Verse 1.1

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca

dharmakṣetre kurukṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ |
māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāścaiva kimakurvata saṃjaya ||1||

The Subodhinī commentary by Śrīdhara

śeṣāśeṣamukhavyākhyācāturyaṃ tvekavaktrataḥ |
dadhānamadbhutaṃ vande paramānandamādhavam ||

śrīmādhavaṃ praṇamyo mādhavaṃ viśveśamādarāt |
tadbhaktiyantritaḥ kurve gītāvyākhyāṃ subodhinīm ||

bhāṣyakāramataṃ samyaktadvyākhyātṛgirastathā |
yathāmati samālocya gītāvyākhyāṃ samārabhe ||

gītā vyākhyāyate yasyāḥ pāṭhamātraprayatnataḥ |
seyaṃ subodhinī ṭīkā sadā dhyeyā manīṣibhiḥ ||

iha khalu sakalalokahitāvatāraḥ paramakāruṇiko bhagavān devakīnandanastattvājñānavijṛmbhitaśokamohabhraṃśitavivekatayā nijadharmaparityāgapūrvakaparadharmābhisandhinamarjunaṃ dharmajñānarahasyopadeśaplavena tasmācchokamohasāgarāduddadhāra | tameva bhagavadupadiṣṭamarthaṃ kṛṣṇadvaipāyanaḥ saptabhiḥ ślokaśatairupanibabandha | tatra ca prāyaśaḥ śrīkṛṣṇamukhādviniḥsṛtāneva ślokānalikhat | kāṃścittatsaṅgataye svayaṃ ca vyaracayat | yathoktaṃ gītāmāhātmye

gītā sugītā kartavyā kimanyaiḥ śāstravistaraiḥ |
yā svayaṃ padmanābhasya mukhapadmādviniḥsṛtā || iti |

tatra tāvaddharmakṣetre ityādinā | viṣīdannidamabravīdityantena granthena śrīkṛṣṇārjunasaṃvādaprastāvāya kathā nirūpyate | tataḥ paramāsamāptestayordharmajñānārthe saṃvādaḥ | tatra dharmakṣetra ityādinā ślokena dhṛtarāṣṭrena hastināpurasthitaṃ svasārathiṃ samīpasthaṃ sañjayaṃ prati kurukṣetravṛttānte pṛṣṭhe sañjayo hastināpurasthito'pi vyāsaprasādalabdhadivyacakṣuḥ kurukṣetravṛttāntaṃ sākṣātpaśyanniva dhṛtarāṣṭrāya nivedayāmāsa | dṛṣṭvā tu pāṇḍavānīkamityādinā |

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāceti | dharmakṣetra iti | bhoḥ sañjaya | dharmakṣete dharmabhūmau kurukṣetre | dharmakṣetra iti kurukṣetraviśeṣaṇam | eṣāmādipuruṣaḥ kaścitkurunāmā babhūva | tasya kurordharmasthāne māmakā matputrāḥ pāṇḍuputrāśca yuyutsavo yoddhumicchantaḥ samavetāḥ militāḥ santaḥ kimakurvata kiṃ kṛtavantaḥ ||1||

The Sārārthavarṣiṇī commentary by Viśvanātha

gaurāṃśukaḥ satkumudapramodī
svābhikhyayā gostamaso nihantā |
śrīkṛṣṇacaitanyasudhanidhirme
mano'dhitiṣṭhan svaratiṃ karotu ||

prācīnavācaḥ suvicārya so'ham
ajño'pi gītāmṛtaleśalipsuḥ |
yateḥ prabhoreva mate tadatra
santaḥ kṣamadhvaṃ śaraṇāgatasya ||

iha khalu sakalaśāstrābhimataśrīmaccaraṇasarojabhajanaḥ svayaṃ bhagavānnarākṛtiparabrahmaśrīvasudevasūnuḥ sākṣācchrīgopālapuryāmavatīryāpāraparamātarkyaprāpañcikasakalalocanagocarīkṛto bhavābdhinimajjamānān jagajjanānudhṛtya svasaundaryamādhuryāsvādanayā svīyapremamahāmbudhau nimajjayāmāsa |

śiṣṭarakṣā duṣṭanigrahavrataniṣṭhāmahiṣṭhapratiṣṭho'pi bhuvo bhāraduḥkhāpahāramiṣeṇa duṣṭānāmapi svadveṣṭṝṇāmapi mahāsaṃsāragrāsībhūtānāmapi muktidānalakṣaṇaṃ paramarakṣaṇameva kṛtvā svāntardhānottarakālajaniṣyamāṇānanādyavidyābandhanibandhanaśokamohādyākulānapi jīvānuddhartuṃ śāstrakṛnmunigaṇagīyamānayaśaśca dhartuṃ svapriyasakhaṃ tādṛśasvecchāvaśādeva raṇamūrdhanyudbhūtaśokamohaṃ śrīmadarjunaṃ lakṣyīkṛtya kāṇḍatritayātmakasarvavedatātparyaparyavasitārtharatnālaṅkṛtaṃ śrīgītāśāstramaṣṭādaśādhyāyam
antarbhūtāṣṭādaśavidyaṃ sākṣādvidyamānīkṛtamiva paramapuruṣārthamāvirbhāvayāmbabhūva |

tatrādhyāyānāṃ ṣaṭkenan prathamena niṣkāmakarmayogaḥ | dvitīyena bhaktiyogaḥ | tṛtīyena jñānayogo darśitaḥ | tatrāpi bhaktiyogasyātirahasyatvādubhayasaṅjīvakatvenābhyarhitatvātsarvadurlabhatvācca madhyavartīkṛtaḥ | karmajñānayorbhaktirāhityena vaiyarthyātte dve bhaktimiśre eva sammatīkṛte |

bhaktistu dvividhā kevalā pradhānībhūtā ca | tatrādyā svata eva paramaprabalā | te dve karmajñāne vinaiva viśuddhaprabhāvatī akiñcanā ananyādiśabdavācyā | dvitīyā tu karmajñānamiśretyakhilamagre vivṛtībhaviṣyati |

athārjunasya śokamohau kathambhūtāvityapekṣāyāṃ mahābhāratavaktā śrīvaiśampāyano janamejayaṃ prati tatra bhīṣmaparvaṇi kathāmavatārayati dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca iti | kurukṣetre yuyutsavo yuddhārthaṃ saṅgatā māmakā duryodhanādyāḥ pāṇḍavāśca yudhiṣṭhirādayaḥ kiṃ kṛtavantastadbrūhi | nanu yuyutsava iti tvaṃ bravīṣyevāto yuddhameva kartumudyatāste tadapi kimakurvateti kenābhiprāyeṇa pṛcchasītyata āha dharmakṣetra iti | kurukṣetraṃ devayajanamiti śrutestatkṣetrasya dharmapravartakatvaṃ prasiddham |

atastatsaṃsargamahimnā yadyadharmikāṇāmapi duryodhanādīnāṃ krodhanivṛttyā dharme matiḥ syāt | pāṇḍavāstu svabhāvata eva dhārmikāstato bandhuhiṃsanamanucitamityubhayeṣāmapi viveke udbhūte sandhirapi sambhāvyate | tataśca mamānanda eveti sañjayaṃ prati jñāpayitumiṣṭo bhāvo bāhyaḥ | ābhyantarastu sandhau sati pūrvavatsakaṇṭakameva rājyaṃ madātmajānāmiti me durvāra eva viṣādaḥ | tasmādasmākīno bhīṣmastvarjunena durjaya evetyato yuddhameva śreyastadeva bhūyāditi tu tanmanorathopayogī durlakṣyaḥ |

atra dharmakṣetre iti kṣetrapadena dharmasya dharmāvatārasya saparikarayudhiṣṭhirasya dhānyasthānīyatvam | tatpālakasya śrīkṛṣṇasya kṛṣibalasthānīyatvam | kṛṣṇakṛtanānāvidhasāhāyyasya jalasecanasetubandhanādisthānīyatvam | śrīkṛṣṇasaṃhāryaduryodhanāderdhānyadveṣidhānyākāratṛṇaviśeṣasthānīyatvaṃ ca bodhitaṃ sarasvatyā ||1||

The Gītābhūṣaṇa commentary by Baladeva

satyānantācintyaśaktyekapakṣe
sarvādhyakṣe bhaktarakṣātidakṣe |
śrīgovinde viśvasargādikaṇḍe
pūrṇānande nityamāstāṃ matirme ||

ajñānanīradhirupaiti yayā viśeṣaṃ
bhaktiḥ parāpi bhajate paripoṣamuccaiḥ |
tattvaṃ paraṃ sphurati durgamamapyajasraṃ
sādguṇyabhṛtsvaracitāṃ praṇamāmi gītām ||

atha sukhacidghanaḥ svayaṃ bhagavānacintyaśaktiḥ puruṣottamaḥ svasaṅkalpāyattavicitrajagadudayādiviriñcyādisañcintyacaraṇaḥ svajanmādilīlayā svatulyān sahāvirbhūtān pārṣadān praharṣayaṃstayaiva jīvān bahūnavidyāśārdūlīvadanādvimocya svāntardhānottarabhāvino'nyānuddidhīrṣurāhavamūrdhni svātmabhūtamapyarjunamavitarkyasvaśaktyā samohamiva kurvan tanmohavimārjanāpadeśena saparikarasvātmayāthātmyaikanirūpikāṃ svagītopaniṣadamupādiśat |

tasyāṃ khalvīśvarajīvaprakṛtikālakarmāṇi pañcārthā varṇyante | teṣu vibhusaṃvidīśvaraḥ | aṇusaṃvijjīvaḥ | sattvādiguṇatrayāśrayo dravyaṃ prakṛtiḥ | traiguṇyaśūnyaṃ jaḍadravyaṃ kālaḥ | puṃprayatnaniṣpādyamadṛṣṭādiśabdavācyaṃ karmeti |

teṣāṃ lakṣaṇāni | eṣvīśvarādīni catvāri nityāni | jīvādīni tvīśvaravaśyāni | karma tu prāgabhāvavadanādi vināśi ca | tatra saṃvitsvarūpo'pīśvaro jīvaśca saṃvettāsmadarthaśca vijñānamānandaṃ brahma, yaḥ sarvajñaḥ sarvavit, mantā boddhā kartā vijānātmā puruṣaḥ, ityādi śruteḥ | so'kāmayata bahu syām, sukhamahamasvāpsaṃ na kiñcidavediṣamityādi śruteśca | na cobhayatra mahattattvajāto'yamahaṅkāraḥ |

tadā tasyānutpattervilīnatvācca | sa ca sa ca kartā bhoktā siddhaḥ sarvajñaḥ sarvavitkartā boddhā iti padebhyaḥ | anubhavitṛtvaṃ kahlu bhoktṛtvaṃ sarvābhyupagatam | so'śnute sarvān kāmān saha brahmaṇā vipaścitā iti śrutestūbhayostatpravyaktam | yadyapi saṃvitsvarūpātsaṃvettṛtvādi nānyatprakāśasvarūpādraveriva prakāśakatvādi, tathāpi viśeṣasāmarthyāttadanyatvavyavahāraḥ | viśeṣaśca bhedapratinidhirna bhedaḥ | sa ca bhedābhāve'pi bhedakāryasya dharmadharmibhāvādivyavahārasya hetuḥ |sattā satī bhedo bhinnaḥ kālaḥ sarvadāstītyādiṣu vidvadbhiḥ pratītaḥ | tatpratītyanyathānupapattyā evaṃ dharmān pṛthakpaśyaṃs
tānevānuvidhāvati iti śrutyā ca siddhaḥ | iha hi brahmadharmānabhidhāya tadbhedaḥ pratiṣidhyate |

na khalu bhedapratinidhestasyāpyabhāve dharmadharmibhāvadharmabahutve śakye vaktumityanicchubhirapi svīkāryāḥ syuḥ ta ime'rthāḥ śāstre'smin yathāsthānamanusandheyāḥ | iha hi jīvātmaparamātmataddhāma tatprāptyupāyānāṃ svarūpāṇi yathāvannirūpyante | tatra jīvātmayāthātmyaparamātmayāthātmyopayogitayā paramātmayāthātmyaṃ tu tadupāsanopayogitayā prakṛtyādikaṃ tu paramātmanaḥ sraṣṭurupakaraṇatayopadiśyate |

tadupāyāśca karmajñānabhaktibhedāttredha | tatra śrutatattatphalanairapekṣeṇa kartṛtvābhiniveśaparityāgena cānuṣṭhitasya svavihitasya karmaṇaḥ hṛdviśuddhidvārā jñānabhaktyorupakāritvātparamparayā tatprāptāvupāyatvam | tacca śrutivihitakarma hiṃsāśūnyamatra mukhyam | mokṣadharme pitāputrādisaṃvādāthiṃsāvattu gauṇaṃ viprakṛṣṭatvāttayostu sākṣādeva tathātvam |

nanu, tathānuṣṭhitena karmaṇā hṛdviśuddhyā jñānodayena muktau satyāṃ bhaktyā ko viśeṣaḥ | ucyate, jñānameva kiñcidviśeṣādbhaktiriti | nirṇimeṣavīkṣaṇakaṭākṣavīkṣaṇavadanayorantaraṃ cidvigrahatayānusandhirjñānaṃ tena tatsālokyādiḥ | vicitralīlārasāśrayatayānusandhistu bhaktistayā kroḍīkṛtasālokyāditadvarīvasyānandalābhaḥ pumarthaḥ | bhakterjñānatvaṃ tu “saccidānandaikarase bhaktiyoge tiṣṭhati” iti śruteḥ siddham |

tadidaṃ śravaṇādibhāvādiśabdavyapadiṣṭaṃ dṛṣṭam | jñānasya śravaṇādyākāratvaṃ citsukhasya viṣṇoḥ kuntalādipratīkatvavatpratyetavyamiti vakṣyāmaḥ | ṣaṭtrike'smin śāstre prathamena ṣaṭkeneśvarāṃśasya jīvasyāṃśīśvarabhaktyupayogisvarūpadarśanam | taccāntargatajñānaniṣkāmakarmasādhyaṃ nirūpyate | madhyena paramaprāpyasyāṃśīśvarasya prāpaṇī bhaktistanmahimadhīpūrvikābhidhīyate | antyena tu pūrvoditānāmeveśvarādīnāṃ svarūpāṇi pariśodhyante | trayāṇāṃ ṣaṭkānāṃ karmabhaktijñānapūrvatāvyapadeśastu tattatprādhānyenaiva | carame bhakteḥ pratipatteścoktistu
ratnasampuṭordhvalikhitatatsūcakalipinyāyena |

asya śāstrasya śraddhāluḥ saddharmaniṣṭho vijitendriyo'dhikārī | sa ca saniṣṭhapariniṣṭhitanirapekṣabhedāttrividhaḥ | teṣu svargādilokānapi didṛkṣrniṣṭhayā svadharmān haryarcanarūpānācaran prathamaḥ | lokasaṃjighṛkṣayā tānācaran haribhaktinirato dvitīyaḥ | sa ca sa ca sāśramaḥ | satyatapojapādibhirviśuddhacitto haryekaniratastṛtīyo nirāśramaḥ | vācyavācakabhāvaḥ sambandhaḥ | vācya uktalakṣaṇaḥ śrīkṛṣṇaḥ | vācakastadgītāśāstraṃ tādṛśaḥ so'tra viṣayaḥ | aśeṣakleśanivṛttipūrvakastatsākṣātkāras
tu prayojanamityanubandhacatuṣṭayam | atreśvarādiṣu triṣu brahmaśabdo'kṣaraśabdaśca baddhajīveṣu taddeheṣu ca kṣaraśabdaḥ | īśvarajīvadehe manasi buddhau dhṛtau yatne cātmaśabdaḥ | triguṇāyāṃ vāsanāyāṃ śīle svarūpe ca prakṛtiśabdaḥ | sattābhiprāyasvabhāvapadārthajanmasu kriyāsvātmasu ca bhāvaśabdaḥ | karmādiṣu triṣu cittavṛttinirodhe ca yogaśabdaḥ paṭhyate | etacchāstraṃ khalu svayaṃ bhagavataḥ sākṣādvacanaṃ sarvataḥ śreṣṭhaṃ
gītā sugītā kartavyā kimanyaiḥ śāstravistaraiḥ |
yā svayaṃ padmanābhasya mukhapadmādviniḥsṛtā || iti pādmāt |

dhṛtarāṣṭrādivākyaṃ tu tatsaṅgatilābhāya dvaipāyanena viracitam | tacca lavaṇākaranipātanyāyena tanmayamityupodghātaḥ |

saṅgrāmamūrdhni saṃvādo
yo'bhūdgovindapārthayoḥ |
tatsaṅgatyai kathāṃ prākhyād
gītāsu prathame muniḥ ||

iti tāvadbhagavadarjunasaṃvādaṃ prastautuṃ kathā nirūpyate| dharmakṣetre ityādibhiḥ saptaviṃśatyā | tadbhagavataḥ pārthasārathyaṃ vidvān dhṛtarāṣṭraḥ svaputravijaye sandihānaḥ sañjayaṃ pṛcchatītyāha | janmejayaṃ prati vaiśampāyanaḥ dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāceti | yuyutsavo yoddhumicchavo māmakā matputrāḥ pāṇḍavāśca kurukṣetre samavetāḥ kimakurvateti |

nanu yuyutsavaḥ samavetā iti tvamevātthya tato yudheranneva punaḥ kimakurvateti kaste bhāva iti cet, tatrāha dharmakṣetra iti | “yadanu kurukṣetraṃ devānāṃ devayajanaṃ sarveṣāṃ bhūtānāṃ brahmasadanamityādiśravaṇāddharmaprarohibhūmibhūtaṃ kurukṣetraṃ prasiddham | tatprabhāvādvinaṣṭavidveṣā matputrāḥ kiṃ pāṇḍavebhyastadrājyaṃ dātuṃ niścikyuḥ | kiṃ vā, pāṇḍavāḥ sadaiva dharmaśīlā dharmakṣetre tasmin kulakṣayahetukādadharmādbhītā vanapraveśameva śreyo vimamṛśuriti | he sañjayeti vyāsaprasādādvinaṣṭarāgadveṣas
tvaṃ tathyaṃ vadetyarthaḥ | pāṇḍavānāṃ māmakatvānuktirdhṛtarāṣṭrasya teṣu drohamabhivyanakti | dhānyakṣetrāttadvirodhināṃ dhānyābhāsānāmiva dharmakṣetrāttadvirodhināṃ dharmābhāsānāṃ tvatputrāṇāmapagamo bhāvīti dharmakṣetraśabdena gīrdevyā vyajyate ||1||

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