. Still, his inquiry is significant. He did not want a compromise between the cousins and brothers, and he wanted to be sure of the fate of his sons on the battlefield. Because the battle was arranged to be fought at Kuruksetra, which is mentioned elsewhere in the Vedas as a place of worship — even for the denizens of heaven — Dhrtarastra became very fearful about the influence of the holy place on the outcome of the battle. He knew very well that this would influence Arjuna and the sons of Pandu favorably, because by nature they were all virtuous. Sanjaya was a student of Vyasa, and therefore, by the mercy of Vyasa, Sanjaya was able to envision the Battlefield of Kuruksetra even while he was in the room of Dhrtarastra. And so, Dhrtarastra asked him about the situation on the battlefield.
Both the Pandavas and the sons of Dhrtarastra belong to the same family, but Dhrtarastra's mind is disclosed herein. He deliberately claimed only his sons as Kurus, and he separated the sons of Pandu from the family heritage. One can thus understand the specific position of Dhrtarastra in his relationship with his nephews, the sons of Pandu. As in the paddy field the unnecessary plants are taken out, so it is expected from the very beginning of these topics that in the religious field of Kuruksetra, where the father of religion, srī Krsna, was present, the unwanted plants like Dhrtarastra's son Duryodhana and others would be wiped out and the thoroughly religious persons, headed by Yudhisthira, would be established by the Lord. This is the significance of the words dharma-ksetre and kuru-ksetre, apart from their historical and Vedic importance.

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