Indian Antiquary Vol 59

SR No.: 032551
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1986
Total Pages: 380
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 16 MB

Page 117

105
JUNT, 1930 1
SOME REMARKS ON THE BHAGAVADGITA
vi, 33 : Madhusudana ; 34, 37: Krena ; 38: muhibaho ; 39: Krona. viii, 1: purusottama ; 2: Madhusüdana. x, 12 : bhavān; 14: Kebava, bhagavon ; 15: purusottama, bhūtabhāvana, bhūtesa,
devadeva, jagatpate ; 17: yogin, bhagavan.; 18: Janārdana. xi, 2 : kamalapattrākşa; 3: paramešvara, purusottama ; 4: yogesvara ; 15: deva ;
16: visvešvara, visvarūpa : 23: mahābāho : 24 : Vigno ; 25: devesa, jaganni. visa ; 30: Visno ; 31: devwara ; 36: Hrşikesa ; 37: mahātman, ananta, devesa, jagannivisa : 38: anantarūpa ; 40: sarva ; 42: Acyuta ; 44: devt ; 45:
den, levesa, jagannirvīsa : 46: sahasraliho, visumürtte : 51: Janardann. xiv, 21 : prabho. xvii, 1: Krona. xviii, 1: mahābūho, Hrşikesa, Kesinisiidana, xviii, 73: cyuta.
It will be seen from this list that--apart from the Acyuta in i, 21-which I have rejected above-there is in the allocutions of Arjuna no hint of the supremely divine nature of Krsna until we arrive at the purusottama in viii, 1.66 And it is only in the cantos x and xi that Arjuna raises himself to a language of the purest bhakti by using cpithets like derudeva, visvesvara, Visno, etc.66 There is not the slightest doubt that this rising scale has been conscientiously aimed at by the author of the earlier Bhagavadgitā.07
After listening to this devotional exaltation it is with a certain feeling of astonishment that in xvii, 1, we meet again with the simple allocution Krsna. And our astonishment will be considerably increased if with this last-mentioned verse we compare xi, 41-42:
sakheti matvā prasabham yad uktam he Krena he Yādava he sakheti 68 ajānată mahimānam tavedam mayā pramādāt pranayena vāpi || 41 || yac cāvahāsārtham asalkyto 'si vihara sayyāsanabhojancşu 1 eko 'thavāpy Acyuta tat samakşam
tat kşāmaye tvīm aham aprameyam | 42 || Here Arjuna expressively apologizes for having, because of not knowing his grentness, ad. dressed the Supreme God as 'Krena,' Yādava' or 'comrade'; which is, of course, discourteous and inaulmissible.89 When, after that, the author of xvii, 1, makes him again talk to the Supreme Being as Krsna', this can only be explained by assuming that he had for the moment forgotten this passage in the work of his predecessor. To suggest that the very same author should have committed, within such a limited space, such a blunder is scarcely admissible.
(To be continued.)
85 Krspa in viii, 4, pays a corresponding compliment by styling Arjuna dehabhrtām vara. 66 There is a still longer list of such superlative epitheta in the Vimuomoti, i, 49 f.
67 There is something like this found in the use of the Buddha's epithets in the Buddhacarita and the Saundarananda, cp. Mr. Johnston, JRAS., 1929, p. 538.
88 On this incorrect form op. Schlegel Lagsen, Lc., p. xxx, n. ; Professor Rajwade, 1.c., p. 327. Lassen probably is right in looking upon it as being & senseless repetition of the previous correct sakheti.
69 The situation undoubtedly reminds 128 of the Mahāvagga, i, 6, 12, where Buddha speaks thus to the pancavaggiya bhikkha : ma bhikkhave tathāgatam namena ca avusovádena ca samudācaratha araham bhikkhave tathāgato sammāsambuddho.