Gita 01.33 – The Contrasting Words Of Arjuna And Duryodhana Reveal Their Consciousness Levels
ta ime ’vasthitā yuddhe
prāṇāṁs tyaktvā dhanāni ca
ācāryāḥ pitaraḥ putrās
tathaiva ca pitāmahāḥ
Word-for word:
te — all of them; ime — these; avasthitāḥ — situated; yuddhe — on this battlefield; prāṇān — lives; tyaktvā — giving up; dhanāni — riches; ca — also; ācāryāḥ — teachers; pitaraḥ — fathers; putrāḥ — sons; tathā — as well as; eva — certainly; ca — also; pitāmahāḥ — grandfathers
Translation:
These are the ones standing here in battle, ready to give up their lives and wealth—the teachers, fathers, sons, and also grandfathers.
Explanation:
ta ime ’vasthitā yuddhe: They are situated here for the sake of fighting on this battlefield.
prāṇāṁs tyaktvā dhanāni ca: They are prepared to give up even their lives, what to speak of their wealth.
ācāryāḥ pitaraḥ putrās tathaiva ca pitāmahāḥ: These people include my teachers, elders from my father’s generation, sons, and even my grandfather.
Arjuna expresses deep grief at the impending fratricide. His heart-breaking grief drives him to contemplate an emergency solution to avoid this pain—refusing to fight altogether. He describes the outcome of the battle, stating that everyone is here (ta ime ’vasthitā yuddhe), ready to sacrifice their lives (prāṇāṁs tyaktvā dhanāni ca).
For the kṣatriyas, fighting on the battlefield was not about fearing death—they understood that death was not the ultimate end. A kṣatriya who died heroically in battle would be rewarded with a place in the heavens. Their true fear was not of dying, but of dishonor or being labeled cowards. For this reason, they would never flee from the battlefield (yuddhe cāpy apalāyanam).
When Duryodhana assessed the two forces, he intended to express that “for my sake, they are ready to give up their lives.” However, he mistakenly uses the past tense, saying, “for my sake, they have already given up their lives” (mad-arthe tyakta-jīvitāḥ), implying that they are, in a sense, already dead. This slip of the tongue on his part may seem minor, but such slips often reveal deeper truths about what lies in one’s heart.
Duryodhana’s intent was to laud the commitment of his supporters, emphasizing their willingness to sacrifice their lives for him. Yet, in reality, by aligning with Duryodhana, many of these kings had, in effect, signed a pact with death, for truth ultimately triumphs, while illusion, misconception, hatred, and vice are destined for defeat.
Duryodhana intended to express that his supporters were prepared to give up their lives for his sake. Meanwhile, Arjuna is pondering, reflecting, and verbalizing the grim reality of who will actually have to sacrifice their lives, and this list has a profound sobering effect on him. Few things can destroy a dynasty as thoroughly as its sudden decline—whether through deaths in war or a failure to beget heirs to carry on the lineage. In such cases, the dynasty simply comes to an end. Many kings throughout history—as revealed in the scriptures—have lamented this prospect and dreaded the possibility that their dynasty might die with them.
However, Arjuna’s concern is not primarily about the end of the dynasty; rather, he is overwhelmed by the intense suffering that awaits him if all his relatives—those he lives for—are killed. He feels this suffering would be unbearable. Yet, he sees no escape from it, as all are already here on the battlefield, ready to fight, and prepared to lay down their lives.
While Duryodhana gleefully proclaims that his supporters are ready to lay down their lives, Arjuna is deeply pained by this prospect. He wonders, “How can I fight against those I love, those I respect, those I worship?” The contrast between Duryodhana’s tone and words on one side and Arjuna’s on the other provides a glimpse into their respective mentalities.
At one level, it could be said that both lack spiritual knowledge, as neither speaks of the ‘self’—both are, in this sense, ignorant of the ‘soul’. However, their values are clearly different. Duryodhana, heartless and self-centered, is concerned only with his own gains, while Arjuna is torn over the fate of his loved ones. Despite their shared spiritual ignorance, Arjuna’s concern for others reveals a higher level of compassion. This compassion will eventually open his heart to a deeper, more profound concern—the concern of devotion—when it is presented to him.
Arjuna’s reluctance to engage in the battle exhibits his capacity for long-term thinking and his ability to evaluate the true consequences of his actions, which we will explore in future sessions. However, the key point here is that he does not want this fight to the death, and he uses this reasoning to explain his decision not to fight.
Thank you.
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