Kim akurvata sañjaya (BG 1.1). He was asking his secretary. He was blind man. He was always conducted by his secretary Sañjaya, a very faithful secretary. And he is explaining the Bhagavad-gītā by experiencing, by television within the heart. That art is not yet developed. You have got television through machine, but there is another television—you can see within your heart everything, what is going on outside. So that television was known to... That will be explained by Sañjaya, that by the grace of Vyāsadeva, he learned this televisioning, and he was sitting with his master within the room and he was actually seeing how the fighting is going on. And he was explaining. This is the basic principle of Bhagavad-gītā, I mean, the basic platform. So let us discuss gradually, one after an... Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Sanjaya (Lect, Conv and Letters)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Dhṛtarāṣṭra inquired from Sañjaya, kim akurvata: "After my sons and my brother's sons assembled together for fighting, what did they do?" This was the inquiry. So to encourage him... Because Sañjaya could understand the feelings of his master that he wanted the fight, no compromise, kṣatriya spirit, "Let my sons and my brother's sons fight..." That is kṣatriya spirit. "My sons are one hundred in number and they are only five, so certainly my sons will come out victorious, and then the kingdom will be assured." That was his plan. So Sañjaya, his secretary, could understand the feeling. Of course, at last he would inform differently. Yatra yogeśvaraḥ hariḥ. At last he described, "My dear sir, you do not expect victory. It is not possible. Because the other side is Kṛṣṇa, yatra yogeśvaraḥ hariḥ, and the fighter Arjuna, so it is beyond your expectation of victory." But in the beginning he says, "Don't be discouraged. There was no compromise.
So Kṛṣṇa, in order to satisfy Arjuna, that "I shall not fight, but I shall become your charioteer. I shall drive your chariot." So in this way the battle was arranged, and when Dhṛtarāṣṭra inquired, kim akurvata sañjaya (BG 1.1), "What did they do?" He said, "Sir, don't be disappointed. There was no compromise. Immediately your son, after seeing the military arrangement of the Pāṇḍavas, he was surprised, and immediately he went to Dronācārya." He is the commander-in-chief appointed first. "What to do?" Rājā vacanam abravīt (BG 1.2). Then he began to speak, to inform Dronācārya.
In the beginning Sañjaya informed Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Duryodhana rājā. So actually the fight is between the two kings. One side Duryodhana, another side Yudhiṣṭhira. One may not misunderstand, therefore particularly mentioned kuntī-putra, this rājā is Kuntī's son, kuntī-putra. So Drupada, Mahārāja Drupada, the father of Draupadī, Draupadī was gained by Arjuna in competition. Draupadī, the daughter of Mahārāja Drupada is Draupadī. She is Draupadī. And her sons they are draupadeya.
So the grandfather, the grandsons, all of them were present, because they were allies. Mahārāja Drupada happened to be the father-in-law of the Pāṇḍavas. Draupadī accepted five husbands. When Draupadī was gained in the competition, they were incognito. The Pāṇḍavas were incognito.
Therefore this word is used here, hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīkeśam idaṁ vākyam, hṛṣīkeśam tadā vākyam idam āha mahī-pate (BG 1.20). Mahī-pate, "O King..." Sañjaya was addressing Dhṛtarāṣṭra. He's a king. So mahī-pate. Hṛṣīkeśaṁ kapi-dhvajaḥ. Kapi-dhvajaḥ is nominative. So "He said..." Kapi-dhvajaḥ. Kapi-dhvajaḥ is also significant. Kapi-dhvajaḥ, Arjuna, on his... Just like nowadays also, every nation has different types of flags, so Arjuna also had his flag on the... Dhvajaḥ. Dhvajaḥ means the flag. The flag was on the top of his chariot. And it was marked with Hanumān, Vajrāṅgajī, Vajrāṅgajī, Hanumān, who fought for Lord Rāmacandra. He is fighting for Kṛṣṇa. So he is also following the footsteps of Vajrāṅgajī.
So sañjaya uvāca. Actually Sañjaya, the secretary of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, he is relating the activities in the battlefield. Dhṛtarāṣṭra is blind. How in the battlefield the fighting was going on, Sañjaya was observing, either by television or a similar method. Otherwise, how he could explain things are going on in the battlefield in the room? This Bhagavad-gītā, Sañjaya explained, all activities in the battlefield, to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, within the room. So there must have been something like television or higher than the television, he was seeing within himself everything.
So the television is a machine made of gross matter, but there is possibility of making another machine of subtle matter. There is possibility. Because matter, they are also matter. That subtle matter machine is not yet discovered. But here we can see the subtle matter discovery was there. Otherwise, how Sañjaya could see the activities in the battlefield? This is to be understood. They are very much proud of material advancement of science, but still, they have to make advancement, subtle matter. And above that subtle matter, within that subtle matter, there is spiritual identity. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ, manasas tu parā buddhiḥ (BG 3.42).
So ultimately it is said that, Sañjaya said, yatra yogeśvaraḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (BG 18.78). Yatra yogeśvaraḥ kṛṣṇo yatra pārtho dhanur-dharaḥ/ tatra śrīr vijayo bhūtir, bhuva, dhruvā nītir matir mama. This is the conclusion of Bhagavad-gītā. Sañjaya uvāca. And at last Sañjaya said to his master, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, "My dear master, you are expecting victory between the fight, fight between your sons and..., but don't expect it. It is," matir mama, "in my opinion, yatra kṛṣṇaḥ yogeśvara, the party where Kṛṣṇa the Yogeśvara...," Yogeśvara. Yoga, yoga there are powerful mystic power. Yoga means mystic power. Not this yoga, this playing some gymnastics. That is not yoga. Yoga means when one becomes perfect in yoga, he gets many siddhis. They are called aṣṭa-siddhi, eight kinds of siddhi. Aṇimā, laghimā, prāpti-siddhi, like that, so many. Īśitva, vaśitva. So a yogi, aṇimā, he can become the smaller than the smallest.
If you think that 'If you don't fight, then they will take the opportunity...' " He is talking with Kṛṣṇa. He is already giving the counterargument, that "Kṛṣṇa, if you think that I don't fight, but they will take the opportunity and kill me immediately, that also I shall prefer, but I am not going to fight. This is my decision." Sañjaya uvāca. So Sañjaya, the secretary of Dhṛtarāṣṭra... They were sitting in a room. So evam uktvā, "thus saying," Arjuna, the person... Arjuna is nominative case. Arjuna, saṅkhye, "in the battlefield;" rathopastha, "on the chariot," upāviśat. You have seen the picture. When Kṛṣṇa blew His conchshell and from the backside Arjuna is just trying to take his arrow and fight... But instead of fighting, he's visṛjya sa-śaraṁ cāpam. "No, no, no. I am not going to..., giving up. Finished. I am no more going to fight." Visṛjya sa-śaraṁ cāpam. Why it is? Śoka-saṁvigna-mānasaḥ. His mind was overwhelmed with lamentation, that "How can I kill my kinsmen?" This is the position.
This is the set-up in the first chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā. This is the summary. Now sañjaya uvāca. The Sañjaya is speaking to Dhṛtarāṣṭra. Sañjaya is seeing the battlefield within his heart. That is another television. And by the grace of Vyāsadeva, he learned the art, that he advanced... He was so much advanced that the... Just like we see television, relay from the battlefield, and he, Dhṛtarāṣṭra was blind. And his secretary, Sañjaya, he was speaking. He was seeing the activities in the battlefield.
He was asking Sañjaya: "What did they do?" Kim akurvata sañjaya. That was the question. And first of all, Sañjaya described the arrangement in the battlefield, and then he's speaking. Now, sometimes Bhagavad-gītā is misinterpreted that this battle, I mean to say, dharma-kṣetra kuru-kṣetra means "this body." We do not misinterpret in that way. There is no question of misinterpretation. We are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. We do not change by our whimsical imagination, concoction. We do not interpret the words of the Bhagavad-gītā according to our own desire. No. Actually, from literary point of view, interpretation is required when things are not understood very clearly.
So this is the picture of the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, and Kṛṣṇa is ordered by Arjuna to place the chariot in between the two soldiers. Now, after seeing the soldiers and the kings and other party, Arjuna is aggrieved, so much so that he did not like to fight, and he was crying. Now, Dhṛtarāṣṭra asked Sañjaya: "Then what happened next?" Dhṛtarāṣṭra was very much anxious. He said: dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ (BG 1.1). "Now these two parties, yuyutsavaḥ, they, they, they were, both of them were desirous of fighting, yuyutsavaḥ. So one party is māmakāḥ, my sons, and the other party is Pāṇḍavas, the sons of my brother, Pāṇḍu." Māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva (BG 1.1). Now, the word is used: yuyutsavaḥ. "They assembled for fighting." Then what is the use of asking: kim akurvata, "Then what did they do?" It is natural to conclude that when they assemble for fighting, there must be fighting. But why he was asking: kim akurvata? The suspect was that because the parties assembled in the dharma-kṣetra, so they might have changed their ideas.
Although he was forced to fight by the opposite party who were very near, thick and thin people, and he had to kill them, so it was not very satisfactory to him. Therefore he flatly denied to fight: "Kṛṣṇa, I am not going to fight." He left his weapon, and then Kṛṣṇa was surprised that "My friend, Arjuna, he is denying to fight in My presence."
So Sañjaya, the private secretary of Mahārāja Dhṛtarāṣṭra, he was relaying the message which was going on in the battle of Kurukṣetra by higher process. Nowadays we have got experience of the television, but the another process, antar-dṛṣṭi, that is also television. You can see the reflection of external activities within your heart, and you can explain. So Sañjaya, the private secretary of Mahārāja Dhṛtarāṣṭra, he explained that Arjuna was denying to fight.
So in this verse Vyāsadeva is writing. Of course, the speaking is through Sañjaya, but the original writer is Vyāsadeva. In other ślokas he writes arjuna uvāca, sañjaya uvāca, like that. Similarly, he could write here kṛṣṇa uvāca. He could write. No. He's writing bhagavān uvāca. So Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By this writing, it is established. Śrī-bhagavān uvāca. He cannot be equal with Arjuna or Sañjaya or anybody else. Asammaurdhva. Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is supreme. Nobody is equal to Him, nobody is higher than. Everyone is lower. That is the meaning of Bhagavān. Nobody can claim "I am Bhagavān." But nowadays there are so many rascals, they are claiming that everyone is Bhagavān.
About four thousand years before, this planet was called Bhāratavarṣa. Now, Arjuna says that "We are going to fight for the matter of this Bhāratavarṣa planet. This is one of the planet in the universe. But if I get the whole planets of this, the complete planets of this universe, and without any competitor, still, the perplexity which has arisen in my mind, that cannot be mitigated." So... Now, see what sort, what sort of responsibility is given to the Kṛṣṇa. Sañjaya uvāca. Now, Sañjaya said,
- evam uktvā hṛṣīkeśaṁ
- guḍākeśaḥ parantapaḥ
- na yotsya iti govindam
- uktvā tūṣṇīṁ babhūva ha
- (BG 2.9)
"Just saying this, Arjuna became silent: 'Oh, I cannot fight.' "
Just like in the beginning of the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ, māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva kim akurvata sañjaya (BG 1.1). It is very clear. Dharma-kṣetre. Kurukṣetra is dharma-kṣetra. Still. There is Kurukṣetra. All of you know. And it is dharma-kṣetra. People go for pilgrimage. And in the Vedas also it is stated that kuru-kṣetre dharmam ācaret. One should go to Kurukṣetra and perform religious rituals there. So it is dharma-kṣetra by Vedic version, by practical example. Dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre (BG 1.1). But somebody's interpreting Kurukṣetra as this body. From which dictionary he can get this meaning, that Kurukṣetra means this body? This kind of interpretation is going on. But our proposition is that if you want to be benefited by reading Bhagavad-gītā, don't read such malinterpretation. Read Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Then you will be benefited. Kuru-kṣetre dharma-kṣetre. It is a fact. Kurukṣetra is dharma-kṣetra. Samavetā yuyutsavaḥ: (BG 1.1)
And in the middle of Mahābhārata, Bhīṣma-parva, this Bhagavad-gītā is inserted. Not inserted. Practically, in the battlefield of Mahābhārata this Bhagavad-gītā was spoken. And it is... You will be surprised. In those days television was in the heart, television. This, I mean to say, Battlefield of Kurukṣetra was television in the heart of Sañjaya. Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the father of one party, Duryodhana, and his secretary, Sañjaya, were sitting in the room, and they were discussing what happened after this. Just like you get television or radio message in the football ground what is going on by sound and picture, so the same thing was being reflected in his heart and he was in the room. He was explaining the activities of the battlefield. This is the story, like that. Sañjaya uvāca. Dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca.
He comes. He's so kind. He comes, He gives personally instruction, and He leaves the instruction recorded. Just like Bhagavad-gītā. This Bhagavad-gītā was spoken by Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna, and it was recorded by Sañjaya, by the grace of Vyāsadeva. And then Vyāsadeva put the conversation in the Mahābhārata. Mahābhārata means "The History of Greater India." That is Mahābhārata. The whole planet is called Bhārata, Bhāratavarṣa. And the history of the whole planet is called Mahābhārata. In this Mahābhārata, this Bhagavad-gītā is set in for the knowledge of the all human being. It is not meant for the Hindus, for the Indians, for the brāhmaṇas, for the... No. It is meant for everyone to take perfect knowledge from Kṛṣṇa and be happy. If you want to become happy actually, then Kṛṣṇa's instruction you accept. We are already fallen. Now if we want to save ourselves from this fallen condition, take instruction from Kṛṣṇa and do not try to deviate, do not try to interpret in your own whimsical way, in a rascal way. Simply try to understand what Kṛṣṇa says. That's all. Then your life will be perfect.
So Kṛṣṇa is describing personally. Kṛṣṇa's name is Yogeśvara, and Lord Śiva's name is Yogīśvara. Yogeśvara means... Yoga, the connecting link between the soul and the Supersoul, or the Supreme and the minute living creatures—that is called yoga. Connecting. So the... Who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Yogeśvara. The ultimate object of yoga is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's name is Yogeśvara. Yatra yogeśvaraḥ hariḥ. At the conclusion of the Bhagavad-gītā it is said by Sañjaya, yatra yogeśvaraḥ hariḥ. The place where Yogeśvara, the supreme master of all yoga systems, Kṛṣṇa, is there... And yatra pārtho dhanañjaya, and where there is Arjuna, the greatest fighter, there is undoubtedly victory there.
Because Bhagavad-gītā was spoken... The narration which we are reading, it is the description of Sañjaya as secretary of Mahārāja Dhṛtarāṣṭra. Just like running from a radio. The play is going on in the auditorium, but you can hear from the room. Just like we have got now mechanical arrangement, similarly, at that time, maybe the same arrangement, but there was no machine. Still, the secretary of Dhṛtarāṣṭra could see what was going on in the battlefield, and he was just narrating to Mahārāja Dhṛtarāṣṭra, who was blind. In other sense it may be said that there was television, and Dhṛtarāṣṭra, being blind, he could not see, and Sañjaya, his secretary, was explaining what was seen in the television. But this is the position. Anyway, so the conclusion made by Sañjaya was this, yatra yogeśvaraḥ hariḥ. Hari means the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The side in which the Yogeśvara, Kṛṣṇa... My point is that Kṛṣṇa's name is Yogeśvara. Nobody can be better yogi than... Or the master of yoga. There are different systems of yoga, and Kṛṣṇa is the master of yoga. And Lord Śiva is called Yogīśvara.
Just like this Bhagavad-gītā. This Bhagavad-gītā is recorded by Vyāsadeva. The talks were between Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, and it was recorded by Vyāsadeva's disciple, Sañjaya. And Vyāsadeva, while writing Mahābhārata, he put this dialogue within the Mahābhārata. So why Vyāsadeva put this conversation between Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna in his authoritative book Mahābhārata? Mahābhārata means "greater India." Bhārata means Bhāratavarṣa. This planet was being called Bhāratavarṣa. So Mahābhārata, the history of the whole planet. So Vyāsadeva giving the history. Mahābhārata is also Vedic literature. Mahābhārata, Rāmāyaṇa, the eighteen Purāṇas, Vedānta-sūtra, four Vedas, and then Upaniṣad, they're all Vedic literature.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa's another name is Hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīka means senses, and īśa means the master. Hṛṣīkeśa. Senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya me acyuta (BG 1.21). Another place Arjuna has addressed Kṛṣṇa as Hṛṣīkeśa. No, I mean to say Sañjaya said "Hṛṣīkeśa." So Kṛṣṇa's another name is Hṛṣīkeśa. So hṛṣīka means indriya, senses, and hṛṣīkeśa means the master of the senses. We have got our hands and legs, we have got our mouth, we have got our tongue, everything we have got. That's all right, but the real knowledge means to realize that these hands, legs, tongue, eyes, ears—everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. That is knowledge.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Kṛṣṇa says, dharma-kṣetra. Not Kṛṣṇa says. Sañjaya uvāca. Dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre. No. Dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca. Dhṛtrāṣṭra says,
- dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre
- samavetā yuyutsavaḥ
- māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva
- kim akurvata sañjaya
- (BG 1.1)
He is asking his secretary. He was blind man. So he was asking his secretary, "My dear Sañjaya, after my boys, māmakāḥ, and pāṇḍavāḥ, the sons of my younger brother Pāṇḍu, samavetā yuyutsavaḥ, they assembled for fighting in the dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre... (BG 1.1)." Dharma, kuru-kṣetra is still there. Everyone knows. And it is dharma-kṣetra. Everyone knows. Then where is the difficulty to understand dharma-kṣetra kuru-kṣetra māmakāḥ pāṇḍu? But if you foolishly interpret, "Dharma-kṣetra means this, and kuru-kṣetra means that, and pāṇḍavāḥ means that," you spoil the whole thing.
So Kuntī wants to keep Kṛṣṇa in her kingdom because on account of His presence, everything is victorious. Yatra... In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, yatra kṛṣṇo yogeśvaraḥ. Yatra... "Wherever Kṛṣṇa is there, and wherever His devotee, Arjuna, is there," Sañjaya said, "all victory, all opulence, everything is there." He assured, he informed Dhṛtarāṣṭra, that "This combination of Pārtha and Kṛṣṇa means all opulence, all victory." In other words, he assured Dhṛtarāṣṭra that "You are expecting victory by the superior strength of your sons, Duryodhana and others, but don't hope like that. It is not possible, because victory will be there where there is Kṛṣṇa and where there is His pure devotee."
So as Bhagavad-gītā also, it was heard by Arjuna, it was released to Sañjaya, and then, from Sañjaya heard Vyāsadeva, and he made it recorded in writing in Mahābhārata... So he says, bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān uvāca means that is the perfect version. There is no mistake. If some ordinary says, there will be so many defects and cheating, because ordinary person has no perfect knowledge. He may be very, very advanced scholar, but that does not mean he is perfect. Perfection is different thing. Perfection means there should be no mistake, no illusion, no cheating, and no imperfections of the senses. That is perfection. And therefore it is said here, bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān is all-perfect. Therefore we should take knowledge from Bhagavān or one who speaks according to the version of Bhagavān. We should not hear anybody else. That is imperfect.
So Pāṇḍu also belonged to the Kuru family, and Dhṛtarāṣṭra's son also belonged to the Kuru family. Actually they are Kauravas. But when there was fight between the two brothers' son, one party was known as Kaurava, and the other party was known as Pāṇḍava. Therefore Dhṛtarāṣṭra says in the Bhagavad-gītā beginning, māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva (BG 1.1). Māmakāḥ means "my sons," and... Because both of them are Kurus, now they are divided, māmakāḥ, "my sons," and Pāṇḍavas, "the Pāṇḍu's sons." Kim akurvata sañjaya (BG 1.1).
"My dear Sañjaya," Dhṛtarāṣṭra is asking his private secretary, Mr. Sañjaya, "my sons and my brother's sons, Pāṇḍava..." His brother's name was Pandu, therefore they are Pāṇḍava. Māmakāḥ means "my sons." Where is the scope for interpretation? Kuru-kṣetre. There is still one place, you know better, you are Indian, there is place Kurukṣetra still existing. Dharmakṣetra, that is a religious place, place of pilgrimage. Still, people go for religious performances. In the Vedas it is stated, kuru-kṣetre dharmam ācaret. One should perform religious rituals in the Kurukṣetra. So where is the scope for interpretation? Interpretation means when you cannot understand something. Then you can interpret. But here Kurukṣetra you can understand, dharma-kṣetra you can understand, māmakāḥ you can understand, pāṇḍava you can understand, they assembled for fighting you can understand. Why do you interpret? What is the necessity of interpretation? That means he wants to show that he has got some better intelligence than the speaker of the Bhagavad-gītā. We do not accept such things, nonsense.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā the first verse is,
- dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre
- samavetā yuyutsavaḥ
- māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva
- kim akurvata sañjaya
- (BG 1.1)
"My dear Sañjaya, my sons, māmakāḥ, my sons and Pāṇḍava, the sons of my younger brother, Pāṇḍu, they assembled in the battlefield which is also a pilgrimage. Then what did they do?" This is the simple... But the nonsense rascals, they are eschewing some meaning, "Oh, kuru-kṣetra means 'body,' and dharma-kṣetra means this and this... Pāṇḍava means 'the five senses.' " So many nonsensical... Even Gandhi has done this.
You must follow the ācāryas, the Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, even Śaṅkarācārya, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Then you'll get the real answer. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda: "One who follows the ācārya, he knows." Others, they do not know. So you cannot question "Why? How Vyāsadeva wrote?" That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Sañjaya says vyāsa prasāda. How one can understand? By the mercy of Vyāsadeva. So we have to see. Instead of criticizing in that adverse way, we have to follow the ācārya. Ācāryopāsanam. So you'll find Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Nimbārka, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they have accepted in that way. So what is the use of our questioning? We should follow. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Otherwise it is not possible.
General Lectures
So yuyutsavaḥ means when two parties are fighting, they are called yuyutsavaḥ, "Desiring to fight, they prepared." So actually these two groups of brothers, cousin brothers, they assembled there for fighting to decide their fate. So everything is clear. Dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā (BG 1.1), assembled, yuyutsavaḥ, for fighting. And who are they? It is the question of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the father of the Duryodhana, and he is asking his private secretary, Sañjaya. Sañjaya was relaying the fight in the battlefield, and Dhṛtarāṣṭra was blind. Just like television. So he was seeing the fight from the heart. It means there is still more finer science, that you don't require machine to see it by television, what is going outside. You can see within your heart. So this Sañjaya was seeing the battle, and he was relaying to Dhṛtarāṣṭra.
The main meaning is very plain: that Dhṛtarāṣṭra was asking his father's secretary, Sañjaya, "My dear Sañjaya, māmakāḥ, my sons and pāṇḍavāḥ, my brother's sons, Pāṇḍavas, they assembled," dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre (BG 1.1), "in the Kurukṣetra Field, which is known as dharma-kṣetra, the religious pilgrimage. After that meeting, what did they do?" Now, where is the difficulty to understand this verse? But unfortunately, one so-called scholar or so-called foolish man will come, he'll say, "Dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetra means this body." No. "Where you get this meaning, sir?" But he'll say, explain in this way: "The Pāṇḍava means five senses." Well, in which dictionary you'll find? This is going on. This rascaldom is going on. If you'll give up this rascaldom, simply read Bhagavad-gītā as it is, then you'll become successful in life. That is our preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
So Sañjaya said that evam uktvā, "Kṛṣṇa, I am not going to fight," evam uktvā hṛṣīkeśam, "unto Kṛṣṇa..." Kṛṣṇa's another name is Hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīkeśa means... Hṛṣīka means the senses, and īśa means the master. So we have got our senses. Everyone has got senses. The master is Kṛṣṇa. We are not the master. That we have to understand. I am speaking that "This is my hand," but if the power of the hand is withdrawn by Kṛṣṇa, we cannot act. We should understand this way, that none of our senses belong to us. It is given to us for proper use. Therefore, because it is given to us by the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, the master of the senses, it should be utilized for Kṛṣṇa. This is bhakti-yoga.
Philosophy Discussions
Śyāmasundara: So Hegel glorifies this war, he says, "There is an ethical element in war."
Prabhupāda: No, war, we also say dharma-yuddha, dharma-yuddha. Just like battle of Kurukṣetra is concluded by Sañjaya that, what is that? Yatra yogeśvaro hariḥ (BG 18.78). Yatra yogeśvaro hariḥ, he said to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, "My dear sir, I think the side on which Kṛṣṇa is there, he'll be victorious." So actually even there is war, the party who is God conscious, they"ll be victorious. Yatra yogeśvaro hariḥ. What is that verse? Eh?
Śyāmasundara: What about between America and Germany, for instance? Neither one of them were God conscious.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1969 Conversations and Morning Walks
- dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre
- samavetā yuyutsavaḥ
- māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva
- kim akurvata sañjaya
- (BG 1.1)
The, dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca. The father of Duryodhana is asking his secretary, Sañjaya. His secretary's name was Sañjaya. "Sañjaya, my boys..." Māmakaḥ. Māmakaḥ means "my sons," and pāṇḍava, "the sons of my younger brother." His younger brother's name was Pāṇḍu, and therefore his sons are known as Pāṇḍava. So mamaka, pāṇḍava. "My sons and my younger brother's sons, they assembled together for fighting." Yuyutsava. Yuyutsava means "with fighting spirit." And dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre (BG 1.1), on the place known as Kurukṣetra, which is a place of pilgrimage, dharma-kṣetra. Kim akurvata: "After assembling there, what did they do?" That was his question. Now, this Kurukṣetra place is still existing in India.
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Religious idea without philosophy is sentiment, and philosophy without religion is mental speculation. They should be combined. Religious idea supported by philosophy. Then it is correct. And philosophy without religious idea is simply mental speculation. They should be combined. That combination of religious idea and philosophy, you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā, provided you accept Bhagavad-gītā as it is. If you interpret Bhagavad-gītā in your own way, then you'll miss the point. Just like in our country, in India, Bhagavad-gītā has been interpreted in so different ways that people are now bewildered. They do not know what is actually Bhagavad-gītā. Take, for example... Just like in the beginning of the Bhagavad-gītā, it is said, dharmakṣetre kurukṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ (BG 1.1). I think you know Sanskrit. Samavetā yuyutsavaḥ māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva kim akurvata sañjaya (BG 1.1). Even a great leader, political leader, he has interpreted kurukṣetra as this body. So where is the dictionary where kurukṣetra means this body? But because he's a big political leader that gītā is going on. Kurukṣetra means this body. Pāṇḍava means the five senses.
Prabhupāda: Well, there were better telephones. You do not know it. Just like Sañjaya is sitting with his master, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and he's relaying all the war affairs going on. He asked, kim akurvata sañjaya: (BG 1.1) "What did they do?" But he was sitting in the room. Where is your that telephone? It is television within the heart. He is seeing everything and relay. Bhagavad-gītā, don't you see? Sañjaya uvāca, dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca. Dhṛtarāṣṭra inquired, "Now, after meeting my sons and nephews, what they are doing?" And he's relaying, "Now Duryodhana is going to see Droṇācārya. Droṇācārya says like this. Bhīṣmadeva says..." How does he say within the room? But you know that science?
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Just see. Sañjaya was speaking in the room to Dhṛtarāṣṭra and he said that "Now He showed." That means he was seeing. That is another television. Another television. That television is unknown now. Santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu. Premāñjana-churrita-bhakti-vilocanena. This is also television. The television machine is within the heart. One can see everything, provided he has learned the art how to see, that television within the heart.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Devotee (4): ...consciousness part of this life, up to the time of death, in our next life we will be put in a situation immediately where we can take up Kṛṣṇa consciousness again or will we have to suffer karma before we came into Kṛṣṇa consciousness?
Prabhupāda: You will get Kṛṣṇa conscious again. Yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ sañjāya... Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ sañjāyate (BG 6.41). A Kṛṣṇa conscious person will be given all comforts of material life so that he may regain without any botheration.
Bhāgavata: Rajneesh says the same thing. He says that Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna did not speak, Kṛṣṇa simply looked at Arjuna and Arjuna understood. But in order for Dhṛtarāṣṭra to understand, because he was blind, Sañjaya is speaking and he is explaining everything and Vyāsa has written down what Sañjaya has explained. This is, that is what Rajneesh says like that. So why does Sañjaya say Bhagavān uvāca?
Prabhupāda: No, no. Sañjaya heard, then he said?
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: So that, if he likes, he can learn it. Saptamī, adhikaraṇa saptamī, sthāna, kṣetra, kṣetre, dharma-kṣetre. If he simply tries to learn the nominative case, the objective case, or like that, then he'll learn.
Dr. Patel: (Sanskrit) Like that. All things in different ways.
Prabhupāda: Sañjaya uvāca. It is nominative case. Dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetāḥ (BG 1.1), this is plural number, yuyutsavaḥ, plural number. Māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva (BG 1.1). Pāṇḍavāḥ is plural number, and when it is added with ca it becomes śca. The visarga... In this way he can learn. Eva, again sandhi. Māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś ca eva.
Prabhupāda: Asaṁśayāh. So he becomes immediately recognized by Kṛṣṇa. If you preach Bhagavad-gītā as it is, immediately you become recognized. Na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ (BG 18.69). So one has to understand it perfectly well and then preach, then his life is perfect. And what Sañjaya says? Yatra yogeśvaro?
Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa did not write, but Kṛṣṇa spoke. If you speak and if I note down and write, what is the difference? Because you did not see, therefore it is not good? He spoke and I note down, er, you note down. Then it is as good. Kṛṣṇa was speaking, and Sañjaya was noting, and that was written by Vyāsadeva in the Mahābhārata. So what is the difference?
Indian man (4): That is one disclosure. That is one only Bhagavad-gītā.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Anyway, during the two days that they held their meeting, we distributed about thirty thousand Bhagavad-gītās around the world. Every day we distribute at least ten thousand Gītās per day in different languages.
Prabhupāda: Bhagavad-gītā sañjaya.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This year, Śrīla Prabhupāda, we will have distributed about two million Bhagavad-gītās, in different languages. One year.
Correspondence
1969 Correspondence
Regarding your second question about Sanjaya, he was a student of Vyasadeva, and by the mercy of Vyasadeva he was able to receive the message of the conversation of Krishna-Arjuna. Thus Sanjaya was able to speak to Dhrtarastra about the conversation on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra. Regarding your final question, the marginal potency means internal potency. But because the marginal potency sometimes comes within the external position, therefore, in spite of its being internal potency it is turned to marginal potency. This is stated in Visnu Purana: Any potency of Krishna is spiritual energy, but due to varieties of actions a section is called marginal potency or external potency.
So far as our Bhagavad-gita is concerned, we do not find any such thing. Everywhere it is stated sri bhagavan uvāca: the Supreme Personality of Godhead said. And all the acaryas have accepted these words as they are spoken by the Lord. No authorized acharya has ever commented that it was put into the mouth of Krishna by Vyasadeva or Sanjaya or any other person.
1970 Correspondence
For example you may take some hints like this: Dhrtarastra sitting in the palace room and his secretary, Sanjaya, relaying the activities in the battlefield with a television-like picture within his heart. The idea is that he is looking within the reflection of the battlefield and explaining to Dhrtarastra. So if somebody tries for it, then I shall send similar hints with reference to some important verses.
1973 Correspondence
In the Bhagavad-gita Krsna ordered Arjuna to declare to the whole world that His devotees would never be vanquished. And in the last verse of the Gita, Sanjaya says wherever there is Krsna and Krsna's pure devotee Arjuna there will always be opulence, victory, extraordinary power and morality—tatra srir vijayo bhutir dhruva nitir matir mama. But because we are engaged in warfare with the forces of Maya, there will be casualties. Even Arjuna's son, Abhimanyu a 16-year-old boy was killed at the battle of Kuruksetra. We should be prepared to protect the Deities and always expect Krsna's Mercy, because we are always dependent on Him and we cannot do anything on our own without Him.
| Page Title: | Sanjaya (Lect, Conv and Letters) |
| Compiler: | Mangalavati, Serene |
| Created: | 03 of Apr, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=35, Con=11, Let=4 |
| No. of Quotes: | 50 |