Sastra Caksusa

seeing through the eyes of scriptures

Text 24
sanjaya uvaca
evam ukto hrsikeso
gudakesena bharata
senayor ubhayor madhye
sthapayitva rathottamam
Translation
Sanjaya said: O descendant of Bharata, having thus been addressed by Arjuna, Lord Krishna drew up the fine chariot in the midst of the armies of both parties. 
Commentary by Srila Prabhupada 
In this verse Arjuna is referred to as Gudakesha. Gudaka means sleep, and one who conquers sleep is called gudakesha. Sleep also means ignorance. So Arjuna conquered both sleep and ignorance because of his friendship with Krishna. As a great devotee of Krishna, he could not forget Krishna even for a moment, because that is the nature of a devotee. Either in waking or in sleep, a devotee of the Lord can never be free from thinking of Krishna’s name, form, qualities and pastimes. Thus a devotee of Krishna can conquer both sleep and ignorance simply by thinking of Krishna constantly. This is called Krishna consciousness, or samadhi. As Hrishikesha, or the director of the senses and mind of every living entity, Krishna could understand Arjuna’s purpose in placing the chariot in the midst of the armies. Thus He did so, and spoke as follows.
Commentary by Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur
Please see text 25 for Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur's combined commentary to texts 24 and 25.


Rudra Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Visnuswami
Sridhara Swami's Commentary
What happenned after that? Being so requested by Arjuna who is also called Gudakesa because he had mastered the ability to go without sleep.
Brahma Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Madhvacarya
Madhvacarya's Commentary
Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Ramanuja
There is no commentary for this verse.
Kumara Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Nimbaditya
Kesava Kasmiri's Commentary
Then what happenned? To this question Sanjaya answers Dhritarastra in these two verses first by addressing him as O descendant of Bharata.What is being subtly suggested here is that being born in the exalted lineage of the righteous and noble King Bharata, it would not be appropriate for the blind Dhritarastra to betray his nephews the Pandavas who are the five sons of his brother.
Text 25
bhisma-drona-pramukhatah
sarvesam ca mahi-ksitam
uvaca partha pasyaitan
samavetan kurun iti
Translation
In the presence of Bhishma, Drona and all the other chieftains of the world, the Lord said, Just behold, Partha, all the Kurus assembled here. 
Commentary by Srila Prabhupada 
As the Supersoul of all living entities, Lord Krishna could understand what was going on in the mind of Arjuna. The use of the word Hrishikesha in this connection indicates that He knew everything. And the word Partha, or the son of Kunti, or Pritha, is also similarly significant in reference to Arjuna. As a friend, He wanted to inform Arjuna that because Arjuna was the son of Pritha, the sister of His own father Vasudeva, He had agreed to be the charioteer of Arjuna. Now what did Krishna mean when He told Arjuna to “behold the Kurus”? Did Arjuna want to stop there and not fight? Krishna never expected such things from the son of His aunt Pritha. The mind of Arjuna was thus predicted by the Lord in friendly joking.
Commentary by Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur
The Lord, Hrsikesa, though himself the controller of everyone's senses, was thus ordered by Arjuna, controlled just by his words. See how the Lord is controlled by prema! This is the implication of calling the Lord Hrsikesa.

Here is the significance of the word Gudakesa. Akesa means Visnu (a), Brahma (ka) and Siva (Isa). Gudakesa means he who gives them (akesa) the experience of the sweetness of the Lord's affection just as sugar (guda) gives the experience of sweetness. Therefore, Gudakesa refers to he who, by bringing Krishna under his control, gave Visnu, Brahma, and Siva the opportunity to experience of Krishna's sweetness. Where the Supreme Lord Krishna, the crown jewel, source of all avataras, being controlled by prema, followed the orders of his servant, Arjuna, how could Visnu, Brahma and Siva, his mere expansions as guna avataras, show off any of their powers? Instead, by manifesting affectionate feelings for the Lord themselves (inspired by Arjuna), they felt successful.
The lord of the spiritual sky (Mahavisnu) said: dvijatmamaja me yuvayor didrksuna
I brought the brahmana's sons here because I wanted to see the two of you. SB 10.89.58
Gudakesa can also mean the lord (isa) of sleep (gudaka), the controller of the senses. Even Krishna, who is the direct controller of maya, became controlled by Arjuna's prema. Thus despicable maya or sleep was conquered by Arjuna. He spoke in front of Bhisma, Drona and all the kings.
Though the word pramukhatah is compounded only with Bhisma and Drona, it refers to everyone. Thus the meaning is "putting his chariot in front of Bhisma, Drona and all the other kings."
Rudra Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Visnuswami
Sridhara Swami's Commentary
The Supreme Lord Krishna placed that most excellent of chariots in front of the Kaurava commanders Bhishma and Drona saying: See the assembled Kurus.
Brahma Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Madhvacarya
Madhvacarya's Commentary
Madhvacarya has no commentary so we present Baladeva Vidyabhusana's.
Placing the chariot in front of Bhishma and Drona between the two opposing armies Lord Krishna said: O Partha observe all these Kauravas and see those who are favoring them. The use of the word Partha emphasizes that as Arjuna is the son of Kunti who is the sister of Vasudev who assumed the role of being Lord Krishna's father; then He will as family engage Himself by accepting the position of Arjuna's chariot driver. The use of the word Hrsikesa signifies that Arjuna will lose his desire to fight so what is the purpose of viewing the enemy army on the battlefield and within Lord Krishna's words an innuendo of taunting was hidden.
Bhagavad-Gita
Chapter 1, verse 26
Madhvacarya has no commentary so we present Baladeva Vidyabhusana's.
Thus having been addressed by Lord Krishna in this way, Arjuna viewed the enemy soldiers among paternal uncles like Bhurisrava, and godfathers like Bhishma and Somadatta, and acaryas like Drona and Kripa, and maternal uncles like Salya, Sakuni and others, and brothers like Duryodhana, and sons like Laksmana the son of Duryodhana, etc, and grandsons like the sons of Laksmana, etc. friends like Asvattama and well wishers like Kritavarma, Bhagadatta and others and also the soldiers fighting on his own side. In this way Lord Krishna placed that most magnificent of chariots between the two armies in such a way as to give a view of both the armies on the battlefield.
Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Ramanuja
Ramanuja's Commentary
After attentively surveying the army of the Kauravas arranged in battle formation, Arjuna the son of Pandu on whose flag bears the image of Hanuman, who set the kingdom of Lanka ablaze, requested Lord Krishnato place their chariot between the two opposing armies. Requested whom? Arjuna requested no lesser peronality than the Supreme Lord Himself, the treasurehouse of such attributes as wisdom, strength, sovereignity, eternality, omnipotence and splendour. Whom by His will created the complete cosmic manifestation in its triple aspect of inception, preservation and dissolution for His own pleasure as in sport.
The Supreme Lord Krishna, Hrsikesa, the master of the senses. The Supreme Controller, internally and externally of all living entities evolving and evolved. Who although the Supreme Lord of all, yet descended down to Earth out of His causeless mercy for the redemption of the faithful and even more, He condescended to be Arjuna's chariot driver, carrying out his wish to station their chariot in such a commanding position as to be able to readily view the belligerent Kauravas and put within the range of his vision such heroes as Bhishmadeva, Dronacarya and Kripa and the Kings of royal dynasties. At that time the Supreme Lord Krishna said to Arjuna: see what chances there are for the Kauravas victory over thee.
Kumara Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Nimbaditya
Kesava Kasmiri's Commentary
Lord Krishna requested by the ever alert Arjuna stationed that finest of chariots between the two opposing armies in front of Bhisma, Drona and all the kings and said: Behold all these members of the Kuru dynasty assembled here.
"If You Stay with Krsna"
73/07/20 London, Bhagavad-gita 1.24-25

listen 

 

Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):

sanjaya uvaca
evam ukto hrsikeso
gudakesena bharata
senayor ubhayor madhye
sthapayitva rathottamam
 [Bg. 1.24]

Translation: "Sanjaya said: O descendant of Bharata, being thus addressed by Arjuna, Lord Krsna drew up the fine chariot in the midst of the armies of both parties."

bhisma-drona-pramukhatah
sarvesam ca mahiksitam
uvaca partha pasyaitan
samavetan kurun iti

 [Bg. 1.25]

Translation: "In the presence of Bhisma, Drona and all other chieftains of the world, Hrsikesa, the Lord, said, Just behold, Partha, all the Kurus who are assembled here."

Prabhupada: So sanjaya uvaca. Actually Sanjaya, the secretary of Dhrtarastra, he is relating the activities in the battlefield. Dhrtarastra is blind. How in the battlefield the fighting was going on, Sanjaya was observing, either by television or a similar method. Otherwise, how he could explain things are going on in the battlefield in the room? This Bhagavad-gita, Sanjaya explained, all activities in the battlefield, to Dhrtarastra, within the room. So there must have been something like television or higher than the television, he was seeing within himself everything.

So scientific improvement is coming, but still on the material platform. Material means gross material and subtle material. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita:

bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh
kham mano buddhir eva ca
ahankara itiyam me
bhinna prakrtir astadha

 [Bg. 7.4]

Earth, water, fire, air, sky, these five elements are gross material, everyone can see, gross. We can see earth, we can see water. We can see fire, air, or we can perceive the sky also. But there is subtle matter also. Mind, intelligence, ego. We cannot see the mind. We cannot see intelligence. I understand that you have got intelligence, or everyone knows we have got mind, but we cannot see. This is subtle. They are also matter, subtle matter. So the television is a machine made of gross matter, but there is possibility of making another machine of subtle matter. There is possibility. Because matter, they are also matter. That subtle matter machine is not yet discovered. But here we can see the subtle matter discovery was there. Otherwise, how Sanjaya could see the activities in the battlefield? This is to be understood. They are very much proud of material advancement of science, but still, they have to make advancement, subtle matter. And above that subtle matter, within that subtle matter, there is spiritual identity. Indriyani parany ahur indriyebhyah param manah, manasas tu para buddhih [Bg. 3.42].

First of all we can see a person. A person we see, what do we see? The senses. But we cannot see the director of the senses. The director of the senses is the mind. And the director of the mind is intelligence. And the owner of the intelligence is the soul. This is understanding. The soul is there. Whose intelligence? As soon as we shall say intelligence, whose intelligence? That is the soul's intelligence. Wherefrom the intelligence is coming? From Paramatma, Hrsikesa. Therefore this word is used here, hrs ikesa. The intelligence will come from Paramatma. Otherwise we cannot act, just like a child has got intelligence, but it is guided by the parent's intelligence: "My dear son, do like this." And he does it. Similarly, we have got all this mind, intelligence, everything, but that is being guided by the super-intelligence, Krsna. Therefore He is called Hrsikesa. Once we have explained Hrsikesa. So we have to reach that platform where we can talk with Hrsikesa. That is spiritual platform. That is possible. The more you become purified, you can talk with Hrsikesa, who is within yourself. He is not outside. Although He in Goloka Vrndavana, Krsna is always in Vrndavana, in the spiritual world, but because He is Krsna, He can remain with you also at the same time, simultaneously. This is Krsna. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah [Bs. 5.37].

goloka-namni nija-dhamni tale ca tasya
devi-mahesa-hari-dhamasu tesu tesu
te te prabhava-nicaya vihitas ca yena
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

It is proposed, our Mayapura temple will be on this plan. Goloka-namni nija-dhamni tale ca tasya [Bs. 5.43]. The highest planetary system, spiritual, that is spiritual planet, that is named goloka-namni, Goloka Vrndavana. We have given that picture in the Bhagavata cover. Perhaps you know. The topmost original planet is the Goloka. Goloka-namni nija-dhamni. That is the abode of Krsna. Krsna-dhama. Krsna-dhama. People are searching after God. But actually there is the planet where God lives, Krsna lives. But you have got your machine, aeroplane, sputnik. You can reach there, but you cannot reach even the highest planet, even on this material planet, material universe. Everyone sees. We see the stars or planets. Now you have got the machine; you go there. No. You cannot go. You are so limited. Even you cannot go to the moon planet, which is so nearest. You cannot go. But still, we are proud of our these airplanes, sputniks. We are thinking, "Now we have become God." These rascals they do not know what is God. They are all rascals. They have no idea what is God. Therefore they have accepted another rascal as God. This is going on. You cannot reach. Panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara-sampragamyo vayor athapi manaso muni-pungavanam, so 'pyasti yat prapada-simny avicintya-tattve [Bs. 5.34]. Sastra gives you. Just like your material science also gives you information that there is one planet, highest planet, and one can go there by sputnik in forty thousands of years. So who is going to live forty thousand years to reach there? But they have got theoretically all these things. The highest planet. Material. That is not spiritual.

So after finishing this material world, there is covering of the universe, stock matter, mahat-tattva, wherefrom all these material comings. There is stock. So you have to penetrate through that stock material. And each layer of stock is ten times more than the other. So you have to pierce through the stock, material stock; then you reach the spiritual world. And the spiritual world, there are many... "Many" means three times more than these universes. This universe, this material universe, is only one-fourth manifestation of Krsna's creation. Ekamsena sthito jagat. When Arjuna inquired from Krsna, "So would you kindly explain little of your opulence." "Yes." So He said, "I am this. Out of this, I am this." He summarized,

athava bahunaitena
kim jnatena tavarjuna
vistabhyaham idam krtsnam
ekamsena sthito jagat
 [Bg. 10.42]

Ekamsena. You are seeing this universe. This universe -- only a fragment of the material creation, a fragment. Caitanya Mahaprabhu informed us... One of His devotees requested Caitanya Mahaprabhu, "My dear Lord, You have come personally. You kindly take all the living entities to the spiritual world. Be kind enough upon them. And if you think that they are so sinful they cannot be taken, then transfer all their sins unto me. You take them. You take them." So Caitanya Mahaprabhu began to smile that "Even if I take the all the living entities of the universe, but do you know, this universe is only one fragmental part of other, all other universes. There are many other universes." And He compared that "In a bag where, bag full of mustard seeds..." Just imagine, a big bag of mustard seeds. "And this universe is just like one mustard seed." There are so many universes, so many universes. And it is confirmed in the Brahma-samhita: yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti [Bs. 5.40]. Jagad-anda. Jagad-anda means this universe. Brahmanda, jagad-anda. Koti, innumerable. Jagad-anda-koti. Yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti-kotisv asesa-vasudhadi-vibhuti-bhinnam [Bs. 5.40]. And each universe there are innumerable planets. And each planet is different from others. This is God's creation. And these rascals are manufacturing God. And there is other description also. Yasyaika-nisvasita-kalam athavalambya jivanti loma-vilaja jagad-anda-nathah [Bs. 5.48]. This jagad-anda, the universe. And there, in each universe, there is a controller of the universe, Brahma. He is called jagad-anda-natha, master of this universe. Because it is controlled by Brahma, therefore each universe is called brahmanda. It is controlled by Brahma. So in the Brahma-samhita we get information: jagad-anda-nathah, plural number. There are many, many thousands jagad-anda... Not only one Brahma. Many millions of Brahmas, many millions of Siva, many millions of Visnu, many millions of sun. Because there are many millions of universes. Now, just imagine. This is material creation. And that material creation, Krsna says, ekamsena sthito jagat [Bg. 10.42]. Taking all the material universes, it is only one-fourth creation of the Lord. And the three fourths creation is the spiritual world. Just imagine what is spiritual world. And in that spiritual, the topmost planet is Goloka.

So you cannot go even in the moon planet. How you can go to that spiritual planet penetrating the material coverings coming to the spiritual effulgence, Brahman, and after all these universes, then...? Therefore it is said, panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara-sampragamyah. Koti-sata-vatsara, millions of years, if you go with your sputnik with full force... Panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara. Not this sputnik, but make your planes of mind speed. This is material speed. What is this speed? A few thousands, twenty thousand, fifty thousand. But do you know mind speed? You are sitting here, and immediately, within a second, you can go to India. This is mind speed. Immediately. So panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara sampragamyo vayor athapi [Bs. 5.34]. By the air speed or mind speed. Vayor athapi manaso muni-pungavanam. And driven by great scientists, muni-pungava. Pungava means very expert, nara-pungava. So big, big scientists, expert scientists, if they can discover airplane which is running on mind speed or air speed... They are not, they cannot go by the air speed. They fly on the air, but not with the air speed. So in this way, still, avicintya-tattve, after going many, many millions of years in that speed, still you will find, "Oh, Goloka Vrndavana is far, far away." This is the position.

And we are explaining what is Krsna. Don't consider Krsna is ordinary human being. Avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam [Bg. 9.11]. Because He kindly appears before us just like ordinary human being, don't think that He is like us. It is the conclusion. Just like these rascals, they think that "Because Krsna appeared as a human being, I am also God. I am also God. Why Krsna shall be alone God?" So we are trying to explain what is Krsna, Hrsikesa. Hrsikesa. Then goloka-namni. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah. Goloka eva nivasati.

ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhis
tabhir ya eva nija-rupataya kalabhih
goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhuto
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

 [Bs. 5.37]

So our worship is very simple. Tam aham bhajami. We worship that Govinda, adi-purusam. Govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami **. We don't worship ordinary so-called rascals. We worship Govinda. How Govinda is? The Govinda's description is Brahma-samhita. That Govinda, ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhih: "He is always in the spiritual world, which is ananda-cinmaya-rasa." Not this kind of ananda -- cinmayananda, spiritual bliss. Spiritual bliss means it is continually going on; still, nobody is fed up. Here you can accept any ananda in this material world, so many things. It cannot go on very long time. Suppose if I give you rasagulla, one rasagulla, you can take: "Oh, very nice." Another, "Very nice." Another, "Nice." Then next four or five, "No, I do not want." Finished. Similarly, any ananda you can take. Sex life. It cannot be continued. Finished. So try to understand what is cinmayananda. Ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibha... It, they'll never ends. It goes, nava-nava-yauvana, one after another, new, new, new, new. Just try to understand what is spiritual bliss. You do not... The sahajiyas, they accept this material bliss as spiritual bliss. That is called sahajiya. Don't be sahajiyas. Try to understand according to sastra.

So Krsna is described, this how He becomes Hrsikesa, that goloka eva nivasati. He is enjoying with His associates, the cowherds boys, the gopis, in goloka-namni nija-dhamni. He is enjoying there. At the same time, He is within your heart. This is Krsna, Hrsikesa. He's come simultaneously, not only within your heart, within the atom. Andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham govindam adi-purusam tam aham... [Bs. 5.35]. Not only within your heart, but within the atom. Just imagine. How many atoms there are. So Krsna is everywhere. These are..., we have to take information of Krsna from the sastra. Sastram eva caksusa (?). Vedanta-sutra. Your eyes should be sastra, not your so-called imagination. sastra-caksusa. Yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya vartate kama... If you give up the direction of the sastra and manufacture your own way, yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya vartate kama-karatah, as you like, then na sa siddhim avapnoti: you will never get siddhi, perfection, never get. Na sa siddhim avap..., na sukham, neither happiness. And what to speak of param gatim, going back to home, back to Godhead. So sastra-caksusa. Everything we have to take from the sastra. Because we are blind now. sastra-caksusa. Our, the sastra-jnana, because the spiritual master enlightens the disciple with sastra-jnana, therefore he is spiritual master. If the spiritual master bluffs the disciple, then he is not spiritual master. Bluffing. No.

om ajnana-timirandhasya
jnananjana-salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena
tasmai sri-guruve namah

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.]

This is guru. Guru means he'll always enlighten the disciple with the light of sastra. Not that he will say, "There is no need of sastra. I am incarnation. I, whatever speak, you take it." No. This is rascal. You should immediately, who has no reference to the sastra, immediately take him as a rascal number one. This is the conclusion.

So here is sastra, Bhagavad-gita. Hrsikesa. We have already explained one day. Here also, again we are explaining. Hrsikesa. Krsna. Krsna is there. He never leaves from Vrndavana. He is there. Why? Here also. Just like we see, a very rich man, a very influential man, the president, he lives in his... The Queen, she is in the Buckingham Palace. But she cannot go at the same time anywhere and everywhere. No. She is in, packed up in Buckingham Palace. Krsna is not like that. Therefore He is Hrsikesa. Try to understand the distinction between Krsna and others. Krsna is goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah [Bs. 5.37]. Atma-bhuta. This atma-bhuta is Hrsikesa. He is giving intelligence. The more you become purified, the more you get direct instruction from Hrsikesa. This is the point. So how you can become purified? Purified means no more influenced by the modes of material nature. That is explained: gudakesa. Gudaka isa. Gudaka means darkness, and isa. When you become master of this material world, or material senses. This material world means material senses. That's all. So if you become master of the material senses, then you become gudakesa. Therefore Arjuna is described here as gudakesa. Arjuna... Don't take Arjuna that he was mistaken. No, he cannot be. How he can be? He is constantly with Krsna. How he can be misdirected? No. That is not possible. In the Caitanya-caritamrta it is said that krsna surya-sama maya andhakara. So gudaka means darkness, maya. So krsna surya-sama maya andhakara. The darkness and light is there always, side by side. We have got experience. Here is sunlight, here is darkness. So these two things are there. So krsna surya-sama maya andhakara, yahan krsna tahan nahi mayara adhikara. Wherever there is Krsna, there is no jurisdiction of darkness or maya.

daivi hy esa gunamayi
mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante
mayam etam taranti te

 [Bg. 7.14]

You can become immediately out of the scope of maya if you always remain surrendered to Krsna. Maya will not touch you. Just like if you remain always in the sunshine, there is no question of night. Nowadays it is very easy. If you simply drive your plane on the western side, you'll never get night. You just round about. Yes. Just like it is materially possible. You drive your plane simply on the western side. Start your plane in the morning and go to the western side and don't stop it. You go on for three, four, as many days as you like. You'll never get night. This is practical. Similarly, if you keep always with Krsna, you are gudakesa, you will never get darkness. Or maya will not touch you. This is Krsna consciousness. So try to become Gudakesa.

The next verse. Krsna Hrsikesa. So He knew the sarvasya caham hrdi sannivistah. Krsna is there. Krsna knows what is your purpose, what you want to do, what is your past, future. Everything Krsna knows. Everything Krsna knows. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita. Vedaham samatitani; "I know everything." So Krsna, sthapayitva, rathottamam sthapayitva. As soon as Arjuna asked Him, senayor ubhayor madhye ratham sthapaya me 'cyuta [Bg. 1.21], immediately He carried out the order and He knew why he wants. He wanted to see, "With whom I have to fight, my friends and relatives." He's hesitating. So why this ignorance of Arjuna, the question may be. Arjuna is gudakesa. He is above this material world. How he is being affected by his so-called relatives and kinsmen? He was hesitating to fight on this principle, that "They are my relatives. They are my kinsmen. They are my family members." He was always thinking. Therefore Krsna knew it. So he has become so family-wise infected. But he is gudakesa. How it is possible? He is above all these things. Yes, he is above all these things. By Krsna's desire, he is playing like that, ordinary man. Otherwise, how Bhagavad-gita will come? Krsna cannot talk with ordinary person. Krsna cannot fight with ordinary person. Even the demons, when they come, just like Hiranyaksa, Hiranyakasipu. They were Jaya-Vijaya in the Vaikuntha world. So they came here, and Krsna asked them, that "If you become My enemy, then within three births you will come back. And if you remain friend, then seven births." So they preferred, "Oh, I shall become Your enemy, Sir, so that I can come back again after three births." So why? That Krsna has all the propensities. Just like we sometimes want to fight, mock fight. So in the Vaikuntha world there cannot be any fight. So because Krsna wanted to exercise His fighting spirit, He sent His devotee. He became enemy and He fought. So you have to understand Krsna in that way, as Hrsikesa. He knows that unless Arjuna becomes affected family-wise, how Bhagavad-gita will be there? Therefore although Gudakesa, Arjuna, is above darkness, still, by the will of Krsna, Hrsikesa, he played just like ordinary man, affected with his family affection. Therefore Krsna in the next verse says... Uvaca. Krsna said, "My dear Partha, now you wanted to see with whom you have to fight. Now, here is Bhisma, Drona, and many other kings. All the descendants of Kuru dynasty, your Dhrtarastra's sons. Now you see very nicely and be prepared to fight with them." So this is the explanation of Hrsikesa and Gudakesa.


Thank you very much. (end)
 
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 1.24-25 -- London, July 20, 1973

© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with permission.




-----Original Message-----
From: Payonidhi das a href="mailto:narasimha44@aol.com">narasimha44@aol.com>
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Sent: Mon, Sep 12, 2011 4:56 am
Subject: Bhagavad Gita 1.24-25

Text 24
sanjaya uvaca
evam ukto hrsikeso
gudakesena bharata
senayor ubhayor madhye
sthapayitva rathottamam
Translation
Sanjaya said: O descendant of Bharata, having thus been addressed by Arjuna, Lord Krishna drew up the fine chariot in the midst of the armies of both parties. 
Commentary by Srila Prabhupada 
In this verse Arjuna is referred to as Gudakesha. Gudaka means sleep, and one who conquers sleep is called gudakesha. Sleep also means ignorance. So Arjuna conquered both sleep and ignorance because of his friendship with Krishna. As a great devotee of Krishna, he could not forget Krishna even for a moment, because that is the nature of a devotee. Either in waking or in sleep, a devotee of the Lord can never be free from thinking of Krishna’s name, form, qualities and pastimes. Thus a devotee of Krishna can conquer both sleep and ignorance simply by thinking of Krishna constantly. This is called Krishna consciousness, or samadhi. As Hrishikesha, or the director of the senses and mind of every living entity, Krishna could understand Arjuna’s purpose in placing the chariot in the midst of the armies. Thus He did so, and spoke as follows.
Commentary by Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur
Please see text 25 for Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur's combined commentary to texts 24 and 25.


Rudra Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Visnuswami
Sridhara Swami's Commentary
What happenned after that? Being so requested by Arjuna who is also called Gudakesa because he had mastered the ability to go without sleep.
Brahma Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Madhvacarya
Madhvacarya's Commentary
Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Ramanuja
There is no commentary for this verse.
Kumara Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Nimbaditya
Kesava Kasmiri's Commentary
Then what happenned? To this question Sanjaya answers Dhritarastra in these two verses first by addressing him as O descendant of Bharata.What is being subtly suggested here is that being born in the exalted lineage of the righteous and noble King Bharata, it would not be appropriate for the blind Dhritarastra to betray his nephews the Pandavas who are the five sons of his brother.
Text 25
bhisma-drona-pramukhatah
sarvesam ca mahi-ksitam
uvaca partha pasyaitan
samavetan kurun iti
Translation
In the presence of Bhishma, Drona and all the other chieftains of the world, the Lord said, Just behold, Partha, all the Kurus assembled here. 
Commentary by Srila Prabhupada 
As the Supersoul of all living entities, Lord Krishna could understand what was going on in the mind of Arjuna. The use of the word Hrishikesha in this connection indicates that He knew everything. And the word Partha, or the son of Kunti, or Pritha, is also similarly significant in reference to Arjuna. As a friend, He wanted to inform Arjuna that because Arjuna was the son of Pritha, the sister of His own father Vasudeva, He had agreed to be the charioteer of Arjuna. Now what did Krishna mean when He told Arjuna to “behold the Kurus”? Did Arjuna want to stop there and not fight? Krishna never expected such things from the son of His aunt Pritha. The mind of Arjuna was thus predicted by the Lord in friendly joking.
Commentary by Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur
The Lord, Hrsikesa, though himself the controller of everyone's senses, was thus ordered by Arjuna, controlled just by his words. See how the Lord is controlled by prema! This is the implication of calling the Lord Hrsikesa.

Here is the significance of the word Gudakesa. Akesa means Visnu (a), Brahma (ka) and Siva (Isa). Gudakesa means he who gives them (akesa) the experience of the sweetness of the Lord's affection just as sugar (guda) gives the experience of sweetness. Therefore, Gudakesa refers to he who, by bringing Krishna under his control, gave Visnu, Brahma, and Siva the opportunity to experience of Krishna's sweetness. Where the Supreme Lord Krishna, the crown jewel, source of all avataras, being controlled by prema, followed the orders of his servant, Arjuna, how could Visnu, Brahma and Siva, his mere expansions as guna avataras, show off any of their powers? Instead, by manifesting affectionate feelings for the Lord themselves (inspired by Arjuna), they felt successful.
The lord of the spiritual sky (Mahavisnu) said: dvijatmamaja me yuvayor didrksuna
I brought the brahmana's sons here because I wanted to see the two of you. SB 10.89.58
Gudakesa can also mean the lord (isa) of sleep (gudaka), the controller of the senses. Even Krishna, who is the direct controller of maya, became controlled by Arjuna's prema. Thus despicable maya or sleep was conquered by Arjuna. He spoke in front of Bhisma, Drona and all the kings.
Though the word pramukhatah is compounded only with Bhisma and Drona, it refers to everyone. Thus the meaning is "putting his chariot in front of Bhisma, Drona and all the other kings."
Rudra Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Visnuswami
Sridhara Swami's Commentary
The Supreme Lord Krishna placed that most excellent of chariots in front of the Kaurava commanders Bhishma and Drona saying: See the assembled Kurus.
Brahma Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Madhvacarya
Madhvacarya's Commentary
Madhvacarya has no commentary so we present Baladeva Vidyabhusana's.
Placing the chariot in front of Bhishma and Drona between the two opposing armies Lord Krishna said: O Partha observe all these Kauravas and see those who are favoring them. The use of the word Partha emphasizes that as Arjuna is the son of Kunti who is the sister of Vasudev who assumed the role of being Lord Krishna's father; then He will as family engage Himself by accepting the position of Arjuna's chariot driver. The use of the word Hrsikesa signifies that Arjuna will lose his desire to fight so what is the purpose of viewing the enemy army on the battlefield and within Lord Krishna's words an innuendo of taunting was hidden.
Bhagavad-Gita
Chapter 1, verse 26
Madhvacarya has no commentary so we present Baladeva Vidyabhusana's.
Thus having been addressed by Lord Krishna in this way, Arjuna viewed the enemy soldiers among paternal uncles like Bhurisrava, and godfathers like Bhishma and Somadatta, and acaryas like Drona and Kripa, and maternal uncles like Salya, Sakuni and others, and brothers like Duryodhana, and sons like Laksmana the son of Duryodhana, etc, and grandsons like the sons of Laksmana, etc. friends like Asvattama and well wishers like Kritavarma, Bhagadatta and others and also the soldiers fighting on his own side. In this way Lord Krishna placed that most magnificent of chariots between the two armies in such a way as to give a view of both the armies on the battlefield.
Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Ramanuja
Ramanuja's Commentary
After attentively surveying the army of the Kauravas arranged in battle formation, Arjuna the son of Pandu on whose flag bears the image of Hanuman, who set the kingdom of Lanka ablaze, requested Lord Krishnato place their chariot between the two opposing armies. Requested whom? Arjuna requested no lesser peronality than the Supreme Lord Himself, the treasurehouse of such attributes as wisdom, strength, sovereignity, eternality, omnipotence and splendour. Whom by His will created the complete cosmic manifestation in its triple aspect of inception, preservation and dissolution for His own pleasure as in sport.
The Supreme Lord Krishna, Hrsikesa, the master of the senses. The Supreme Controller, internally and externally of all living entities evolving and evolved. Who although the Supreme Lord of all, yet descended down to Earth out of His causeless mercy for the redemption of the faithful and even more, He condescended to be Arjuna's chariot driver, carrying out his wish to station their chariot in such a commanding position as to be able to readily view the belligerent Kauravas and put within the range of his vision such heroes as Bhishmadeva, Dronacarya and Kripa and the Kings of royal dynasties. At that time the Supreme Lord Krishna said to Arjuna: see what chances there are for the Kauravas victory over thee.
Kumara Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Nimbaditya
Kesava Kasmiri's Commentary
Lord Krishna requested by the ever alert Arjuna stationed that finest of chariots between the two opposing armies in front of Bhisma, Drona and all the kings and said: Behold all these members of the Kuru dynasty assembled here.
"If You Stay with Krsna"
73/07/20 London, Bhagavad-gita 1.24-25

listen 

 

Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):

sanjaya uvaca
evam ukto hrsikeso
gudakesena bharata
senayor ubhayor madhye
sthapayitva rathottamam
 [Bg. 1.24]

Translation: "Sanjaya said: O descendant of Bharata, being thus addressed by Arjuna, Lord Krsna drew up the fine chariot in the midst of the armies of both parties."

bhisma-drona-pramukhatah
sarvesam ca mahiksitam
uvaca partha pasyaitan
samavetan kurun iti

 [Bg. 1.25]

Translation: "In the presence of Bhisma, Drona and all other chieftains of the world, Hrsikesa, the Lord, said, Just behold, Partha, all the Kurus who are assembled here."

Prabhupada: So sanjaya uvaca. Actually Sanjaya, the secretary of Dhrtarastra, he is relating the activities in the battlefield. Dhrtarastra is blind. How in the battlefield the fighting was going on, Sanjaya was observing, either by television or a similar method. Otherwise, how he could explain things are going on in the battlefield in the room? This Bhagavad-gita, Sanjaya explained, all activities in the battlefield, to Dhrtarastra, within the room. So there must have been something like television or higher than the television, he was seeing within himself everything.

So scientific improvement is coming, but still on the material platform. Material means gross material and subtle material. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita:

bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh
kham mano buddhir eva ca
ahankara itiyam me
bhinna prakrtir astadha

 [Bg. 7.4]

Earth, water, fire, air, sky, these five elements are gross material, everyone can see, gross. We can see earth, we can see water. We can see fire, air, or we can perceive the sky also. But there is subtle matter also. Mind, intelligence, ego. We cannot see the mind. We cannot see intelligence. I understand that you have got intelligence, or everyone knows we have got mind, but we cannot see. This is subtle. They are also matter, subtle matter. So the television is a machine made of gross matter, but there is possibility of making another machine of subtle matter. There is possibility. Because matter, they are also matter. That subtle matter machine is not yet discovered. But here we can see the subtle matter discovery was there. Otherwise, how Sanjaya could see the activities in the battlefield? This is to be understood. They are very much proud of material advancement of science, but still, they have to make advancement, subtle matter. And above that subtle matter, within that subtle matter, there is spiritual identity. Indriyani parany ahur indriyebhyah param manah, manasas tu para buddhih [Bg. 3.42].

First of all we can see a person. A person we see, what do we see? The senses. But we cannot see the director of the senses. The director of the senses is the mind. And the director of the mind is intelligence. And the owner of the intelligence is the soul. This is understanding. The soul is there. Whose intelligence? As soon as we shall say intelligence, whose intelligence? That is the soul's intelligence. Wherefrom the intelligence is coming? From Paramatma, Hrsikesa. Therefore this word is used here, hrs ikesa. The intelligence will come from Paramatma. Otherwise we cannot act, just like a child has got intelligence, but it is guided by the parent's intelligence: "My dear son, do like this." And he does it. Similarly, we have got all this mind, intelligence, everything, but that is being guided by the super-intelligence, Krsna. Therefore He is called Hrsikesa. Once we have explained Hrsikesa. So we have to reach that platform where we can talk with Hrsikesa. That is spiritual platform. That is possible. The more you become purified, you can talk with Hrsikesa, who is within yourself. He is not outside. Although He in Goloka Vrndavana, Krsna is always in Vrndavana, in the spiritual world, but because He is Krsna, He can remain with you also at the same time, simultaneously. This is Krsna. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah [Bs. 5.37].

goloka-namni nija-dhamni tale ca tasya
devi-mahesa-hari-dhamasu tesu tesu
te te prabhava-nicaya vihitas ca yena
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

It is proposed, our Mayapura temple will be on this plan. Goloka-namni nija-dhamni tale ca tasya [Bs. 5.43]. The highest planetary system, spiritual, that is spiritual planet, that is named goloka-namni, Goloka Vrndavana. We have given that picture in the Bhagavata cover. Perhaps you know. The topmost original planet is the Goloka. Goloka-namni nija-dhamni. That is the abode of Krsna. Krsna-dhama. Krsna-dhama. People are searching after God. But actually there is the planet where God lives, Krsna lives. But you have got your machine, aeroplane, sputnik. You can reach there, but you cannot reach even the highest planet, even on this material planet, material universe. Everyone sees. We see the stars or planets. Now you have got the machine; you go there. No. You cannot go. You are so limited. Even you cannot go to the moon planet, which is so nearest. You cannot go. But still, we are proud of our these airplanes, sputniks. We are thinking, "Now we have become God." These rascals they do not know what is God. They are all rascals. They have no idea what is God. Therefore they have accepted another rascal as God. This is going on. You cannot reach. Panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara-sampragamyo vayor athapi manaso muni-pungavanam, so 'pyasti yat prapada-simny avicintya-tattve [Bs. 5.34]. Sastra gives you. Just like your material science also gives you information that there is one planet, highest planet, and one can go there by sputnik in forty thousands of years. So who is going to live forty thousand years to reach there? But they have got theoretically all these things. The highest planet. Material. That is not spiritual.

So after finishing this material world, there is covering of the universe, stock matter, mahat-tattva, wherefrom all these material comings. There is stock. So you have to penetrate through that stock material. And each layer of stock is ten times more than the other. So you have to pierce through the stock, material stock; then you reach the spiritual world. And the spiritual world, there are many... "Many" means three times more than these universes. This universe, this material universe, is only one-fourth manifestation of Krsna's creation. Ekamsena sthito jagat. When Arjuna inquired from Krsna, "So would you kindly explain little of your opulence." "Yes." So He said, "I am this. Out of this, I am this." He summarized,

athava bahunaitena
kim jnatena tavarjuna
vistabhyaham idam krtsnam
ekamsena sthito jagat
 [Bg. 10.42]

Ekamsena. You are seeing this universe. This universe -- only a fragment of the material creation, a fragment. Caitanya Mahaprabhu informed us... One of His devotees requested Caitanya Mahaprabhu, "My dear Lord, You have come personally. You kindly take all the living entities to the spiritual world. Be kind enough upon them. And if you think that they are so sinful they cannot be taken, then transfer all their sins unto me. You take them. You take them." So Caitanya Mahaprabhu began to smile that "Even if I take the all the living entities of the universe, but do you know, this universe is only one fragmental part of other, all other universes. There are many other universes." And He compared that "In a bag where, bag full of mustard seeds..." Just imagine, a big bag of mustard seeds. "And this universe is just like one mustard seed." There are so many universes, so many universes. And it is confirmed in the Brahma-samhita: yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti [Bs. 5.40]. Jagad-anda. Jagad-anda means this universe. Brahmanda, jagad-anda. Koti, innumerable. Jagad-anda-koti. Yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti-kotisv asesa-vasudhadi-vibhuti-bhinnam [Bs. 5.40]. And each universe there are innumerable planets. And each planet is different from others. This is God's creation. And these rascals are manufacturing God. And there is other description also. Yasyaika-nisvasita-kalam athavalambya jivanti loma-vilaja jagad-anda-nathah [Bs. 5.48]. This jagad-anda, the universe. And there, in each universe, there is a controller of the universe, Brahma. He is called jagad-anda-natha, master of this universe. Because it is controlled by Brahma, therefore each universe is called brahmanda. It is controlled by Brahma. So in the Brahma-samhita we get information: jagad-anda-nathah, plural number. There are many, many thousands jagad-anda... Not only one Brahma. Many millions of Brahmas, many millions of Siva, many millions of Visnu, many millions of sun. Because there are many millions of universes. Now, just imagine. This is material creation. And that material creation, Krsna says, ekamsena sthito jagat [Bg. 10.42]. Taking all the material universes, it is only one-fourth creation of the Lord. And the three fourths creation is the spiritual world. Just imagine what is spiritual world. And in that spiritual, the topmost planet is Goloka.

So you cannot go even in the moon planet. How you can go to that spiritual planet penetrating the material coverings coming to the spiritual effulgence, Brahman, and after all these universes, then...? Therefore it is said, panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara-sampragamyah. Koti-sata-vatsara, millions of years, if you go with your sputnik with full force... Panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara. Not this sputnik, but make your planes of mind speed. This is material speed. What is this speed? A few thousands, twenty thousand, fifty thousand. But do you know mind speed? You are sitting here, and immediately, within a second, you can go to India. This is mind speed. Immediately. So panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara sampragamyo vayor athapi [Bs. 5.34]. By the air speed or mind speed. Vayor athapi manaso muni-pungavanam. And driven by great scientists, muni-pungava. Pungava means very expert, nara-pungava. So big, big scientists, expert scientists, if they can discover airplane which is running on mind speed or air speed... They are not, they cannot go by the air speed. They fly on the air, but not with the air speed. So in this way, still, avicintya-tattve, after going many, many millions of years in that speed, still you will find, "Oh, Goloka Vrndavana is far, far away." This is the position.

And we are explaining what is Krsna. Don't consider Krsna is ordinary human being. Avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam [Bg. 9.11]. Because He kindly appears before us just like ordinary human being, don't think that He is like us. It is the conclusion. Just like these rascals, they think that "Because Krsna appeared as a human being, I am also God. I am also God. Why Krsna shall be alone God?" So we are trying to explain what is Krsna, Hrsikesa. Hrsikesa. Then goloka-namni. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah. Goloka eva nivasati.

ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhis
tabhir ya eva nija-rupataya kalabhih
goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhuto
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

 [Bs. 5.37]

So our worship is very simple. Tam aham bhajami. We worship that Govinda, adi-purusam. Govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami **. We don't worship ordinary so-called rascals. We worship Govinda. How Govinda is? The Govinda's description is Brahma-samhita. That Govinda, ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhih: "He is always in the spiritual world, which is ananda-cinmaya-rasa." Not this kind of ananda -- cinmayananda, spiritual bliss. Spiritual bliss means it is continually going on; still, nobody is fed up. Here you can accept any ananda in this material world, so many things. It cannot go on very long time. Suppose if I give you rasagulla, one rasagulla, you can take: "Oh, very nice." Another, "Very nice." Another, "Nice." Then next four or five, "No, I do not want." Finished. Similarly, any ananda you can take. Sex life. It cannot be continued. Finished. So try to understand what is cinmayananda. Ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibha... It, they'll never ends. It goes, nava-nava-yauvana, one after another, new, new, new, new. Just try to understand what is spiritual bliss. You do not... The sahajiyas, they accept this material bliss as spiritual bliss. That is called sahajiya. Don't be sahajiyas. Try to understand according to sastra.

So Krsna is described, this how He becomes Hrsikesa, that goloka eva nivasati. He is enjoying with His associates, the cowherds boys, the gopis, in goloka-namni nija-dhamni. He is enjoying there. At the same time, He is within your heart. This is Krsna, Hrsikesa. He's come simultaneously, not only within your heart, within the atom. Andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham govindam adi-purusam tam aham... [Bs. 5.35]. Not only within your heart, but within the atom. Just imagine. How many atoms there are. So Krsna is everywhere. These are..., we have to take information of Krsna from the sastra. Sastram eva caksusa (?). Vedanta-sutra. Your eyes should be sastra, not your so-called imagination. sastra-caksusa. Yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya vartate kama... If you give up the direction of the sastra and manufacture your own way, yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya vartate kama-karatah, as you like, then na sa siddhim avapnoti: you will never get siddhi, perfection, never get. Na sa siddhim avap..., na sukham, neither happiness. And what to speak of param gatim, going back to home, back to Godhead. So sastra-caksusa. Everything we have to take from the sastra. Because we are blind now. sastra-caksusa. Our, the sastra-jnana, because the spiritual master enlightens the disciple with sastra-jnana, therefore he is spiritual master. If the spiritual master bluffs the disciple, then he is not spiritual master. Bluffing. No.

om ajnana-timirandhasya
jnananjana-salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena
tasmai sri-guruve namah

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.]

This is guru. Guru means he'll always enlighten the disciple with the light of sastra. Not that he will say, "There is no need of sastra. I am incarnation. I, whatever speak, you take it." No. This is rascal. You should immediately, who has no reference to the sastra, immediately take him as a rascal number one. This is the conclusion.

So here is sastra, Bhagavad-gita. Hrsikesa. We have already explained one day. Here also, again we are explaining. Hrsikesa. Krsna. Krsna is there. He never leaves from Vrndavana. He is there. Why? Here also. Just like we see, a very rich man, a very influential man, the president, he lives in his... The Queen, she is in the Buckingham Palace. But she cannot go at the same time anywhere and everywhere. No. She is in, packed up in Buckingham Palace. Krsna is not like that. Therefore He is Hrsikesa. Try to understand the distinction between Krsna and others. Krsna is goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah [Bs. 5.37]. Atma-bhuta. This atma-bhuta is Hrsikesa. He is giving intelligence. The more you become purified, the more you get direct instruction from Hrsikesa. This is the point. So how you can become purified? Purified means no more influenced by the modes of material nature. That is explained: gudakesa. Gudaka isa. Gudaka means darkness, and isa. When you become master of this material world, or material senses. This material world means material senses. That's all. So if you become master of the material senses, then you become gudakesa. Therefore Arjuna is described here as gudakesa. Arjuna... Don't take Arjuna that he was mistaken. No, he cannot be. How he can be? He is constantly with Krsna. How he can be misdirected? No. That is not possible. In the Caitanya-caritamrta it is said that krsna surya-sama maya andhakara. So gudaka means darkness, maya. So krsna surya-sama maya andhakara. The darkness and light is there always, side by side. We have got experience. Here is sunlight, here is darkness. So these two things are there. So krsna surya-sama maya andhakara, yahan krsna tahan nahi mayara adhikara. Wherever there is Krsna, there is no jurisdiction of darkness or maya.

daivi hy esa gunamayi
mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante
mayam etam taranti te

 [Bg. 7.14]

You can become immediately out of the scope of maya if you always remain surrendered to Krsna. Maya will not touch you. Just like if you remain always in the sunshine, there is no question of night. Nowadays it is very easy. If you simply drive your plane on the western side, you'll never get night. You just round about. Yes. Just like it is materially possible. You drive your plane simply on the western side. Start your plane in the morning and go to the western side and don't stop it. You go on for three, four, as many days as you like. You'll never get night. This is practical. Similarly, if you keep always with Krsna, you are gudakesa, you will never get darkness. Or maya will not touch you. This is Krsna consciousness. So try to become Gudakesa.

The next verse. Krsna Hrsikesa. So He knew the sarvasya caham hrdi sannivistah. Krsna is there. Krsna knows what is your purpose, what you want to do, what is your past, future. Everything Krsna knows. Everything Krsna knows. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita. Vedaham samatitani; "I know everything." So Krsna, sthapayitva, rathottamam sthapayitva. As soon as Arjuna asked Him, senayor ubhayor madhye ratham sthapaya me 'cyuta [Bg. 1.21], immediately He carried out the order and He knew why he wants. He wanted to see, "With whom I have to fight, my friends and relatives." He's hesitating. So why this ignorance of Arjuna, the question may be. Arjuna is gudakesa. He is above this material world. How he is being affected by his so-called relatives and kinsmen? He was hesitating to fight on this principle, that "They are my relatives. They are my kinsmen. They are my family members." He was always thinking. Therefore Krsna knew it. So he has become so family-wise infected. But he is gudakesa. How it is possible? He is above all these things. Yes, he is above all these things. By Krsna's desire, he is playing like that, ordinary man. Otherwise, how Bhagavad-gita will come? Krsna cannot talk with ordinary person. Krsna cannot fight with ordinary person. Even the demons, when they come, just like Hiranyaksa, Hiranyakasipu. They were Jaya-Vijaya in the Vaikuntha world. So they came here, and Krsna asked them, that "If you become My enemy, then within three births you will come back. And if you remain friend, then seven births." So they preferred, "Oh, I shall become Your enemy, Sir, so that I can come back again after three births." So why? That Krsna has all the propensities. Just like we sometimes want to fight, mock fight. So in the Vaikuntha world there cannot be any fight. So because Krsna wanted to exercise His fighting spirit, He sent His devotee. He became enemy and He fought. So you have to understand Krsna in that way, as Hrsikesa. He knows that unless Arjuna becomes affected family-wise, how Bhagavad-gita will be there? Therefore although Gudakesa, Arjuna, is above darkness, still, by the will of Krsna, Hrsikesa, he played just like ordinary man, affected with his family affection. Therefore Krsna in the next verse says... Uvaca. Krsna said, "My dear Partha, now you wanted to see with whom you have to fight. Now, here is Bhisma, Drona, and many other kings. All the descendants of Kuru dynasty, your Dhrtarastra's sons. Now you see very nicely and be prepared to fight with them." So this is the explanation of Hrsikesa and Gudakesa.


Thank you very much. (end)
 
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 1.24-25 -- London, July 20, 1973

© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with permission.

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