Commentaries from the Gurus

Chapter 1 • Verse 31

निमित्तानि च पश्यामि विपरीतानि केशव | न च श्रेयोऽनुपश्यामि हत्वा स्वजनमाहवे ||१-३१||

nimittāni ca paśyāmi viparītāni keśava . na ca śreyo.anupaśyāmi hatvā svajanamāhave ||1-31||

Expert Commentaries

🎙️ Swami Tejomayananda

Hindi Translation

।।1.31।।हे केशव ! मैं शकुनों को भी विपरीत ही देख रहा हूँ और युद्ध में (आहवे) अपने स्वजनों को मारकर कोई कल्याण भी नहीं देखता हूँ।

🎙️ Swami Sivananda

English Translation

1.31. And I see adverse omens, O Kesava. I do not see any good
in killing my kinsmen in battle.

English Commentary

1.31 निमित्तानि omens? च and? पश्यामि I see? विपरीतानि adverse? केशव O Kesava? न not? च and? श्रेयः good? अनुपश्यामि (I) see? हत्वा killing? स्वजनम् our peope? आहवे in battle.Commentary Kesava means he who has fine or luxuriant hair.

🎙️ Shri Purohit Swami

English Translation

1.31 The omens are adverse; what good can come from the slaughter of my people on this battlefield?

🎙️ Swami Chinmayananda

Hindi Commentary

।।1.31।। No commentary.

🎙️ Dr.S.Sankaranarayan

English Translation

1.31. O Govinda! Of what use in the kingdom to us? Of what use are the pleasures [thereof] and the life even?

🎙️ Swami Adidevananda

English Translation

1.31 I see, Krsna, inauspicious omens. I foresee no good in killing my kinsmen in the fight.

🎙️ Swami Gambirananda

English Translation

1.31 Besides, I do not see any good (to be derived) from killing my own people in battle. O Krsna, I do not hanker after victory, nor even a kingdom nor pleasures.

🎙️ Sri Madhavacharya

Sanskrit Commentary

।।1.31।।Sri Madhvacharya did not comment on this sloka. The commentary starts from 2.11.

🎙️ Sri Anandgiri

Sanskrit Commentary

।।1.31।।युद्धे स्वजनहिंसया फलानुपलम्भादपि तस्मादुपरिरंसा जायत इत्याह न चेति।

🎙️ Swami Ramsukhdas

Hindi Translation

।।1.31।। हे केशव! मैं लक्षणों - (शकुनों) को भी विपरीत देख रहा हूँ और युद्ध में स्वजनोंको मारकर श्रेय (लाभ) भी नहीं देख रहा हूँ।

Hindi Commentary

।।1.31।। व्याख्या--'निमित्तानि च पश्यामि विपरीतानि केशव'--हे केशव! मैं शकुनोंको (टिप्पणी प0 22.2) भी विपरीत ही देख रहा हूँ। तात्पर्य है कि किसी भी कार्यके आरम्भमें मनमें जितना अधिक उत्साह (हर्ष) होता है, वह उत्साह उस कार्यको उतना ही सिद्ध करनेवाला होता है। परन्तु अगर कार्यके आरम्भमें ही उत्साह भङ्ग हो जाता है, मनमें संकल्प-विकल्प ठीक नहीं होते, तो उस कार्यका परिणाम अच्छा नहीं होता। इसी भावसे अर्जुन कह रहे हैं कि अभी मेरे शरीरमें अवयवोंका शिथिल होना, कम्प होना, मुखका सूखना आदि जो लक्षण हो रहे हैं, ये व्यक्तिगत शकुन भी ठीक नहीं हो रहे हैं (टिप्पणी प0 22.3) इसके सिवाय आकाशसे उल्कापात होना, असमयमें ग्रहण लगना, भूकम्प होना, पशु-पक्षियोंका भयंकर बोली बोलना, चन्द्रमाके काले चिह्नका मिट-सा जाना, बादलोंसे रक्तकी वर्षा होना आदि जो पहले शकुन हुए हैं, वे भी ठीक नहीं हुए हैं। इस तरह अभीके और पहलेके--इन दोनों शकुनोंकी ओर देखता हूँ, तो मेरेको ये दोनों ही शकुन विपरीत अर्थात् भावी अनिष्टके सूचक दीखते हैं।
'न च श्रेयोऽनुपश्यामि हत्वा स्वजनमाहवे'--युद्धमें अपने कुटुम्बियोंको मारनेसे हमें कोई लाभ होगा--ऐसी बात भी नहीं है। इस युद्धके परिणाममें हमारे लिये लोक और परलोक--दोनों ही हितकारक नहीं दीखते। कारण कि जो अपने कुलका नाश करता है, वह अत्यन्त पापी होता है। अतः कुलका नाश करनेसे हमें पाप ही लगेगा ,जिससे नरकोंकी प्राप्ति होगी।

इस श्लोकमें 'निमित्तानि पश्यामि' और 'श्रेयः अनुपश्यामि'--(टिप्पणी प0 23) इन दोनों वाक्योंसे अर्जुन यह कहना चाहते हैं कि मैं शुकुनोंको देखूँ अथवा स्वयं विचार करूँ, दोनों ही रीतिसे युद्धका आरम्भ और उसका परिणाम हमारे लिये और संसारमात्रके लिये हितकारक नहीं दीखता।

सम्बन्ध-- जिसमें न तो शुभ शकुन दीखते हैं और न श्रेय ही दीखता है, ऐसी अनिष्टकारक विजयको प्राप्त करनेकी अनिच्छा अर्जुन आगेके श्लोकमें प्रकट करते हैं।

🎙️ Sri Ramanuja

English Translation

1.26 - 1.47 Arjuna said - Sanjaya said Sanjaya continued: The high-minded Arjuna, extremely kind, deeply friendly, and supremely righteous, having brothers like himself, though repeatedly deceived by the treacherous attempts of your people like burning in the lac-house etc., and therefore fit to be killed by him with the help of the Supreme Person, nevertheless said, 'I will not fight.'

He felt weak, overcome as he was by his love and extreme compassion for his relatives. He was also filled with fear, not knowing what was righteous and what unrighteous. His mind was tortured by grief, because of the thought of future separation from his relations. So he threw away his bow and arrow and sat on the chariot as if to fast to death.

Sanskrit Commentary

।।1.31।।अर्जुन उवाच संजय उवाच स तु पार्थो महामनाः परमकारुणिको दीर्घबन्धुः परमधार्मिकः सभ्रातृको भवद्भिः अतिघोरैः मारणैः जतुगृहादिभिः असकृद् वञ्चितः अपि परमपुरुषसहायः अपि हनिष्यमाणान् भवदीयान् विलोक्य बन्धुस्नेहेन परमया च कृपया धर्माधर्मभयेन च अतिमात्रस्विन्नसर्वगात्रः सर्वथा अहं न योत्स्यामि इति उक्त्वा बन्धुविश्लेषजनितशोकसंविग्नमानसः सशरं चापं विसृज्य रथोपस्थे उपाविशत्।

🎙️ Sri Abhinav Gupta

English Translation

1.30 1.34 Na ca sreyah, etc., upto mahikrte. Those who are wrongly conceived as object of slaying, with the individualizing idea that 'these are my teachers etc.'8 would necessarily generate sin. Similarly, the act of slaying even of those deserving to be slain in the battle-if undertaken with the idea that 'This battle is to be fought for the apparent results like pleasures, happiness etc.'- then it generates sin necessarily. This idea lurks in the objection [of Arjuna]. That is why a reply is going to be given [by Bhagavat] as 'You must undertake actions simply as your own duty, and not with an individualizing idea'.

Sanskrit Commentary

।।1.30 1.34।।न च श्रेयोऽनुपश्यामीत्यादि। अमी आचार्यदयः इति विशेषबुद्ध्या ( N शेषबुद्ध्या) बुद्धौ आरोप्यमाणाः वधकर्मतया अवश्यं पापदायिनः। तथा भोगसुखादिदृष्टार्थमेतद्युद्धं क्रियते इति बुद्ध्या क्रियमाणं युद्धे (S युद्धेषु वध्य K युद्धेष्ववध्य ) वध्यहननादि तदवश्यं पातककारि इति पूर्वपक्षाभिप्रायः। अत एव स्वधर्ममात्रतयैव कर्माणि अनुतिष्ठ न विशेषधियेति उत्तरं दास्यते।

🎙️ Sri Shankaracharya

English Translation

1.31 Sri Sankaracharya did not comment on this sloka. The commentary starts from 2.10.

Hindi Translation

।।1.31।।Sri Sankaracharya did not comment on this sloka.

Sanskrit Commentary

1.31 Sri Sankaracharya did not comment on this sloka. The commentary starts from 2.10.

🎙️ Sri Jayatritha

Sanskrit Commentary

।।1.31।।Sri Jayatirtha did not comment on this sloka. The commentary starts from 2.11.

🎙️ Sri Vallabhacharya

Sanskrit Commentary

।।1.31 1.33।।Sri Vallabhacharya did not comment on this sloka.

🎙️ Sri Madhusudan Saraswati

Sanskrit Commentary

।।1.31।।केशवपदेन च केश्यादिदुष्टदैत्यनिबर्हणेन सर्वदा भक्तान्पालयसीत्यतो मामपि शोकनिवारणेन पालयिष्यसीति सूचितम्। एंव लिङ्गद्वारेण समीचीनप्रवृत्तिहेतुभूतत्त्वज्ञानप्रतिबन्धकीभूतं शोकमुक्त्वा संप्रति तत्कारितां विपरीतप्रवृत्तिहेतुभूतां विपरीतबुद्धिं दर्शयति श्रेयः पुरूषार्थं दृष्टमदृष्टं वा बहुविचारणादनु पश्चादपि न पश्यामि। अस्वजनमपि युद्धे हत्वा श्रेयो न पश्यामि।द्वाविमौ पुरूषौ लोके सूर्यमण्डलमेदिनौ। परिव्राड्योगयुक्तश्च रणे चाभिमुखो हतः।। इत्यादिना हतस्यैव श्रेयोविशेषाभिधानाद्धन्तुस्तु न किंचित्सुकृतम्। एवमस्वजनवधेऽपि श्रेयसोऽभावे स्वजनवधे सुतरां तदभाव इति ज्ञापयितुं स्वजनमित्युक्तम्। एवमनाहववधे श्रेयो नास्तीति सिद्धसाधनवारणायाहव इत्युक्तम्।

🎙️ Sri Sridhara Swami

Sanskrit Commentary

।।1.31।। किंच न चेति। स्वजनं आहवे युद्धे हत्वा श्रेयः फलं न पश्यामि।

🎙️ Sri Dhanpati

Sanskrit Commentary

।।1.31।।विपरीतनिमित्तप्रवृत्तेरपि मोहो भवतीत्याह निमित्तानीति। निमित्तानि च विपरीतानि वामनेत्रस्फुरणादीनि पश्यामि। तथाचास्मन्निमित्तः स्वजननाशो भविष्यति नतु केश्यादिमारणेन भवता यथा स्वजनः पालितः तथा स्वजनरक्षणमिति सूचयन्संबोधयति हे केशवेति। अहमनात्मवित्त्वेन दुःखित्वाच्छोकनिबन्धनं क्लेशमनुभवामि त्वं तु सदानन्दरुपत्वाच्छोकासंसर्गीति कृष्णपदेन सूचितम्। अतः स्वजनदर्शने तुल्येऽपि शोकासंसर्गित्वलक्षणाद्विशेषात्त्वं मामशोकं कुर्विति भावः। केवपदेन च तत्करणसामर्थ्यं केशौ ब्रह्मरुद्रौ वात्यनुकम्प्यतया गच्छतीति तद्य्वत्पत्तेः। भक्तदुःखकर्षित्वं वा कृष्णपदेनोक्तम्। केशवपदेन च केश्यादिदुष्टनिबर्हणेन सर्वदा भक्तान्पालयसीत्यतो मामपि शोकनिवारणेन पालयिष्यसीति सूचितमिति केचित्। इदानीं शोकमोहाविष्टचित्तः स्वधर्मेऽधर्मतां निष्प्रयोजनतां चोरोपयन्नाह नचेति। आहवे युद्धभूमौ स्वजनं स्वबन्धुवर्गं हत्वा अनु पश्चाच्छ्रेयो न पश्यामि। अतो निष्फलाया बन्धुहिंसाया अधर्मनिमित्ताया निवृत्तिरेव युक्तेति भावः।

🎙️ Vedantadeshikacharya Venkatanatha

Sanskrit Commentary

।।1.31।।No commentary.

🎙️ Sri Purushottamji

Sanskrit Commentary

।।1.31।।तदेवाह न चेति। स्वजनमाहवे सङ्ग्रामे हत्वा अनु पश्चात् श्रेयो न पश्यामि। श्रेयो भगवत्कृपात्मिकां भक्तिमित्यर्थः। अत एवं भगवतोक्तम्. तस्मान्मद्भक्तियुक्तस्य योगिनो वै मदात्मनः। न ज्ञानं. न च वैराग्यं प्रायः श्रेयो भवेदिह भाग.11।20।31 इति।

🎙️ Sri Neelkanth

Sanskrit Commentary

।।1.31।।निमित्तानि लोकक्षयकराणि भूमिकम्पादीनि।

🎙️ A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

English Translation

I do not see how any good can come from killing my own kinsmen in this battle, nor can I, my dear Kṛṣṇa, desire any subsequent victory, kingdom or happiness.

English Commentary

Without knowing that one’s self-interest is in Viṣṇu (or Kṛṣṇa), conditioned souls are attracted by bodily relationships, hoping to be happy in such situations. In such a blind conception of life, they forget even the causes of material happiness. Arjuna appears to have even forgotten the moral codes for a kṣatriya. It is said that two kinds of men, namely the kṣatriya who dies directly in front of the battlefield under Kṛṣṇa’s personal orders and the person in the renounced order of life who is absolutely devoted to spiritual culture, are eligible to enter into the sun globe, which is so powerful and dazzling. Arjuna is reluctant even to kill his enemies, let alone his relatives. He thinks that by killing his kinsmen there would be no happiness in his life, and therefore he is not willing to fight, just as a person who does not feel hunger is not inclined to cook. He has now decided to go into the forest and live a secluded life in frustration. But as a kṣatriya, he requires a kingdom for his subsistence, because the kṣatriyas cannot engage themselves in any other occupation. But Arjuna has no kingdom. Arjuna’s sole opportunity for gaining a kingdom lies in fighting with his cousins and brothers and reclaiming the kingdom inherited from his father, which he does not like to do. Therefore he considers himself fit to go to the forest to live a secluded life of frustration.