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In the last sloka Arjuna asked how he could afford to kill Bheeshma, Drona and others. The word others include Kauravas viz Duryodana and    his brothers. For this Sri Krishna is posing a question seemingly. If Arjuna runs away from the war, what will he do for food and shelter? Will he live in forests? The twelve-year exile itself was considered by the Pandavas as a shame. Then how are they going to take this forest life if he ran away from the war? Sri Krishna apparently asks this and so Arjuna s reply is accordingly in sloka 5: "Arjuna says it is better for him to beg and live rather than killing great personalities like Bhishma and his guru Drona. If these people are attached to luxuries and material opulence (referring to Duryodhan etc), there is nothing wrong in it. So, why should he kill them. Isn't it better to let them enjoy their luxury rather than slaying them and ruling the land stained with their blood?" In a way Arjuna is concerned with the hell that awaits him if he were to kill his Teachers. He is also apprehensive that after killing all these people, living in this world with bloodstains will also be hell. So he fears hell before and after his death. Sri Krishna logically rebuts this. If Arjuna left the battle without fighting it will be a disgrace for a kshatriya [royal community] and he will have to lead life by resorting to begging, as he will be deprived of all property. Also, by abandoning his dharma of protection of his people and gifting the kingdom to wicked people will make him a great paapi (Sinner) and ensure hell after death. So Sri Krishna s rebuttal was either way hell only if Arjuna refused to fight. By fighting and recapturing the kingdom he can lead a normal life in this world. He need not consider this as enjoyment with blood stains as he is expected to do his duty and be a trusty for good administration and not for pleasure. This way because he established the moral ethics of kshathriya in the war, he will be awarded heaven after death. So instead of Arjuna s imagination as either way hell for him, Sri Krishna s argument is that by fighting it will be either way heaven for Arjuna. Arjuna preferred begging to killing those noble teachers. Perhaps he was reminding Sri Krishna that in one of His earlier Avatars or incarnations, He had also begged. As Sri Vamana, a young dwarf bachelor, He went to the Yagnashala or the sacred place, where Emperor Bali was performing Yagna and begged for a small piece of land to be measured by His tiny feet.

In the last sloka Arjuna asked how he could afford to kill Bheeshma, Drona and others. The word others include Kauravas viz Duryodana and    his brothers. For this Sri Krishna is posing a question seemingly. If Arjuna runs away from the war, what will he do for food and shelter? Will he live in forests? The twelve-year exile itself was considered by the Pandavas as a shame. Then how are they going to take this forest life if he ran away from the war? Sri Krishna apparently asks this and so Arjuna s reply is accordingly in sloka 5: "Arjuna says it is better for him to beg and live rather than killing great personalities like Bhishma and his guru Drona. If these people are attached to luxuries and material opulence (referring to Duryodhan etc), there is nothing wrong in it. So, why should he kill them. Isn't it better to let them enjoy their luxury rather than slaying them and ruling the land stained with their blood?" In a way Arjuna is concerned with the hell that awaits him if he were to kill his Teachers. He is also apprehensive that after killing all these people, living in this world with bloodstains will also be hell. So he fears hell before and after his death. Sri Krishna logically rebuts this. If Arjuna left the battle without fighting it will be a disgrace for a kshatriya [royal community] and he will have to lead life by resorting to begging, as he will be deprived of all property. Also, by abandoning his dharma of protection of his people and gifting the kingdom to wicked people will make him a great paapi (Sinner) and ensure hell after death. So Sri Krishna s rebuttal was either way hell only if Arjuna refused to fight. By fighting and recapturing the kingdom he can lead a normal life in this world. He need not consider this as enjoyment with blood stains as he is expected to do his duty and be a trusty for good administration and not for pleasure. This way because he established the moral ethics of kshathriya in the war, he will be awarded heaven after death. So instead of Arjuna s imagination as either way hell for him, Sri Krishna s argument is that by fighting it will be either way heaven for Arjuna. Arjuna preferred begging to killing those noble teachers. Perhaps he was reminding Sri Krishna that in one of His earlier Avatars or incarnations, He had also begged. As Sri Vamana, a young dwarf bachelor, He went to the Yagnashala or the sacred place, where Emperor Bali was performing Yagna and begged for a small piece of land to be measured by His tiny feet.

2-6: na-cah-etad vidmah, kataran-no-gariyah! yad va jayemah! yadi-va-no jaye-yuhu! yan-eva hatva, na jiji-visamah! teh-avasthitah pramukhe dhartarastrah [Uncertainity in the battle and so] whether winning or losing is better for us. When not interested to live by killing these children of Dhridhrashtra, the same persons are arrayed against us . Bhagavat Gita has a reputation that a recitation of a chapter or half of it or a sloka in a chapter or half or even quarter of a sloka will accumulate punya. This is to emphasize that every word in this sacred text is rich and brimming with significance." Arjuna says he is torn between what to do (Kataran no gariyah?), he doesn't know what to do (na-cah-etad-vidmah?). He is in Dharma-Sankatam - i.e choosing between the two dharmas - Being a Kshatriya and fighting or invoking paap of killing his acharya. With this plaguing doubt, he says, even winning is not guaranteed in this war (yad va jayemah! yadi va no jaye yuhu!). And even if he is ready to fight, listening to Krishna, he sees his gurus, relatives etc arrayed against him in the war, the very people whom he does not want to kill! Arjuna expresses his quandry here. Like all of us, he is caught in a dilemma of what is right or wrong and what is better. With this quandry, he also has doubts on his winning the war. He doesn't wish to kill his guru and close relatives, but they are arrayed against him in the war which he has to Win! Arjuna is thrown into despair. This is akin to the dilemma of a Father who wants to ensure his wayword Son reigns his habits to write the exam, but if he physically assaults him to control, then the son ends up not writing the exam due to being incapacitated.

न चैतद्विद्मः कतरन्नो गरीयो यद्वा जयेम यदि वा नो जयेयुः । यानेव हत्वा न जिजीविषामस्  तेऽवस्थिताः प्रमुखे धार्तराष्ट्राः ॥ २-६॥

 

na caitad vidmaḥ kataran no garīyo yad vā jayema yadi vā no jayeyuḥ yān eva hatvā na jijīviṣāmas te ’vasthitāḥ pramukhe dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ  ॥ 2-6 ॥

 

[Uncertainity in the battle and so] whether winning or losing is better for us. When not interested to live by killing these children of Dhridhrashtra, the same persons are arrayed against us . Bhagavat Gita has a reputation that a recitation of a chapter or half of it or a sloka in a chapter or half or even quarter of a sloka will accumulate punya. This is to emphasize that every word in this sacred text is rich and brimming with significance." Arjuna says he is torn between what to do (Kataran no gariyah?), he doesn't know what to do (na-cah-etad-vidmah?). He is in Dharma-Sankatam - i.e choosing between the two dharmas - Being a Kshatriya and fighting or invoking paap of killing his acharya. With this plaguing doubt, he says, even winning is not guaranteed in this war (yad va jayemah! yadi va no jaye yuhu!). And even if he is ready to fight, listening to Krishna, he sees his gurus, relatives etc arrayed against him in the war, the very people whom he does not want to kill! Arjuna expresses his quandry here. Like all of us, he is caught in a dilemma of what is right or wrong and what is better. With this quandry, he also has doubts on his winning the war. He doesn't wish to kill his guru and close relatives, but they are arrayed against him in the war which he has to Win! Arjuna is thrown into despair. This is akin to the dilemma of a Father who wants to ensure his wayword Son reigns his habits to write the exam, but if he physically assaults him to control, then the son ends up not writing the exam due to being incapacitated.

2-7: kaarpanya-dosoh-upahata-svabhavah , prcchami-tvam dharma-sammudha-cetah yac sreyah-syan niscitam bruhi tan me! shishyas te ham  saadhi maam tvam prapannam Taken over by the cowardice and losing my bravery, I ask you to tell me for certain what is upright for me. I am your disciple surrendered unto you  svabhavam ->Dairyam; Karpanya dosam -> Cowardice due to; tvam- You(kannan), prchaami->asking, what is dharma, adharma-> dharam sammudaha what is good for me -> Yac sreyah, tan meh bruhi -> please tell me; consider me your sishya ->sishya te aham; i am taking refuge, surrending to you-> maam tvam prapannam

2-7: kaarpanya-dosoh-upahata-svabhavah , prcchami-tvam dharma-sammudha-cetah yac sreyah-syan niscitam bruhi tan me! shishyas te ham  saadhi maam tvam prapannam Taken over by the cowardice and losing my bravery, I ask you to tell me for certain what is upright for me. I am your disciple surrendered unto you  svabhavam ->Dairyam; Karpanya dosam -> Cowardice due to; tvam- You(kannan), prchaami->asking, what is dharma, adharma-> dharam sammudaha what is good for me -> Yac sreyah, tan meh bruhi -> please tell me; consider me your sishya ->sishya te aham; i am taking refuge, surrending to you-> maam tvam prapannam