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Chapter 2. Contents of the Gita Summarized TEXT 14 matra-sparsas tu kaunteya
SYNONYMS  matra--sensuous;
sparsah--perception;
tu--only; kaunteya--O son of Kunti; sita--winter;
usna--summer; sukha--happiness;
duhkha-dah--giving
pain; agama--appearing; apayinah--disappearing;
anityah--nonpermanent;
tan--all of them; titiksasva--just try to tolerate; bharata--O
descendant of the Bharata dynasty.
TRANSLATION O son of
Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their
disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance
of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion
of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.
PURPORT In the proper
discharge of duty, one has to learn to tolerate nonpermanent appearances
and disappearances of happiness and distress. According to Vedic injunction,
one has to take his bath early in the morning even during the month of
Magha (January-February). It is very cold at that time, but in spite of
that a man who abides by the religious principles does not hesitate to
take his bath. Similarly, a woman does not hesitate to cook in the kitchen
in the months of May and June, the hottest part of the summer season. One
has to execute his duty in spite of climatic inconveniences. Similarly,
to fight is the religious principle of the ksatriyas, and although
one has to fight with some friend or relative, one should not deviate from
his prescribed duty. One has to follow the prescribed rules and regulations
of religious principles in order to rise up to the platform of knowledge
because by knowledge and devotion only can one liberate himself from the
clutches of maya (illusion).
The two
different names of address given to Arjuna are also significant. To address
him as Kaunteya signifies his great blood relations from his mother's side;
and to address him as Bharata signifies his greatness from his father's
side. From both sides he is supposed to have a great heritage. A great
heritage brings responsibility in the matter of proper discharge of duties;
therefore, he cannot avoid fighting.
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