Sanjaya frankly speaks to Dhritarāṣṭra at this time saying that Arjuna, who is the most noble minded, the most compassionate, the eternal well-wisher and the most virtuous;

although frequently fraught with difficulties along with his four brothers, instigated by thee and thy son, including horrid acts of treachery against them with intent to kill,

such as attempting to burn them all alive in a specially made house of combustible lac, administering poison and other unworthy deeds as well.

It is surely known to you that by Arjuna the destruction of all your clan is certain due to the fact that he has the support of the Parama Puruṣa, Krishna Himself, by his side.

He felt weak, overcome by his love and extreme compassion for his relatives. He was also filled with fear, not knowing what was Dharma(righteous) and what was Adharma (unrighteous). His mind was distracted by grief at the thought of losing his relatives.

So he cast aside his bow and arrow and sat down on the floor of the chariot as if to fast to the death.

32 “I desire no victory, O Kṛṣṇa neither kingdom nor pleasures. Of what avail, O Govinda, is the kingdom for us, or the enjoyments, or (even) life?

33 “(Those) for whose sake the kingdom, the enjoyments, and the pleasures would be desired by us; they are here pitted in battle against us, prepared to lay down (their) lives and possessions;

34 “(To wit) preceptors, sires, and sons, no less than grand-sires; maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grand-sons, brothers-in-law, as also allies by matrimony.” (210)

I do not aspire for victory in this. Of what use would it be to me to acquire the whole kingdom? That I should enjoy happiness after killing all is a thing I do not desire to have. Let all these (kingdom etc.) go to dogs, said Pārtha: I am prepared to suffer any calamity in place of such happiness; I care not even if the life is lost for it. I cannot have it, even in a dream, that I should enjoy the kingdom by destroying them. Just tell me whether it is worth while being born and continue to be living, if I am to contemplate hostility towards elders. All wish to have sons in their families. Is it with the object that they should kill all the Gotrajas? How can we even think to be hard as a stone towards them? On the contrary, good should be done to them if it could be done. Whatever we acquire should be enjoyed by them. Nay this very life should be spent in their cause. Kesava! we should conquer the kings of different countries and keep pleased our entire race. But (look at) the irony of fate! Those very co-Gotrajas have all come here prepared for war, leaving away wives, sons and wealth. How should I kill such as those? Against whom should I wield arms? How should I destroy men as dear to me as my own life? Do you not know who they are? You see yonder, Bhishma and Drona, who have placed us under a debt of obligation. Here are brothers-in law, fathers-in-law, maternal uncles, brethren, relatives and also sons and grand-sons, all appear relations. All these are closely connected and related to us. Even uttering harm to them would be nothing less than sin.

'Na kāṅkṣe vijayaṁ kṛṣṇa na ca rājyaṁ sukhāni ca'— Suppose, we get victory and then we get the kingdom of the entire earth and also pleasures. These are of no avail. I do not want either victory, kingdom or pleasure.

'Kiṁ no rājyena govinda kiṁ bhogairjīvitena vā'—When we do not desire anything (victory, kingdom and pleasure) of what use to us, is kingdom or pleasure? Victory, kingdom and pleasure, seem pleasant only, when there is desire for these. But we have no desire for these. So, how can these be pleasant to us? After killing our kith and kin, we have no desire to live, because after death, who will enjoy pleasure? The so-called pleasure, will rather lead us to worry and unhappiness.

Link:—In the next verse Arjuna gives the reason, why he has no desire for victory etc.

तया विजयवृत्ती कांही । मज सर्वथा काज नाहीं । एथ राज्य तरी कायी । हें पाहुनियां ॥ २१० ॥

यां सकळांते वधावे । मग जे भोग भोगावे । ते जळोत आघवे । पार्थु म्हणे ॥ २११ ॥

तेणें सुखेविण होईल । तै भलतेही साहिजेल । वरि जीवितही वेंचिजेल । याचिलागीं ॥ २१२ ॥

परीं यासी घातु कीजे । मग आपण राज्य भोगिजे । हे स्वप्नींही मन माझे । करूं न शके ॥ २१३ ॥

तरी आम्ही का जन्मावें । कवणालागीं जियावें । जें वडिलां यां चिंतावें । विरुद्ध मनें ॥ २१४ ॥

पुत्रातें इप्सी कुळ । तयाचें कायि हेंचि फळ । जे निर्दाळिजे केवळ । गोत्र आपुले ॥ २१५ ॥

हें मनींचि केवि धरिजे । आपण वज्राचेयां बोलिजे । वरी घडे तरी कीजे । भले एयां ॥ २१६ ॥

आम्हीं जें जें जोडावें । तें समस्तीं इहीं भोगावें । हे जीवितही उपकारावें । काजीं यांचां ॥ २१७ ॥

आम्ही दिगंतीचे भूपाळ । विभांडूनि सकळ । मग संतोषविजे कुळ । आपुलें जें ॥ २१८ ॥

तेचि हे समस्त । परी कैसें कर्म विपरीत । जे जाहले असती उद्यत । झुंजावया ॥ २१९ ॥

अंतौरिया कुमरें । सांडोनियां भांडारें । शस्त्राग्रीं जिव्हारें । आरोपुनी ॥ २२० ॥

ऐसियांते कैसेनि मारुं । कवणावरी शस्त्र धरूं । निज हृदया करूं । घातु केवीं ॥ २२१ ॥

(1.210) विजय-वृत्ति से मुझे कुछ काम नहीं है। इस तरह के राज्य को लेकर क्या करना है?

(1.211) इन सबका वध करके जो राजभोग प्राप्त होंगे उनका नाश हो!

(1.212) ऐसा सुख न मिलते कोई भी संकट आवे तो सहना चाहिए, वरन् इन लोगों के लिए प्राण भी अर्पण करना चाहिए, (1.213) परन्तु यह बात कि इनका घात हो और फिर हम राज्यसुख भोगें, मेरा मन स्वप्न में भी ग्रहण नहीं कर सकता।

(1.214) यदि मन में इन श्रेष्ठ जनों का अहित-चिन्तन करना है तो हमने जन्म ही क्यों लिया? यह जीवन किनके लिए रखना चाहिए?

(1.215) कुल के सब लोग पुत्र की इच्छा करते हैं, वह क्या इसी के लिए कि उससे अपने गोत्र का नाश हो?

(1.216) यह बात मन में ही कैसे आ सकती है? अपना मन वज्र के समान कठोर क्योंकर बना लिया जाये? हो सके तो इनका भला ही करना चाहिए;

(1.217) हम जो कुछ कमावें उस सब का उपभोग इन्हें देना चाहिए, यह जीवन इनके उपकार में लगाना चाहिए।

(1.218) हमको सब दिगन्त के राजाओं का पराजय करके जिस कुल का संतोष करना चाहिए

(1.219) उसी के ये सब लोग हैं।। परन्तु कर्म कैसा विपरीत है कि देखिए, ये सब युद्ध के लिए उद्यत हुए हैं;

(1.220) और अपनी स्त्रियाँ, पुत्र, द्रव्य, भाण्डार को छोड़कर शस्त्राग्र पर अपने प्राण रक्खे खड़े हैं! (1.221) इन स्वजनों को कैसे मारूँ? इनमें से किस पर शस्त्र चलाऊँ? अपने ही हृदय का घात किस प्रकार कर लूँ?

‘न काङ्क्षे विजयं कृष्ण न च राज्यं सुखानि च’—मान लें कि युद्धमें हमारी विजय हो जाय, तो विजय होनेसे पूरी पृथ्वीपर हमारा राज्य हो जायगा, अधिकार हो जायगा। पृथ्वीका राज्य मिलनेसे हमें अनेक प्रकारके सुख मिलेंगे। परन्तु इनमेंसे मैं कुछ भी नहीं चाहता अर्थात् मेरे मनमें विजय, राज्य एवं सुखोंकी कामना नहीं है।

**‘किं नो राज्येन गोविन्द किं भोगैर्जीवितेन वा’**—जब हमारे मनमें किसी प्रकारकी (विजय, राज्य और सुखकी) कामना ही नहीं है, तो फिर कितना ही बड़ा राज्य क्यों न मिल जाय, पर उससे हमें क्या लाभ? कितने ही सुन्दर-सुन्दर भोग मिल जायें, पर उनसे हमें क्या लाभ?

अथवा कुटुम्बियोंको मारकर हम राज्यके सुख भोगते हुए कितने ही वर्ष जीते रहें, पर उससे भी हमें क्या लाभ? तात्पर्य है कि ये विजय, राज्य और भोग तभी सुख दे सकते हैं, जब भीतरमें इनकी कामना हो, प्रियता हो, महत्त्व हो। परन्तु हमारे भीतर तो इनकी कामना ही नहीं है। अतः ये हमें क्या सुख दे सकते हैं? इन कुटुम्बियोंको मारकर हमारी जीनेकी भी इच्छा नहीं है; क्योंकि जब हमारे कुटुम्बी मर जायेंगे, तब ये राज्य और भोग किसके काम आयेंगे? राज्य, भोग आदि तो कुटुम्बके लिये होते हैं, पर जब ये ही मर जायेंगे, तब इनको कौन भोगेगा? भोगनेकी बात तो दूर रही, उलटे हमें और अधिक चिन्ता, शोक होंगे!

**सम्बन्ध—अर्जुन विजय आदि क्यों नहीं चाहते, इसका हेतु आगेके श्लोकमें बताते हैं।**