Text 5]
Contents of the Gita Summarized
77
TRANSLATION
Arjuna said: O killer of Madhu [Kṛṣṇa], how can I counterattack with arrows in battle men like Bhīṣma and Droṇa, who are worthy of my worship?
PURPORT
Respectable superiors like Bhīṣma the grandfather and Droṇācārya the teacher are always worshipable. Even if they attack, they should not be counterattacked. It is general etiquette that superiors are not to be offered even a verbal fight. Even if they are sometimes harsh in behavior, they should not be harshly treated. Then, how is it possible for Arjuna to counterattack them? Would Kṛṣṇa ever attack His own grandfather, Ugrasena, or His teacher, Sāndīpani Muni? These were some of the arguments by Arjuna to Kṛṣṇa.
TEXT 5
गुरूनहत्वा हि महानुभावान् श्रेयो भोक्तुं भैक्ष्यमपीह लोके । हत्वार्थकामांस्तु गुरूनिहैव भुञ्जीय भोगान्रुधिरप्रदिग्धान् ॥५॥
gurūn ahatvā hi mahānubhāvān  
 śreyo bhoktum bhaikṣyam apīha loke  
 hatvārtha-kāmāṁs tu gurūn ihaiva  
 bhuñjīya bhogān rudhira-pradigdhān
gurūn —the superiors;  ahatvā —by killing;  hi —certainly;  mahā-anubhāvān —great souls;  śreyaḥ —it is better;  bhoktum —to enjoy life;  bhaikṣyam —begging;  api —even;  iha —in this life;  loke —in this world;  hatvā —killing;  artha —gain;  kāmān —so desiring;  tu —but;  gurūn —superiors;  iha —in this world;  eva —certainly;  bhuñjīya —has to enjoy;  bhogān —enjoyable things;  rudhira —blood;  pradigdhān —tainted with.
TRANSLATION
It is 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 they are avaricious, they are nonetheless superiors. If they are killed, our spoils will be tainted with blood.