Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1Gudakesa 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 commentators say that ‘heart’ here signifies the dispositions which are stated in chapter XVIII infra, p. 126. The feeling of ‘helplessness’ is incompatible with what is there stated as the proper disposition for a Kshatriya. * Le. by the heat of vexation ; the meaning is, ‘ which will cause constant vexation of spirit.’ ® Ie. af the means employed are the sinful acts referred to. 44 BHAGAVADGITA. and you speak words of wisdom'. Learned men grieve not for the living nor the dead. Never did I not exist, nor you, nor these rulers of men; nor will any one of us ever hereafter cease to be. As in this body, infancy and youth and old age (come) to the embodied (self) *, so does the acquisition of another body ; a sensible man is not deceived about that. The contacts of the senses’, O son of Kunt!! which produce cold and heat, pleasure and pain, are not permanent, they are for ever coming and going. Bear them, O descendant of Bharata! For, O chief of men! that sensible man whom they * afflict not, (pain and pleasure being alike to him), he merits immortality. There is no existence for that which is unreal ; there is no non-existence for that which is real. And the (correct) conclusion about both § is perceived by those who perceive the truth. Know that to be indestructible which pervades all this; the destruction of that inexhaustible (principle) none can bring about. These bodies appertaining to the embodied (self) which is eternal, indestructible, and indefinable, are declared * to be perishable; therefore do engage in battle, O descendant of Bharata! He who thinks one to be the killer and he who thinks ' Scil. regarding family-rites, &c., for, says Nilakan/Aa, they indicate knowledge of soul as distinct from body. * A common word in the Gita, that which presides over each individual body, > Scil. with external objects. * Te. the ‘contacts.’ * The sense is this—there are two things apparently, the soul which is indestructible, and the feelings of pain &c. which ‘come and go.’ The true philosopher knows that the former only is real and exists; and that the latter is unreal and non-existent. He therefore does not mind the latter. * Sail. by those who are possessed of true knowledge. CHAPTER II, 27. 45
2which ‘come and go.’ The true philosopher knows that the former only is real and exists; and that the latter is unreal and non-existent. He therefore does not mind the latter. * Sail. by those who are possessed of true knowledge. CHAPTER II, 27. 45 one to be killed, both know nothing. He kills not, is not killed?. He is not born, nor does he ever die, nor, having existed, does he exist no more. Unborn, everlasting, unchangeable, and very ancient, he is not killed when the body is killed*. O son of Pritha! how can that man who knows the self thus to be indestructible, everlasting, unborn, and imperishable, kill any one, or cause any one to be killed? As a man, casting off old clothes, puts on others and new ones, so the embodied (self), casting off old bodies, goes to others and new ones. Weapons do not divide the self (into pieces); fire does not burn it; waters do not moisten it; the wind does not dry it up. It is not divisible; it is not combustible; it is not to be moistened; it is not to be dried up. It is everlasting, all-pervading, stable, firm, and eternal*. It is said to be unperceived, to be unthinkable, to be unchangeable. Therefore knowing it to be such, you ought not to grieve. But even if you think that the self is constantly born, and constantly dies, still, O you of mighty arms! you ought not to grieve thus. For to one that is born, death is certain; and to one that dies, birth is certain‘. Therefore about (this) 1 Cf. Kasha-upanishad, p. 104. * Kasha-upanishad, pp. 103, 104. * ‘Eternal.’ Nilakan/ha explains this by ‘unlimited by time, place,” &c. Sankara and others as ‘uncreated,’ ‘without cause.’ Stable = not assuming new forms; firm=not abandoning the original form. (Sridhara.) The latter signifies a slight change ; the former a total change. * Cf. the following from the Sutta Nipata (Sir M. C. Swamy’s wanslation), pp. 124, 125: ‘There is, indeed, no means by which those born could be prevented from dying.’ ‘Even thus the world is afficted with death and decay; therefore wise men, knowing the course of things in the world, do not give way to grief.’ 46 BHAGAVADGITA.
3C. Swamy’s wanslation), pp. 124, 125: ‘There is, indeed, no means by which those born could be prevented from dying.’ ‘Even thus the world is afficted with death and decay; therefore wise men, knowing the course of things in the world, do not give way to grief.’ 46 BHAGAVADGITA. unavoidable thing, you ought not to grieve. The source of things, O descendant of Bharata! is unperceived ; their middle state is perceived ; and their end again is unperceived. What (occasion is there for any) lamentation regarding them'? One looks upon it? as a wonder; another similarly speaks of it as a wonder ; another too hears of it as a wonder ; and even after having heard of it, no one does really know it*. This embodied (self), O descendant of Bharata! within every one’s body is ever indestructible. Therefore you ought not to grieve for any being. Having regard to your own duty also, you ought not to falter, for there is nothing better for a Kshatriya* than a righteous battle. Happy those Kshatriyas, O son of Pritha! who can find such a battle (to fight)—come of itself'— an open door to heaven! But if you will not fight this righteous battle, then you will have abandoned your own duty and your fame, and you will incur sin. All beings, too, will tell of your everlasting infamy ; and to one who has been honoured, infamy is (a) greater (evil) than death. (Warriors who are) masters of great cars will think that you abstained from the battle through fear, and having been highly thought of by them, you will fall down to littleness, Your enemies, too, decrying your power, will speak much about you that should not be spoken. And what, indeed, more lamentable than that? Killed, ‘ Cf. Sutta Nipata, p. 125. ‘In vain do you grieve, not knowing well the two ends of him whose manner either of coming or going you know not.’ * L.e. the self spoken of above. ® Kasha-upanishad, p. 96. * One of the warrior caste. * Without any effort, that is to say, of one’s own. CHAPTER II, 42. 47
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.
1Gudakesa 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 commentators say that ‘heart’ here signifies the dispositions which are stated in chapter XVIII infra, p. 126. The feeling of ‘helplessness’ is incompatible with what is there stated as the proper disposition for a Kshatriya. * Le. by the heat of vexation ; the meaning is, ‘ which will cause constant vexation of spirit.’ ® Ie. af the means employed are the sinful acts referred to. 44 BHAGAVADGITA. and you speak words of wisdom'. Learned men grieve not for the living nor the dead. Never did I not exist, nor you, nor these rulers of men; nor will any one of us ever hereafter cease to be. As in this body, infancy and youth and old age (come) to the embodied (self) *, so does the acquisition of another body ; a sensible man is not deceived about that. The contacts of the senses’, O son of Kunt!! which produce cold and heat, pleasure and pain, are not permanent, they are for ever coming and going. Bear them, O descendant of Bharata! For, O chief of men! that sensible man whom they * afflict not, (pain and pleasure being alike to him), he merits immortality. There is no existence for that which is unreal ; there is no non-existence for that which is real. And the (correct) conclusion about both § is perceived by those who perceive the truth. Know that to be indestructible which pervades all this; the destruction of that inexhaustible (principle) none can bring about. These bodies appertaining to the embodied (self) which is eternal, indestructible, and indefinable, are declared * to be perishable; therefore do engage in battle, O descendant of Bharata! He who thinks one to be the killer and he who thinks ' Scil. regarding family-rites, &c., for, says Nilakan/Aa, they indicate knowledge of soul as distinct from body. * A common word in the Gita, that which presides over each individual body, > Scil. with external objects. * Te. the ‘contacts.’ * The sense is this—there are two things apparently, the soul which is indestructible, and the feelings of pain &c. which ‘come and go.’ The true philosopher knows that the former only is real and exists; and that the latter is unreal and non-existent. He therefore does not mind the latter. * Sail. by those who are possessed of true knowledge. CHAPTER II, 27. 45
2which ‘come and go.’ The true philosopher knows that the former only is real and exists; and that the latter is unreal and non-existent. He therefore does not mind the latter. * Sail. by those who are possessed of true knowledge. CHAPTER II, 27. 45 one to be killed, both know nothing. He kills not, is not killed?. He is not born, nor does he ever die, nor, having existed, does he exist no more. Unborn, everlasting, unchangeable, and very ancient, he is not killed when the body is killed*. O son of Pritha! how can that man who knows the self thus to be indestructible, everlasting, unborn, and imperishable, kill any one, or cause any one to be killed? As a man, casting off old clothes, puts on others and new ones, so the embodied (self), casting off old bodies, goes to others and new ones. Weapons do not divide the self (into pieces); fire does not burn it; waters do not moisten it; the wind does not dry it up. It is not divisible; it is not combustible; it is not to be moistened; it is not to be dried up. It is everlasting, all-pervading, stable, firm, and eternal*. It is said to be unperceived, to be unthinkable, to be unchangeable. Therefore knowing it to be such, you ought not to grieve. But even if you think that the self is constantly born, and constantly dies, still, O you of mighty arms! you ought not to grieve thus. For to one that is born, death is certain; and to one that dies, birth is certain‘. Therefore about (this) 1 Cf. Kasha-upanishad, p. 104. * Kasha-upanishad, pp. 103, 104. * ‘Eternal.’ Nilakan/ha explains this by ‘unlimited by time, place,” &c. Sankara and others as ‘uncreated,’ ‘without cause.’ Stable = not assuming new forms; firm=not abandoning the original form. (Sridhara.) The latter signifies a slight change ; the former a total change. * Cf. the following from the Sutta Nipata (Sir M. C. Swamy’s wanslation), pp. 124, 125: ‘There is, indeed, no means by which those born could be prevented from dying.’ ‘Even thus the world is afficted with death and decay; therefore wise men, knowing the course of things in the world, do not give way to grief.’ 46 BHAGAVADGITA.
3C. Swamy’s wanslation), pp. 124, 125: ‘There is, indeed, no means by which those born could be prevented from dying.’ ‘Even thus the world is afficted with death and decay; therefore wise men, knowing the course of things in the world, do not give way to grief.’ 46 BHAGAVADGITA. unavoidable thing, you ought not to grieve. The source of things, O descendant of Bharata! is unperceived ; their middle state is perceived ; and their end again is unperceived. What (occasion is there for any) lamentation regarding them'? One looks upon it? as a wonder; another similarly speaks of it as a wonder ; another too hears of it as a wonder ; and even after having heard of it, no one does really know it*. This embodied (self), O descendant of Bharata! within every one’s body is ever indestructible. Therefore you ought not to grieve for any being. Having regard to your own duty also, you ought not to falter, for there is nothing better for a Kshatriya* than a righteous battle. Happy those Kshatriyas, O son of Pritha! who can find such a battle (to fight)—come of itself'— an open door to heaven! But if you will not fight this righteous battle, then you will have abandoned your own duty and your fame, and you will incur sin. All beings, too, will tell of your everlasting infamy ; and to one who has been honoured, infamy is (a) greater (evil) than death. (Warriors who are) masters of great cars will think that you abstained from the battle through fear, and having been highly thought of by them, you will fall down to littleness, Your enemies, too, decrying your power, will speak much about you that should not be spoken. And what, indeed, more lamentable than that? Killed, ‘ Cf. Sutta Nipata, p. 125. ‘In vain do you grieve, not knowing well the two ends of him whose manner either of coming or going you know not.’ * L.e. the self spoken of above. ® Kasha-upanishad, p. 96. * One of the warrior caste. * Without any effort, that is to say, of one’s own. CHAPTER II, 42. 47
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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