Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta Shlok Blog -36
Shlok-36
निहत्य धार्तराष्ट्रान्नः का प्रीतिः स्याज्जनार्दन । पापमेवाश्रयेदस्मान्हत्वैतानाततायिनः ॥ 1-36 ||
English Transcription
Nihatya Dhaartraashtraannah Ka Preetih Syaajjanaardan | Paapmewaashrayedasmaanhatwaitaanaatataayinah || 1-36 ||
Hindi Translation
Hey Janardan, Dhritrashtra ke in sambandhiyon ko maarkar humlogon ko kya prasannata hogi? In aatataaiyon ko marne se to humen paap hi lagega.
English Translation
O Janardan, what joy would we gain by killing the sons of Dhritrashtra? Only evil would accrue to us by killing those malefactors.
Meaning
In the previous Shlok, we saw how Arjun stated that in the opposition were all his known people like his fathers, forefathers, father figures, grandfathers, and people equivalent to grandfathers, sons, sons of sons, fathers-in-law, sons-in-law, uncles, friends and a lot more people who did not deserve the hate that was rampant and no one had any inkling how this was going to stop or be curbed.
Thus, Arjun said to Shri Krishna that he was sure that he hated the evil-minded, fickle-brained Duryodhan and other relatives of Dhritrashtra, Duryodhan’s father, and yet, he was not interested in killing them. Arjun specified that he was not happy to think about the fact that he will be killing his own people and also making his own people kill their own people just because they are on the other end of the battle.
Arjun knew that he was tired of Kauravas and their ill-doings. He wanted to take an act of revenge and he was sure that revenge was the only possible option at that given point in time and yet, he hated how when revenge was so close to him, and he would definitely win, he hated himself for wanting revenge and hated the idea of repenting the aftermaths of revenge.
Arjun had no idea that he will be this petrified in the field of war because he was the bravest of the fighters and yet, when he understood that what he wanted was the death of his family members, he felt really bad and then he sure didn’t want to proceed even if these family members will give him more and more pains and problems by every passing day.
Arjun was known as the most strategically smart person because he was a person with great foresight. He could see things well in advance and plan accordingly. This was why he could aptly see that the end of the war will be devastating because right now, everyone is seething in some of the other pain revealing their anger and thus they are all eager to fight and vent it out. But as we all know, anger is only temporary but leaves a permanent strain of nothingness, thus, the person in anger should think thrice before acting upon it, so Arjun felt that this was only in a fit of rage that he wanted revenge.
Arjun said that he will keep remembering these people on occasions after they are lost and there will be nothing he will be able to do. He wanted a happy life but killing his family members, howsoever bad they are, will not give him a happy life.
Arjun debated that he wasn’t sure if killing these people is a good idea because if anything is not a happy ending, it is a wasted effort. And Arjun could see that it was difficult for him to cope with the imaginary loss of his loved ones, so in reality, it will be impossible for him in all regards.
Arjun said that he knew killing people is not a happy memory and it will haunt him forever because he will be the one who killed his family for his benefit and thus, he didn’t want to take that action. He was too scared to fail again at anything and fall in his own eyes this time.
Arjun also said that he will be committing a sin by killing his family and thus, he was not ready to take the onus of this upon himself because he was taught in his Gurukul, by Guru Dronacharya that the duty of a King and a leader is to protect their owns and not kill them. More so, since Arjun was a Kshatriya, the warrior, he was the official caste for protecting his people and he was about to do the opposite of what his Dharma allowed him to do, he was going to kill them and have them kill theirs.
Arjun thus denied killing anyone and he rather used the harshest of words to say this. He said that he was not interested in killing the Dhritrashtra’s sons and relatives because they hated him or he hated them. He did this because he knew that Dhritrashtra never considered them his own and thus, he never stopped Kauravas from being as bad and evil as they could be thus, this war was happening as a result of mindless hatred towards each other and acts of evil against each other.
Arjun called Duryodhan and team Ataataayi which meant those who do ill and evil for their sadistic pleasures. There are six actions that make a person fit to be called an Ataatayi:
- Creating Arson: Duryodhan and the team created a fire in the Lakshagrih, the palace they gifted the Pandavas with so that they are all burnt alive at night while they were sleeping but the Pandavas understood the game and they escaped somehow.
- Giving poison: Bimsen, the Pandava who was very fierce a warrior and a constant supporter of the Pandavas in their entire exile of 14 years because he was a true friend was given poison in water by cheating with him, and then his body was thrown to rot and decay in the water but somehow, his body could cope up with that because it got water and the curse of the poison reduced significantly.
- Killing with weapons: In the war, Duryodhan was ready to kill with a weapon and even before that, he did this and thus, he qualified for this one as well.
- Usurper of property: In the game of Chausar, Shakuni changed the dice to make the Pandavas lose and bet their kingdom and then eventually lose that too, which was cheating and usurping.
- Looting money: In a friendly dinner, betting the Pandavas for their entire wealth and then cheating them off it by ripping them off was the fifth sin, and Duryodhan easily qualified for this one as well
- Misbehaving with girl/ female/ lady: Forcing the Pandavas to bet their wife, Draupadi, and then when they lost her, kidnapping her and then molesting her in the entire courtroom full of people to make her respect equal to zero by insulting her and her existence which was carried put by Duryodhan and his brother Dushasan.
All these were the points that could make Duryodhan and his team candidates for being killed and there was no one who should feel bad about killing them.
Arjun believed in the policy of Ahinsa Parmo Dharma which meant that non-violence is the key and thus, if the person is killing a bad person also, they are breaking the code of non-violence and he didn’t want to do that so he preferred to keep his vengeance to himself and not make everyone a party to the same.
Arjun thought that he would never talk to his people but he was not happy killing them so he decided he will endure whatever has to come thereafter.
Conclusion
It is not always about how you can handle your own issues and feed your own ego. Sometimes, you need to know that some things are better left unattended and some other things are better dealt with in the most mature manner possible because there was no way that everything you desire can be done your way. Arjun wanted to get revenge and the moment the action to get revenge was to happen, he had a breaking down moment and now wanted to forfeit but things cannot be given up like such so he had to make the mature decision. Yet, the choice between ethics and character against like and need is very difficult to make and the opportunity cost of either one has to be justified with the results-oriented front the other one.
That's it in Shlok-36, Chapter-1 of Shrimad Bhagwat Geeta. We will see you tomorrow with Shlok-37, Chapter-1, Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta. Till then, catch up with Shlok-35, Chapter-1, and see us around again.
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