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PHRASES IN THE GITA - 303
मतिः मम ... (अध्याय १८ - श्लोक ७८)
மதிஹி மம ... (அத்யாயம் 18 - ஶ்லோகம் 78)
Matih Mama ... (Chapter 18 - Shloka 78)
Meaning : This is my opinion ...
These are words again spoken by Sanjaya , the charioteer of blind king Dhrutarashtra .. We have listened to Shri Krishna saying these on many occassions in course of the conversation with Arjuna .. May be Sanjaya had imbibed this value while listening to the eighteen chapters long conversation ..
In reality however , this value has been part of Hindu psyche since long .. Our proud ancestors have , since times immemorial , cherished this idea and have consciously nurtured the same in mass minds ..
These words express the spirit of "freedom of expression" .. These words express the refusal to thrust own view on others .. But , Sanjaya is a lower level employee .. He is not powerful .. He is definitely not in a position of thrusting his opinion on others .. Yes .. Through these words , he is expressing the other aspect of freedom of expression .. He says , "I have my freedom of expression .. And this is my personal opinion .. You may be my employer .. You may have bought my services through a salary .. Yet , I have not permitted you to infringe on my freedom .." ("This is my personal opinion" These words are spoken often in modern political field .. One expresses an opinion not in tune with the party .. If he is powerful , the party says , "it is his personal opinion and avoids disciplinary action .. Otherwise , he hides behind these words , says 'that was my personal opinion' and tries to escape disciplinary action .. Both ways , freedom of expression is not respected ..)
Dhrutarashtra's sons nurtured enmity with the Pandavas and conspired and resorted to many efforts to finish them off .. This battle on the fields of Kurukshetra is ultimate result of all those efforts .. Here Sanjaya is serving his master , the blind king Dhrutarashtra , by narrating the happenings on the battle field .. The king obviously expects to hear news of success of his sons .. The noble hearted Sanjaya is sure this will not come .. His pious heart yearned for the success of Pandavas .. He had declared his wish in the ecstatic state he was in , a few moments ago .. "Success belongs to the side where Yogeshwar Shree Krishna and armed Arjuna stand together and not to your sons .." The fact that he was an employee and Dhrutarashtra his employer , came to his memory screen as soon as he made this declaration .. He says , "this is my opinion" and finishes his narration ..
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