We can’t attack them

Sankhya Yoga

Chapter 2, Verse 4

 

arjuna uvāca 

kathaṁ bhīṣmam ahaṁ saṅkhye 

droṇaṁ ca madhusūdana 

iṣubhiḥ pratiyotsyāmi 

pūjārhāv-arisūdana

 

Arjuna says: How, O Madhusudana, shall I strike Bhishma and Drona with  

weapons in battle, they who are worthy of worship?

 

Kathaṁ means ‘I am surprised’. Arjuna says,“I am surprised! How can I kill these people? They are not demons! They are not really my enemies! On the contrary, they are the great elders who are worthy to be put on the altar and be worshipped. This is terrible! It would be a big sin if I attack them! We should have respect for our elders.” As I said in Chapter 1, the elders were well-respected at that time. When you talk to elders, you should speak to them respectfully. Using harsh or abusive words is a sin. That’s why Arjuna says, “These elders are worthy to be worshipped and we shouldn’t do anything disrespectful. We don’t even dare look in their eyes!”

 

Here again, Arjuna addresses Krishna as Madhusudana, “the slayer of enemies.” He says, “How powerful and great You are! How will I pierce them with my arrows?” He is surprised that the Lord Himself is telling him to fight them – because he knows that these people were the gurus, the teachers. Arjuna says, “We can’t attack them!”

Bhagavad Gita