Gita 02.04 – Resolve conflicts among different roles by raising consciousness

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arjuna uvāca
kathaṁ bhīṣmam ahaṁ saṅkhye
droṇaṁ ca madhusūdana
iṣubhiḥ pratiyotsyāmi
pūjārhāv ari-sūdana (Bg 2.04)

Word-for-word:
arjunaḥ uvāca — Arjuna said; katham — how; bhīṣmam — Bhīṣma; aham — I; saṅkhye — in the fight; droṇam — Droṇa; ca — also; madhu-sūdana — O killer of Madhu; iṣubhiḥ — with arrows; pratiyotsyāmi — shall counterattack; pūjā-arhau — those who are worshipable; ari-sūdana — O killer of the enemies.

Translation:
Arjuna said: O killer of enemies, O killer of Madhu, how can I counterattack with arrows in battle men like Bhīṣma and Droṇa, who are worthy of my worship?

Explanation:
Arjuna responds to Kṛṣṇa’s instructions not to succumb to weakness. He says:
kathaṁ bhīṣmam ahaṁ saṅkhye : How can I, in battle, counter Bhīṣma, my revered grandfather?
droṇaṁ ca madhusūdana : And Droṇa, my martial teacher, O Madhusūdana (Kṛṣṇa), slayer of the Madhu demon?
iṣubhiḥ pratiyotsyāmi : How can I aim arrows at them?
pūjārhāv ari-sūdana : They are worthy of worship, and I should be offering them flower garlands in their honor, O Ari-sūdana, slayer of enemies!

In this verse, Kṛṣṇa is addressed by two names, Madhusūdana and Ari-sūdana, which appear at the end of the respective lines in a poetic rhyme. Traditionally, Sanskrit verses can be analyzed by referring to individual lines using the letters A, B, C, and D, denoting the first, second, third, and fourth lines, respectively. Thus, in Bhagavad-gītā 2.4, lines B and D end with the rhyming words ‘sūdana’—Madhusūdana in 2.4b and Ari-sūdana in 2.4d.

Arjuna here implies: “O Kṛṣṇa, you are the slayer of the Madhu demon and the destroyer of your enemies. How can you expect me to kill my friends?” Our ācāryas explain that the underlying meaning of Arjuna’s question is this: “Would you ever aim arrows at Sāndīpani Muni, your revered guru, or at Mahārāja Ugrasena, your grandfather? You are known as the killer of enemies, not of relatives, loved ones, or those worthy of worship. So how can you expect me to fight against my own?”

The entire sequence unfolds as a series of rhetorical questions. Earlier, Kṛṣṇa asks: kutas tvā kaśmalam idaṁ—”Where has this weakness come from?” Rhetorical questions do not require specific answers—their meaning is implicit. Here, Kṛṣṇa’s question conveys that such weakness does not befit Arjuna and should not exist in him. Similarly, Arjuna’s question, “How can I shoot arrows?” is also rhetorical. It implies that attacking his respected elders and loved ones is inconceivable and contrary to his nature.

In Sanskrit, punctuation marks are not used as they are in English. While there may not be a question mark in the original text, the choice of words clearly indicates that it is an interrogation—a question. Arjuna is essentially asking, “How can I shoot?” This rhetorical question implies the answer: “I cannot shoot.” The response is embedded within the question itself, as is typical in rhetorical expressions.

Arjuna’s response, especially to Kṛṣṇa’s charge of weakness (hṛdaya-daurbalyaṁ, kṣudratvaṁ, klaibyatvaṁ; Bhagavad-gītā 2.3), is not an admission of klaibyatvaṁ (cowardice). Rather, his hesitation arises from the agonizing, emotionally wrenching nature of the situation. Arjuna explains that his reluctance is not due to sentimentality, cowardice, or any degrading emotion. Instead, it stems from a rightful, natural, and necessary consideration: “How can I kill my venerable elders, those whom I should be offering flowers and worshipping? How can I aim arrows at them?” Through this rhetorical question, Arjuna counters Kṛṣṇa’s accusation of weakness of heart. ____ (DICTATION ENDS ABRUPTLY).