Gyaneshwari Geeta-10

Gyaneshwari Geeta-10

42. And this mingling of castes leads the family and its destroyers to hell; for their forefathers fall from heaven, being deprived of their rice-balls and water. Then both the family and its wreckers go to hell. While the family grows it becomes degraded, and its forefathers fall from heaven. If no one performs the obligatory and periodical rites, who will offer water and sesame seeds to the deceased? How can the ancestors then remain in heaven? They too come back to the family (251-256). Just as the poison of a snake-bite at the nail instantly goes to the head, so the sin of kin-slaughter envelops the whole family, right from its founder.

43. By the sins of those who destroy the family by the intermingling of castes, the long-standing caste duties and family customs get destroyed.

44. For men, O Krishna, whose family customs get destroyed their place is ever fixed in hell, so we have heard.

45. Alas! What a grievous sin we have resolved to commit, in that, from the greed for the joys of a kingdom, we are ready to kill our kinsmen. O Lord, listen; another grievous sin arises from this kin-slaughter. Contact with this family also vitiates public life. Just as a fire in an inner chamber of the house flares up and burns the other parts also, so everyone who comes in contact with this family, gets affected by it, and because of these sins he suffers a horrible life in hell (256-260). When a person goes to hell, he finds no respite even at the end of the world, so total is his downfall from the destruction of the family. O Lord, you have been hearing my chatter, but it does not seem to trouble you. Why have you made your heart as hard as an adamant? This body for which we expect royal pleasures is ephemeral. Knowing this, should we not avoid this sin of kin-slaughter? Have I not committed enough sin by looking at these elders with the intention of killing them?

46. Even if in this battle the Kauravas wielding weapons in their hands were to kill me unresisting and unarmed, that would be far better for me. Rather than live like this, it is better to lay down the weapons and suffer the attacks of the Kauravas (261-265). It would be far better to meet death in this way. I do not at all like the idea of committing the sin of kin-slaughter. When Arjuna saw his kinsmen on the battlefield, he said that to enjoy a kingdom by killing them would be like hell.

47. Thus spoke Arjuna on the battle-field and sat in the chariot seat, laying down his bow and arrows, his heart filled with sorrow. Sanjaya said to Dhritarashtra, “Listen, O King, Arjuna spoke thus on that occasion on the field of battle. He became very agitated and overcome by violent grief he jumped down from the chariot. Even as a deposed prince becomes the object of scorn, or the sun in eclipse (literally, swallowed by demon Rahu) becomes lack-lustre (266-270), or an ascetic tempted by miraculous powers goes astray and overcome by desire becomes wretched, so Arjuna seemed overwhelmed by excessive grief after he dismounted from the chariot. Then, O King, he threw down his bow and arrows, and his eyes were filled with copious tears. After seeing Arjuna so overwhelmed with grief, the Lord of Vaikuntha will impart to him wisdom. It is a joy to listen to the story, which will come next in great detail, so said Jnanadeva, disciple of Nivritti (271-275).

Om Namah Shivay