GITA 1.27
srimAn vEnkatanATHArya kavithArkika kesari |
vEdhAnthAchArya varyOmE sanniDHaththAm sadhAhrudi ||
Sri Vedanta Desikan's real name was Sri Venkata Nathan. He has written Tatparya Chandrika, a commentary on Gita. On the basis of this we have been studying Gita. He lived in Srirangam.
From the house of Sri Vedantha Desika in North Uttira street, today's lecture was given. Desika was born in 1267 and lived for 100 years. He made 28 sthothrams on various deities besides drama, kavya and a number of works on sidhantha. His work on Gita is called Tatparya Chandrika and forms basis for these lectures.While living in this house, Sri Desika used to observe unchavrutti that is he used to get alms from houses and use them as food for living. This was the way great people lived in those days. They never used to stock, but got the necessities for that day's living from others. One day while he was going for alms, some people with either to test him or to endow him with some wealth, offered gold along with the grains. But back in his house, he asked his wife, to throw away those 'unwanted' gold as though they were worms in the grains! Such was his detachment to worldly matters. Paying our respects to that great Acharya we continue.
Arjuna finds all his relatives and friends assembled. Normally such assembly will be for some happy occasion and people will be glad to be among the gathering. But here they have assembled to fight with each other and so he is saddened.
He addresses as Krishna and not by any other name now. Krishna in Sanskrit ,by splitting the word Krishi+ na, means person who pleases earth. Krishi is farming or ploughing. By doing this, we harvest and live happily. So also Krishna makes those living on this earth happy. So, He should dispel the worries of Arjuna and make him happy. Krishna also means dark blue or black which was the complexion of Sri Krishna. Andal says in her Nachiyar Thirumozhi ' Kannan ennum karundeivam..' Since He was not appearing before Her, out of disgust, she says she wanted to forget Him but she is unable to forget the black colour.
Black is considered beautiful. A black cloud brings happiness as it will rain and after exhausting its water content it turns white. So normally a person with good compassion and sympathy is likened to a rain bearing black cloud. Such a cloud does not rain for a particular section or persons, but for the entire area without any discrimination. So also good people do not discriminate on the basis of caste or creed. So also God is. Sri Krishna is always black, because He has compassion always for us.
Sidanti mama gatrani = (on seeing his relatives assembled to fight, Arjuna's) body is paining, mukham ca parisusyati = face is gloomy, vepathus ca sarire me = my (Arjuna's) body is trembling, roma-harsas ca jayate = (Arjuna) has goose-bumps (horripilation). Arjuna is a brave warrior and he fears none to tremble. He has control over sleep. So, something more powerful is making him to tremble. That is his compassion. That has agitated his mind, on seeing his relatives assembled to fight.
Child Bhakta, Prahalada was sent to the school on the first day; but refused to go on second day. Thinking it was the usual habit of children, his father asked him, why Prahalada did not want to go to school. Prahalada replied that on the First day, they taught in the school, to hate Devas and love Asuras. He said that he did not find it acceptable to hate anyone. All were dear to him. Thinking some people are not belonging to us, is limiting ourselves.Because of this Universal feeling only, Arjuna is worried, in spite of many atrocities of Duryodana.
(continued)
From the house of Sri Vedantha Desika in North Uttira street, today's lecture was given. Desika was born in 1267 and lived for 100 years. He made 28 sthothrams on various deities besides drama, kavya and a number of works on sidhantha. His work on Gita is called Tatparya Chandrika and forms basis for these lectures.While living in this house, Sri Desika used to observe unchavrutti that is he used to get alms from houses and use them as food for living. This was the way great people lived in those days. They never used to stock, but got the necessities for that day's living from others. One day while he was going for alms, some people with either to test him or to endow him with some wealth, offered gold along with the grains. But back in his house, he asked his wife, to throw away those 'unwanted' gold as though they were worms in the grains! Such was his detachment to worldly matters. Paying our respects to that great Acharya we continue.
Today's sloka is the latter half of sloka 28 and full sloka 29:
arjuna uvaca
drstvemam sva-janam krishna
yuyutsum samupasthitam
sidanti mama gatrani
mukham ca parisusyati
vepathus ca sarire me
roma-harsas ca jayate
Arjuna said: My dear Krsna, seeing my friends and relatives present before me in such a fighting spirit, I feel the limbs of my body quivering and my mouth drying up.My whole body is trembling, and my hair is standing on end.
Arjuna now speaks: Krishna = Hey! Krishna, imam = here, samupasthitam = where all have assembled, sva-janam = my relatives, drstva = (I am) seeing, yuyutsum = eager to fight. Arjuna finds all his relatives and friends assembled. Normally such assembly will be for some happy occasion and people will be glad to be among the gathering. But here they have assembled to fight with each other and so he is saddened.
He addresses as Krishna and not by any other name now. Krishna in Sanskrit ,by splitting the word Krishi+ na, means person who pleases earth. Krishi is farming or ploughing. By doing this, we harvest and live happily. So also Krishna makes those living on this earth happy. So, He should dispel the worries of Arjuna and make him happy. Krishna also means dark blue or black which was the complexion of Sri Krishna. Andal says in her Nachiyar Thirumozhi ' Kannan ennum karundeivam..' Since He was not appearing before Her, out of disgust, she says she wanted to forget Him but she is unable to forget the black colour.
Black is considered beautiful. A black cloud brings happiness as it will rain and after exhausting its water content it turns white. So normally a person with good compassion and sympathy is likened to a rain bearing black cloud. Such a cloud does not rain for a particular section or persons, but for the entire area without any discrimination. So also good people do not discriminate on the basis of caste or creed. So also God is. Sri Krishna is always black, because He has compassion always for us.
Sidanti mama gatrani = (on seeing his relatives assembled to fight, Arjuna's) body is paining, mukham ca parisusyati = face is gloomy, vepathus ca sarire me = my (Arjuna's) body is trembling, roma-harsas ca jayate = (Arjuna) has goose-bumps (horripilation). Arjuna is a brave warrior and he fears none to tremble. He has control over sleep. So, something more powerful is making him to tremble. That is his compassion. That has agitated his mind, on seeing his relatives assembled to fight.
Child Bhakta, Prahalada was sent to the school on the first day; but refused to go on second day. Thinking it was the usual habit of children, his father asked him, why Prahalada did not want to go to school. Prahalada replied that on the First day, they taught in the school, to hate Devas and love Asuras. He said that he did not find it acceptable to hate anyone. All were dear to him. Thinking some people are not belonging to us, is limiting ourselves.Because of this Universal feeling only, Arjuna is worried, in spite of many atrocities of Duryodana.
(continued)
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