2.5

गुरूनहत्वा हि महानुभावान् श्रेयो भोक्तुं भैक्ष्यमपीह लोके ।
हत्वार्थकामांस्तु गुरूनिहैव भुञ्जीय भोगान् रुधिरप्रदिग्धान् ॥

gurūn ahatvā hi mahānubhāvān śreyo bhoktuṃ bhaikṣyam apīha loke
hatvārthakāmāṃs tu gurūn ihaiva bhuñjīya bhogān rudhirapradigdhān

Arjuna is still speaking, in four quarters of eleven, recited as the two lines printed here. Meter: triṣṭubh (त्रिष्टुभ्). Four quarters, eleven syllables each, forty-four in the verse. The usual verse of this book is anuṣṭubh (अनुष्टुभ्), eight syllables to the quarter, thirty-two in the verse.

The verse

Not having killed these great-souled teachers, it is better to eat even alms here in the world; having killed the teachers, desirous of gain though they are, I would enjoy right here pleasures smeared with blood.

नेपालीमा

यी महान् आत्मा भएका गुरुहरूलाई नमारेर यस लोकमा भिक्षा खाएर बाँच्नु नै राम्रो हो। लाभ चाहने भए पनि गुरुहरूलाई मारेपछि म यहीँ रगतले लतपतिएका भोग भोग्थेँ।

Where it sits

śreyas (श्रेयस्) is back, and the better thing he can see is a beggar's meal, while the other meal would be blood, both of them iha (इह). He has not asked to be taught yet.

Split: गुरून् + अहत्वा + हि + महा-अनुभावान् + श्रेयः + भोक्तुम् + भैक्ष्यम् + अपि + इह + लोके + हत्वा + अर्थ-कामान् + तु + गुरून् + इह + एव + भुञ्जीय + भोगान् + रुधिर-प्रदिग्धान्

gurūn + ahatvā + hi + mahā-anubhāvān + śreyaḥ + bhoktum + bhaikṣyam + api + iha + loke + hatvā + artha-kāmān + tu + gurūn + iha + eva + bhuñjīya + bhogān + rudhira-pradigdhān

Sanskrit, in depth

The words

देवनागरीWordGrammarSense
गुरून्gurūnaccusative plural of guru (गुरु)the teachers. The ū (ऊ) is the plural.
अहत्वाahatvānegative gerund of han (हन्)not having killed.
हिhiindeclinablefor, indeed.
महा-अनुभावान्mahā-anubhāvānaccusative pluralmen of great presence. anubhāva (अनुभाव) is dignity, weight of person.
श्रेयःśreyaḥnominative neuter of śreyas (श्रेयस्)the better thing.
भोक्तुम्bhoktuminfinitive of bhuj (भुज्)to eat, to enjoy.
भैक्ष्यम्bhaikṣyamaccusativealms, begged food.
अपिapiindeclinableeven.
इहihaindeclinablehere.
लोकेlokelocativein the world.
हत्वाhatvāgerund of han (हन्)having killed.
अर्थ-कामान्artha-kāmānaccusative pluraldesirous of gain. Agrees with gurūn (गुरून्).
तुtuindeclinablebut, and.
गुरून्gurūnaccusative pluralthe teachers, again.
इहihaindeclinablehere.
एवevaindeclinableright here, indeed.
भुञ्जीयbhuñjīyaoptative, 1st singular of bhuj (भुज्)I would enjoy.
भोगान्bhogānaccusative pluralenjoyments.
रुधिर-प्रदिग्धान्rudhira-pradigdhānaccusative pluralsmeared with blood. pradigdha (प्रदिग्ध) is smeared, from pra-dih (प्र-दिह्).

The phrases

गुरून् अहत्वा हि महानुभावान् gurūn ahatvā hi mahānubhāvān is the condition of the better meal. Not having killed the great-souled teachers. गुरून् अहत्वा gurūn ahatvā is recited gurūnahatvā (गुरूनहत्वा). महा + अनुभावान् mahā + anubhāvān is mahānubhāvān (महानुभावान्).

श्रेयः भोक्तुम् भैक्ष्यम् अपि इह लोके śreyaḥ bhoktum bhaikṣyam api iha loke is the better thing. Better to eat even alms, here in this world. śreyaḥ (श्रेयः) before the voiced bh (भ्) is recited śreyo (श्रेयो). अपि + इह api + iha is apīha (अपीह), because इ + इ i + i becomes ī (ई).

हत्वा अर्थकामान् तु गुरून् इह एव भुञ्जीय भोगान् रुधिरप्रदिग्धान् hatvā arthakāmān tu gurūn iha eva bhuñjīya bhogān rudhirapradigdhān is the other meal. Having killed the teachers — their desire may be gain — I would enjoy, right here, pleasures smeared with blood. हत्वा + अर्थ hatvā + artha is hatvārtha (हत्वार्थ). इह + एव iha + eva is ihaiva (इहैव). arthakāmān (अर्थकामान्) agrees with the second gurūn (गुरून्), not with bhogān (भोगान्). He grants the desire. He does not grant the meal.

Sanskrit in this line

ahatvā (अहत्वा) and hatvā (हत्वा) are the same gerund. The a- (अ-) on the first is the negative, "not having killed." The second half of the verse removes it. One ending, --tvā (त्वा), two opposite acts, and the subject of both is the speaker of bhuñjīya (भुञ्जीय).

Say it back

Which meal is better, and what the other meal is smeared with. The pair ahatvā (अहत्वा) / hatvā (हत्वा).