Thread by @GitaGovindam

#gitarthavisesha #FirstShadanga #Adhyaya1 #Shloka36

निहत्य धार्तराष्ट्रान्नः का प्रीतिः स्याज्जनार्दन ।
पापमेवाश्रयेदस्मान्हत्वैतानाततायिनः ।।

nihatya dhArtarAShTrAnnaH kA prItiH syAjjanArdana |
pApamevAshrayedasmAnhatvaitAnAtatAyinaH ||

जनार्दन​ - Krishna, धार्तराष्ट्रान्न - kauravas, निहत्य - by killing, नः - for us, का प्रीतिः - what joy स्यात् - be created?, आततायिनः - aatatayi, एतान् - these, हत्वा - by killing, अस्मान् - for us, पापं एव​ - only pApa, आश्रयेत् - beget

(Arjuna continues..)

Oh Janardana, what is the joy that be created for us by killing kauravas. We only beget pApa (sins) by killing these aatatayis (great sinners)

Who are aatatayis? Lets look at what texts say..

अग्निदो गरदश्चैव शस्त्रपाणिर्धनापहा |
क्षेत्रदारहरश्चैव षडेते ह्याततायिन: ||

agnido garadaścaiva śastrapāṇirdhanāpahā | kṣetradāraharaścaiva ṣaḍete hyātatāyina: ||

6 types are defined for an ātatāyi One who
1. Arsons
2. Poisons
3. Has weapons always
4. Robs Wealth
5. Steals Property
6. Forcibly gets a married woman

What does Manusmriti say?

ātatāyinam āyāntaṃ hanyād evāvicārayan |
guruṃ vā bālavṛddhau vā brāhmaṇaṃ vā bahuśrutam ||

If a person commits any of the above 6 crimes, he is known as an ātatāyi. Even if he be a brahmana, a pandita, a child or an old man, he can be killed

Hence, by killing an ātatāyi, no sins are incurred. Lets look at kauravas..

1. They set on fire the laksHa gruha (lac house)
2. Tried to poison bhIma
3. Always bears weapons just to pick a fight
4. Robbed paNDava's wealth
5. Abducted their kingdom
6. Tried to violate Draupadi

kauravas have satisfied all 6 criterias of Manu-maharsi. They are 'ātatāyi sarvabhoumas'. Killing them would only bring great glory to Arjuna & free earth of a huge burden.

The reason for Arjuna's hesitation is described as 'paramadhArmika:' by AcArya rAmAnuja.

svAmi desikan in his tAtparya candrika has explained it as 'AatAyi pakshastAnAbhya AcAryAdhInAm ahantvayat anusandhanAt paramadhArmika ityukti:'

Arjuna knows very well that kauravas qualify as 'ātatāyi'. But he was hesitating only because of killing his AcArya varga (The droNas).

To kill kauravas, Arjuna first needs to kill droNas. By doing that, he will definitely incur a huge sin that can't be redeemed