mahā-bāho

अत्र शूरा महेष्वासा भीमार्जुनसमा युधि

mahā-iṣhu-āsāḥ — great bowmen

Here are heroes and great bowmen, the equals of Bhima and Arjuna in war: Yuyudhana, Virata, and Drupada the great chariot-warrior;

युधामन्युश्च विक्रान्त उत्तमौजाश्च वीर्यवान्

mahā-rathāḥ — warriors who could single handedly match the strength of ten thousand ordinary warriors

the son of Subhadra, and the sons of Draupadi — every one of them a great chariot-warrior.

पाञ्चजन्यं हृषीकेशो देवदत्तं धनंजयः

mahā-śhaṅkham — mighty conch

Krishna blew the Panchajanya, Arjuna the Devadatta, and Bhima of terrible deeds blew the great conch Paundra.

काश्यश्च परमेष्वासः शिखण्डी च महारथः

mahā-rathaḥ — warriors who could single handedly match the strength of ten thousand ordinary warriors

The king of Kashi, that excellent archer, Shikhandi the great warrior, Dhrishtadyumna, Virata and Satyaki the unconquered;

द्रुपदो द्रौपदेयाश्च सर्वशः पृथिवीपते

mahā-bāhuḥ — the mighty-armed

Drupada and the sons of Draupadi, and the mighty-armed son of Subhadra — all of them, O king, blew their conches, each his own.

गुरूनहत्वा हि महानुभावान् श्रेयो भोक्तुं भैक्ष्यमपीह लोके

mahā-anubhāvān — noble elders

Better to live in this world on alms than to kill these noble elders. If I killed them for the sake of gain, the food I ate afterwards would be stained with blood.

अथ चैनं नित्यजातं नित्यं वा मन्यसे मृतम्

mahā-bāho — mighty-armed one, Arjun

And even if you believe it is constantly born and constantly dies, you should still not grieve, mighty-armed one.

भयाद्रणादुपरतं मंस्यन्ते त्वां महारथाः

mahā-rathāḥ — warriors who could single handedly match the strength of ten thousand ordinary warriors

The great warriors will say you left the field out of fear — those who held you in high regard. Nothing lighter could be said of you.

तस्माद्यस्य महाबाहो निगृहीतानि सर्वशः

mahā-bāho — mighty-armed one

Therefore, mighty-armed one, in whom the senses are wholly restrained from their objects, in that person wisdom is firmly established.

तत्त्ववित्तु महाबाहो गुणकर्मविभागयोः

mahā-bāho — mighty-armed one

One who knows the truth about the strands and their workings, mighty-armed one — knowing that it is the strands acting upon the strands — is not caught.

काम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुणसमुद्भवः

mahā-aśhanaḥ — all-devouring

It is desire, it is anger, born of the strand of restlessness — all-devouring, deeply harmful. Know this as the enemy here.

एवं बुद्धेः परं बुद्ध्वा संस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना

mahā-bāho — mighty-armed one

Knowing that which is beyond the understanding, steadying the lower self by the higher, strike down this enemy, mighty-armed one — desire, so hard to master.

ज्ञेयः स नित्यसंन्यासी यो न द्वेष्टि न काङ्क्षति

mahā-bāho — mighty-armed one

Know that one to be always a renouncer who neither hates nor craves. Free of opposites, mighty-armed one, such a person is released.

संन्यासस्तु महाबाहो दुःखमाप्तुमयोगतः

mahā-bāho — mighty-armed one

But renunciation is hard to reach without yoga, mighty-armed one. The sage joined to yoga comes to Brahman before long.

भोक्तारं यज्ञतपसां सर्वलोकमहेश्वरम्

mahā-īśhvaram — the Supreme Lord

Knowing me as the one who receives every offering and austerity, the great lord of all worlds, and the friend of all beings — one comes to peace.

असंशयं महाबाहो मनो दुर्निग्रहं चलं

mahā-bāho — mighty-armed one

No doubt the mind is hard to restrain and restless, mighty-armed one. But by practice and by dispassion it can be held, son of Kunti.

कच्चिन्नोभयविभ्रष्टश्छिन्नाभ्रमिव नश्यति

mahā-bāho — mighty-armed Krishna

Fallen from both, do they not perish like a scattered cloud — with no footing anywhere, mighty-armed one?

अपरेयमितस्त्वन्यां प्रकृतिं विद्धि मे पराम्

mahā-bāho — mighty-armed one

That is the lower. Know that I have another and higher nature, mighty-armed one: the living, by which this world is upheld.

बहूनां जन्मनामन्ते ज्ञानवान्मां प्रपद्यते

mahā-ātmā — great soul

After many births, one who knows comes to me, understanding that all this is Vasudeva. Such a soul is very rare.

मामुपेत्य पुनर्जन्म दुःखालयमशाश्वतम्

mahā-ātmānaḥ — the great souls

Having come to me, the great-souled ones do not return to birth, which is a dwelling of pain and does not last.

अवजानन्ति मां मूढा मानुषीं तनुमाश्रितम्

mahā-īśhvaram — the Supreme Lord

The dim-witted disregard me, having taken on a human form — not knowing my higher nature, the great lord of beings.

महात्मानस्तु मां पार्थ दैवीं प्रकृतिमाश्रिताः

mahā-ātmānaḥ — the great souls

But the great-souled, son of Pritha, having taken refuge in the divine nature, worship me with a mind turned nowhere else, knowing me as the imperishable origin of all beings.

भूय एव महाबाहो श्रृणु मे परमं वचः

mahā-bāho — mighty armed one

Hear again my highest word, mighty-armed one, which I speak to you because you are dear to me and for your good.

न मे विदुः सुरगणाः प्रभवं न महर्षयः

mahā-ṛiṣhayaḥ — the great sages

Neither the hosts of gods nor the great seers know my origin. I am the source of the gods and of the great seers, in every way.

यो मामजमनादिं च वेत्ति लोकमहेश्वरम्

mahā-īśhvaram — the Supreme Lord

One who knows me as unborn, without beginning, the great lord of the worlds, is undeluded among mortals and freed of all fault.

महर्षयः सप्त पूर्वे चत्वारो मनवस्तथा

mahā-ṛiṣhayaḥ — the great Sages

The seven great seers, the four before them, and the Manus, are born of my mind, and from them these creatures of the world.

महर्षीणां भृगुरहं गिरामस्म्येकमक्षरम्

mahā-ṛiṣhīṇām — among the great seers

Among the great seers I am Bhrigu; among words, the single syllable; among offerings, the offering of silent repetition; and among unmoving things, the Himalaya.

एवमुक्त्वा ततो राजन्महायोगेश्वरो हरिः

mahā-yoga-īśhvaraḥ — the Supreme Lord of Yog

Having spoken thus, O king, the great lord of yoga then showed to Arjuna his highest form as ruler —

दिवि सूर्यसहस्रस्य भवेद्युगपदुत्थिता

mahā-ātmanaḥ — the great personality

If a thousand suns were to rise together in the sky, that light might be something like the splendour of that great being.

द्यावापृथिव्योरिदमन्तरं हि व्याप्तं त्वयैकेन दिशश्च सर्वाः

mahā-ātman — The greatest of all beings

This space between heaven and earth, and all the directions, is filled by you alone. Seeing this wonderful and terrible form of yours, great being, the three worlds tremble.

अमी हि त्वां सुरसङ्घाः विशन्ति केचिद्भीताः प्राञ्जलयो गृणन्ति

mahā-ṛiṣhi — great sages

Here the hosts of gods are entering you. Some, afraid, praise you with folded hands. The great seers and the perfected cry “may it be well” and sing of you in abundant hymns.

रूपं महत्ते बहुवक्त्रनेत्रं महाबाहो बहुबाहूरुपादम्

mahat — magnificent

Seeing your immense form, mighty-armed one, with many mouths and eyes, many arms, thighs and feet, many bellies and many terrible teeth, the worlds tremble, and so do I.

कस्माच्च ते न नमेरन्महात्मन् गरीयसे ब्रह्मणोऽप्यादिकर्त्रे

mahā-ātman — The Great one

And why should they not bow to you, great one, greater than Brahma, the first maker? Endless lord, god of gods, refuge of the world — you are the imperishable, what is and what is not, and what is beyond both.

इत्यर्जुनं वासुदेवस्तथोक्त्वा स्वकं रूपं दर्शयामास भूयः

mahā-ātmā — the compassionate

Having said this to Arjuna, Krishna showed again his own form, and consoled the frightened one, taking on once more his gentle shape.

महाभूतान्यहङ्कारो बुद्धिरव्यक्तमेव च

mahā-bhūtāni — the (five) great elements

The great elements, the sense of self, the understanding, the unmanifest, the ten senses and the one, and the five fields of the senses;

उपद्रष्टाऽनुमन्ता च भर्ता भोक्ता महेश्वरः

mahā-īśhvaraḥ — the ultimate controller

The witness, the one who permits, the sustainer, the experiencer, the great lord — this is also called the highest self, the highest person, in this body.

सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणाः प्रकृतिसंभवाः

mahā-bāho — mighty-armed one

Clarity, restlessness and inertia — these strands, born of nature, bind the imperishable embodied one to the body.

संन्यासस्य महाबाहो तत्त्वमिच्छामि वेदितुम्

mahā-bāho — mighty-armed one

I wish to understand the truth of renunciation, mighty-armed one, and of letting go — and how they differ.

पञ्चैतानि महाबाहो कारणानि निबोध मे

mahā-bāho — mighty-armed one

Learn from me, mighty-armed one, the five causes of all action, as told in the reckoning that brings action to an end:

इत्यहं वासुदेवस्य पार्थस्य च महात्मनः

mahā-ātmanaḥ — the noble hearted soul

So I have heard this wonderful dialogue between Krishna and the great-souled Arjuna, and my hair stands on end.