Transcendental Knowledge
Verse 2.5
गुरूनहत्वा हि महानुभावान् श्रेयो भोक्तुं भैक्ष्यमपीह लोके। हत्वार्थकामांस्तु गुरूनिहैव भुञ्जीय भोगान् रुधिरप्रदिग्धान्।।2.5।।
gurūnahatvā hi mahānubhāvān śhreyo bhoktuṁ bhaikṣhyamapīha loke hatvārtha-kāmāṁstu gurūnihaiva bhuñjīya bhogān rudhira-pradigdhān
Word Meanings
gurūn—teachers; ahatvā—not killing; hi—certainly; mahā-anubhāvān—noble elders; śhreyaḥ—better; bhoktum—to enjoy life; bhaikṣhyam—by begging; api—even; iha loke—in this world; hatvā—killing; artha—gain; kāmān—desiring; tu—but; gurūn—noble elders; iha—in this world; eva—certainly; bhuñjīya—enjoy; bhogān—pleasures; rudhira—blood; pradigdhān—tainted with
Translation · English
Better it is, indeed, in this world to accept alms than to slay the most noble teachers. But if I were to kill them, even in this world, all my enjoyments of wealth and fulfilled desires would be stained with their blood.
Deep Meaning · English
In this verse, Arjuna is articulating the profound ethical agony of the ego when faced with the dissolution of its foundational attachments. By referring to his teachers as 'mahanubhavan' (noble, great-souled ones), Arjuna is expressing that his identity is inextricably tied to his lineage, his mentors, and the traditional social order. To kill them is not just a physical act of violence; it is a psychological suicide. He fears that any victory gained through the destruction of these foundational relationships would be inherently hollow, 'rudhira-pradigdhan' (stained with blood), suggesting that the pursuit of external goals at the cost of one's conscience leaves a permanent psychic stain that poisons the enjoyment of success.
True prosperity built upon the ruin of our moral foundation and sacred bonds is merely a disguised form of suffering that taints the soul.
Connected Verses
Contrasts this verse by identifying greed and desire as the 'gateways to hell' that blind a person to the spiritual cost of their actions.
Directly follows this thought by questioning the nature of victory and defeat when the path itself leads to existential sorrow.
Shows the climax of Arjuna's internal conflict where he finally surrenders his intellectual ego to Krishna, seeking clarity beyond his own limited moral reasoning.
Provides the ultimate solution to Arjuna's dilemma, shifting the focus from the fruits of action to the performance of duty as an offering to the Divine.
Community Insights
(0)Share your understanding of this verse with fellow seekers.
No insights yet. Be the first to share your understanding of this verse.