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श्री
ह्रीं
क्लीं
गं
ऐं
क्रीं
हूं
सौं
दुं
ॐ तत् सत्
ॐ ऐं ह्रीं क्लीं चामुण्डायै विच्चे
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु शक्तिरूपेण संस्थिता
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः

Aligning Consciousness

Ch 2Verse 5
Adhyāya 2 Shloka 5

गुरूनहत्वा हि महानुभावान् श्रेयो भोक्तुं भैक्ष्यमपीह लोके | हत्वार्थकामांस्तु गुरूनिहैव भुञ्जीय भोगान् रुधिरप्रदिग्धान् || ५ ||

gurūn ahatvā hi mahānubhāvān śreyo bhoktuṃ bhaikṣyam apīha loke | hatvārtha-kāmāṃs tu gurūn ihaiva bhuñjīya bhogān rudhira-pradigdhān || 5 ||

"It would be better to live in this world by begging than to live at the cost of the lives of great souls who are my teachers. Even though desiring worldly gain, they are superiors. If they are killed, everything we enjoy will be tainted with blood."

Historical Context

The Direct Meaning

Arjuna contemplates a radical escape plan. As a Kshatriya (royal warrior), begging is strictly forbidden and considered deeply shameful. Yet, he claims he would rather embrace the disgrace of a beggar's life ('bhaikṣyam') than kill his 'great-souled' (mahānubhāvān) gurus. He admits they are driven by greed ('artha-kāmāṃs'), but insists that any kingdom won by killing them would be 'blood-stained enjoyments' ('rudhira-pradigdhān').

Translated from the original Sanskrit text

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