Commentaries from the Gurus

Chapter 1 • Verse 32

न काङ्क्षे विजयं कृष्ण न च राज्यं सुखानि च | किं नो राज्येन गोविन्द किं भोगैर्जीवितेन वा ||१-३२||

na kāṅkṣe vijayaṃ kṛṣṇa na ca rājyaṃ sukhāni ca . kiṃ no rājyena govinda kiṃ bhogairjīvitena vā ||1-32||

Expert Commentaries

🎙️ Swami Tejomayananda

Hindi Translation

।।1.32।।हे कृष्ण ! मैं न विजय चाहता हूँ, न राज्य और न सुखों को ही चाहता हूँ। हे गोविन्द ! हमें राज्य से अथवा भोगों से और जीने से भी क्या प्रयोजन है?।

🎙️ Swami Sivananda

English Translation

1.32. I desire not victory, O Krishna, nor kingdom, nor pleasures.
Of what avail is dominion to us, O Krishna, or pleasures or even life?

English Commentary

1.32 न not? काङ्क्षे (I) desire? विजयम् victory? कृष्ण O Krishna? न not? च and? राज्यम् kingdom? सुखानि pleasures? च and? किम् what? नः to us? राज्येन by kindom? गोविन्द O Govinda? किम् what? भोगैः by pleasures? जीवितेन life? वा or.No Commentary.

🎙️ Shri Purohit Swami

English Translation

1.32 Ah my Lord! I crave not for victory, nor for the kingdom, nor for any pleasure. What were a kingdom or happiness or life to me,

🎙️ Swami Chinmayananda

Hindi Commentary

।।1.32।। बुद्धि से पूर्णतया विलग होकर उसका भ्रमित मन एक पागल के समान इधरउधर दौड़ता है और मूर्खतापूर्ण निष्कर्षों पर पहुँचता है। वह कहता है मैं न विजय चाहता हूँ न राज्य और न सुख। यह सुविदित तथ्य है कि यदि उन्माद (हिस्टीरिया) के रोगी को बोलने दिया जाय तो वह निषेध भाषा में ही रोग का कारण बताने लगता है। उदाहरणार्थ किसी स्त्री पर उन्माद का दौरा पड़ने पर वह प्रलाप में कहती है कि वह अपने पति से अभी भी प्रेम करती है पति का वह आदर करती है और उनमें कोई आपसी मतभेद नहीं है इत्यादि तो इन वाक्यों द्वारा वह स्वयं ही अपने रोग का वास्तविक कारण बता रही होती है।इसी प्रकार अर्जुन यह जो सब वस्तुओं की अनिच्छा प्रकट कर रहा है उसी से हम उसकी मनस्थिति का स्पष्ट कारण जान सकते हैं कि वह विजय चाहता था। वह शीघ्र ही अपने एवं स्वजनों के लिये राज्य व सुख प्राप्त करने के लिये आतुर था। परन्तु कौरवों की विशाल सेना और उनमें जानेमाने शूर वीर योद्धाओं को देखकर उसकी आशा भंग हो गयी महत्त्वाकांक्षा ध्वस्त हो गयी और वह आत्मविश्वास भी खोने लगा। इस प्रकार वह धीरेधीरे अर्जुनरोग रूपी विषाद की स्थिति में पहुँच गया जिसके निवारण का विषय ही गीता का प्रतिपाद्य विषय है।

🎙️ Dr.S.Sankaranarayan

English Translation

1.32. For whose sake we seek kingdom, [its] pleasures and happiness, the very same persons stand arrayed to fight, giving up their life and wealth.

🎙️ Swami Adidevananda

English Translation

1.32 I desire no victory, nor empire, nor pleasures. What have we to do with empire, O Krsna, or enjoyment or even life ?

🎙️ Swami Gambirananda

English Translation

1.32 1.34 O Govinda! What need do we have of a kingdom, or what (need) of enjoyments and livelihood? Those for whom kingdom, enjoyments and pleasures ae desired by us, viz teachers, uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law as also relatives-those very ones stand arrayed for battle risking their lives and wealth.

🎙️ Sri Madhavacharya

Sanskrit Commentary

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

🎙️ Sri Anandgiri

Sanskrit Commentary

।।1.32।।प्राप्तानां युयुत्सूनां हिंसया विजयो राज्यं सुखानि च लब्धुं शक्यानीति कुतो युद्धादुपरतिरित्याशङ्क्याह न काङ्क्ष इति। किमिति राज्यादिकं सर्वाकाङ्क्षितत्वान्न काङ्क्ष्यते तेन हि पुत्रभ्रात्रादीनां स्वास्थ्यमाधातुं शक्यमित्याशङ्क्याह किमिति। राज्यादीनामाक्षेपे हेतुमाह येषामिति।

🎙️ Swami Ramsukhdas

Hindi Translation

।।1.32।। हे कृष्ण! मैं न तो विजय चाहता हूँ, न राज्य चाहता हूँ और न सुखों को ही चाहता हूँ। हे गोविन्द! हमलोगों को राज्य से क्या लाभ? भोगों से क्या लाभ? अथवा जीने से भी क्या लाभ?

Hindi Commentary

।।1.32।। व्याख्या--'न काङ्क्षे विजयं कृष्ण न च राज्यं सुखानि च'-- मान लें युद्धमें हमारी विजय हो जाय, तो विजय होनेसे पूरी पृथ्वीपर हमारा राज्य हो जायगा, अधिकार हो जायगा। पृथ्वीका राज्य मिलनेसे हमें अनेक प्रकारके सुख मिलेंगे। परन्तु इनमेंसे मैं कुछ भी नहीं चाहता अर्थात् मेरे मनमें विजय, राज्य एवं सुखोंकी कामना नहीं है।
'किं नो राज्येन गोविन्द किं भोगैर्जीवितेन वा'-- जब हमारे मनमें किसी प्रकारकी (विजय, राज्य और सुखकी) कामना ही नहीं है, तो फिर कितना ही बड़ा राज्य क्यों न मिल जाय, पर उससे हमें क्या लाभ? कितने ही सुन्दर-सुन्दर भोग मिल जायँ, पर उनसे हमें क्या लाभ? अथवा कुटुम्बियोंको मारकर हम राज्यके सुख भोगते हुए कितने ही वर्ष जीते रहें, पर उससे भी हमें क्या लाभ? तात्पर्य है कि ये विजय, राज्य और भोग तभी सुख दे सकते हैं, जब भीतरमें इनकी कामना हो, प्रियता हो, महत्त्व हो। परन्तु हमारे भीतर तो इनकी कामना ही नहीं है। अतः ये हमें क्या सुख दे सकते हैं? इन कुटुम्बियोंको मारकर हमारी जीनेकी इच्छा नहीं है; क्योंकि जब हमारे कुटुम्बी मर जायँगे, तब ये राज्य और भोग किसके काम आयेंगे? राज्य, भोग आदि तो कुटुम्बके लिये होते हैं, पर जब ये ही मर जायँगे, तब इनको कौन भोगेगा? भोगनेकी बात तो दूर रही, उलटे हमें और अधिक चिन्ता, शोक होंगे!सम्बन्ध-- अर्जुन विजय आदि क्यों नहीं चाहते, इसका हेतु आगेके श्लोकमें बताते 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

।।1.32।।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

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

Hindi Translation

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

Sanskrit Commentary

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

🎙️ Sri Jayatritha

Sanskrit Commentary

।।1.32।।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

।।1.32।।ननु माभूददृष्टं प्रयोजनं दृष्टप्रयोजनानि तु विजयो राज्यं सुखानि च निर्विवादानीत्यत आह पूर्वत्र सुखं परतः फलाकाङ्क्षा ह्युपायप्रवृत्तौ कारणम्। अतस्तदाकाङ्क्षाया अभावात्तदुपाये युद्धे भोजनेच्छाविरहिण इव पाकादौ मम प्रवृत्तिरनुपपन्नेत्यर्थः। कुतः पुनरितरपुरुषैरिष्यमाणेषु तेषु तवानिच्छेत्यत आह किं न इति। भोगैः सुखैर्जीवितेन जीवितसाधनेन विजयेनेत्यर्थः। विना राज्यं भोगान् कौरवविजयं च वने निवसतामस्माकं तेनैव जगति श्लाघनीयजीवितानां किमेभिराकाङ्क्षितैरिति भावः। गोशब्दवाच्यानीन्द्रियाण्यधिष्ठानतया नित्यं प्राप्तस्त्वमेव ममैहिकफलविरागं जानासीति सूचयन्संबोधयति गोविन्देति। राज्यादीनामाक्षेपे हेतुमाह एतेन स्वस्य वैराग्येऽपि स्वीयानामर्थे यतनीयमित्यपास्तम्। एकाकिनो हि राज्याद्यनपेक्षितमेव। येषां तु बन्धूनामर्थे तदपेक्षितं त एते प्राणान्प्राणाशां धनानि धनाशां च त्यक्त्वा युद्धेऽवस्थिता इति न स्वार्थः स्वीयार्थो वायं प्रयत्न इति भावः। भोगशब्दः पूर्वत्र सुखपरतया निर्दिष्टोऽप्यत्र पृथक्सुखग्रहणात्सुखसाधनविषयपरः।

🎙️ Sri Sridhara Swami

Sanskrit Commentary

।।1.32।। विजयादिकं फलं किं न पश्यसीति चेत्तत्राह न काङ्क्ष इति। एतदेव प्रपञ्चयति किं न इति सार्धाभ्याम्। यदर्थमस्माकं राज्यादिकमपेक्षितं त एते प्राणधनानि त्यक्त्वा त्यागमङ्गीकृत्य युद्धार्थमवस्थिताः। अतः किमस्माकं राज्यादिभिः कृत्यमित्यर्थः।

🎙️ Sri Dhanpati

Sanskrit Commentary

।।1.32।।ननु युद्धेन शत्रूञ्जित्वा विजयराज्यादिश्रेयसो लाभस्यावश्यंभावात्किमिति नच श्रेयोऽनु पश्यामीत्युच्यते त्वयेति तत्राह न काङ्क्षे इति। हे कृष्णेति संबोधयन्वासुदेवे मनो यस्य जपहोमार्चनादिषु। तस्यान्तरायो मैत्रेयदेवेन्द्रत्वादिकं फलम्।। इति वचनात्स्वभक्त्यन्तरायात्मकस्य विजयराज्यादेः कर्षित्वमेव भक्तस्योपरि तवानुग्रहःयस्यानुग्रहमिच्छामि तस्य वित्तं हराभ्यहम् इति भगवद्वचनात्। तस्माद्विजयादेर्भवद्भक्त्यन्तरायत्वमालोच्यापि। तन्न काङ्क्ष इति ध्वनयति। ननु भवतां भागवतानां स्वार्थे विषये विरक्तानां मास्तु स्वार्थे विजयाद्याकाङ्क्षा स्वसंबन्धिनामर्थे तु तदाकाङ्क्षा युक्तेत्याशङ्क्य येषामर्थे विजयादिकमपेक्षितं ते त्वत्र मरिष्यन्तीति किमस्माकं पाण्डवानां तेनेत्याह किमित्यादि सार्धद्वयेन। नोऽस्माकं राज्येन किम्। तज्जन्य भोगैर्जीवितेन वा किम्। न किमपीत्यर्थः। राज्याद्यपेक्षया वने निवसतामस्माकं कन्दमूलादिना जीवनं स्वजनरक्षणं वरम्। यतः सर्वप्रकारेण स्वबन्धुरक्षणं कर्तव्यमिति स्वजनरक्षणेन लब्धगोविन्दनामा जगद्गुरुस्त्वमेव गोविन्दनाम्ना शंससीति ध्वनयन्संबोधयति हे गोविन्देति। गोशब्दावाच्यानीन्द्रियाण्यधिष्ठानतया नित्यं प्राप्तस्त्वमेव ममैहिकफलविरागं जानासीति संबोधनाशय इति केचित्।

🎙️ Vedantadeshikacharya Venkatanatha

Sanskrit Commentary

।। 1.32।।No commentary.

🎙️ Sri Purushottamji

Sanskrit Commentary

।।1.32।।तद्विनाऽहं विजयं राज्यं च न काङ्क्षे तज्जनितानि सुखान्यपि। चकारेण भक्तावपि सुखानि न काङ्क्षे यतो भगवत्तोषहेतुस्ताप एवेति भावः। पुनर्विस्तरेण तदाकाङ्क्षित्वाभावः प्रपञ्चयति किं नो राज्येनेति। नः राज्येन किं भोगैर्वा किं जीवितेन वा किं हे गोविन्द त्वां विना एतैर्न किञ्चित्प्रयोजनमस्माकमिति भावः। गोविन्देति सम्बोधनेन यथा व्रजवासिनां त्वमिन्द्रो भूत्वा सुखभोगं कारितवान् तथैव भक्तानामुचितमिति भावो ज्ञाप्यते।

🎙️ Sri Neelkanth

Sanskrit Commentary

।। 1.32निमित्तानि लोकक्षयकराणि भूमिकम्पादीनि।

🎙️ A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

English Translation

O Govinda, of what avail to us are a kingdom, happiness or even life itself

English Commentary

Arjuna has addressed Lord Kṛṣṇa as Govinda because Kṛṣṇa is the object of all pleasures for cows and the senses. By using this significant word, Arjuna indicates that Kṛṣṇa 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. This is a typical calculation of material life. The transcendental life, however, is different. Since a devotee wants to satisfy the desires of the Lord, he can, Lord willing, accept all kinds of opulence for the service of the Lord, and if the Lord is not willing, he should not accept a farthing. Arjuna did not want to kill his relatives, and if there were any need to kill them, he desired that Kṛṣṇa kill them personally. At this point he did not know that Kṛṣṇa had already killed them before their coming into the battlefield and that he was only to become an instrument for Kṛṣṇa. This fact is disclosed in following chapters. As a natural devotee of the Lord, Arjuna did not like to retaliate against his miscreant cousins and brothers, but it was the Lord’s plan that they should all be killed. The devotee of the Lord does not retaliate against the wrongdoer, but the Lord does not tolerate any mischief done to the devotee by the miscreants. The Lord can excuse a person on His own account, but He excuses no one who has done harm to His devotees. Therefore the Lord was determined to kill the miscreants, although Arjuna wanted to excuse them.