Chapter 1/Verse 31
निमित्तानि च पश्यामि विपरीतानि केशव ।
न च श्रेयोऽनुपश्यामि हत्वा स्वजनमाहवे ॥१-३१॥
nimittāni ca paśyāmi viparītāni keśava ।
na ca śreyo'nupaśyāmi hatvā svajanamāhave ॥1-31॥
And I see adverse omens, O’ Keśava. And slaying a kinsman in battle, I foresee no good fortune.
nimittāni (stem form: nimitta) (neuter, nominative, plural) = omens
ca (conjunction) (indeclinable) = and
paśyāmi (verb root: paś) (present indicative, 10th gana, parasmaipada, 1st person, singular) = I see
viparītāni (stem form: viparīta) (neuter, accusative, plural) = adverse
keśava (stem form: keśava) (masculine, vocative, singular) = O’ Keśava (epithet of Krishna)
na (adverb) (indeclinable) = not
ca (conjunction) (indeclinable) = and
śreyas (stem form: śreyas) (neuter, accusative, singular) = good fortune
anupaśyāmi (verb root: paś) (anu + paśyāmi) (present indicative, 10th gana, parasmaipada, 1st person, singular) = I foresee
hatvā (verb root: han) (gerund) (indeclinable) = slaying
svajanam (stem form: svajana) (masculine, accusative, singular) = a kinsman
āhave (verb root:hve) (ā + have) (masculine, locative, singular) = in battle
Once again, most translations interpret "svajanam" as a plural number direct object, but the case ending is in the singular number. Overall then, most translations interpret the latter phrase as, "I can foresee no good in slaying my kinsmen." But the grammar does not support this interpretation. I believe Arjuna is personalizing his anguish, but personalizing a past killing of a kinsman in battle by his hands. The grammar supports my interpretation. 
No comments:
Post a Comment