58
Bhagavad-gītā  As It ls
[Ch. 1
and the person in the renounced order of life who is absolutely devoted to spiritual culture, are eligible to enter into the sun-globe, which is so powerful and dazzling. Arjuna is reluctant even to kill his enemies, let alone his relatives. He thought that by killing his kinsmen there would be no happiness in his life, and therefore he was not willing to fight, just as a person who does not feel hunger is not inclined to cook. He has now decided to go into the forest and live a secluded life in frustration. But as a  kṣatriya , he requires a kingdom for his subsistence, because the  kṣatriyas  cannot engage themselves in any other occupation. But Arjuna has had no kingdom. Arjuna’s sole opportunity for gaining a kingdom lay in fighting with his cousins and brothers and reclaiming the kingdom inherited from his father, which he does not like to do. Therefore he considers himself fit to go to the forest to live a secluded life of frustration.
TEXTS 32-35
किं नो राज्येन गोविन्द किं भोगैर्जीवितेन वा । येषामर्थे काङ्क्षितं नो राज्यं भोगाः सुखानि च ॥ ३२ ॥ त इमेऽवस्थिता युद्धे प्राणांस्त्यक्त्वा धनानि च । आचार्याः पितरः पुत्रास्तथैव च पितामहाः ॥ ३३ ॥ मातुलाः श्वशुराः पौत्राः श्यालाः संबन्धिनस्तथा । एतान्न हन्तुमिच्छामि घ्नतोऽपि मधुसूदन ॥ ३४ ॥ अपि त्रैलोक्यराज्यस्य हेतोः किं नु महीकृते निहत्य धार्तराष्ट्रान्नः का प्रीतिः स्याज्जनार्दन ॥ ३५ ॥
kim no rājyena govinda  
 kim bhogair jīvitena vā  
 yeṣām arthe kāṅkṣitam no  
 rājyam bhogāḥ sukhāni ca  
 ta ime’vasthitā yuddhe  
 prāṇāms tyaktvā dhanāni ca  
 ācāryāḥ pitaraḥ putrās  
 tathaiva ca pitāmahāḥ  
 mātulāḥ śvaśurāḥ pautrāḥ  
 śyālāḥ sambandhinas tathā  
 etān na hantum icchāmi  
 ghnato’pi madhusūdana