Page 86 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol III

hinduism 905

pleasures are desired, they themselves stand here in ity being destroyed, that whole family is overpowered
battle, forsaking life and wealth. What avail, then, is by unrighteousness.
kingdom, enjoyment, or even life, O Govinda
41 O Krishna, from the predominance of
(Krishna)?
unrighteousness the women of that family become
35 These warriors I do not wish to kill, even corrupt; and women being corrupted, there arises
though I am killed by them, not even for the domin- intermingling of castes.
ion over the three worlds, how much less for the sake
42 This intermingling of castes leads the
of this earth, O slayer of Madhu.
destroyers of the family to hell, as also the family
36 O Janardana (giver of prosperity and salva- itself; for their ancestors fall, being deprived of the
tion, Krishna), what pleasure could there be for us by offerings of rice-ball and water.
killing the sons of Dhritarashtra? Sin alone would
43 By these misdeeds of the slayers of the fam-
take possession of us by slaying these evil doers.
ily, bringing about confusion of caste, the immemo-
37 Therefore we ought not to kill these sons of rial religious rites of family and castes are destroyed.
Dhritarashtra who are our relations; for how can we,
44 O Janardana, we have heard that for such
O Madhava (Krishna), obtain happiness by destroy-
men, whose household religious rites have been
ing our own kinsmen?
destroyed, the dwelling in hell is inevitable.
38 Although these (my enemies), their under-
45 Alas! what a great sin we are resolved to
standing being overpowered by greed, see no evil from
incur, being prepared to slay our kinsmen, actuated
extinction of families and no sin in hostility to friends.
by greed of kingdom and pleasure.
39 But, O Janardana, why should not we turn
46 Verily, it would be better for me if the sons of
away from this sin, seeing clearly the evil in destruc-
Dhritarashtra, weapons in hand, should slay me in
tion of family?
the battle, unresisting and unarmed.
40 From the destruction of a family the imme- Source: Paramananda, S. (Trans.) (1913). Srimad Bhagavad Gita, or the Blessed Lord’s
morial religious rites of that family perish. Spiritual- song. Boston: The Vedanta Center.

(sixteenth century) created popular vernacular versions of ory of yajna (sacrifice) can justly be called a science:
the classics, performed in plays and (since the advent of Hundreds of intricate and interrelated rules had to be
film) dramatized on screen to this very day. memorized and observed.The construction of the altars
The language of the most ancient literary documents required the solution of difficult arithmetic and geomet-
of Hinduism, Vedic, is an archaic form of Sanskrit, the ric problems. The altars were built with special bricks
refined language standardized around 400 BCE by Panini. arranged in a prescribed geometric pattern, and were
Sanskrit was called deva vani, the “language of the gods,” conceived of as symbols of the human body as well as of
a sacred language. It became the language of Hindu the universe: The 360 bricks of an altar represented the
scholarship as well as Hindu religious literature. 360 days of the year and the 360 bones in the human
body. Additionally, astronomical knowledge of a fairly
Rituals high order was required to determine the right time for
Domestic and public rituals were a prominent feature of the performance of Vedic sacrifices, and ancient text
early Vedic culture, considered indispensable for the well- explained how to determine the positions of celestial
being of society and individuals.The praxis and the the- bodies at different times of the year.