Gita 01.10 – Multiple Meanings Of Same Word Reveal The Possibilities Of Multiple Interpretations

 

Audio link 2: Gita 01.10 – Mulitiple meanings of same word reveal the possibilities of multiple interpretations – The Spiritual Scientist

 

aparyāptaṁ tad asmākaṁ

balaṁ bhīṣmābhirakṣitam

paryāptaṁ tv idam eteṣāṁ

balaṁ bhīmābhirakṣitam

 

Word-for-Word:

aparyāptam — immeasurable; tat — that; asmākam — of ours; balam — strength; bhīṣma — by Grandfather Bhīṣma; abhirakṣitam — perfectly protected; paryāptam — limited; tu — but; idam — all this; eteṣām — of the Pāṇḍavas; balam — strength; bhīma — by Bhīma; abhirakṣitam — carefully protected.

 

Translation:

Our strength is immeasurable, and we are perfectly protected by Grandfather Bhīṣma, whereas the strength of the Pāṇḍavas, carefully protected by Bhīma, is limited.

 

Explanation:

 

Duryodhana is now comparing the generals on his side with those on his opponent’s side by naming the commanders and describing the magnitude of their forces. He says, “aparyāptaṁ tad asmākaṁ.” “Asmākaṁ” means “ours,” and “aparyāptaṁ” means “unlimited,” at least that is his intention.

 

He states, “balaṁ bhīṣmābhirakṣitam,” meaning their forces are commanded by Bhīṣma and thus are immeasurable. He then says, “paryāptaṁ tv idam eteṣāṁ,” referring to his opponents’ forces as finite, limited, and inadequate, protected by Bhīma.

 

Interestingly, Duryodhana’s fears are revealed here. Although Bhīma is neither the commander of the Pāṇḍava army nor the greatest threat in a general sense, for Duryodhana, Bhīma is the most formidable opponent. The commander of the Pāṇḍava army is Dhṛṣṭadyumna, and the most formidable among the Pāṇḍavas is Arjuna. It was Arjuna who, with his celestial weapons, wreaked havoc, although Bhīma did too. Bhīma killed the hundred Kauravas and avenged Draupadi’s lost honor.

 

Whenever attempts were made to discourage Duryodhana from continuing his foolish and stubborn obstinacy for war, he was first reminded of Arjuna’s strength and then of Bhīma’s. Either way, Arjuna was undoubtedly powerful, and Duryodhana was aware of this. However, he primarily feared Bhīma. He thought of the Pāṇḍava army as protected by Bhīma and not by their commander Dhṛṣṭadyumna or their foremost warrior Arjuna. For him, Bhīma was the dreaded opponent he wanted to overcome. Duryodhana had been practicing against effigies of Bhīma for years, hoping to one day defeat the real Bhīma.

 

This personal antipathy made him see the opposing army as led and protected by Bhīma. Duryodhana’s long enmity toward the Pāṇḍavas, especially Bhīma, stemmed from Bhīma’s equal or superior mace-fighting skills. He also resented Yudhiṣṭhira for usurping what he believed was his rightful position as heir and becoming popular among citizens and courtiers, unlike Duryodhana, who alienated people with his haughtiness and scornfulness. That’s why, when crunch time came, many people who had favored Duryodhana earlier now favored Yudhiṣṭhira, reflecting their assessment of the relative strengths of the two armies.

 

Duryodhana says “aparyāptaṁ,” implying their strength is immeasurable. The word “paryāptaṁ” can mean finite or sufficient. The prefix “a” in Sanskrit can either heighten or reverse the word’s meaning. While assessing his forces, Duryodhana intends to heighten the word’s meaning, hence “paryāptaṁ” for him doesn’t mean sufficient; it means large in numbers, while “aparyāptaṁ” refers to practically measureless and infinite.

 

The word has two meanings, allowing the verse to be analyzed in different ways. In our tradition, Srila Prabhupada, following Srila Baladeva Vidyabhushana’s commentary, translates this verse as “our strength is unlimited.” In terms of military logistics, it is true that the Kauravas’ strength is greater than that of the Pāṇḍavas, and Bhīṣma is far more experienced in warfare than Bhīma. Thus, Duryodhana can claim that their strength is far greater than their opponents’.

 

Srila Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, however, offers a different interpretation of the verse, suggesting that “aparyāptaṁ” means insufficient. Thus, Duryodhana is saying their strength is insufficient, while the Pāṇḍavas’ strength is sufficient (“paryāptaṁ”). By framing it this way, he might be encouraging his other generals to fight more effectively, knowing they also play crucial roles in the war. It could also be a slip of the tongue, leading to an unintended different meaning.

 

Cakravartīpad considers the Kaurava forces to be finite and the Pāṇḍavas’ infinite because, in a war, skill and experience are important, but the spirit of fighting is even more important. Bhīṣma never wanted the war and repeatedly counseled Duryodhana to give up his greed and return the Pāṇḍavas’ half of the kingdom to live in peace. Without the spirit for fighting, a warrior’s strength, skill, and experience are less impactful. Bhīma, on the other hand, had been eager and waiting for the opportunity for revenge, making the Pāṇḍavas’ forces stronger in terms of fighting spirit.

 

This analysis, where a speaker’s words are re-analyzed to have a different meaning, is called “vyāja-stuti.” Duryodhana intended to praise his forces and criticize the Pāṇḍavas, but he inadvertently praised the Pāṇḍavas and criticized his own forces. Different meanings for the same words given by the acharyas are not contradictory but provide alternative perspectives that harmonize with the overall “siddhanta” (conclusions, both philosophical and theological).

 

In this context, the Kauravas’ forces are larger and their general more experienced, giving them an upper hand in an external analysis. However, from another perspective, because Bhīma has a greater fighting spirit than Bhīṣma, the Pāṇḍavas have the upper hand.

 

Duryodhana’s primary goal is to boost his soldiers’ morale. By claiming their forces are infinite, he reassures and prepares them for battle. If the verse is interpreted as their forces being insufficient, he conveys the necessity for all to fight, not relying solely on Bhīṣma. This reflects his assessment of the comparative strengths of the forces. Thank you.