SINCE THE GITA IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE EPIC MAHABHARATA ITS DATE AND AUTHORSHIP ARE OBVIOUSLY THOSE OF THE EPIC ITSELF AS PER THE HINDU ORAL TRADITIONS BASED ON THEIR NOTION OF TIME AS THE YUGASYSTEM THE KURUKHSETRA WAR MUST HAVE TAKEN PLACE DURING 3139 B.C THE DATES GIVEN HOWEVER BY THE MODERN HISTORIAN VARY FROM 1424 B.C TO 575 B.C AT THE PRESENT STAGE OF THE RESEARCH IT MAY BE DIFFICULT TO CLINCH THE ISSUE ON SUCH CHRONOLOGICAL MATTERS
BHAGAVADGITA
DHRTARASTRA THE BLIND KING ASKS SANJAYA HIS COMPANION WHO HAD BEEN ENDOWED WITH DIVINE SIGHT TO SEE AND DESCRIBE THE WAR TO TELL HIM AS TO WHAT HAPPENED ON THE BATTLE FIELD .SANJAYA STARTS BY TELLING HOW DURYODHANA APPROAACHES DRONACHARYA THE PRECEPTOR AND DISCRIBES THE VARIOUS WARRIORS ON BOTH THE SIDES JUST THEN BHISMA THE GRANDSIRE AND COMMANDER IN CHEF OF THE KAURAVA ARMY BLOWS HIS CONCH TO INDICATE THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE DAYS BATTLETHIS IS FOLLOWED BY ALL THE OTHERS INCLUDING THE PANDAVAS BLOWING THEIR RESPECTIVE CONCHES AT THE REQUEST OF ARJUNA THE PANDAVAS HERO SRI KRISHNA HIS CHARIOTEER BRINGS HIS CHARIOT AND STATIONS IT IN BETWEEN THE TWO ARMIES BUT RIGHT IN FRONT OF BHISMA AND DRONA SEEING THEM AND OBSERVING ALL THE OTHERS ASSEMBLED THERE FOR THE WAR ARJUNA SINKS IN HORROR AND SORROW HE DESCRIBES HIS PITIABLE CONDITION TO SRI KRISHNA ARGUES AGAINST THIS FRATRICIDAL WAR BY PORTRAYING ITS VARIOUS EVIL CONSEQUENCES WHICH WILL ULTIMATELY RESULT IN THE TOTAL COLLAPSE OF THE SOCIO POLITICAL SYSTEM AND SITS DOWN IN THE CHARIOT ABANDONING HIS WEAPONS
SRI KRISHNA RESPONSE TO ARJUNA
SRI KRISHNA AT FIRST TRIES TO ROUSE ARJUNA FROM THIS STUPOR BY STRONGLY ADMONISHING HIM FOR HIS PSYCHOLOGICAL COLLAPSE AT A CRITICAL MOMENT HIS UN ARYAN AND UNMANLY BEHAVIOUR WHICH DOSE NOT BEFIT A GREAT WARRIOR LIKE HIM AND URGES HIM TO BESTIR HIMSELF TO ACTION EVEN SUCH STRONG WORDS FAIL TO AWAKEN HIM HE CONTINUES TO SERMONIZE CONVEYS HIS DECISION TO RETIRE BUT IN ALL HUMILITY SEEKS HIS GUIDANCE THEN RELISHING THAT ARJUNA'S CONFUSION AND DELUSION HAVE GONE TOO DEEP TO BE DISPELLED BY CURSORY REPLIES SRI KRISHNA STARTS HIS IMMORTAL SPIRITUAL DISCOURSE AIMED AT CURING HIS MALADY FROM THE ROOT ITSELF BY GIVING HIM A CORRECT PERSPECTIVE OF THE WHOLE PICTURE IN FACT AN ENTIRE PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE ARJUNA IS REALLY SORROWING FOR THOSE WHO SHOULD NOT BE SORROWED FOR ALL THE PEOPLE INCLUDING THOSE ASSEMBLED ON THE BATTLEFIELD ARE IN REALITY IMMORTAL SOULS DEATH OR DETERIORATION BELONGS ONLY TO THE BODY AND NOT TO THE SOUL OR THE SPIRIT EVEN SUPPOSING IT IS ACCEPTED THAT ONE IS BORN WITH THE BODY AND DIES WITH ITS DEATH THERE IS NO USE LAMENTING IT SINCE IT IS INEVITABLE BEING A KSHATRIYA WARRIOR ON WHOSE SHOULDERS IS CAST THE RESPONSIBILITY OF DEFENDING DRAMA OR RIGHTEOUSNESS IT IS HIS SACRED DUTY TO FIGHT AND WIN OR DIE FOR THE CAUSE ON THE BATTLEFIELD FOR A MAN LIKE HIM CELEBRATED FOR VALOUR DEATH IS PREFERABLE TO IGNOMINY WHICH WILL SURELY ACCRUE TO HIM IF HE WITHDRAWS FROM THE BATTLE NOW
No comments:
Post a Comment