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Thursday, June 12, 2014

जानामि धर्मम् न च मे प्रवृत्ति:

The Parliament is becoming a happy hunting ground for quotes. Narendra Modi aptly quoted from Prapanna Giitaa or PaanDava Giitaa, the famous shlok by Duryodhan

जानामि धर्मम् न च मे प्रवृत्ति:, जानाम्यधर्मम् न च मे निवृत्ति:
त्वया हृषीकेश  हृदिस्थितेन यथा नियुक्तोस्मि तथा करोमि

keenaapi deveena hridisthitena

jaanaami dharmam na cha me pravrittihi, jaanaami adharmam na cha me nivrittihi
tvayaa hrishiikesha hridisthitena yathaa niyuktosmi tathaa karomi
There is an alternate version that gives the second line as 
kenaapi devena hridisthitena yathaa niyuktosmi tathaa karomi

I prefer the first version, so am sticking with it.

I know what is right but I am not inclined towards doing the right thing
I know what is wrong, but I cannot abstain from doing the wrong thing
Oh Lord of the senses, you reside in my heart and I act as per the impulses of my heart

(Hrishiikam is sense organ, iishaha is lord - this is an epithet for Vishnu and hence the reference is to Krishna himself). Hence I absolve myself of the blame of my actions. You are responsible. :)

The first lines remind me of Ghaalib when he says 

jaantaa huu.n savaab e taa'at o zuhad 
par tabiiyat idhar nahii.n aatii

I know the reward of obedience and abstinence
But it is not in my nature to be so

1 comment:

  1. Not sure about Mahabharata however can be found in Pandava Gita (also known as Prapanna Gita):

    दुर्योधन उवाच ।
    जानामि धर्मं न च मे प्रवृत्ति-
    र्जानामि पापं न च मे निवृत्तिः ।
    केनापि देवेन हृदि स्थितेन यथा नियुक्तोऽस्मि तथा करोमि ॥ ५७॥

    duryodhana uvāca ।
    jānāmi dharmaṃ na ca me pravṛtti-
    rjānāmi pāpaṃ na ca me nivṛttiḥ ।
    kenāpi devena hṛdi sthitena yathā niyukto'smi tathā karomi ॥ 57॥

    And also present in Panchadashi of Vidyaranya Madhava.

    जानामि धर्मं न च मे प्रवृत्ति-
    र्जानाम्यधर्मं न च मे निवृत्तिः ।
    केनापि देवेन हृदि स्थितेन यथा नियुक्तोऽस्मि तथा करोमि ॥ १७६॥

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