GITA 1.34

GITA 1.34

SrisailEsa dayApAtram dhIbhaktyAdi guNArNavam
yatIndra pravaNam vandE ramyajAmAtaram munim

We are going to see next sloka in Gita, from an important place. It is Sri Manavala Mamunigal Sannidhi, at the joint of South and East Utthira streets, in Srirangam. Sri Manavala Mamunigal was born several centuries ago. He was born in Alwar Tirunagari, in Tirunelveli District, Tamilnadu. He then came to Srirangam and was involved in the services of Sri Ranganatha. 

The Lord desired His Serpent bed, Sri Adisesha to be born in this Earth for the uplift of people. Thus Adisesha was born as Sri Ramanuja in 1017 A.D. He lived for 120 years. But the Lord desired that Adisesha lived for at least 200 years to serve the people. So, in the year 1371 A.D., in the Tamil month of Aippasi, in the star Moolam, Adisesha was again born as Sri Manavala Mamunigal. He lived up to 1443 A.D., that is for about 73 years. He was Sri Ramanuja reborn and that is his greatness. When he came to Srirangam, the Lord ordained then existing Pallavaraya Mutt be Sri Manavala Mamunigal Mutt.

   Inside this sannidhi, Sri Manavala Mamunigal is seated on a Sesha Peetam. The Lord is the First Guru for everyone. But He Himself wanted to be a student and listen to  Tiruvaimozhi of Nammalwar, with the commentary 'Eedu' by Acharya Nanjeer, from a teacher. So, He requested Sri Manavala Mamunigal and he taught the Lord for one year, within the temple, very near the sanctum sanctorum. During that one year all the regular utsavams (festivals) were stopped! As a token of His guru dakshina, the Lord in the guise of a son of one of the Archakas, offered the sloka mentioned at the beginning of today's lecture. Ramya jamata means Azhagiya Manavalan in Tamil (Beautiful Son-in-law)! He has written many commentaries and he has used Gita slokas in many of them. 

Now, we will see second half of sloka 36. 

papam evasrayed asman 

hatvaitan atatayinah 

Sin will overcome us if we slay such aggressors. 

Even if they (Duryodana and company) were Atatayi (agressors), killing them would beget sin for  Arjuna, says Arjuna. Asman = for us, papam eva = only sin, asrayed = attain, hatvaitan = by killing these, atatayinah = agressors.  Atatayinas are those who are coming to kill us by poison or by fire or by sword, and/or molesting our spouses. In defence, killing atatayis, is not sin according to Dharma shastras. But Arjuna feels that he would incur sin, if he killed those atatayis! Here, we should know what are papa (sins) and punya (virtues). The cause for doing good is punya and the cause for doing bad is papa. Thus punya gets us good and papa gets us bad. Our elders have assigned certain things to be done. If we do them we get punya. Similarly, they might have assigned certain things not to be done. If we do not do them, it is punya. For example they have instructed us to follow dharma and speak truth (satyam vada, dharmam chara), and obey parents. Following these will get us punya. Going against these will get us papa. Similarly, by keeping away from the don'ts issued by our elders, we earn punya and by doing them we get papa. If we have punya, all desirable things will be attained and if we have papa, undesirable things will be met with. Thus by doing good, we earn punya and reap happiness. By doing bad, we earn papa and face miseries. 

Arjuna feels that killing his own kin, even if they were about to slain him, is bad and would fetch him papa only. 

Now sloka 37: 

tasman narha vayam hantum 
dhartarastran sa-bandhavan 
sva-janam hi katham hatva 
sukhinah syama madhava

Therefore it is not proper for us to kill the sons of Dhrtarastra and our friends. What should we gain, O Krsna, husband of the goddess of fortune, and how could we be happy by killing our own kinsmen?

Tasman = therefore, hantum = to kill, sa-bandhavan dhartarastran = sons of Dridarashtra and relatives, vayam = we are, na arha = not fit for. Arjuna says that they were unfit to kill Duryodana and his relatives. Sva-janam = our people, katham hatva = how killing (them), sukhinah syama =  get happiness, madhava = Oh! Krishna? How can he get happiness in killing his own people, asks Arjuna. Therefore, Pandavas are not the right persons to kill Duryodana and others, declares Arjuna. Here, he is speaking on behalf of all the Five Pandavas! By killing them, Arjuna fears papa. A man gets uplifted only when he does punya deeds and shuns papa deeds. We should constantly earn punya and be away from papa, like cheating, dishonesty, etc. As we proceed in this Gita we will realize punya and papa easily. Ignorance makes us to think earning punya and avoiding papa are difficult. All that pleases Sri Ranganatha are punya. We will pray  Sri Manavala Mamunigal for such acts.

shrImatE ramyajAmAtru munIndrAya mahAtmanE |

 shrIrangavAsinE bhUyAt nityashrIr nityamangaLam ||   

                                                                            (continued)