Category Archives: kula

Bhagavad Gita Verse 42-43, Chapter 1

18 Sunday Sep 2011

Posted by in chapter 1 verse 42-43, ghnaanaam, jaati, kriyaaha, kula, lupta, narakaaya, patanti, pinda, pitaraha, samkaro, shaashvataahaa, udaka, utsaadyante

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samkaro narakaayeiva kulaghnaanaam kulasya cha |
patanti pitaro hyeshaam luptapindodakakriyaahaa || 42 || 
 
doshairetai kulaghnaanaam varnasamkarakaarakaihai |
utsaadyante jaatidharmaaha kuladharmaashcha shaashvataahaa || 43 ||
 Contamination of character pushes the annihilators of society and society itself into hell; their ancestors fall from grace, having been deprived of their offerings of Pinda and water.
 
Timeless societal and humanitarian values and traditions are destroyed by the contamination of character created by these annihilators of society.
 
samkaraha : contamination of character
narakaaya : takes to hell
eva : certainly
kula-ghnaanaam : annihilators of society
kulasya : society
cha : and
patanti : falls
pitaraha : ancestors
eshaam :due to these killers
lupta-pinda-udaka-kriyaaha : deprived of their offerings of Pinda (rice) and water
 
doshai : errors
etai : these
kulaghnaanaam : annihilators of society
varna-samkara-kaarakaihi : causing confusion of character
utsaadyante : get destroyed
jaati-dharmaaha : humanitarian values
kula-dharmaaha : societal values
cha : and
shaashvataaha : timeless
 
In Indian culture, one’s ancestors and family lineage are given great importance. In these verses, Arjuna expressed his worry that the deterioration of post-war society would result in loss of respect for the ancestors who created the laws and values of that society.
 
It is not that difficult to draw a parallel between the reverence for the ancestors of a society expressed here, and the reverence for the builders of any institution in the modern world. During every independence day celebration of a country, freedom fighters’ contributions are remembered and revered. Similarly, if you walk the hallways of any modern corporation, you will usually see the founders’ portraits displayed prominently. Someone who cares deeply about one’s country, or about one’s place of work, will never look forward to the denigration of the founders. Arjuna, even in his deluded state, cared about the builders of the Kuru dynasty.
 
Footnotes
1. “Pinda” is a ball of rice offered to the memory of one’s ancestors during certain Indian rituals

Bhagavad Gita Verse 41, Chapter 1

18 Sunday Sep 2011

Posted by in abhibhavaat, adharma, chapter 1 verse 41, dushtasu, kula, pradushyanti, samkara, striyaha, vaarshaneya, varna

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adharmaabhibhavaatkrishna pradushyanti kulastriyaha |
streeshu dushtaasu vaarshaneya jaayate varnasamkaraha || 41 ||
 
When lawlessness dominates, it deteriorates the condition of women in society, O Krishna. Deterioration of women, O Vaarshneya, gives rise to contamination of character.
 
adharma-abhibhavaat : when lawlessness dominates
krishna : O Krishna
pradyushanti : deterioration
kula-striyaha : women in society
streeshu : women
dushtasu : deteriorated
vaarshaneya : O Vaarshaneya
jaayate : arises
varna-samkara : contamination of character
 
Arjuna’s rambling apocalyptic post-war imagination continues. He echoes a fear that most warriors have in the back of the mind when they go to war. Invading armies seldom show respect and dignity to the women of the defeated kingdom, they are usually treated as the spoils of the war. History has proven this out, and unfortunately it is still the case wherever there is the aftermath of war.
 
In any society, due to the law of averages, there always will be a part of the population with questionable morals and character. However, in a post-war situation where women are treated without dignity, and have to succumb to their invaders, there is no guarantee that they will be able to raise their children with the right values, education and morals. This results in a breakdown in character in the younger generation across the board. Arjuna downward-spiraling mind feared this scenario.
 
Footnotes
1. The Sanskrit word “varna” has several meanings. One traditional meaning of the word “varna” is caste, and if this meaning is taken, the second verse means “this gives rise to contamination of castes”. However, since we cannot even begin to imagine what the caste system looked like in the age when the Gita was written, I have used a more abstract meaning of the word “varna”.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 38-39, Chapter 1

15 Thursday Sep 2011

Posted by in asmaabhihu, chapter 1 verse 38-39, chetasaha, dosham, drohe, gneyam, katham, kritam, kshaya, kula, lobhaha, mitra, nivartitum, paatakam, prapashyadbhihi, upahat, yadyapi

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yadyapyete na pashyanti lobhopahatchetasaha |
kulakshayakritam dosham mitradrohe cha paatakam || 38 ||
 
katham na gneyamasmaabhihi paapaadasmaannivartitum |
kulakshayakritam dosham prapashyadbhirjanaardana || 39 ||
 
If their greed-afflicted minds cannot see the error in annihilating society, and the sin of quarreling with their friends;
why shouldn’t we, who correctly perceive this error, refrain from committing this sin, O Janaardana?
 
yadyapi : if
ete : they
na pashyanti : cannot see
lobhaha-upahat-chetasaha : minds afflicted by greed
kula-kshaya-kritam : act of annihilating society
dosham : error
mitra-drohe : quarreling against friends
cha : and
paatakam : sin
 
katham : why
na gneyam : not know
asmaabhihi : by us
paapat : sin
asmaat : this
nivartitum : refrain
prapashyadbhihi : right understanding
janaardana : O Janardanaa
 
Arjuna now began a second argument in which he began enumerating the flaws of the opposing army. He wanted to point out that his moral judgement was superior relative to the opposing army’s position. This current sequence of verses is a classic example of how a seemingly logical argument is completely illogical because it has sprung from erroneous foundations. Moreover, Arjuna echoes the human tendency to point out flaws in others when the flaw lies in the pointer.
 
Illogical as it may be, Arjuna’s comment lets us explore a force similar to moha, that of “lobha” or the desire to accumulate something. An increase in lobha for an object, person, situation or circumstance tends to suppress our viveka, our discerning ability. A politician that has extreme greed for a ministerial position could resort to illegal and unethical means to get it. Recent events in global financial markets are a good example where bankers were willing to defraud investors by selling them subprime loans, simply due to greed.
 
Both moha and lobha have one thing in common, they seemingly result in pleasure. Foe example, in case of moha, extreme attachment one’s son or one’s spouse gives one pleasure. In case of lobha, the desire to accumulate wealth or power gives one pleasure. But in both cases, the pleasure that one obtains is temporary and fleeting. In addition, one tends to cling to the object gained by lobha or moha for fear of losing it.
 
So what attitude should we have towards people or things we care about? The Gita delves into this topic in great detail.