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Now places and rivers are considered sacred in India, on account of wise and learned men resorting or residing there, both for quiet meditation and free bathing in the early morning, which, in warm countries, is thought very essential, both in a physical and religious point of view. Pilgrimages were and are undertaken to such places for the ostensible purpose of religious benefit, but really for the sake of the wisdom which might be obtained by coming in contact with the wise men residing there. From this grew the Sanscrit proverb — it n n nfasnft 11 The commission of sin elsewhere is destroyed at a sacred place ; but the commission of sin at a sacred place becomes doubly strong — i.e., he who remained ignorant with the chance of improving himself is doubly ignorant and miserable. The sentence may be compared with that of the Christian Scriptures, having the same metaphorical meaning, u All sin may be forgiven, bnt sin against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven.” The birth of a human being is the highest field f° r a being in the whole creation, for he alone has the noble gift, reason, for his guidance to* free him from temptation ; but if he does'not take advantage of it, ho subjects himself to all the miseries of the world, LIFE. Life is a river ; Duty its sacred shrine ; Courage its shore ; and Truth its silver tide ; Its waves Compassion ; in it the soul divine, Like the body in other streams, is purified ; But midst the reeds the cayman lies in wait, Error ; beware, rash mortal, ere too late. BHAGAVAD-GlTA. CHAPTER THE FIRST. TEXT. dhritarAshtra spoke. What did my followers and those of Pandu do, when assembled for the purpose of fighting on the sacred plain, the plain of Kura, Sanjaya ? €OMMENTARY. POPULAR OPINION. When a man of inquiring mind comes forward on tire stage of this world to think for himself, how is he situated in society ? TEXT. SANJAYA SPOKE. When king Duryodhana beheld the army of the Pandavas drawn up in order, he then approached his preceptor, and spoke these words : “ Behold, 0 preceptor ! this huge army of the sons of Pandu, drawn up by thy clever pupil, the son of Drupada. In it arc warriors with huge bows, equal to Blnma and Aijuna in battle (namely) Yuyudh&na and Vir£ta, and Drupada on his great car ; Dhrishtaketu, Cliekit£na, and the valiant king of Kashi; Purujit and Kuntibhoja and Shaivya, chief of men; and Yudhamanyu the strong, and Uttamaujas the brave, the son of Subhadr&, and all the sons of Draupadi, too, in tlieir huge chariots. But remark those, who are the most distinguished amongst us, the leaders of my army, 0 best of Brahmans! I will name them to thee, that thou mayst know them. 2 BHAGAVAD-gItA. CHAPTER THE F1RBT. u There are thyself, and Bhfshma, and Kama, and Kripa, victorious in battle, Ashwatthaman, and Vikarna, and Saumadatti too, and many other heroes, who risk their lives for my sake, armed with divers wea- pons, all experienced in war. This army of mine, which is commanded by Bhishma, is not sufficient ; but that army of theirs, commanded by Bhima, is sufficient. And do you, even all of you, drawn up in all the ranks of the army, according to your grades, attend even to Bhishma.” Then, in order to encourage him, the ardent old ancestor of the Kurus blew his trumpet, sounding loud as the roar of a lion. Then, on a sudden, trumpets, kettle-drums, cymbals, drums, and horns were sounded. That noise grew to an uproar. And standing on a huge car drawn by white horses, the slayer of Madhu, and the son of Pandu blew thqir celestial trumpets. Krishna (blew his horn called) Pancbajanya; the Despiser of Wealth blew “ the Gift of the Gods;” he of dreadful deeds and wolfish entrails blew a great trumpet called Paundra ; king Yudhislithira, the son of Kuntl, blew “the Eternal Victory;” Nakula and Sahadeva blew “ the Sweet-toned” and the “ Blooming-with-jewels.” The king of Kashi, renowned for the excellence of his bow, and Shi- kandin, in his huge chariot, Dhrishtadyumna, and Virata and Satyaki, unconquered by his foes ; and Drupada and the sons of Draupadi, alto- gether, 0 king of earth ! and the strong-armed son of Subhadra, each severally blew their trumpets. That noise lacerated the hearts of the sons of Dhritarashtra, an uproar resounding both through heaven and earth. Now when Arjuna beheld the Dlmrtarashtras drawn up, and that the flying of arrows had commenced, he raised his bow, and then ad- dressed these words, 0 king of earth ! to Krishna. “ Draw up my chariot, 0 Eternal One ! between the two armies, that I may examine these men drawn up and anxious for battle, (and see) with whom I have to fight in the strife of war. I perceive that those who are assembled here are about to fight, from a wish by so doing to do a favour to the evil-minded son of Dhritarashtra.” COMMENTARY. TRUTH. As man is born in an undeveloped state, his first age is an age of ignorance and submission to what he is told or advised to believe ; but biiagavad-gIt-A. chapter the first. 3 when he arrives at manhood, he changes his childish thoughts and habits, only continuing his childish religious credulity, for few see the necessity of any change in this respect* not even when they find what they believe not only mysterious, but without meaning. But some begin to doubt, and commence to think for themselves ; and owing to their mental culture, in common with their physical development, Reason predominates over blind belief, and gradually they take courage and .begin to trample on Superstition. At this stage, when man becomes fully cognizant that his mental kingdom of peace is usurped and disturbed by Passion, his mind begins to rebel against the latter ; but Passion having had a strong hold over the mental kingdom for a considerable time, and possessing Temptation as an ally, strenuously resists to the last, and, when Reason mediates, flatly refuses to hear, and challenges his right of interference. Whereupon Reason naturally advises Mind to wage war, and Mind, acting upon this advice, leads a kind of regular army drawn up in battle array, the chief officers of which are — first, the com- mander-in-chief, Intelligence, opposed to Passion on the other side ; then the generals, Devotion opposed to Irreligion, Patience to Anger, Con- tentment to Avarice, Friendship to Falsehood ; then the minor officers, Compassion, Tranquillity, Retirement, Intellect, Revelation, Science, op- posed to Pride, Envy, Haughtiness, Injury, Enjoyment, and Hypocrisy; and finally, the aide-de-camp of the one side, Contemplation, opposed to the aide-de-camp of the other, Self-sufficiency. Everything is in a state of preparation, and a few arguments are made use of on both sides. The man, before taking any open and active action in his determined self-duty, comes out before the world with Reason as his guide, to see with whom he has to fight. He finds all deluded, and indulging in blind belief. TEXT. SANJAYA SPOKE. Krishna being thus addressed by Aijuna, 0 Bharata ! drew up that best of chariots between the two armies ; and before Bhishma and Drona and all the kings of the earth, he said : “ Behold, 0 king ! these Kurus here assembled.” Standing there, the king beheld fathers and grandfathers, preceptors and maternal uncles, b 2 4 BHAGAVAD-GfT^. chapter the first. brothers, sons, grandsons, and friends, fathers-in-law and acquaintances, in both of the armies. Gazing on all these relations drawn up (in battle array), the son of Kunti,, moved by extreme compassion, spoke with sadness, as follows : COMMENTARY. TRUTH. Standing here, man sees, in addition to his inner conflict of feelings, another outward opposition of popular opinion, represented by his nearest relatives — his Father, Mother, Sister, Brother, Son, Wife, Grandfather, Preceptor, etc., etc., etc. — all dearest and nearest to him in this world. He is moved with tender feelings. • TEXT. ARJUNA spoke. “ Now that 1 have beheld this kindred standing here near together for the purpose of fighting, my limbs give way, and my face is dried up (of the blood in my veins), and tremour is produced throughout my body, and my hair stands on end. My bow, Gandiva, slips from my hand, and my skin, too, bums (with fever). Nor am I able to remain upright/ and my mind is, as it were, whirling round. And I perceive adverse omens, 0 hairy one ! Nor do I foresee anything better, even when I shall have slain these relations in battle. I seek not victory, Krishna, nor a king- dom, nor pleasures. What should we do with a kingdom, Govinda ? What with enjoyments, or with life itself (if we slew these relatives) ? Those very men — on whose account we might desire a kingdom, enjoy- ments, or pleasures — are assembled for battle, having given up their lives and riches. Teachers, fathers, and even sons, and grandfathers, uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law, with connections also — these I would not wish to slay, though I were slain myself, 0 killer of Madhu ! — not even for the sake of the sovereignty of the triple world, how much less for that of this earth ! When we had killed the Dh£rta- rashtras, what pleasure should we have, 0 thou who art prayed to by mortals? We should incur a crime were we to put to death these vil- lains. Therefore we are not right to kill the Dhartarashtras, our own BHAGAVAD-GITA. CHArTER THE FIRST. 5 relations, for how could we be happy, after killing our own kindred, 0 slayer of Madhu ? “ Even if they whose reason is obscured by covetousness, do not per- ceive the crime committed in destroying their own tribe, nor a sin in the oppression of their friends, should we not know how to recoil from such a sin — we, who do look upon the slaughter of one’s tribe as a crime, 0 thou who art supplicated by mortals ?