BHAGAVAD GITACommentary by

Sant Jnaneswar

PROF. T. K. G. NAMBOODHIRIThiruvalla, Kerala, India

BHAGAVAD GITAJNANESWARI

JNANESWARI• Jnaneswari is the commentary on Bhagavad Gita

written by Saint Jnaneswar, who lived in Maharashtra in the 13th Century AD.

• This very popular & simple commentary was written in Marathi by Saint Jnaneswar when he was only 15 years of age.

• The complete English translation of this commentary is available at http://www.bvbpune.org/contents1.htmlT K G Namboodhiri

BHAGAVAD GITAJNANESWARI

CHAPTER 1ARJUNA VISHAADA YOGAARJUNA’S DESPONDENCY

T K G Namboodhiri

BHAGAVAD GITAJNANESWARI

DHARMA KSHE’TRE’ KURU KSHE’TRE’ SAMAVETHA YUYUTHSAVA, MAAMAKAA PANDAVAASCHAIVA KIMAKURVATHA SANJAYA. (1.1)

On the tenth day of the Mahabharatha war, the blind king Dritharashtra asked his companion Sanjaya, who had been gifted with tele-vision by Vedavyaasa : “At Kurukshetra, the field of righteousness, marshalled for war, what did my sons & Paandavaas do?”

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BHAGAVAD GITAJNANESWARI

• Verses 1.2 to 1.23: These verses describe the scenery just before the start of the war. Prince Duryodhana points out the great fighters standing ready to fight on the two sides to Acharya Drona. Bhishma, Sri Krishna, Arjuna & all the other kings & princes blow their respective conch shells indicating the start of the war. Then Arjuna requests Sri Krishna, his charioteer, to take his chariot to the middle of the two armies, so that he can see the various people with whom he has to fight.

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BHAGAVAD GITAJNANESWARI

Verses 24 to 28: Accordingly, Sree Krishna took the chariot to the middle of the battlefield & stopped it just in front of Bhishma, Drona, & the other great warriors & asked Arjuna to see them. Arjuna saw Bhishma ,all his brothers& cousins, sons & nephews, teachers,& kings from all over India arrayed there ready to fight against each others. Mentally upset, & losing all his courage & interest to fight, Arjuna started talking to Krishna.

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BHAGAVAD GITAJNANESWARI

Verses 29 to 30: Dear Krishna, all those I see in front of me are my family members. Though they are ready to fight, is it right for me to kill them? I am frightened. I cannot think properly. I am losing my memory. My body is shivering & I cannot hold my bow Gandeev. Sanjaya tells Dritharashtra that the most courageous Arjuna thus lost his courage & will to fight after seeing his relatives on the battlefield, arrayed against him.

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BHAGAVAD GITAJNANESWARI

Verses 31 to 34: Arjuna continues: I see many bad omens. I do not wish to win this war & enjoy wealth & fame. If I have to kill my ancestors & relatives to enjoy the kingdom, what is the use? How will I kill our great-grand father Bhishma, my revered teacher Drona, uncles, sons, nephews, brother-in-laws & other relatives? Instead, I am willing to suffer defeat or other hardships.

T K G Namboodhiri

BHAGAVAD GITAJNANESWARI

Verses 35 to 39: Even though all of these people are aiming to kill me, I do not wish to kill them. What pleasure are we going to get by killing all the sons of Dritharashtra, though they deserve killing? In this war all of them will be killed. We may even lose you, which will be very painful. The greedy Kauravas do not realise the consequences of killing own family members. But knowing the sin involved, how we will kill them? So I am not going to fight this war.

T K G Namboodhiri

BHAGAVAD GITAJNANESWARI

Verses 40 to 47: Arjuna continues: If the family is destroyed, the family traditions & righteousness will vanish. The women from the family become wayward & the society gets contaminated. We will be responsible for all these sinful acts. Hence, I will not fight . It will be better for me to be killed by the Kauravas.

T K G Namboodhiri