From: system@kalki33.lakes.trenton.sc.us (Kalki Dasa)
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc
Subject: Bhagavad-Gita 1.36
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 93 03:58:10 EST
Organization: Kalki's Infoline BBS, Aiken, SC, USA

                                TEXT 36

                         papam evasrayed asman
                          hatvaitan atatayinah
                       tasman narha vayam hantum
                       dhartarastran sa-bandhavan
                       sva-janam hi katham hatva
                         sukhinah syama madhava

  
papam--vices; eva--certainly; asrayet--must come upon; asman--us;
hatva--by killing; etan--all these; atatayinah--aggressors;
tasmat--therefore; na--never; arhah--deserving; vayam--we; hantum--to
kill; dhartarastran--the sons of Dhrtarastra; sa-bandhavan--along with
friends; sva-janam--kinsmen; hi--certainly; katham--how; hatva--by
killing; sukhinah--happy; syama--will we become; madhava--O Krsna,
husband of the goddess of fortune.

    
                              TRANSLATION

	Sin will overcome us if we slay such aggressors. Therefore it is
not proper for us to kill the sons of Dhrtarastra and our friends. What
should we gain, O Krsna, husband of the goddess of fortune, and how
could we be happy by killing our own kinsmen?

  
                                PURPORT

	According to Vedic injunctions there are six kinds of aggressors:
(1) a poison giver, (2) one who sets fire to the house, (3) one who
attacks with deadly weapons, (4) one who plunders riches, (5) one who
occupies another's land, and (6) one who kidnaps a wife. Such
aggressors are at once to be killed, and no sin is incurred by killing
such aggressors. Such killing of aggressors is quite befitting any
ordinary man, but Arjuna was not an ordinary person. He was saintly by
character, and therefore he wanted to deal with them in saintliness.
This kind of saintliness, however, is not for a ksatriya. Although a
responsible man in the administration of a state is required to be
saintly, he should not be cowardly. For example, Lord Rama was so
saintly that people even now are anxious to live in the kingdom of Lord
Rama (rama-rajya), but Lord Rama never showed any cowardice. Ravana was
an aggressor against Rama because Ravana kidnapped Rama's wife, Sita,
but Lord Rama gave him sufficient lessons, unparalleled in the history
of the world. In Arjuna's case, however, one should consider the
special type of aggressors, namely his own grandfather, own teacher,
friends, sons, grandsons, etc. Because of them, Arjuna thought that he
should not take the severe steps necessary against ordinary aggressors.
Besides that, saintly persons are advised to forgive. Such injunctions
for saintly persons are more important than any political emergency.
Arjuna considered that rather than kill his own kinsmen for political
reasons, it would be better to forgive them on grounds of religion and
saintly behavior. He did not, therefore, consider such killing
profitable simply for the matter of temporary bodily happiness. After
all, kingdoms and pleasures derived therefrom are not permanent, so why
should he risk his life and eternal salvation by killing his own
kinsmen? Arjuna's addressing of Krsna as ``Madhava,'' or the husband of
the goddess of fortune, is also significant in this connection. He
wanted to point out to Krsna that, as husband of the goddess of
fortune, He should not induce Arjuna to take up a matter which would
ultimately bring about misfortune. Krsna, however, never brings
misfortune to anyone, to say nothing of His devotees.

Bhagavad-Gita As It Is
Books of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami


       ---------------------------------------------------------
      |                Don't forget to chant:                   |
      |                                                         |
      |  Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare   |
      |       Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare          |
      |                                                         |
      |    Kalki's Infoline BBS Aiken, South Carolina, USA      |
      |           (kalki@kalki33.lakes.trenton.sc.us)           |
       ---------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc