तान्समीक्ष्य स कौन्तेय: सर्वान्बन्धूनवस्थितान् || 27||
कृपया परयाविष्टो विषीदन्निदमब्रवीत् |
tān samīkṣhya sa kaunteyaḥ sarvān bandhūn avasthitān
kṛipayā parayāviṣhṭo viṣhīdann idam abravīt
tān—these; samīkṣhya—on seeing; saḥ—they; kaunteyaḥ—Arjun, the son of Kunti; sarvān—all; bandhūn—relatives; avasthitān—present; kṛipayā—by compassion; parayā—great; āviṣhṭaḥ—overwhelmed; viṣhīdan—deep sorrow; idam—this; abravīt—spoke
Translation:
Casting his eyes on all these kinsmen stationed on opposing sides, the son of Kunti was overcome with deep pity and sorrowfully spoke.
Commentary:
Kripa: It means pity, compassion and kindness. It is no doubt a noble quality. But it loses its divine virtue in a situation when man is called upon by Dharma to fight for a righteous cause. Arjuna was overtaken by Maya with the feelings of ‘I’ and ‘Mine’. “How can I kill my own people?” This was the cause of Arjuna’s sorrow. He lost the spirit of righteous action. Arjuna, being a Kshatriya, his pity under those circumstances, was a mental weakness, a negation of Dharma. It is this weakness which Lord Krishna removes by his spiritual teaching.
Sorrowfully: Whatever material and physical powers and prowess a man may possess, if he is not free from ignorance, he sinks into despondency in any critical situation. Arjuna was a warrior of the first rank; He possessed miraculous powers and weapons. But covered by ignorance, he began to weep and wail like a helpless child. It is a disease of the mind which should be thoroughly cured. This could be done only by the knowledge of Atma which brings supreme freedom from all the undesirable modifications of the mind, from all painful feelings and passions. If a hero like Arjuna should be overpowered by grief, what of ordinary mortals? Therefore the conquest of the mind by spiritual knowledge, and through it the attainment of peace – this is the duty of every individual. Lord Krishna teaches the spiritual path to reach the goal for all human beings.