I don't understand the Bhagavad Geeta

[ronki23]

@Aupmanyav @sayak83 @Jainarayan

The Gita is Krishna telling Arjun that it is OK for him to kill his brother Karna and his Kaurava cousins. The reason is because only the body dies and not the soul.

Why did the other Pandavas want Hastinapur so much after their exile was over ? Was Indrapastha not enough ? Were the Kauravas bad when it came to ruling Hastinapur ?

 

[Jainarayan]

@Aupmanyav @sayak83 @Jainarayan

The Gita is Krishna telling Arjun that it is OK for him to kill his brother Karna and his Kaurava cousins. The reason is because only the body dies and not the soul.

Why did the other Pandavas want Hastinapur so much after their exile was over ? Was Indrapastha not enough ? Were the Kauravas bad when it came to ruling Hastinapur ?

The Pandavas were the rightful heirs and rulers of the throne of Hastinapura. The reason is simple ... Dhritarashtra was the elder brother of Pandu, but because he was blind Dhritarashtra was not eligible to be king. The crown then fell to Pandu. But Dhritarashtra was always bitter about this. His sons were also bitter about it. However, they technically had no claim on the throne unless none of Pandu's sons survived, became disabled, or otherwise ineligible. Pandu did abdicate the throne and retired to the forest with his two wives. Though he was technically ineligible for the throne, Dhritarashtra became king. While Pandu was hunting he accidentally shot and killed a sage and his wife. The sage cursed Pandu that if he ever had sex he would also die. Pandu succumbed to his desire for his wife, and so he died. Pandu's sons made a claim on the throne, which Dhritarashtra refused to relinquish. I don't remember why the Pandava sons didn't claim the throne when their father abdicated. Technically they were in line given Dhritarashtra's disability.

 

[mangalavara]

The Gita is Krishna telling Arjun that it is OK for him to kill his brother Karna and his Kaurava cousins. The reason is because only the body dies and not the soul.

In the Gītā, Krishna tells Arjuna to fight, yes, but he says more than ‘the body dies whereas Ātman never dies.’ According to śloka 2:31, Arjuna is to fight because it is his dharma to fight in a fight that has a just cause.

 

[JustGeorge]

@Aupmanyav @sayak83 @Jainarayan

The Gita is Krishna telling Arjun that it is OK for him to kill his brother Karna and his Kaurava cousins. The reason is because only the body dies and not the soul.

Essentially, yes. But it wasn't just like "Bored? Yeah, go kill your family" it was more giving him permission to kill relatives within the context of a war(and relatives that would have killed Arjuna if given the chance.)

Why did the other Pandavas want Hastinapur so much after their exile was over ? Was Indrapastha not enough ? Were the Kauravas bad when it came to ruling Hastinapur ?

Hastinapur was theirs, rightfully. There are times I wondered how much the Pandavas genuinely wanted it, with all the bloodshed that would have to come, but were pushed to take it because it was their dharma to do so.

 

[ronki23]

In the Gītā, Krishna tells Arjuna to fight, yes, but he says more than ‘the body dies whereas Ātman never dies.’ According to śloka 2:31, Arjuna is to fight because it is his dharma to fight in a fight that has a just cause.

The Pandavas were the rightful heirs and rulers of the throne of Hastinapura. The reason is simple ... Dhritarashtra was the elder brother of Pandu, but because he was blind Dhritarashtra was not eligible to be king. The crown then fell to Pandu. But Dhritarashtra was always bitter about this. His sons were also bitter about it. However, they technically had no claim on the throne unless none of Pandu's sons survived, became disabled, or otherwise ineligible. Pandu did abdicate the throne and retired to the forest with his two wives. Though he was technically ineligible for the throne, Dhritarashtra became king. While Pandu was hunting he accidentally shot and killed a sage and his wife. The sage cursed Pandu that if he ever had sex he would also die. Pandu succumbed to his desire for his wife, and so he died. Pandu's sons made a claim on the throne, which Dhritarashtra refused to relinquish. I don't remember why the Pandava sons didn't claim the throne when their father abdicated. Technically they were in line given Dhritarashtra's disability.

Why would the Pandavs fight the Kauravs for Hastinapur? Were they not satisfied with Indraprastha? Why all of this bloodshed?

 

[sayak83]

Why would the Pandavs fight the Kauravs for Hastinapur? Were they not satisfied with Indraprastha? Why all of this bloodshed?

The Kauravas took over the kingdom of Indraprastha during the years of exile of the Pandavas and refused to return it to the Pandavas once the exile was over. Krishna himself went to Hastinapur as emissary for the Pandavas and requested the Kauravas to at least give the 5 Pandava brothers 5 townships to rule over even if they did not want to give over Indraprastha. Even then they would accept peace, however unjust. But Duryodhana famously said that he would not give over even a grain of earth as small as the point of a needle to the Pandavas anywhere on this earth. Then he tried to lock up Krishna despite the fact he, as emissary, had immunity.
It was only after this, Yudhisthira very reluctantly decided for war.
The sections just before Gita is entirely dedicated to the entire set of failed diplomatic missions that Pandavas sent culminating in Krishna's emissary which also failed.

 

[Jainarayan]

Why would the Pandavs fight the Kauravs for Hastinapur? Were they not satisfied with Indraprastha? Why all of this bloodshed?

Because the Kauravas were usurpers to the throne that rightfully belonged to the Pandavas. It's not a matter of whether Indraprastha was good enough. Hastinapura belonged to the Pandavas. The Kauravas stole what belonged to the Pandavas.

 

[mangalavara]

Why would the Pandavs fight the Kauravs for Hastinapur? Were they not satisfied with Indraprastha? Why all of this bloodshed?

I like @Jainarayan’s reply (#7).

 

[ronki23]

In the Gītā, Krishna tells Arjuna to fight, yes, but he says more than ‘the body dies whereas Ātman never dies.’ According to śloka 2:31, Arjuna is to fight because it is his dharma to fight in a fight that has a just cause.

Essentially, yes. But it wasn't just like "Bored? Yeah, go kill your family" it was more giving him permission to kill relatives within the context of a war(and relatives that would have killed Arjuna if given the chance.)

Hastinapur was theirs, rightfully. There are times I wondered how much the Pandavas genuinely wanted it, with all the bloodshed that would have to come, but were pushed to take it because it was their dharma to do so.

The Kauravas took over the kingdom of Indraprastha during the years of exile of the Pandavas and refused to return it to the Pandavas once the exile was over. Krishna himself went to Hastinapur as emissary for the Pandavas and requested the Kauravas to at least give the 5 Pandava brothers 5 townships to rule over even if they did not want to give over Indraprastha. Even then they would accept peace, however unjust. But Duryodhana famously said that he would not give over even a grain of earth as small as the point of a needle to the Pandavas anywhere on this earth. Then he tried to lock up Krishna despite the fact he, as emissary, had immunity.
It was only after this, Yudhisthira very reluctantly decided for war.
The sections just before Gita is entirely dedicated to the entire set of failed diplomatic missions that Pandavas sent culminating in Krishna's emissary which also failed.

Because the Kauravas were usurpers to the throne that rightfully belonged to the Pandavas. It's not a matter of whether Indraprastha was good enough. Hastinapura belonged to the Pandavas. The Kauravas stole what belonged to the Pandavas.

The generation above mine is a family of many siblings: unfortunately some of them are trying to usurp and control the money and assets of the other siblings. So I am going through a real life Mahabharat: unlike the Pandavas and Kauravas it's a war between siblings, not cousins.

 

[Aupmanyav]

The Gita is Krishna telling Arjun that it is OK for him to kill his brother Karna and his Kaurava cousins. The reason is because only the body dies and not the soul.

Why did the other Pandavas want Hastinapur so much after their exile was over ? Was Indrapastha not enough ? Were the Kauravas bad when it came to ruling Hastinapur ?

Pandavas did not want Hastinapur. They were at Indraprastha (Delhi - as the legend goes). Krishna was sent to the Kauravas with a last deal for Kauravas to give Pandavas just five villages. Duryodhana refused even that. I will check as to whether Pandu abdicated the throne or was on leave which made Dhritarashtra the regent. Duryodhana had no right at all to interfere. He was just like Sanjay Gandhi in Indira Gandhi's time, a non-constitutional authority.

 

[ronki23]

Pandavas did not want Hastinapur. They were at Indraprastha (Delhi - as the legend goes). Krishna was sent to the Kauravas with a last deal for Kauravas to give Pandavas just five villages. Duryodhana refused even that. I will check as to whether Pandu abdicated the throne or was on leave which made Dhritarashtra the regent. Duryodhana had no right at all to interfere. He was just like Sanjay Gandhi in Indira Gandhi's time, a non-constitutional authority.

If they didn't want Hastinapur then why a war?

 

[Aupmanyav]

Because they wanted at least some small part of their father's kingdom. They already had that in their control. They wanted the Kauravas to accept and regularize that, so that there are no conflicts in future. They did not want the whole of their father's kingdom. But, it was their motherland. Was that unfair?