Prabhupada Podcast

A class on Bhagavad Gita 4.3 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on March 23, 1974 in Mumbai, India. Bhagavad Gita 4.3 sa evāyaṁ mayā te ’dya yogaḥ proktaḥ purātanaḥ bhakto ’si me sakhā ceti rahasyaṁ hy etad uttamam That very ancient science of the relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to you because you are My devotee as well as My friend and can therefore understand the transcendental mystery of this science.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 4.2 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on March 22, 1974 in Mumbai, India. Bhagavad Gita 4.2 evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ sa kāleneha mahatā yogo naṣṭaḥ paran-tapa This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 4.1 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on March 21, 1974 in Mumbai, India. Bhagavad Gita 4.1 śrī-bhagavān uvāca imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam vivasvān manave prāha manur ikṣvākave ’bravīt The Personality of Godhead, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvān, and Vivasvān instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ikṣvāku.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 2.40 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on September 13, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 2.40 nehābhikrama-nāśo ’sti pratyavāyo na vidyate sv-alpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 2.39 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on September 12, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 2.39 eṣā te ’bhihitā sāṅkhye buddhir yoge tv imāṁ śṛṇu buddhyā yukto yayā pārtha karma-bandhaṁ prahāsyasi Thus far I have described this knowledge to you through analytical study. Now listen as I explain it in terms of working without fruitive results. O son of Pṛthā, when you act in such knowledge you can free yourself from the bondage of works.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 2.36-37 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on September 4, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 2.36 avācya-vādāṁś ca bahūn vadiṣyanti tavāhitāḥ nindantas tava sāmarthyaṁ tato duḥkha-taraṁ nu kim Your enemies will describe you in many unkind words and scorn your ability. What could be more painful for you? Bhagavad Gita 2.37 hato vā prāpsyasi svargaṁ jitvā vā bhokṣyase mahīm tasmād uttiṣṭha kaunteya yuddhāya kṛta-niścayaḥ O son of Kuntī, either you will be killed on the battlefield and attain the heavenly planets, or you will conquer and enjoy the earthly kingdom. Therefore, get up with determination and fight.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 2.33-35 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on September 3, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 2.33 atha cet tvam imaṁ dharmyaṁ saṅgrāmaṁ na kariṣyasi tataḥ sva-dharmaṁ kīrtiṁ ca hitvā pāpam avāpsyasi If, however, you do not perform your religious duty of fighting, then you will certainly incur sins for neglecting your duties and thus lose your reputation as a fighter. Bhagavad Gita 2.34 akīrtiṁ cāpi bhūtāni kathayiṣyanti te ’vyayām sambhāvitasya cākīrtir maraṇād atiricyate People will always speak of your infamy, and for a respectable person, dishonor is worse than death. Bhagavad Gita 2.35 bhayād raṇād uparataṁ maṁsyante tvāṁ mahā-rathāḥ yeṣāṁ ca tvaṁ bahu-mato bhūtvā yāsyasi lāghavam The great generals who have highly esteemed your name and fame will think that you have left the battlefield out of fear only, and thus they will consider you insignificant.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 2.32 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on September 2, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 2.32 yadṛcchayā copapannaṁ svarga-dvāram apāvṛtam sukhinaḥ kṣatriyāḥ pārtha labhante yuddham īdṛśam O Pārtha, happy are the kṣatriyas to whom such fighting opportunities come unsought, opening for them the doors of the heavenly planets.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 2.31 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on September 1, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 2.31 sva-dharmam api cāvekṣya na vikampitum arhasi dharmyād dhi yuddhāc chreyo ’nyat kṣatriyasya na vidyate Considering your specific duty as a kṣatriya, you should know that there is no better engagement for you than fighting on religious principles; and so there is no need for hesitation.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 2.30 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on August 31, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 2.30 dehī nityam avadhyo ’yaṁ dehe sarvasya bhārata tasmāt sarvāṇi bhūtāni na tvaṁ śocitum arhasi O descendant of Bharata, he who dwells in the body can never be slain. Therefore you need not grieve for any living being.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 2.28-29 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on August 30, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 2.28 avyaktādīni bhūtāni vyakta-madhyāni bhārata avyakta-nidhanāny eva tatra kā paridevanā All created beings are unmanifest in their beginning, manifest in their interim state, and unmanifest again when annihilated. So what need is there for lamentation? Bhagavad Gita 2.29 āścarya-vat paśyati kaścid enam āścarya-vad vadati tathaiva cānyaḥ āścarya-vac cainam anyaḥ śṛṇoti śrutvāpy enaṁ veda na caiva kaścit Some look on the soul as amazing, some describe him as amazing, and some hear of him as amazing, while others, even after hearing about him, cannot understand him at all.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 2.26-27 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on August 29, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 2.26 atha cainaṁ nitya-jātaṁ nityaṁ vā manyase mṛtam tathāpi tvaṁ mahā-bāho nainaṁ śocitum arhasi If, however, you think that the soul [or the symptoms of life] will always be born and die forever, you still have no reason to lament, O mighty-armed. Bhagavad Gita 2.27 jātasya hi dhruvo mṛtyur dhruvaṁ janma mṛtasya ca tasmād aparihārye ’rthe na tvaṁ śocitum arhasi One who has taken his birth is sure to die, and after death one is sure to take birth again. Therefore, in the unavoidable discharge of your duty, you should not lament.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 2.25 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on August 28, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 2.25 avyakto ’yam acintyo ’yam avikāryo ’yam ucyate tasmād evaṁ viditvainaṁ nānuśocitum arhasi It is said that the soul is invisible, inconceivable and immutable. Knowing this, you should not grieve for the body.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 2.23-24 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on August 27, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 2.23 nainaṁ chindanti śastrāṇi nainaṁ dahati pāvakaḥ na cainaṁ kledayanty āpo na śoṣayati mārutaḥ The soul can never be cut to pieces by any weapon, nor burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind. Bhagavad gita 2.24 acchedyo ’yam adāhyo ’yam akledyo ’śoṣya eva ca nityaḥ sarva-gataḥ sthāṇur acalo ’yaṁ sanātanaḥ This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, present everywhere, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 2.21-22 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on August 26, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 2.21 vedāvināśinaṁ nityaṁ ya enam ajam avyayam kathaṁ sa puruṣaḥ pārtha kaṁ ghātayati hanti kam O Pārtha, how can a person who knows that the soul is indestructible, eternal, unborn and immutable kill anyone or cause anyone to kill? Bhagavad Gita 2.22 vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya navāni gṛhṇāti naro ’parāṇi tathā śarīrāṇi vihāya jīrṇāny anyāni saṁyāti navāni dehī As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 2.19-20 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on August 25, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 2.19 ya enaṁ vetti hantāraṁ yaś cainaṁ manyate hatam ubhau tau na vijānīto nāyaṁ hanti na hanyate Neither he who thinks the living entity the slayer nor he who thinks it slain is in knowledge, for the self slays not nor is slain. Bhagavad Gita 2.20 na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ ajo nityaḥ śāśvato ’yaṁ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 2.18 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on August 24, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 2.18 antavanta ime dehā nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ anāśino ’prameyasya tasmād yudhyasva bhārata The material body of the indestructible, immeasurable and eternal living entity is sure to come to an end; therefore, fight, O descendant of Bharata.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 2.16 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on August 22, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 2.16 nāsato vidyate bhāvo nābhāvo vidyate sataḥ ubhayor api dṛṣṭo ’ntas tv anayos tattva-darśibhiḥ Those who are seers of the truth have concluded that of the nonexistent [the material body] there is no endurance and of the eternal [the soul] there is no change. This they have concluded by studying the nature of both.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 2.15 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on August 21, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 2.15 yaṁ hi na vyathayanty ete puruṣaṁ puruṣarṣabha sama-duḥkha-sukhaṁ dhīraṁ so ’mṛtatvāya kalpate O best among men [Arjuna], the person who is not disturbed by happiness and distress and is steady in both is certainly eligible for liberation.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 2.14 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on August 20, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 2.14 mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ āgamāpāyino ’nityās tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata O son of Kuntī, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 2.17 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on August 23, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 2.17 avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam vināśam avyayasyāsya na kaścit kartum arhati That which pervades the entire body you should know to be indestructible. No one is able to destroy that imperishable soul.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 2.13 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on August 18, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 2.13 dehino ’smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 2.12 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on August 18, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 2.12 na tv evāhaṁ jātu nāsaṁ na tvaṁ neme janādhipāḥ na caiva na bhaviṣyāmaḥ sarve vayam ataḥ param Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 2.11 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on August 17, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 2.11 śrī-bhagavān uvāca aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: While speaking learned words, you are mourning for what is not worthy of grief. Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor for the dead.

A class on given on Radhastami day by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on September 18, 1969 in London.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 2.10 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on August 16, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 2.10 tam uvāca hṛṣīkeśaḥ prahasann iva bhārata senayor ubhayor madhye viṣīdantam idaṁ vacaḥ O descendant of Bharata, at that time Kṛṣṇa, smiling, in the midst of both the armies, spoke the following words to the grief-stricken Arjuna.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 2.9 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on August 15, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 2.9 sañjaya uvāca evam uktvā hṛṣīkeśaṁ guḍākeśaḥ paran-tapaḥ na yotsya iti govindam uktvā tūṣṇīṁ babhūva ha Sañjaya said: Having spoken thus, Arjuna, chastiser of enemies, told Kṛṣṇa, “Govinda, I shall not fight,” and fell silent.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 2.8 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on August 8, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 2.8 na hi prapaśyāmi mamāpanudyād yac chokam ucchoṣaṇam indriyāṇām avāpya bhūmāv asapatnam ṛddhaṁ rājyaṁ surāṇām api cādhipatyam 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.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 2.7 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on August76, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 2.7 kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ pṛcchāmi tvāṁ dharma-sammūḍha-cetāḥ yac chreyaḥ syān niścitaṁ brūhi tan me śiṣyas te ’haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of miserly weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me for certain what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 2.6 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on August 6, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 2.6 na caitad vidmaḥ kataran no garīyo yad vā jayema yadi vā no jayeyuḥ yān eva hatvā na jijīviṣāmas te ’vasthitāḥ pramukhe dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ Nor do we know which is better – conquering them or being conquered by them. If we killed the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, we should not care to live. Yet they are now standing before us on the battlefield.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 2.4-5 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on August 5, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 2.4 arjuna uvāca kathaṁ bhīṣmam ahaṁ saṅkhye droṇaṁ ca madhusūdana iṣubhiḥ pratiyotsyāmi pūjārhāv ari-sūdana Arjuna said: O killer of enemies, O killer of Madhu, how can I counterattack with arrows in battle men like Bhīṣma and Droṇa, who are worthy of my worship? Bhagavad Gita 2.5 gurūn ahatvā hi mahānubhāvān śreyo bhoktuṁ bhaikṣyam apīha loke hatvārtha-kāmāṁs tu gurūn ihaiva bhuñjīya bhogān rudhira-pradigdhān It would be better to live in this world by begging than to live at the cost of the lives of great souls who are my teachers. Even though desiring worldly gain, they are superiors. If they are killed, everything we enjoy will be tainted with blood.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 2.3 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on August 4, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 2.3 klaibyaṁ mā sma gamaḥ pārtha naitat tvayy upapadyate kṣudraṁ hṛdaya-daurbalyaṁ tyaktvottiṣṭha paran-tapa O son of Pṛthā, do not yield to this degrading impotence. It does not become you. Give up such petty weakness of heart and arise, O chastiser of the enemy.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 2.2 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on August 3, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 2.2 śrī-bhagavān uvāca kutas tvā kaśmalam idaṁ viṣame samupasthitam anārya-juṣṭam asvargyam akīrti-karam arjuna The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Arjuna, how have these impurities come upon you? They are not at all befitting a man who knows the value of life. They lead not to higher planets but to infamy.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 1.45-46 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on August 1, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 1.45 yadi mām apratīkāram aśastraṁ śastra-pāṇayaḥ dhārtarāṣṭrā raṇe hanyus tan me kṣema-taraṁ bhavet Better for me if the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, weapons in hand, were to kill me unarmed and unresisting on the battlefield. Bhagavad Gita 1.46 sañjaya uvāca evam uktvārjunaḥ saṅkhye rathopastha upāviśat visṛjya sa-śaraṁ cāpaṁ śoka-saṁvigna-mānasaḥ Sañjaya said: Arjuna, having thus spoken on the battlefield, cast aside his bow and arrows and sat down on the chariot, his mind overwhelmed with grief.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 1.44 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on July 31, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 1.44 aho bata mahat pāpaṁ kartuṁ vyavasitā vayam yad rājya-sukha-lobhena hantuṁ sva-janam udyatāḥ Alas, how strange it is that we are preparing to commit greatly sinful acts. Driven by the desire to enjoy royal happiness, we are intent on killing our own kinsmen.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 1.43 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on July 30, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 1.43 utsanna-kula-dharmāṇāṁ manuṣyāṇāṁ janārdana narake niyataṁ vāso bhavatīty anuśuśruma O Kṛṣṇa, maintainer of the people, I have heard by disciplic succession that those whose family traditions are destroyed dwell always in hell.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 1.41-42 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on July 29, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 1.41 saṅkaro narakāyaiva kula-ghnānāṁ kulasya ca patanti pitaro hy eṣāṁ lupta-piṇḍodaka-kriyāḥ An increase of unwanted population certainly causes hellish life both for the family and for those who destroy the family tradition. The ancestors of such corrupt families fall down, because the performances for offering them food and water are entirely stopped. Bhagavad Gita 1.42 doṣair etaiḥ kula-ghnānāṁ varṇa-saṅkara-kārakaiḥ utsādyante jāti-dharmāḥ kula-dharmāś ca śāśvatāḥ By the evil deeds of those who destroy the family tradition and thus give rise to unwanted children, all kinds of community projects and family welfare activities are devastated.

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada's Vyasa Puja Address given on August 22, 1973 in London.

A class on given on Janmastami day by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on August 21, 1973 in London.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 1.40 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on July 28, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 1.40 adharmābhibhavāt kṛṣṇa praduṣyanti kula-striyaḥ strīṣu duṣṭāsu vārṣṇeya jāyate varṇa-saṅkaraḥ When irreligion is prominent in the family, O Kṛṣṇa, the women of the family become polluted, and from the degradation of womanhood, O descendant of Vṛṣṇi, comes unwanted progeny.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 1.37-39 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on July 27, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 1.37-38 yady apy ete na paśyanti lobhopahata-cetasaḥ kula-kṣaya-kṛtaṁ doṣaṁ mitra-drohe ca pātakam kathaṁ na jñeyam asmābhiḥ pāpād asmān nivartitum kula-kṣaya-kṛtaṁ doṣaṁ prapaśyadbhir janārdana O Janārdana, although these men, their hearts overtaken by greed, see no fault in killing one’s family or quarreling with friends, why should we, who can see the crime in destroying a family, engage in these acts of sin? Bhagavad Gita 1.39 kula-kṣaye praṇaśyanti kula-dharmāḥ sanātanāḥ dharme naṣṭe kulaṁ kṛtsnam adharmo ’bhibhavaty uta With the destruction of the dynasty, the eternal family tradition is vanquished, and thus the rest of the family becomes involved in irreligion.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 1.36 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on July 25, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 1.36 pāpam evāśrayed asmān hatvaitān ātatāyinaḥ tasmān nārhā vayaṁ hantuṁ dhārtarāṣṭrān sa-bāndhavān sva-janaṁ hi kathaṁ hatvā sukhinaḥ syāma mādhava Sin will overcome us if we slay such aggressors. Therefore it is not proper for us to kill the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra and our friends. What should we gain, O Kṛṣṇa, husband of the goddess of fortune, and how could we be happy by killing our own kinsmen?

A class on Bhagavad Gita 1.32-35 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on July 25, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 1.32-35 kiṁ no rājyena govinda kiṁ bhogair jīvitena vā yeṣām arthe kāṅkṣitaṁ no rājyaṁ bhogāḥ sukhāni ca ta ime ’vasthitā yuddhe prāṇāṁs tyaktvā dhanāni ca ācāryāḥ pitaraḥ putrās tathaiva ca pitāmahāḥ mātulāḥ śvaśurāḥ pautrāḥ śyālāḥ sambandhinas tathā etān na hantum icchāmi ghnato ’pi madhusūdana api trailokya-rājyasya hetoḥ kiṁ nu mahī-kṛte nihatya dhārtarāṣṭrān naḥ kā prītiḥ syāj janārdana O Govinda, of what avail to us are a kingdom, happiness or even life itself when all those for whom we may desire them are now arrayed on this battlefield? O Madhusūdana, when teachers, fathers, sons, grandfathers, maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law and other relatives are ready to give up their lives and properties and are standing before me, why should I wish to kill them, even though they might otherwise kill me? O maintainer of all living entities, I am not prepared to fight with them even in exchange for the three worlds, let alone this earth. What pleasure will we derive from killing the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra?

A class on Bhagavad Gita 1.31 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on July 23, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 1.31 na ca śreyo ’nupaśyāmi hatvā sva-janam āhave na kāṅkṣe vijayaṁ kṛṣṇa na ca rājyaṁ sukhāni ca I do not see how any good can come from killing my own kinsmen in this battle, nor can I, my dear Kṛṣṇa, desire any subsequent victory, kingdom or happiness.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 1.30 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on July 23, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 1.30 na ca śaknomy avasthātuṁ bhramatīva ca me manaḥ nimittāni ca paśyāmi viparītāni keśava I am now unable to stand here any longer. I am forgetting myself, and my mind is reeling. I see only causes of misfortune, O Kṛṣṇa, killer of the Keśī demon.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 1.28-29 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on July 22, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 1.28 arjuna uvāca dṛṣṭvemaṁ sva-janaṁ kṛṣṇa yuyutsuṁ samupasthitam sīdanti mama gātrāṇi mukhaṁ ca pariśuṣyati Bhagavad Gita 1.29 vepathuś ca śarīre me roma-harṣaś ca jāyate gāṇḍīvaṁ sraṁsate hastāt tvak caiva paridahyate My whole body is trembling, my hair is standing on end, my bow Gāṇḍīva is slipping from my hand, and my skin is burning.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 1.26-27 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on July 21, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 1.26 tatrāpaśyat sthitān pārthaḥ pitṝn atha pitāmahān ācāryān mātulān bhrātṝn putrān pautrān sakhīṁs tathā śvaśurān suhṛdaś caiva senayor ubhayor api There Arjuna could see, within the midst of the armies of both parties, his fathers, grandfathers, teachers, maternal uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons, friends, and also his fathers-in-law and well-wishers. Bhagavad Gita 1.27 tān samīkṣya sa kaunteyaḥ sarvān bandhūn avasthitān kṛpayā parayāviṣṭo viṣīdann idam abravīt When the son of Kuntī, Arjuna, saw all these different grades of friends and relatives, he became overwhelmed with compassion and spoke thus.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 1.24-25 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on July 20, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 1.24 sañjaya uvāca evam ukto hṛṣīkeśo guḍākeśena bhārata senayor ubhayor madhye sthāpayitvā rathottamam Sañjaya said: O descendant of Bharata, having thus been addressed by Arjuna, Lord Kṛṣṇa drew up the fine chariot in the midst of the armies of both parties. Bhagavad Gita 1.25 bhīṣma-droṇa-pramukhataḥ sarveṣāṁ ca mahī-kṣitām uvāca pārtha paśyaitān samavetān kurūn iti In the presence of Bhīṣma, Droṇa and all the other chieftains of the world, the Lord said, “Just behold, Pārtha, all the Kurus assembled here.”

A class on Bhagavad Gita 1.23 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on July 19, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 1.23 yotsyamānān avekṣe ’haṁ ya ete ’tra samāgatāḥ dhārtarāṣṭrasya durbuddher yuddhe priya-cikīrṣavaḥ Let me see those who have come here to fight, wishing to please the evil-minded son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra.

A class on Bhagavad Gita 1.21-22 given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on July 18, 1973 in London. Bhagavad Gita 1.21-22 arjuna uvāca senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya me ’cyuta yāvad etān nirīkṣe ’haṁ yoddhu-kāmān avasthitān kair mayā saha yoddhavyam asmin raṇa-samudyame Arjuna said: O infallible one, please draw my chariot between the two armies so that I may see those present here, who desire to fight, and with whom I must contend in this great trial of arms.