Arjuna Vishada Yoga (अर्जुनविषादयोगः)
Arjuna Vishada Yoga (Samskrit: अर्जुनविषादयोगः) is the commonly given name to the first chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. As the name suggests, it is the chapter in which Arjuna pours out his agony.[1]
परिचयः ॥ Introduction
The 5th verse of Gitartha Samgraha by Yamunacharya summerises the chapter one of the Gita.
अस्थानस्नेहकार्पण्यधर्माधर्मधियाऽऽकुलम् । पार्थं प्रपन्नमुद्दिश्य शास्त्रावतरणं कृतम् ॥ ५ ॥[2]
asthānasnehakārpaṇyadharmādharmadhiyā''kulam । pārthaṁ prapannamuddiśya śāstrāvataraṇaṁ kr̥tam ॥ 5 ॥
Meaning: Arjuna saw the dear relatives like Bhima, Masters (acharyas) like Drona assembled opposite him to engage in battle with him. Arjuna's love and compassion (Daya) for them overflowed although they had no fitness for that display of affection. As a result, Arjuna concluded that the righteous war with them befitting his status as a Kshathriya was unrighteous (Adharma). He was overcome with weakness. He threw down his bow and arrows and sat down with dejection at the foot of his chariot. Next, Arjuna appealed to Lord, his charioteer to show him the right way. With smile on His face, Lord Parthasarathy (Sri Krishna) commenced His teaching (upadesha) for Arjuna on the real nature of the embodied soul (Svarupams of Jivatma), of the Supreme Soul or God (Paramatma), the means to reach God (Paramatma) and related esoteric meanings of Vedanta. Lord's teaching (upadesha) was like nectar for Arjuna and easy to understand.[3]
Background of the Gita
When both sides were prepared to commence the battle, the sage Veda Vyasa approached blind Dhritarashtra and said, “If you wish to see this terrible carnage with your own eyes I can give you the gift of vision.” The Kaurava king replied, “O Chief of the Brahmarishis! I have no desire to see with my own eyes this slaughter of my family, but I should like to hear all the details of the battle.”
Then the sage conferred the gift of divine vision on Sanjaya, the trusty counsellor of the king, and told the king, “Sanjaya will describe to you all the incidents of the war. Whatever happens in the course of the war, he will directly see, hear or otherwise come to know. Whether an incident takes place before his eyes or behind his back, during the day or during the night, privately or in public, and whether it is reduced to actual action or appears only in thought, it will not remain hidden from his view. He will come to know everything, exactly as it happens. No weapon will touch his body nor will he feel tired.”
After the ten days of continued war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, when the great warrior Bhishma was thrown down from his chariot by Arjuna, Sanjaya announces the news to Dhritarashtra. In agony the king asks Sanjaya to narrate the full details of the previous ten days war, from the very beginning, in all detail as it happened. Here commences the Bhagavad Gita.[4]
श्लोकविवेचनम् ॥ Discussion on the Shlokas
धर्मक्षेत्रे कुरुक्षेत्रे समवेता युयुत्सवः । मामकाः पाण्डवाश्चैव किमकुर्वत संजय ॥१-१॥[5]
dharmakṣetre kurukṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ । māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāścaiva kimakurvata saṁjaya ॥1-1॥
Meaning:
References
- ↑ http://hindu-sanathana-dharma.blogspot.com/
- ↑ Sri Gitartha Samgraha
- ↑ http://www.yogakshemam.net/English/IndianPhilosophy/GitarthaSangraha.html#_Toc174119363
- ↑ Swami Sivananda (2000), Bhagavad Gita, Uttar Pradesh: The Divine Life Society, Introduction.
- ↑ Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 1.