#7 — Vishaad Yoga — a state of mind when a person begins to feel a great & desperate thirst for wisdom

Chapter 1 — Gita Shlokas;

Shloka 32 — न काङ्क्षे विजयं कृष्ण न च राज्यं सुखानि च । किं नो राज्येन गोविन्द किं भोगैर्जीवितेन वा ।।३२।।

Shloka 33 — येषामर्थे काङि्क्षतं नो राज्यं भोगा: सुखानि च । त इमेऽवस्थिता युद्धे प्राणांस्त्यक्त्वा धनानि च ।।३३।।

Shloka 34 — आचार्या: पितर: पुत्रास्तथैव च पितामहा: । मातुला: श्वशुरा: पौत्रा: श्याला: सम्बन्धिनस्तथा ।।३४।।

Shloka 35 — एतान्न हन्तुमिच्छामि घ्नतोऽपि मधुसूदन । अपि त्रैलोक्यराज्यस्य हेतो: किं नु महीकृते ।।३५।।

Shloka 36 — निहत्य धार्तराष्ट्रान्न: का प्रीति: स्याज्जनार्दन । पापमेवाश्रयेदस्मान्हत्वैतानाततायिन: ।।३६।।

Dada — “ Shlokas 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 — these shlokas till the end of the first chapter of the Gita, describe the unsettled state of Arjuna’s mind. Arjuna is in a state of mental agony — that is why this chapter is called the Chapter of Arjuna’s Vishaad Yoga. Vishaad Yoga is the state of mind when a person begins to feel a great & desperate thirst for wisdom.” (4 Jan 2020)

Shloka 37 — तस्मान्नार्हा वयं हन्तुं धार्तराष्ट्रान् स्वबान्धवान् ।स्वजनं हि कथं हत्वा सुखिन: स्याम माधव ।।३७।।

Shloka 38 — यद्यप्येते न पश्यन्ति लोभोपहतचेतस: । कुलक्षयकृतं दोषं मित्रद्रोहे च पातकम् ।।३८।।

Shloka 39 — कथं न ज्ञेयमस्माभि: पापादस्मान्निवर्तितुम् । कुलक्षयकृतं दोषं प्रपश्यद्भिर्जनार्दन ।।३९।।

Shloka 40 — कुलक्षये प्रणश्यन्ति कुलधर्मा: सनातना: । धर्मे नष्टे कुलं कृत्स्नमधर्मोऽभिभवत्युत ।।४०।।

Dada — “ Shlokas 37,38,39,40: in these shlokas Arjuna is only giving further arguments for not fighting & seems to be giving a sermon to that effect. The point is that he is in the midst of the battlefield of Kurukshetra & he is preaching a sermon on not fighting — is it not inappropriate? It’s like in the middle of the squash court, you decide that beating your opponent is not good & you withdraw from the match. Your question that why can’t one be happy with the way things are around you — fine if this makes you happy, but do analyse what is the reason for you to be happy — will the way things are going on, be helpful for you to realise your goals in life in the long run & in the short run — does it help you to lead a healthy life of fine physical fitness etc?” (7 Jan 2020)

Shloka 41 — अधर्माभिभवात्कृष्ण प्रदुष्यन्ति कुलस्त्रिय: । स्त्रीषु दुष्टासु वार्ष्णेय जायते वर्णसंकर: ।।४१।।

Shloka 42 — सङ्करो नरकायैव कुलघ्नानां कुलस्य च । पतन्ति पितरो ह्येषां लुप्तपिण्डोदकक्रिया: ।।४२।।

Shloka 43 — दोषैरेतै: कुलघ्नानां वर्णसङ्करकारकै: । उत्साद्यन्ते जातिधर्मा: कुलधर्माश्च शाश्वता: ।।४३।।

Shloka 44 — उत्सन्नकुलधर्माणां मनुष्याणां जनार्दन । नरकेऽनियतं वासो भवतीत्यनुशुश्रुम ।।४४।।

Shloka 45 — अहो बत महत्पापं कर्तुं व्यवसिता वयम् । यद्राज्यसुखलोभेन हन्तुं स्वजनमुद्यता: ।।४५।।

Dada — “ Shlokas 41,42,43,44,45 : In all these shlokas, Arjuna is only emphasizing his unwillingness to fight in the Kurukshetra Mahabharata War between Dharma & Adharma, which is his duty as the leading warrior of the Pandavas who stand for Dharma, by advancing words of wisdom applicable to normal circumstances, not to special situations such as the Kurukshetra War. This is a case of running away from your responsibility & giving reasons which would be applicable to normal circumstances, not to an emergency situation like fighting a war or say, putting off a fire” (8 Jan 2020).

Shloka 46 — यदि मामप्रतीकारमशस्त्रं शस्त्रपाणय: । धार्तराष्ट्रा रणे हन्युस्तन्मे क्षेमतरं भवेत् ।।४६।।

Shloka 47 — संजय उवाच एवमुक्त्वार्जुन: संख्ये रथोपस्थ उपाविशत् । विसृज्य सशरं चापं शोकसंविग्नमानस:

Dada — “ Shlokas 46, 47, 48, 49, 50 — these are from the second chapter of the Gita. Apparently, Sinha sahib thought that the last two shlokas of chapter 1 & the first 45 shlokas of chapter 2 are not of much practical use for a busy person of the world, but you as a budding scholar of the Gita should be aware of these shlokas too, as I had emphasized this morning during your WhatsApp call. In shloka 47 — your take ‘The entire focus should be on the action and not on its outcome. If you focus on the outcome that means you are ignorant.’ is partly correct — If you focus on the outcome, your attention to performing the action will become unsteady & you will falter — hence your focus on performing the action only needs to be steady & unwavering. Do go over the meaning of these five shlokas very carefully. Henceforth, you may take only one or two shlokas at a time, unless Sinha sahib has so clubbed them. (9 Jan 2020)