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Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1* Literally, according to the commentators, ‘lord of the senses of perception.’ “ Schlegel renders the names of these conchs by Gigantea, Theodotes, Arundinea, Triumphatrix, Dulcisona, and Gemmifiorea respectively, * So called, par excellence, apparently. CHAPTER I, 24. 39 tavigaya, and Nakula and Sahadeva (respectively) the Sughosha and Maxipushpaka. And the king of Kast, too, who has an excellent bow, and Sikhazdin, the master of a great car, and Dhr¢sh¢adyumna, Virdéa, and the unconquered Satyaki, and Drupada, and the sons of Draupadi, and the son of Subhadr4, of mighty arms, blew conchs severally from all sides, O king of the earth! That tumultuous din rent the hearts of all (the people) of Dhv#tardshéra's (party), causing reverberations throughout heaven and earth. Then seeing .(the people of) Dhvtarash/ra’s party regularly marshalled, the son of Paxdu, whose standard is the ape, raised his bow’, after the discharge of missiles had commenced, and O king of the earth! spake these words to H7ishikesa: ‘O undegraded one! station my chariot between the two armies, while I observe those, who stand here desirous to engage in battle, and with whom, in the labours of this struggle, I must do battle. I will observe those who are assembled here and who are about to engage in battle, wishing to do service in battle? to the evil-minded son of DhritarAsh/éra.’ Safigaya said: Thus addressed by Guddkesa*, O descendant of Bharata‘! Hrishikesa stationed that excellent chariot between the two armies, in front of Bhishma ' Le. to join in the fight. * In the original, several derivatives from the root yudh, meaning ‘to fight, occur with the same frequency as ‘battle’ here. * Generally interpreted ‘lord of sleep,’ i.e. not indolent. Niilakantha also suggests, that it may mean ‘of thick hair.’ * The son of Dushyanta and Sakuntala, after whom India is called ‘ Bhfratavarsha,’ and from whom both Pandavas and Kauravas were descended. 40 BHAGAVADGITA. and Droaa and of all the kings of the earth, and said: ‘O son of Pritha! look at these assembled Kauravas. There the son of Pv:th4 saw in both armies, fathers and grandfathers, preceptors, maternal uncles, brothers, sons', grandsons, companions, fathers-in-law, as well as friends. And seeing all those kinsmen standing (there), the son of Kuntt was overcome by excessive pity, and spake thus despondingly. Arguna said:
2And seeing all those kinsmen standing (there), the son of Kuntt was overcome by excessive pity, and spake thus despondingly. Arguna said: Seeing these kinsmen,"O Krishna ! standing (here) anxious to engage in battle, my limbs droop down ; my mouth is quite dried up; a tremor comes over my body; and my hairs stand on end; the Gandiva (bow) slips from my hand; my skin burns intensely. I am unable, too, to stand up; my mind whirls round, as it were; O Kesava! I see adverse omens?; and | do not perceive any good (likely to accrue) after killing (my) kinsmen in the battle. I do not wish for victory, O Krzshza! nor sovereignty, nor pleasures: what is sovereignty to us, O Govinda ! what enjoyments, and even life? Even those, for whose sake we desire sovereignty, enjoyments, and pleasures, are standing here for battle, abandoning life and wealth—preceptors, fathers, sons as well as grandfathers, maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law, as also (other) relatives. These I do not wish to kill, though they kill (me), O destroyer of Madhu! even for the sake of sovereignty over * The words in this list include all standing in similar -relationships to those directly signified. * Such as the appearance of vultures, cars moving without horses, &c., mentioned in the Bhishma Parvan II,17. Cf.Sutta Nipata, p. 100. > A demon of this name. CHAPTER I, 44. 4! the three worlds, how much less then for this earth (alone) ?. What joy shall be ours, O Gan4rdana ! after killing Dhvrztarashéra’s sons? Killing these felons } we shall only incur sin. Therefore it is not proper for us to kill our own kinsmen, the sons of DhrstarAsh/ra. For how, O Madhava! shall we be happy after killing our own relatives? Although they have their consciences corrupted by avarice, they do not see the evils flowing from the extinction of a family, and the sin in treachery to friends; still, O Gan4rdana ! should not we, who do see the evils flowing from the extinction of a family, learn to refrain from that sin? On the extinction of a family, the eternal rites of families are destroyed*. Those rites being destroyed, impiety predominates over the whole family*. In consequence of the predominance of impiety, O Krishaa! the women of the family become corrupt ‘; and the women becoming corrupt, O descendant of Vrishai! intermingling of castes results; that intermingling necessarily leads the family and the destroyers of the family to hell ; for when the ceremonies of (offering) the balls of food and water (to them) fail ®, their ancestors fall down (to hell). By these transgressions of the destroyers of families, which occasion interminglings of castes, the eternal rites of castes and rites of families are ' Six classes are mentioned: an incendiary ; one who administers porson; one who assaults another—weapon in hand; one who destroys property ; one who robs another of his wife ; or his fields. * L.e.there being none to attend tothe ‘rites, women being ineligible.
3* L.e.there being none to attend tothe ‘rites, women being ineligible. > Le. the surviving members. * Le. either by the mere fact of relationship to such men, or by following their bad example. * There being no qualified person to perform them; ‘their ancestors '—that is to say, of the ‘ destroyers of families.’ 42 BHAGAVADGITA. subverted. And O Ganardana! we have heard that men whose family-rites are subverted, must necessarily live in hell. Alas! we are engaged in committing a heinous sin, seeing that we are making efforts for killing our own kinsmen out of greed of the pleasures of sovereignty. If the sons of Dhrtarash/ra, weapon in hand, were to kill me in battle, me being weaponless and not defending (myself), that would be better for me. Sayigaya said: Having spoken thus, Arguna cast aside his bow together with the arrows, on the battle-field, and sat down in (his) chariot, with a mind agitated by grief. Cnapter II. Sayigaya said: To him, who was thus overcome with pity, and dejected, and whose eyes were full of tears and turbid, the destroyer of Madhu spoke these words. The Deity said: How (comes it that) this delusion, O Arguna! which is discarded by the good, which excludes from heaven, and occasions infamy, has overtaken you in this (place of) peril? Be not effeminate, O son of Pritha! it is not worthy of you. Cast off this base weakness of heart, and arise, O terror of (your) foes! Arguna said: How, O destroyer of Madhu! shall I encounter with arrows in the battle Bhishma and Droma— both, O destroyer of enemies! entitled to reverence ? CHAPTER II, II. 43 Without killing (my) preceptors—(men) of great glory—it is better to live even on alms in this world. But if killing them, though they are avaricious of worldly goods, I should only enjoy bloodtainted enjoyments. Nor do we know which of the two is better for us—whether that we should vanquish them, or that they should vanquish us. Even those, whom having killed, we do not wish to live—even those sons of Dhvetardshé/ra stand (arrayed) against us. With a heart contaminated by the taint of helplessness’, with a mind confounded about my duty, I ask you. Tell me what is assuredly good for me. I am your disciple; instruct me, who have thrown myself on your (indulgence). For I do not perceive what is to dispel that grief which will dry up my organs? after I shall have obtained a prosperous kingdom on earth without a foe, or even the sovereignty of the gods*. Safigaya said: Having spoken thus to Hvishtkesa, O terror of (your) foes! Gudakesa said to Govinda, ‘I shall not engage in battle;’ and verily remained silent. To him thus desponding between the two armies, O descendant of Bharata! Hvrishtkesa spoke these words with a slight smile. The Deity said: You have grieved for those who deserve no grief,
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1* Literally, according to the commentators, ‘lord of the senses of perception.’ “ Schlegel renders the names of these conchs by Gigantea, Theodotes, Arundinea, Triumphatrix, Dulcisona, and Gemmifiorea respectively, * So called, par excellence, apparently. CHAPTER I, 24. 39 tavigaya, and Nakula and Sahadeva (respectively) the Sughosha and Maxipushpaka. And the king of Kast, too, who has an excellent bow, and Sikhazdin, the master of a great car, and Dhr¢sh¢adyumna, Virdéa, and the unconquered Satyaki, and Drupada, and the sons of Draupadi, and the son of Subhadr4, of mighty arms, blew conchs severally from all sides, O king of the earth! That tumultuous din rent the hearts of all (the people) of Dhv#tardshéra's (party), causing reverberations throughout heaven and earth. Then seeing .(the people of) Dhvtarash/ra’s party regularly marshalled, the son of Paxdu, whose standard is the ape, raised his bow’, after the discharge of missiles had commenced, and O king of the earth! spake these words to H7ishikesa: ‘O undegraded one! station my chariot between the two armies, while I observe those, who stand here desirous to engage in battle, and with whom, in the labours of this struggle, I must do battle. I will observe those who are assembled here and who are about to engage in battle, wishing to do service in battle? to the evil-minded son of DhritarAsh/éra.’ Safigaya said: Thus addressed by Guddkesa*, O descendant of Bharata‘! Hrishikesa stationed that excellent chariot between the two armies, in front of Bhishma ' Le. to join in the fight. * In the original, several derivatives from the root yudh, meaning ‘to fight, occur with the same frequency as ‘battle’ here. * Generally interpreted ‘lord of sleep,’ i.e. not indolent. Niilakantha also suggests, that it may mean ‘of thick hair.’ * The son of Dushyanta and Sakuntala, after whom India is called ‘ Bhfratavarsha,’ and from whom both Pandavas and Kauravas were descended. 40 BHAGAVADGITA. and Droaa and of all the kings of the earth, and said: ‘O son of Pritha! look at these assembled Kauravas. There the son of Pv:th4 saw in both armies, fathers and grandfathers, preceptors, maternal uncles, brothers, sons', grandsons, companions, fathers-in-law, as well as friends. And seeing all those kinsmen standing (there), the son of Kuntt was overcome by excessive pity, and spake thus despondingly. Arguna said:
2And seeing all those kinsmen standing (there), the son of Kuntt was overcome by excessive pity, and spake thus despondingly. Arguna said: Seeing these kinsmen,"O Krishna ! standing (here) anxious to engage in battle, my limbs droop down ; my mouth is quite dried up; a tremor comes over my body; and my hairs stand on end; the Gandiva (bow) slips from my hand; my skin burns intensely. I am unable, too, to stand up; my mind whirls round, as it were; O Kesava! I see adverse omens?; and | do not perceive any good (likely to accrue) after killing (my) kinsmen in the battle. I do not wish for victory, O Krzshza! nor sovereignty, nor pleasures: what is sovereignty to us, O Govinda ! what enjoyments, and even life? Even those, for whose sake we desire sovereignty, enjoyments, and pleasures, are standing here for battle, abandoning life and wealth—preceptors, fathers, sons as well as grandfathers, maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law, as also (other) relatives. These I do not wish to kill, though they kill (me), O destroyer of Madhu! even for the sake of sovereignty over * The words in this list include all standing in similar -relationships to those directly signified. * Such as the appearance of vultures, cars moving without horses, &c., mentioned in the Bhishma Parvan II,17. Cf.Sutta Nipata, p. 100. > A demon of this name. CHAPTER I, 44. 4! the three worlds, how much less then for this earth (alone) ?. What joy shall be ours, O Gan4rdana ! after killing Dhvrztarashéra’s sons? Killing these felons } we shall only incur sin. Therefore it is not proper for us to kill our own kinsmen, the sons of DhrstarAsh/ra. For how, O Madhava! shall we be happy after killing our own relatives? Although they have their consciences corrupted by avarice, they do not see the evils flowing from the extinction of a family, and the sin in treachery to friends; still, O Gan4rdana ! should not we, who do see the evils flowing from the extinction of a family, learn to refrain from that sin? On the extinction of a family, the eternal rites of families are destroyed*. Those rites being destroyed, impiety predominates over the whole family*. In consequence of the predominance of impiety, O Krishaa! the women of the family become corrupt ‘; and the women becoming corrupt, O descendant of Vrishai! intermingling of castes results; that intermingling necessarily leads the family and the destroyers of the family to hell ; for when the ceremonies of (offering) the balls of food and water (to them) fail ®, their ancestors fall down (to hell). By these transgressions of the destroyers of families, which occasion interminglings of castes, the eternal rites of castes and rites of families are ' Six classes are mentioned: an incendiary ; one who administers porson; one who assaults another—weapon in hand; one who destroys property ; one who robs another of his wife ; or his fields. * L.e.there being none to attend tothe ‘rites, women being ineligible.
3* L.e.there being none to attend tothe ‘rites, women being ineligible. > Le. the surviving members. * Le. either by the mere fact of relationship to such men, or by following their bad example. * There being no qualified person to perform them; ‘their ancestors '—that is to say, of the ‘ destroyers of families.’ 42 BHAGAVADGITA. subverted. And O Ganardana! we have heard that men whose family-rites are subverted, must necessarily live in hell. Alas! we are engaged in committing a heinous sin, seeing that we are making efforts for killing our own kinsmen out of greed of the pleasures of sovereignty. If the sons of Dhrtarash/ra, weapon in hand, were to kill me in battle, me being weaponless and not defending (myself), that would be better for me. Sayigaya said: Having spoken thus, Arguna cast aside his bow together with the arrows, on the battle-field, and sat down in (his) chariot, with a mind agitated by grief. Cnapter II. Sayigaya said: To him, who was thus overcome with pity, and dejected, and whose eyes were full of tears and turbid, the destroyer of Madhu spoke these words. The Deity said: How (comes it that) this delusion, O Arguna! which is discarded by the good, which excludes from heaven, and occasions infamy, has overtaken you in this (place of) peril? Be not effeminate, O son of Pritha! it is not worthy of you. Cast off this base weakness of heart, and arise, O terror of (your) foes! Arguna said: How, O destroyer of Madhu! shall I encounter with arrows in the battle Bhishma and Droma— both, O destroyer of enemies! entitled to reverence ? CHAPTER II, II. 43 Without killing (my) preceptors—(men) of great glory—it is better to live even on alms in this world. But if killing them, though they are avaricious of worldly goods, I should only enjoy bloodtainted enjoyments. Nor do we know which of the two is better for us—whether that we should vanquish them, or that they should vanquish us. Even those, whom having killed, we do not wish to live—even those sons of Dhvetardshé/ra stand (arrayed) against us. With a heart contaminated by the taint of helplessness’, with a mind confounded about my duty, I ask you. Tell me what is assuredly good for me. I am your disciple; instruct me, who have thrown myself on your (indulgence). For I do not perceive what is to dispel that grief which will dry up my organs? after I shall have obtained a prosperous kingdom on earth without a foe, or even the sovereignty of the gods*. Safigaya said: Having spoken thus to Hvishtkesa, O terror of (your) foes! Gudakesa said to Govinda, ‘I shall not engage in battle;’ and verily remained silent. To him thus desponding between the two armies, O descendant of Bharata! Hvrishtkesa spoke these words with a slight smile. The Deity said: You have grieved for those who deserve no grief,
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
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