Discussion on Bhagwad Gita: Chapter 1; Verse 19 through 25

स घोषो धार्तराष्ट्राणां हृदयानि व्यदारयत्।
नभश्च पृथिवीं चैव तुमुलो व्यनुनादयन्॥१-१९॥

Hindi

शंखों की उस महाध्वनि से आकाश और पृथिवि गूँजने लगीं तथा धृतराष्ट्र के पुत्रों के हृदय भिन्न गये।

brajbhasha / ब्रजभाषा

घन घोष तुमुल नभ धरनी कौ,
निज नाद सों ऐसौ गुंजाय रहे.
धृतराष्ट्र के पुत्रं कौ हिरदय ,
व्याकुल हुई के घबराय रहे

The Sky and the Earth resonated with the Great sound that emanated from the conchs of the Pandav warriors as it pierced the hearts of the sons of Dhritrashtra

अथ व्यवस्थितान्दृष्ट्वा धार्तराष्ट्रान्कपिध्वजः।
प्रवृत्ते शस्त्रसंपाते धनुरुद्यम्य पाण्डवः॥१-२०॥
हृषीकेशं तदा वाक्यमिदमाह महीपते।

Hindi

तब धृतराष्ट्र के पुत्रों को व्यवस्थित देख, कपिध्वज (जिनके ध्वज पर हनुमान जी विराजमान थे) श्री अर्जुन नें शस्त्र उठाकर भगवान हृषिकेश से यह वाक्य कहे।

अर्जुन बोले:

brajbhasha / ब्रजभाषा

कपि ध्वज अर्जुन ठाड़े हुइ के,
धृतराष्ट्र सुतन को देखत हैं.
भये शस्त्र चलाउन कौ तत्पर,
धनु हाथ उठाय के उद्यत हैं

Looking at the structure of the Army set by the sons of Dhritrashtra, Arjun, whose chariot carried the flag adorned with Lord Hanuman, picked his arms and said to Lord Hrishikesh…

सेनयोरुभयोर्मध्ये रथं स्थापय मेऽच्युत॥१-२१॥
यावदेतान्निरिक्षेऽहं योद्‌धुकामानवस्थितान्।
कैर्मया सह योद्धव्यमस्मिन् रणसमुद्यमे॥१-२२॥

Hindi

हे अच्युत, मेरा रथ दोनो सेनाओं के मध्य में स्थापित कर दीजिये ताकी मैं युद्ध की इच्छा रखने वाले इन योद्धाओं का निरीक्षण कर सकूं जिन के साथ मुझे युद्ध करना है।

brajbhasha / ब्रजभाषा

पुनि बोले अर्जुन माधव सों,
श्री कृष्ण ! मैं ऐसों चाहत हूँ.
तनि ठाढ़ो करौ, हे अच्युत रथ,
सेनाउन बीच, विनयवत हूँ

जिन जुद्धन चाह सों आए यहॉं,
तिन- तिन्हीं, देखिबौ चाहत हूँ.
किन-किन सों जुद्ध मेरौ कत है,
किम कौन को जानिबु चाहत हूँ

Hey Achyut (the one who is firm and imperishable), please take me to the middle of the two Armies, so I can see all the warriors who have gathered here with the intention of a war.

योत्स्यमानानवेक्षेऽहं य एतेऽत्र समागताः।
धार्तराष्ट्रस्य दुर्बुद्धेर्युद्धे प्रियचिकीर्षवः॥१-२३॥

Hindi
दुर्बुद्धि दुर्योधन का युद्ध में प्रिय चाहने वाले राजाओं को जो यहाँ युद्ध के लिये एकत्रित हुये हैं मैं देखूँ लूं।

brajbhasha / ब्रजभाषा

हित चाहत को दुरजोधन कौ,
मैं जानिबु चाहत उन उनकौ.
जिन जुद्धन चाह सों आए यहॉं,
मैं देखिबौ चाहत तिन तिनकौ

I want to see those kings who have gathered here for the good of the negative minded Duryodhan.

संजय बोले:

एवमुक्तो हृषीकेशो गुडाकेशेन भारत।
सेनयोरुभयोर्मध्ये स्थापयित्वा रथोत्तमम्॥१-२४॥

Hindi

हे भारत (धृतराष्ट्र), गुडाकेश के इन वचनों पर भगवान हृषिकेश नें उस उत्तम रथ को दोनों सेनाओं के मध्य में स्थापित कर दिया।

brajbhasha / ब्रजभाषा

संजय उवाच
संजय बोलत, धृतराष्ट्र सुनौ,
अथ पार्थ की चाह सुनी कृष्णा.
सेनाउन बीचहिं माधव रथ,
ठाढ़ो करि बोले यहि वचना

Sanjay said – Hey Bharat (Dhritrashtra), with this request from Arjun, Lord Hrishikesh (Krishna) took the chariot the middle of the two Armies.

भीष्मद्रोणप्रमुखतः सर्वेषां च महीक्षिताम्।
उवाच पार्थ पश्यैतान्समवेतान्कुरूनिति॥१-२५॥

Hindi
रथ को भीष्म पितामह, द्रोण तथा अन्य सभी प्रमुख राजाओं के सामने (उन
दोनो सेनाओं के बीच में) स्थापित कर, कृष्ण भगवान नें अर्जुन से कहा की हे
पार्थ इन कुरुवंशी राजाओं को देखो।

brajbhasha / ब्रजभाषा
रथ भीष्म, द्रोण, आचार्य सबहिं,
निरपन के सम्मुख रोक दियो.
गुरुजन, कुरु कौ कुरुक्षेत्र मांहीं,
कौन्तेय देख बिनु शोक हिये

After stationing the chariot right in front of Bheeshm Pitamah, Acharya Drona, and other main kings, Shri Krishna said – Look Arjun, look at these kings of the Kuru clan.

Discussion:

Arjun’s strength was focus. He could focus on what the target was and then his precision was perfect. Given his tendency and conditioning, with such a large Army in front of him, he wanted to focus on who all he was up against. That is why it was important for him to go where he could clearly see the people on the other side.

Before you start off with a major task, it is important to focus on the enormity and the scope of what you are going to do. For all the weaknesses of Arjun’s character, his focus in his chosen task is worth emulating. And this exercise of his, before the start of the war, is like a great leader scoping out the project he is about to undertake.

Shri Krishna, on the other hand, is no easy being to work with. He is not an easy Guru to have. He selected the time and place to give his message in a way that was dire enough so that the import would drive home. When you are facing death right in the eye, and the greatest spiritual message is being delivered to you which calls for action, you have very little options other than to follow through with complete, unwavering focus. That is all it takes to go beyond. Unwavering focus.

But, Shri Krishna is not going to give this message easily. He brings Arjun to where he wants to be, and additionally points NOT to the people who have humiliated Pandavas and thus become the cause of the war (which could have incited anger and Arjun would have no questions left). But he brought Arjun to those Shri Krishna knew well, Arjun will think twice before picking up arms against. If someone is in a situation of being affected emotionally and hurting his clarity, then Shri Krishna wanted him to get affected strongly enough and be tested.

So, he brought Arjun to right in front of Bheeshm Pitamah and Arjun’s teacher Drona and asked him to look at them as the warriors of the opposing side. As if saying, “What was “yours”, Arjun, is now against you. Now what?”

Arjun with the gift of unwavering focus under any odds would eventually lose his greatest strength in the face of this test by Shri Krishna.

Gurus are not those who oblige. Gurus are those who raise you to their level. And this they do with ruthless precision and power. They put you in situations where you will have no other option but to move on. If one is just “playing along” his mind, and that is all that he wants, and actually gets offended by a Guru who makes him do things that are uncomfortable – then such a person does not need a Guru. Such a person needs a servant to do his bidding, not a Guru. Guru is ruthless. And no Guru was as ruthless as Krishna, as we will see further ahead in Gita.