गुरूनहत्वा हि महानुभावान्
श्रेयो भोक्तुं भैक्ष्यमपीह लोके |
हत्वार्थकामांस्तु गुरूनिहैव
भुञ्जीय भोगान् रुधिरप्रदिग्धान् || 5||
gurūnahatvā hi mahānubhāvān
śhreyo bhoktuṁ bhaikṣhyamapīha loke
hatvārtha-kāmāṁstu gurūnihaiva
bhuñjīya bhogān rudhira-pradigdhān
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:
It would be better, indeed, to live on alms in this world rather than to slay these high-souled teachers. But if I kill them, even here I shall enjoy wealth and desires stained with their blood.
Commentary:
According to scriptural codes, a teacher who engages in an abominable action and has lost his sense of discrimination is fit to be abandoned. Bhīṣma and Droṇa were obliged to take the side of Duryodhana because of his financial assistance, although they should not have accepted such a position simply on financial considerations. Under the circumstances, they have lost the respectability of teachers. But Arjuna thinks that nevertheless they remain his superiors, and therefore to enjoy material profits after killing them would mean to enjoy spoils tainted with blood.
