CHAPTER 2.2
çré-bhagavän uväca
kutas tvä kaçmalam idaà
viñame samupasthitam
anärya-juñöam asvargyam
akérti-karam arjuna
SYNONYMS
çré bhagavän uväca—the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; kutaù—wherefrom;
tvä—unto you; kaçmalam—dirtiness; idam—this lamentation; viñame—this hour of
crisis; samupasthitam—arrived; anärya—persons who do not know the value of life;
juñöam—practiced by; asvargyam—that which does not lead to higher planets;
akérti—infamy; karam—the cause of; arjuna—O Arjuna.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Person [Bhagavän] said: My dear Arjuna, how have these impurities
come upon you? They are not at all befitting a man who knows the progressive values of
life. They do not lead to higher planets, but to infamy.
PURPORT
Kåñëa and the Supreme Personality of Godhead are identical. Therefore Lord Kåñëa
is referred to as "Bhagavän" throughout the Gétä. Bhagavän is the ultimate in the
Absolute Truth. Absolute Truth is realized in three phases of understanding, namely
Brahman or the impersonal all-pervasive spirit; Paramätmä, or the localized aspect of
the Supreme within the heart of all living entities; and Bhagavän, or the SUPREME
Personality of Godhead, Lord Kåñëa. In the Çrémad-Bhägavatam this conception of the
Absolute Truth is explained thus:
vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaà yaj jïänam advayam
brahmeti paramätmeti bhagavän iti çabdyate.
"The Absolute Truth is realized in three phases of understanding by the knower of the
Absolute Truth, and all of them are identical. Such phases of the Absolute Truth are
expressed as Brahman, Paramätmä, and Bhagavän." (Bhäg. 1.2.11) These three divine
aspects can be explained by the example of the sun, which also has three different
aspects, namely the sunshine, the sun's surface and the sun planet itself. One who
studies the sunshine only is the preliminary student. One who understands the sun's
surface is further advanced. And one who can enter into the sun planet is the highest.
Ordinary students who are satisfied by simply understanding the sunshine—its
universal pervasiveness and the glaring effulgence of its impersonal nature—may be
compared to those who can realize only the Brahman feature of the Absolute Truth.
The student who has advanced still further can know the sun disc, which is compared
to knowledge of the Paramätmä feature of the Absolute Truth. And the student who
can enter into the heart of the sun planet is compared to those who realize the personal
features of the Supreme Absolute Truth. Therefore, the bhaktas, or the
transcendentalists who have realized the Bhagavän feature of the Absolute Truth, are
the topmost transcendentalists, although all students who are engaged in the study of
the Absolute Truth are engaged in the same subject matter. The sunshine, the sun disc
and the inner affairs of the sun planet cannot be separated from one another, and yet
the students of the three different phases are not in the same category.
The Sanskrit word Bhagavän is explained by the great authority, Paräçara Muni, the
father of Vyäsadeva. The Supreme Personality who possesses all riches, all strength, all
fame, all beauty, all knowledge and all renunciation is called Bhagavän. There are many
persons who are very rich, very powerful, very beautiful, very famous, very learned, and
very much detached, but no one can claim that he possesses all riches, all strength, etc.,
entirely. Only Kåñëa can claim this because He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
No living entity, including Brahmä, Lord Çiva, or Näräyaëa, can possess opulences as
fully as Kåñëa. Therefore it is concluded in the Brahma-saàhitä by Lord Brahmä himself
that Lord Kåñëa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. No one is equal to or above
Him. He is the primeval Lord, or Bhagavän, known as Govinda, and He is the supreme
cause of all causes
.
éçvaraù paramaù kåñëaù sac-cid-änanda-vigrahaù
anädir ädir govindaù sarua-käraëa-käraëam
"There are many personalities possessing the qualities of Bhagavän, but Kåñëa is the
supreme because none can excel Him. He is the Supreme Person, and His body is
eternal, full of knowledge and bliss. He is the primeval Lord Govinda and the cause of
all causes." (Brahma-saàhitä 5.1)
In the Bhägavatam also there is a list of many incarnations of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, but Kåñëa is described as the original Personality of Godhead,
from whom many, many incarnations and Personalities of Godhead expand:
ete cäàça-kaläù puàsaù kåñëas tu bhagavän svayam
indräri-vyäkulaà lokaà måòayanti yuge yuge
"All the lists of the incarnations of Godhead submitted herewith are either plenary
expansions or parts of the plenary expansions of the Supreme Godhead, but Kåñëa is
the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself." (Bhag. 1.3.28)
Therefore, Kåñëa is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute
Truth, the source of both the Supersoul and the impersonal Brahman.
In the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Arjuna's lamentation for
his kinsmen is certainly unbecoming, and therefore Kåñëa expressed His surprise with
the word kutas, "wherefrom." Such unmanly sentiments were never expected from a
person belonging to the civilized class of men known as Äryans. The word äryan is
applicable to persons who know the value of life and have a civilization based on
spiritual realization. Persons who are led by the material conception of life do not know
that the aim of life is realization of the Absolute Truth, Viñëu, or Bhagavän, and they
are captivated by the external features of the material world, and therefore they do not
know what liberation is. Persons who have no knowledge of liberation from material
bondage are called non-Äryans. Although Arjuna was a kñatriya, he was deviating from
his prescribed duties by declining to fight. This act of cowardice is described as befitting
the non-Äryans. Such deviation from duty does not help one in the progress of spiritual
life, nor does it even give one the opportunity to become famous in this world. Lord
Kåñëa did not approve of the so-called compassion of Arjuna for his kinsmen.
çré-bhagavän uväca
kutas tvä kaçmalam idaà
viñame samupasthitam
anärya-juñöam asvargyam
akérti-karam arjuna
SYNONYMS
çré bhagavän uväca—the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; kutaù—wherefrom;
tvä—unto you; kaçmalam—dirtiness; idam—this lamentation; viñame—this hour of
crisis; samupasthitam—arrived; anärya—persons who do not know the value of life;
juñöam—practiced by; asvargyam—that which does not lead to higher planets;
akérti—infamy; karam—the cause of; arjuna—O Arjuna.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Person [Bhagavän] said: My dear Arjuna, how have these impurities
come upon you? They are not at all befitting a man who knows the progressive values of
life. They do not lead to higher planets, but to infamy.
PURPORT
Kåñëa and the Supreme Personality of Godhead are identical. Therefore Lord Kåñëa
is referred to as "Bhagavän" throughout the Gétä. Bhagavän is the ultimate in the
Absolute Truth. Absolute Truth is realized in three phases of understanding, namely
Brahman or the impersonal all-pervasive spirit; Paramätmä, or the localized aspect of
the Supreme within the heart of all living entities; and Bhagavän, or the SUPREME
Personality of Godhead, Lord Kåñëa. In the Çrémad-Bhägavatam this conception of the
Absolute Truth is explained thus:
vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaà yaj jïänam advayam
brahmeti paramätmeti bhagavän iti çabdyate.
"The Absolute Truth is realized in three phases of understanding by the knower of the
Absolute Truth, and all of them are identical. Such phases of the Absolute Truth are
expressed as Brahman, Paramätmä, and Bhagavän." (Bhäg. 1.2.11) These three divine
aspects can be explained by the example of the sun, which also has three different
aspects, namely the sunshine, the sun's surface and the sun planet itself. One who
studies the sunshine only is the preliminary student. One who understands the sun's
surface is further advanced. And one who can enter into the sun planet is the highest.
Ordinary students who are satisfied by simply understanding the sunshine—its
universal pervasiveness and the glaring effulgence of its impersonal nature—may be
compared to those who can realize only the Brahman feature of the Absolute Truth.
The student who has advanced still further can know the sun disc, which is compared
to knowledge of the Paramätmä feature of the Absolute Truth. And the student who
can enter into the heart of the sun planet is compared to those who realize the personal
features of the Supreme Absolute Truth. Therefore, the bhaktas, or the
transcendentalists who have realized the Bhagavän feature of the Absolute Truth, are
the topmost transcendentalists, although all students who are engaged in the study of
the Absolute Truth are engaged in the same subject matter. The sunshine, the sun disc
and the inner affairs of the sun planet cannot be separated from one another, and yet
the students of the three different phases are not in the same category.
The Sanskrit word Bhagavän is explained by the great authority, Paräçara Muni, the
father of Vyäsadeva. The Supreme Personality who possesses all riches, all strength, all
fame, all beauty, all knowledge and all renunciation is called Bhagavän. There are many
persons who are very rich, very powerful, very beautiful, very famous, very learned, and
very much detached, but no one can claim that he possesses all riches, all strength, etc.,
entirely. Only Kåñëa can claim this because He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
No living entity, including Brahmä, Lord Çiva, or Näräyaëa, can possess opulences as
fully as Kåñëa. Therefore it is concluded in the Brahma-saàhitä by Lord Brahmä himself
that Lord Kåñëa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. No one is equal to or above
Him. He is the primeval Lord, or Bhagavän, known as Govinda, and He is the supreme
cause of all causes
.
éçvaraù paramaù kåñëaù sac-cid-änanda-vigrahaù
anädir ädir govindaù sarua-käraëa-käraëam
"There are many personalities possessing the qualities of Bhagavän, but Kåñëa is the
supreme because none can excel Him. He is the Supreme Person, and His body is
eternal, full of knowledge and bliss. He is the primeval Lord Govinda and the cause of
all causes." (Brahma-saàhitä 5.1)
In the Bhägavatam also there is a list of many incarnations of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, but Kåñëa is described as the original Personality of Godhead,
from whom many, many incarnations and Personalities of Godhead expand:
ete cäàça-kaläù puàsaù kåñëas tu bhagavän svayam
indräri-vyäkulaà lokaà måòayanti yuge yuge
"All the lists of the incarnations of Godhead submitted herewith are either plenary
expansions or parts of the plenary expansions of the Supreme Godhead, but Kåñëa is
the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself." (Bhag. 1.3.28)
Therefore, Kåñëa is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute
Truth, the source of both the Supersoul and the impersonal Brahman.
In the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Arjuna's lamentation for
his kinsmen is certainly unbecoming, and therefore Kåñëa expressed His surprise with
the word kutas, "wherefrom." Such unmanly sentiments were never expected from a
person belonging to the civilized class of men known as Äryans. The word äryan is
applicable to persons who know the value of life and have a civilization based on
spiritual realization. Persons who are led by the material conception of life do not know
that the aim of life is realization of the Absolute Truth, Viñëu, or Bhagavän, and they
are captivated by the external features of the material world, and therefore they do not
know what liberation is. Persons who have no knowledge of liberation from material
bondage are called non-Äryans. Although Arjuna was a kñatriya, he was deviating from
his prescribed duties by declining to fight. This act of cowardice is described as befitting
the non-Äryans. Such deviation from duty does not help one in the progress of spiritual
life, nor does it even give one the opportunity to become famous in this world. Lord
Kåñëa did not approve of the so-called compassion of Arjuna for his kinsmen.
