Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan

Arjuna is describing further symptoms of his breakdown 

Bg 1.29

vepathuś ca śarīre me

roma-harṣaś ca jāyate

gāṇḍīvaṁ sraṁsate hastāt

tvak caiva paridahyate

Word for word: 

vepathuḥ — trembling of the body; ca — also; śarīre — on the body; me — my; roma–harṣaḥ — standing of hair on end; ca — also; jāyate — is taking place; gāṇḍīvam — the bow of Arjuna; sraṁsate — is slipping; hastāt — from the hand; tvak — skin; ca — also; eva — certainly; paridahyate — is burning.

Translation: 

My whole body is trembling, my hair is standing on end, my bow Gāṇḍīva is slipping from my hand, and my skin is burning.

vepathuś ca śarīre me, trembling of the body. So earlier the limbs were quivering but here the whole body is trembling 

roma-harṣaś ca jāyate, roma-harṣaś, hair on the body, hair on the body is standing. Srila Prabhupada writes hair on the body can stand because of intense positive emotion or intense negative emotion. When very happy hair can stand or when very scared. So here Arjuna is scared not for himself but for the blood bath which is going to take place which will have destruction and death of his relatives and 

gāṇḍīvaṁ sraṁsate hastāt, 

So Arjuna is giving first report of what is happening over here and he is telling Krishna that I am talking to you and against my will Gandiva is slipping from my hand, e.g. movies we see women carrying a plate and some bad news is heard and the plate fell from her hand and she became unconsciousness, so what happened is when someone’s emotion become very strong they lose control on their physical faculties.

Generally emotion’s effect on female body is more quick, they start crying easily etc. but on male body it is less effected and for warrior to feel that his weapons is slipping is emotionally very troubling experience, he doesn’t wanted Gandiva to let go but it is slipping from his hand and then tvak caiva paridahyate, my whole body is burning, whole skin is inflamed, very strong emotions are there and Arjuna is trying to describe this emotion, he is trying to convey Krishna how seriously he is effected, how strong his reactions are!, in terms of avisto, in terms of how he is overwhelmed.

Interestingly in 1.28 purport Srila Prabhupada said that Arjuna is a pure devotee and it is a sign of compassion while in 1.29 purport he said that all these are due to the material conception of life, so what exactly is happening over here? So in scripture while explaining Lord’s pastime emphasis is not on what is right and what is wrong but what is the learning for us there. In Lord’s pastime everything is orchestrated by Lord and devotees are showing exalted characteristics, so one perspective is Arjuna is exhibiting compassion and concern which is a noble quality in devotees, another perspective of looking at the things is yes Arjuna is a pure devotee but he is coming under yoga maya and acting like a conditioned soul, when he is acting as a conditioned soul we can think what is the philosophical point which can be learnt when he is acting as a conditioned soul although he is not a condition soul, from this perspective Srila Prabhupada is saying he is acting on the bodily and material conception of life …so it is not contradicting, it is depending on the perspective we are taking, when we take both perspectives we learn. We should see Lord’s associates as exalted and when they go under illusion we should learn that I should not go under such illusion. Acharyas have explained in the first chapter Arjuna lamentation describes the need for spiritual knowledge and Arjuna’s qualification is required for spiritual knowledge. There is a need for spiritual knowledge, when one is in bodily conception one will eventually be bewildered and if one doesn’t want to be bewildered one has to rise to higher level of consciousness and rising to higher level of consciousness, happens when one gets spiritual knowledge. So on one side, first chapter of BG illustrates how worldly situations create perplexity for those who don’t have spiritual knowledge and how spiritual knowledge is essential. First chapter also shows Arjuna’s qualification as soft hearted, thoughtful, compassionate, submissive. we will see all these qualifications of Arjuna when we will move forward. So 29 and 30 verses describe how material situations create perplexity for those who are in material concept of life.

End of transcription.