न हि प्रपश्यामि ममापनुद्याद्
यच्छोकमुच्छोषणमिन्द्रियाणाम् |
अवाप्य भूमावसपत्नमृद्धं
राज्यं सुराणामपि चाधिपत्यम् || 8||
na hi prapaśhyāmi mamāpanudyād
yach-chhokam uchchhoṣhaṇam-indriyāṇām
avāpya bhūmāv-asapatnamṛiddhaṁ
rājyaṁ surāṇāmapi chādhipatyam
na—not; hi—certainly; prapaśhyāmi—I see; mama—my; apanudyāt—drive away; yat—which; śhokam—anguish; uchchhoṣhaṇam—is drying up; indriyāṇām—of the senses; avāpya—after achieving; bhūmau—on the earth; asapatnam—unrivalled; ṛiddham—prosperous; rājyam—kingdom; surāṇām—like the celestial gods; api—even; cha—also; ādhipatyam—sovereignty
Translation:
I can find no means to drive away this grief which is drying up my senses. I will not be able to dispel it even if I win a prosperous, unrivaled kingdom on earth with sovereignty like the demigods in heaven.
Commentary:
Though a man possesses all the power and prosperity in the world and even acquires lordship over the gods, yet it cannot remove the distractions of the mind. The disease of the mind cannot abate by feeding it with greater wealth, power, and position. To discover this truth is the very first step on the spiritual path. Arjuna understood it clearly. So he confesses that power and lordship over the three worlds cannot remove the withering sorrow. The storm does not abate. The only cure for all diseases of the mind is the knowledge of Atma. It is this supreme panacea that Lord Krishna offers to Arjuna. Therefore it is clear that what one should strive for in this life is not power or position or enjoyment but the knowledge of the Supreme Self.
