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.

'Yeṣāmarthe kāṅkṣitaṁ no rājyaṁ bhogāḥ sukhāni ca'— Whatever kingdom, pleasure and enjoyment we desire, we want

these for our relatives and friends. With these, we want to please and serve our teachers, uncles, grand-uncles, and sons etc. We do not want to possess these for our personal enjoyment.

'Ta ime'vasthitā yuddhe prāṇāṃstyaktvā dhanāni ca'— But all of these are arrayed here on the battlefield, staking their lives and property. They have decided to sacrifice even their lives, on the war front. If all of them are killed, for whom should we desire kingdom, prosperity and pleasure?

'Prāṇāṃstyaktvā dhanāni ca', means that they are standing on the battlefield, staking their lives and prosperity. If they had got a desire for life and prosperity, why would they stand here, to be slain? It means, that they have renounced, every hope.

Link:—In the next two verses there is description of the people, for whom Arjuna wants kingdom, pleasure and enjoyment.

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?

जिनके लिये हम राज्य भोग और सुखों की इच्छा रखते थे ये आचार्य, चाचा-ताऊ, पुत्र, पितामह, मामा, ससुर, पोते, साले

तथा अन्यान्य सम्बन्धी प्राण और धन की आशा त्याग कर युद्धस्थल में उपस्थित हैं।

‘येषामर्थं काङ्क्षितं नो राज्यं भोगाः सुखानि च’—हम राज्य, सुख, भोग आदि जो कुछ चाहते हैं, उनको अपने व्यक्तिगत सुखके लिये नहीं चाहते, प्रत्युत इन कुटुम्बियों, प्रेमियों, मित्रों आदिके लिये ही चाहते हैं। आचार्यों, पिताओं, पितामहों, पुत्रों आदिको सुख-आराम पहुँचे, इनकी सेवा हो जाय, ये प्रसन्न रहें—इसके लिये ही हम युद्ध करके राज्य लेना चाहते हैं, भोग-सामग्री इकट्ठी करना चाहते हैं।

**‘त इमेऽवस्थिता युद्धे प्राणांस्त्यक्त्वा धनानि च’**—पर वे ही ये सब-के-सब अपने प्राणोंकी और धनकी आशाको छोड़कर युद्ध करनेके लिये हमारे सामने इस रणभूमिमें खड़े हैं। इन्होंने ऐसा विचार कर लिया है कि

हमें न प्राणोंका मोह है और न धनकी तृष्णा है; हम मर बेशक जायें, पर युद्धसे नहीं हटेंगे। अगर ये सब मर ही जायेंगे, तो फिर हमें राज्य किसके लिये चाहिये? सुख किसके लिये चाहिये? धन किसके लिये चाहिये? अर्थात् इन सबकी इच्छा हम किसके लिये करें?

**‘प्राणांस्त्यक्त्वा धनानि च’** का तात्पर्य है कि वे प्राणोंकी और धनकी आशाका त्याग करके खड़े हैं अर्थात् हम जीवित रहेंगे और हमें धन मिलेगा—इस इच्छाको छोड़कर वे खड़े हैं। अगर उनमें प्राणोंकी और धनकी इच्छा होती, तो वे मरनेके लिये युद्धमें क्यों खड़े होते? अतः यहाँ प्राण और धनका त्याग करनेका तात्पर्य उनकी आशाका त्याग करनेमें ही है।

**सम्बन्ध—जिनके लिये हम राज्य, भोग और सुख चाहते हैं, वे लोग कौन हैं—इसका वर्णन अर्जुन आगेके दो श्लोकोंमें करते हैं।**