TEXT 14

Devanagari

मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदुःखदाः ।
आगमापायिनोऽनित्यास्तांस्तितिक्षस्व भारत ॥ १४ ॥

Text

Texte

mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya
śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ
āgamāpāyino ’nityās
tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata

Synonyms

mātrā-sparśāḥ — sensory perception; tu — only; kaunteya — O son of Kuntī; śīta — winter; uṣṇa — summer; sukha — happiness; duḥkha — and pain; dāḥ — giving; āgama — appearing; apāyinaḥ — disappearing; anityāḥ — nonpermanent; tān — all of them; titikṣasva — just try to tolerate; bhārata — O descendant of the Bharata dynasty.

mātrā-sparśāḥ: des perceptions sensorielles; tu: seulement; kaunteya: ô fils de Kuntī; śīta: l’hiver; uṣṇa: l’été; sukha: le bonheur; duḥkha: et le malheur; dāḥ: engendrant; āgama: apparaissant; apāyinaḥ: disparaissant; anityāḥ: impermanentes; tān: elles toutes; titikṣasva: efforce-toi de tolérer; bhārata: ô descendant de la dynastie Bharata.

Translation

O son of Kuntī, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.

Éphémères, joies et peines, comme étés et hivers, vont et viennent, ô fils de Kuntī. Elles procèdent de la perception des sens, ô descendant de Bharata. Il faut apprendre à les tolérer, sans en être affecté.

Purport

In the proper discharge of duty, one has to learn to tolerate nonpermanent appearances and disappearances of happiness and distress. According to Vedic injunction, one has to take his bath early in the morning even during the month of Māgha (January-February). It is very cold at that time, but in spite of that a man who abides by the religious principles does not hesitate to take his bath. Similarly, a woman does not hesitate to cook in the kitchen in the months of May and June, the hottest part of the summer season. One has to execute his duty in spite of climatic inconveniences. Similarly, to fight is the religious principle of the kṣatriyas, and although one has to fight with some friend or relative, one should not deviate from his prescribed duty. One has to follow the prescribed rules and regulations of religious principles in order to rise up to the platform of knowledge, because by knowledge and devotion only can one liberate himself from the clutches of māyā (illusion).

Pour accomplir son devoir correctement, il faut apprendre à tolérer les manifestations éphémères des joies et des peines. Les Védas nous recommandent, par exemple, de prendre un bain matinal, même pendant le mois de māgha (janvier-février). Bien qu’il fasse très froid en cette période de l’année, celui qui observe les principes religieux n’hésite pas à se baigner tout comme une femme n’hésite pas à supporter la chaleur accablante de la cuisine pour préparer un repas en plein été. Quelles que soient les conditions climatiques, chacun doit s’acquitter de son devoir. Ainsi du kṣatriya qui, même s’il doit combattre parents et amis, ne peut délaisser son devoir. Nous devons respecter les règles et les principes religieux si nous voulons nous élever au niveau de la connaissance spirituelle, car seule la connaissance et la dévotion permettent d’échapper aux griffes de l’illusion (māyā).

The two different names of address given to Arjuna are also significant. To address him as Kaunteya signifies his great blood relations from his mother’s side; and to address him as Bhārata signifies his greatness from his father’s side. From both sides he is supposed to have a great heritage. A great heritage brings responsibility in the matter of proper discharge of duties; therefore, he cannot avoid fighting.

Les deux noms donnés à Arjuna sont également significatifs: « Kaunteya » souligne son haut lignage maternel, et « Bhārata », sa noblesse paternelle. D’un côté comme de l’autre, il est censé appartenir à un noble lignage. Fort d’un tel héritage, il lui incombe de s’acquitter convenablement de son devoir. Il ne peut donc éviter le combat.