Bhagavad Gita 2.3

[Paramananda das]

            Text 3

klaibyam ma sma gamah partha naitat tvayy upapadyate ksudram hridaya-daurbalyam tyaktvottistha parantapa

Translation

O son of Pritha, do not yield to this degrading impotence. It does not become you. Give up such petty weakness of heart and arise, O chastiser of the enemy.

Commentary by Srila Prabhupada

Arjuna was addressed as the son of Pritha, who happened to be the sister of Krishna’s father Vasudeva. Therefore Arjuna had a blood relationship with Krishna. If the son of a kshatriya declines to fight, he is a kshatriya in name only, and if the son of a brahmana acts impiously, he is a brahmana in name only. Such kshatriyas and brahmanas are unworthy sons of their fathers; therefore, Krishna did not want Arjuna to become an unworthy son of a kshatriya. Arjuna was the most intimate friend of Krishna, and Krishna was directly guiding him on the chariot; but in spite of all these credits, if Arjuna abandoned the battle he would be committing an infamous act. Therefore Krishna said that such an attitude in Arjuna did not fit his personality. Arjuna might argue that he would give up the battle on the grounds of his magnanimous attitude for the most respectable Bhishma and his relatives, but Krishna considered that sort of magnanimity mere weakness of heart. Such false magnanimity was not approved by any authority. Therefore, such magnanimity or so-called nonviolence should be given up by persons like Arjuna under the direct guidance of Krishna.

Commentary by Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur

"Do not become cowardly (klaibyam), impotent. O Partha, you are the son of Prtha, but in spite of that you have acted like this. Do not yield to this. This weakness should be checked even in the inferior ksatriyas, but in you, my friend, it is not proper at all."

"Do not worry about my lack of bravery; do not think I am a coward. One must consider the precepts of dharma in regards to Bhisma, Drona and other elders, and also consider the aspect of compassion in regard to the sons of Dhrtarastra, who, being weaker than I, being afflicted by my weapons, are about to die."

"This is not discretion based on dharma and mercy, but bewilderment and lamentation, indications of a weak mind (ksudram hrdaya daurbalyam). Therefore give up this weakness of mind and rise up. O conqueror of enemies (parantapa), you, who afflict enemies, fight!"

Rudra Vaisnava Sampradaya: Visnuswami Sridhara Swami's Commentary The Supreme Lord Krishna instructs Arjuna to yield not to unmanliness, or be overcome by cowardice because it is not befitting a ksatriya and unworthy of him and that Arjuna should immediately cast off this unseemly, contemptible faint heartedness and prepare for battle.

Brahma Vaisnava Sampradaya: Madhvacarya There is no commentary for this verse.

Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya: Ramanuja Ramanuja's Commentary In this verse the Supreme Lord Krishna depreciates Arjunas ill timed despondency and advises him to discard it and prepare himself to fight for lamentation has no place on the battlefield, is not approved by the wise, is not conducive to heavenly pursuits, is inglorious and ignoble and appears due to weakness of heart. Arjuna still unable to apply the Supreme Lord Krishna's sagacious counselling due to being afflicted by sentiments of friendship and pity and due to the horror of possibly committing actions which may be contrary to righteousness. Arjuna being unclear as to what is right and what is wrong sought guidance thus.

Kumara Vaisnava Sampradaya: Nimbaditya Kesava Kasmiri's Commentary By addressing Arjuna as the son of Prtha it refers to his mother Kunti who by worshipping Indra, the ruler of the demi-gods received Arjuna as her son endowed with extraordinary might and valor like Indra. Lord Krishna reminds Arjuna of this to instruct him not to yield to this impotence for it does not befit him and that he should discard this weakness of heart. By using the vocative parantapa meaning chastiser of enemies Lord Krishna is reminding Arjuna that at the time of his birth a heavenly voice proclaimed that he would conquer all enemies.

"Special Senses Are Required"

73/08/04 London, Bhagavad-gita 2.3
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Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):

klaibyam ma sma gamah partha naitat tvayy upapadyate ksudram hrdaya-daurbalyam tyaktvottistha parantapa [Bg. 2.3]

Translation: "O son of Prtha, do not yield to this degrading impotence. It does not become you. Give up such petty weakness of heart and arise, O chastiser of the enemy."

Prabhupada: So Bhagavan, Krsna, is encouraging, ksudram hrdaya-daurbalyam. "For a ksatriya to speak like that, ‘No no, I cannot kill my kinsmen. I am giving my weapons,' this is weakness, cowardice. Why you are all this nonsense doing?" Ksudram hrdaya-daurbalyam. "This kind of compassion, giving up your duty as a ksatriya, it is simply weakness of the heart. It has no meaning." Klaibyam ma sma gamah partha naitat tvayy upapadyate. "Especially for you. You are My friend. What people will say? So give up this weakness of the heart and uttistha, stand up, take courage." So just see how Krsna is inducing Arjuna to fight. People are very much ignorant and they sometimes criticize that "Krsna is exciting Arjuna. He is very gentleman, nonviolent, and Krsna is exciting him to fight." This is called jada-darsana. Jada-darsana. Jada-darsana means material vision. Therefore sastra says, atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [Brs. 1.2.234]. Sri-krsna-namadi. We become in touch with Krsna by chanting His name, Hare Krsna. That is the beginning of our connection with Krsna. Namadi. So sastra says, atah sri-krsna-namadi. Adi means beginning.

So we have no connection with Krsna. But if we chant Hare Krsna maha-mantra, immediately our first chance to contact Krsna begins. So it has to be practiced. Not that immediately I realize Krsna. That is not... Of course, if one is advanced, it is possible immediately. So sri-krsna-namadi. Nama means name. So Krsna is not only name. Adi, that is the beginning, but form, activities. Just like sravanam kirtanam. So sravanam kirtanam, glorifying or describing about Krsna... So He has got His form. So nama means name, and then, rupa means form. Nama, rupa... Lila means pastimes; guna means quality; entourage, his associates; all these... Atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved [Brs. 1.2.234]. Na bhaved grahyam indriyaih. By ordinary senses we cannot understand... Either Sri Krsna's name... We are hearing our, through the aural reception, Krsna's name, but if we keep our ear without purification... Of course, by hearing, it will be purified. We have to help. Help means to avoid the offenses, ten kinds of offenses. So in this way we shall help the purificatory process. Just like if I want to ignite fire, so I must help the igniting process by drying the wood. It will very soon get fire. Similarly, simply chanting, that will help us also. It will take time. But if we avoid the offenses, then it will be very quickly purified. The action will be there.

So atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [Brs. 1.2.234]. So this behavior of Krsna, how ordinary men can understand? Because they have got their ordinary senses, therefore they mistake. Why Krsna? Even Krsna's devotee, Vaisnava. That is also stated. Vaisnavera kriya mudra vijneha na bujhaya. Even a Vaisnava acarya, what he is doing, even the most expert intelligent man cannot understand why he is doing this. Therefore we should not try to imitate the higher authorities, but we have to follow the order, injunction, given by the higher authorities. It is not possible. Krsna is exciting Arjuna to fight. That does not mean we can also do that, excite, no. That will be immoral. For Krsna it is not immoral. Whatever He is doing... God is good, He is all-good. We should accept it. Whatever He is doing, that is all-good. This is one side. And whatever I am doing without authority's order, this is all bad. He does not require any order from anyone else. Isvarah paramah krsnah [Bs. 5.1]. He is the supreme controller. He does not require anyone's instruction. Whatever He does, it is perfect. This is Krsna understanding. And not that I have to study Krsna in my own way. Krsna is not subjected to your examination or your test. He is above all. He is transcendent. Therefore those who have not the transcendental vision, they misunderstand Krsna. Here He is directly enticing,

klaibyam ma sma gamah partha naitat tvayy upapadyate ksudram hrdaya-daurbalyam taktvottistha parantapa

Parantapa is, this word, very word, is used that "You are a ksatriya, you are king. Your business is to chastise the mischief mongers. That is your business. You cannot excuse the mischief monger." Formerly the kings were so... The king himself used to judge. A criminal was brought before the king, and if the king thought it wise, he would take his own sword, immediately cut his head. That was the duty of king. Even not many, about hundred years ago in Kashmir, the king, as soon as a thief was caught, he would be brought before the king, and if he is proved that he was a thief, he has stolen, immediately the king will cut off his hands personally, chopped off. Even hundred years ago. So all other thieves warned, "This is your punishment." So there was no thiefing. There was no stealing, no burglary in Kashmir. Even somebody lost something on the road, it will lie down. Nobody will touch it. The order was, king's order was, "If something is lying down on the street uncared for, you cannot touch it. The man who has left it, he would come; he will collect. You cannot take." Even hundred years ago. So this capital punishment is required. Nowadays the capital punishment is excused. Murderers are not hanged. This is all mistake, all rascaldom. A murderer must be killed. No mercy. Why a human killer? Even an animal killer should be immediately hanged? That is kingdom. The king should be so strict.

So this sympathy is like Arjuna's sympathy. The sympathy... Now the state is sympathizing with the murderer not to be killed. This is Arjuna. That is hrdaya-daurbalyam. That is not duty. One has to discharge the duty ordered by the superior authority very strictly, without any consideration. So these are weakness of the heart, this kind of sympathy. But ordinary person will not understand. Therefore to understand Krsna, one requires special senses, special senses, not ordinary senses. Special senses means you have to pluck your eyes and you have to put another eyes? No. You have to purify. Tat-paratvena nirmalam. Just like if you have got some disease in the eyes, you apply medicine, and when it is clear, you can see clearly everything; similarly, with these blunt senses, we cannot understand what is Krsna. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah [Brs. 1.2.234]. As sri-krsnasya namadau, Krsna's name, form, quality, etc., is not understand by these blunt senses, so how it is to be done? Now, sevonmukhe hi jihvadau. Again jihvadau, beginning from the tongue, controlling the tongue. Just see it is something peculiar, that you have to understand Krsna by controlling the tongue? This is something wonderful. How is that? I have to control my tongue to understand Krsna? But it is, the sastra injunction is there: sevonmukhe hi jihvadau. Jihva means tongue. So in order to see Krsna, in order to understand Krsna, the first business is to control your tongue. Therefore we say, don't take meat, don't take liquor. Because it is controlling the tongue. The tongue is the most strong enemy as sense, as perverted sense. And these rascals they say, "No, you can eat whatever you like. It has nothing to do with religion." But Vedic sastra says, "You rascal, first of all control your tongue. Then you can understand what is God."

So this is called Vedic injunction -- perfect. If you control your tongue, then you control your belly, then you control your genital. Rupa Gosvami gives instruction,

vaco-vegam manaso krodha-vegam jihvavegam udaropastha-vegam etan vegan yo visaheta dhirah sarvam apimam sa prthivim sa sisyat.

This is instruction, that anyone who has become competent to control the tongue, to control the mind, to control the anger, to control the belly and control the genital..., if six kind of control is there, he is fit for becoming spiritual master; he can make disciples all over the world. And if you cannot control your tongue, if you cannot control your anger, control your mental concoction, then how you can become even a spiritual master? That is not possible. Prthivim sa sisyat. One who did... That is called gosvami, gosvami or svami, master of the senses. Master of controlling these six kinds.

So beginning is the jihva. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah [Brs. 1.2.234]. Seva. The tongue can be engaged in the service of the Lord. How? You chant Hare Krsna, always glorify. Vacamsi vaikuntha-gunanuvarnane. Vacamsi, means talking. Talking is the business of tongue, and tasting is the business of tongue. So you engage the tongue in the service of the Lord by glorifying. Whenever... You take a vow that "Whenever I shall speak, I shall simply speak, glorifying Krsna, nothing more." That is tongue control. If you don't allow your tongue to speak anything nonsense, gramya-katha... We sometimes sit together. We talk so many nonsense. That should be controlled. "Now I have engaged my tongue for the service of the Lord, so we shall not talk anything of sense gratification." This is controlling the tongue. "I cannot eat anything which is not offered to Krsna." This is controlling the tongue. So these are small techniques, but it has got great, great value so that Krsna will be pleased, the austerity, and He will reveal. You cannot understand. You cannot see Krsna. You cannot order Krsna, "Krsna, please come, dancing with flute. I shall see You." This is order. Krsna is not subjected to your order. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu gives us instruction, aslisya va pada-ratam pinastu mam marma-hatam karotu va adarsanam. Adarsanam. Everyone wants to see Krsna, a devotee, but a pure devotee says that "No, if you don't like to see me, that's all right. You can break my heart. I may always pray to see You. But You do not come and break my heart, that is also accepted. Still, I shall worship You." This is pure devotion. Not that "I have asked Krsna to come before me dancing. He did not come. So I give up this nonsense. The Krsna consciousness movement is no value." Not like that. This is Radharani's attitude. So Krsna left Vrndavana. All the gopis, they passed their days simply crying for Krsna, but never condemned Krsna. Whenever somebody came... Krsna also was thinking of them because gopis are the greatest devotees, topmost devotees. There is no comparison with the devotion of the gopis. Therefore Krsna was always obliged to them. Krsna said to the gopis that "You have to be satisfied with your own business. I cannot return you anything for your love." Krsna, the Supreme, the all-powerful, He was unable to repay the debts for the gopis. Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhu-vargena ya kalpita. There is no more better worship than what was conceived by the gopis. So gopis are the topmost devotees. And amongst the gopis, Srimati Radharani is the topmost. Therefore Srimati Radharani is greater than Krsna.

So this is Gaudiya-Vaisnava philosophy. It requires time. So the activities of Krsna, the rascals, if they simply see that "Krsna is enticing Arjuna to fight; therefore Krsna is immoral," that is, means wrong vision. You have to see Krsna with separate eyes. Therefore Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, janma karma me divyam ca. Divyam. These transcendental activities of Krsna, if anyone can understand, simply if anyone can understand, then he becomes liberated immediately. Liberated. Not liberated ordinary liberation, but for going back to home, back to Godhead. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. The greatest liberation. There are different types of liberation also. Sayujya sarupya sarsti salokya sayujya.... Five kinds of liberation. So sayujya means to merge into the existence, Brahman, brahma-laya (merging in the impersonal). That is also liberation. The Mayavadis or the jnani sampradaya, they want to merge into the existence, Brahman existence. That is also mukti. That is called sayujya-mukti. But for a devotee, this sayujya-mukti is just like hell. Kaivalyam narakayate. So for Vaisnava, kaivalyam, to, monism, to merge into the existence of the Supreme, is compared with hell. Kaivalyam narakayate tri-dasa-pur akasa-puspayate (Caitanya-candramrta 5). And the karmis... Jnanis are anxious to merge into the existence of the Brahman effulgence, and the karmis, their highest aim is how to be elevated in the higher planetary system, Svarga-loka, where Lord Indra is there, or Brahma is there. That is karmi's ambition, to go to the heaven. They all, except Vaisnava philosophy, in all other literature, all other scripture, means Christian and Mohammedan, their aim is how to be elevated to the heaven.

So heaven is described in the Vedic literature as tri-dasa-pur. Tri-dasa-pur. Tri-dasa-pur means there are 33,000,000's of demigods, and they have got their separate planets. This is called tri-dasa-pur. Tri means three, and dasa means ten. So thirty-three or thirty. Anyway, tri-dasa-pur akasa-puspayate. Akasa-puspa means something imaginary something imaginary. A flower in the sky. A flower should be in the garden, but if somebody imagines the flower in the sky, it is something imaginary. So for a devotee, this heavenly promotion to the heavenly planet is just like a flower in the sky. Tri-dasa-pur akasa-puspayate. Kaivalyam narakayate. Jnani and karmi. And durdantendriya-kala-sarpa-patali protkhata-damstrayate. Then yogi. Yogis are trying. Yogi means yoga indriya-samyama, controlling the senses. That is yogic practice. Our senses are very strong. Just like we also, Vaisnavas, we first of all try to control the tongue. So yogis also, they try to control the senses, not only tongue, but all other, ten kinds of senses, by that yogis mystic process. So why they are trying to control? Because the senses are just like serpents. A serpent... Just like they touch anywhere, immediately something up to death. Injury there must be up to death. This is exemplified: just our sex impulse. As soon as there is illicit sex, there is so many difficulties. Of course, nowadays it has all become very easy. Formerly it was very difficulty, especially in India. Therefore a young girl was always protected, because if she mixes with the boys, somehow or other, as soon as there is sex, she becomes pregnant. And it will be no more possible to get her married. No. Touched by the serpent. This is... Vedic civilization is very strict. Because the whole aim was how to go back to home, back to Godhead, not sense gratification, eat, drink, be merry, enjoy. That is not the aim of human life. So everything was planned with that aim. Visnur aradhyate.

varnasramacaravata purusena parah puman visnur aradhyate pantha nanyat tat-tosa-karanam

Varnasrama, these brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, everyone had to strictly follow the rules and regulation of the particular division. A brahmana must act as a brahmana. A ksatriya must as... Here is the... Just Krsna says, "You are ksatriya; why you are talking all this rascal? You must!" Naitat tvayy upapadyate. "In two ways you should not do this. As a ksatriya you should not do this, and as My friend, you should not do this. This is your weakness." So this is Vedic civilization. Fight for the ksatriya. A brahmana is not going to fight. Brahmana is satyah samo damah, he is practicing how to become peaceful, how to become clean, how to control the senses, how to control the mind, how to become simple, how to become full cognizant of the Vedic literature, how to apply practically in life, how to become firmly fixed up in conviction. These are brahmanas'. Similarly, ksatriya's -- fighting. That is necessary. Vaisya -- krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam [Bg. 18.44]. So all these strictly to be followed. Just yesterday we were reading when Manu, Vaivasvatu Manu, came to Kardama Muni, he is receiving, "Sir, I know that your touring means you are just...," what is called, what is called, examining?

Devotee: Inspecting.

Prabhupada: Inspecting, yes. Inspecting. "Your touring means inspection whether the varnasrama, whether the brahmana is doing actually as brahmana, ksatriya is doing actually as ksatriya." That is king's touring. King's touring not a pleasure touring at the expense of the state go somewhere and come back. No. He was... Sometimes in disguise the king used to see whether this varnasrama-dharma is being maintained, properly being observed, whether somebody is simply wasting time like hippies. No, that cannot be done. That cannot be done. Now in your government there is some inspection that nobody is employed, but unemployed. But so many things are not practically inspected. But it is the duty of the government to see everything. Varnasramacaravata, everything is practicing as brahmana. Simply by falsely becoming brahmana, falsely becoming ksatriya -- no. You must. So this was the king's duty, government's duty. Now everything is topsy-turvied. Everything is no more practical value. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, kalau...,

harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha [Cc. Adi 17.21]

It is very difficult to take us back to the original process of civilization.

So for a Vaisnava, as I was explaining, the tri-dasa-pur akasa-puspayate durdantendriya-kala-sarpa-patali. So controlling the sense, that is durdanta. Durdanta means formidable. It is very, very difficult to control the senses. Therefore the yoga process, mystic yoga process -- just to practice how to control the senses. But for a devotee... They... Just like the tongue, if it is engaged only in the business of chanting Hare Krsna mantra and eating only Krsna prasadam, the whole thing is done, perfect yogi. Perfect yogi. So for a bhakta, there is no trouble with the senses because a bhakta knows how to engage each and every sense in the service of the Lord. Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. That is bhakti. Hrsika means the senses. When the senses are engaged only for the service of Krsna, Hrsikesa, then there is no need of practicing yoga. Automatically they are locked up in the service of Krsna. They have no other engagement. That is the highest. Therefore Krsna says,

yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantaratmana sraddhavan bhajate yo mam sa me yuktatamo matah [Bg. 6.47]

"A first-class yogi is he who is always thinking of Me." Therefore this chanting of Hare Krsna mantra, if we simply chant and hear, the first-class yogi. So these are the process. So Krsna wants to Arjuna that "Why you are indulging in this weakness of mind? You are under My protection. I am ordering you to fight. Why you are denying?" This is the purport. Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.3 -- London, August 4, 1973

comments: Srila Prabhupada translates klaibyam--impotence;or unmanliness. We see in the commentaries of Kesava Kasmiri that Krsna is addressing Arjuna as Prtha ,being the son of Kunti ,and the son of Indra ,so he should not hesitate to fight.

  The fact is that Arjuna is also fighting his superiors like Bhisma and Drona, and thus he is perplexed along with fighting so many relatives.

In regards to relatives if the are not favorable for Krsnas service ,Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has advised us:

na me patni-kanya-tanaya-janani-bandhu-nicaya harau bhakte bhaktau na khalu yadi tesam sumamata abhaktanam-anna-grahanam api doso visayinam katham tesam sangadd hari-bhajana-siddhir bhavati me

I now disown my wife my daughters, my sons, my mother, and all my friends, If they have no genuine attachment for Lord Hari, for His devotees, or for His devotional service.

It is definitely a great sin even to accept foodgrains prepared by such non-devotional, materialistic sense-gratifiers. If I were to remain in the company of such persons, then how will the eternal perfection of my Hari-bajan ever come about?

and also in these vows of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura (Sva Niyama dvadasaka) he writes:

The 5th Verse

na varne saktir me na khalu mamata hyasrama-vidhau na dharme nadharme mama ratir ihaste kvacid api param tat-tad-dharme mama jada-sariram dhrtam idam ato dharman sarvan subhajana-sahayann abhilase

I have no attachment at all to any of those caste divisions of society such as brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya or sudra. And I certainly do not identify with any order of life such as brahmacarya, grhasta, vanaprasta, or sannyasa. I have no fondness or respect at all for the so-called piety of religiosity or even for the so-called impiety of sinful life in this world-----not even the slightest regard. Instead , I truly desire whathever is practically required just to maintain this material body in order to facilitate my performance of pure devotional service. This is the actual righteousness that I will hope for as long as this material body continues to exist.

Sometimes our superiors may act against pure devotional service and then they must be rejected:

King Kulasekhara writes in his Mukunda Mala stotram:

tyajantu bandhavah sarve

nindantu guravo janah

tathapi paramanando

govindo mama jivanam

MM 39: Let my relatives all abandon me and my superiors condemn me. Still, the supremely blissful Govinda remains my life and soul.

Sometimes even a Guru becomes materialistic and must be rejected,this is explained in details by Srila  Narahari Sakhara in his Krsna Bhajanamrta.

Bhisma even did not come to the aid of Draupadi, when Dhusasana tried to strip her naked,he thus failed his duty as a superior.Though a great devotee and Mahajana he took the side of the asuras , and was thus also killed on the battlefield of Kuruksetra.The question is why could Bhisma take the side against Krsna, but actually this was Krsnas plan so He

could enjoy chivalrous rasa with His pure devotee Bhismadeva.

Srimad Bhagavatam provides us with the beautiful realizations of Bhismadeva:

SB 1.9.12: Bhīṣmadeva said: Oh, what terrible sufferings and what terrible injustices you good souls suffer for being the sons of religion personified. You did not deserve to remain alive under those tribulations, yet you were protected by the brāhmaṇas, God and religion.

SB 1.9.13: As far as my daughter-in-law Kuntī is concerned, upon the great General Pāṇḍu's death, she became a widow with many children, and therefore she suffered greatly. And when you were grown up she suffered a great deal also because of your actions.

SB 1.9.14: In my opinion, this is all due to inevitable time, under whose control everyone in every planet is carried, just as the clouds are carried by the wind.

SB 1.9.15: O how wonderful is the influence of inevitable time. It is irreversible — otherwise, how can there be reverses in the presence of King Yudhiṣṭhira, the son of the demigod controlling religion; Bhīma, the great fighter with a club; the great bowman Arjuna with his mighty weapon Gāṇḍīva; and above all, the Lord, the direct well-wisher of the Pāṇḍavas?

SB 1.9.16: O King, no one can know the plan of the Lord [Śrī Kṛṣṇa]. Even though great philosophers inquire exhaustively, they are bewildered.

SB 1.9.17: O best among the descendants of Bharata [Yudhiṣṭhira], I maintain, therefore, that all this is within the plan of the Lord. Accepting the inconceivable plan of the Lord, you must follow it. You are now the appointed administrative head, and, my lord, you should now take care of those subjects who are now rendered helpless.

SB 1.9.18: This Śrī Kṛṣṇa is no other than the inconceivable, original Personality of Godhead. He is the first Nārāyaṇa, the supreme enjoyer. But He is moving amongst the descendants of King Vṛṣṇi just like one of us and He is bewildering us with His self-created energy.

Bhismadeva then spoke so many divine instructions and they are recorded in the Bhisma parva of Mahabharat.

Then he spoke to the Pandavas and all assembled:

 

SB 1.9.32: Bhīṣmadeva said: Let me now invest my thinking, feeling and willing, which were so long engaged in different subjects and occupational duties, in the all-powerful Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. He is always self-satisfied, but sometimes, being the leader of the devotees, He enjoys transcendental pleasure by descending on the material world, although from Him only the material world is created.

SB 1.9.33: Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the intimate friend of Arjuna. He has appeared on this earth in His transcendental body, which resembles the bluish color of the tamāla tree. His body attracts everyone in the three planetary systems [upper, middle and lower]. May His glittering yellow dress and His lotus face, covered with paintings of sandalwood pulp, be the object of my attraction, and may I not desire fruitive results.

SB 1.9.34: On the battlefield [where Śrī Kṛṣṇa attended Arjuna out of friendship], the flowing hair of Lord Kṛṣṇa turned ashen due to the dust raised by the hoofs of the horses. And because of His labor, beads of sweat wetted His face. All these decorations, intensified by the wounds dealt by my sharp arrows, were enjoyed by Him. Let my mind thus go unto Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

SB 1.9.35: In obedience to the command of His friend, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa entered the arena of the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra between the soldiers of Arjuna and Duryodhana, and while there He shortened the life spans of the opposite party by His merciful glance. This was done simply by His looking at the enemy. Let my mind be fixed upon that Kṛṣṇa.

SB 1.9.36: When Arjuna was seemingly polluted by ignorance upon observing the soldiers and commanders before him on the battlefield, the Lord eradicated his ignorance by delivering transcendental knowledge. May His lotus feet always remain the object of my attraction.

SB 1.9.37: Fulfilling my desire and sacrificing His own promise, He got down from the chariot, took up its wheel, and ran towards me hurriedly, just as a lion goes to kill an elephant. He even dropped His outer garment on the way.

SB 1.9.38: May He, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, who awards salvation, be my ultimate destination. On the battlefield He charged me, as if angry because of the wounds dealt by my sharp arrows. His shield was scattered, and His body was smeared with blood due to the wounds.

SB 1.9.39: At the moment of death, let my ultimate attraction be to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead. I concentrate my mind upon the chariot driver of Arjuna who stood with a whip in His right hand and a bridle rope in His left, who was very careful to give protection to Arjuna's chariot by all means. Those who saw Him on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra attained their original forms after death.

SB 1.9.40: Let my mind be fixed upon Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, whose motions and smiles of love attracted the damsels of Vrajadhāma [the gopīs]. The damsels imitated the characteristic movements of the Lord [after His disappearance from the rāsa dance].

SB 1.9.41: At the Rājasūya-yajña [sacrifice] performed by Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, there was the greatest assembly of all the elite men of the world, the royal and learned orders, and in that great assembly Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa was worshiped by one and all as the most exalted Personality of Godhead. This happened during my presence, and I remembered the incident in order to keep my mind upon the Lord.

SB 1.9.42: Now I can meditate with full concentration upon that one Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, now present before me because now I have transcended the misconceptions of duality in regard to His presence in everyone's heart, even in the hearts of the mental speculators. He is in everyone's heart. The sun may be perceived differently, but the sun is one.

SB 1.9.43: Sūta Gosvāmī said: Thus Bhīṣmadeva merged himself in the Supersoul, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, with his mind, speech, sight and actions, and thus he became silent, and his breathing stopped

Thus Sri Bhismadeva has given us such a wonderful meditation on Arjuna and Krsna on the battlefield of Kuruksetra, while I am writting this there is a great struggle, as the Goverment in Russia wants to ban Bhagavad Gita ,as if it was a criminal book, this is certainly very sinful ,and I am confident that due to the presence of Krsna and Arjuna, this battle will be won .

yatra yogesvarah krsno yatra partho dhanur-dharah tatra srir vijayo bhutir dhruva nitir matir mama

SYNONYMS

yatra--where; yoga-isvarah--the master of mysticism; krsnah--Lord Krsna; yatra--where; parthah--the son of Prtha; dhanuh-dharah--the carrier of the bow and arrow; tatra--there; srih--opulence; vijayah--victory; bhutih--exceptional power; dhruva--certain; nitih--morality; matih mama--is my opinion.

TRANSLATION

Wherever there is Krsna, the master of all mystics, and wherever there is Arjuna, the supreme archer, there will also certainly be opulence, victory, extraordinary power, and morality. That is my opinion.