Bhagavad Gita · Lesson
Bhagavad Gita — Chapter 1
ArjunaViṣāda Yoga — The Yoga of Arjuna’s Despondency 🙏
Chapter 1 sets the stage for the entire Bhagavad Gita. It begins with Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s anxiety and gradually takes us to Arjuna’s profound emotional and moral crisis on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra.
- 1.1 — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Opening Question
धृतराष्ट्रउवाच।
धर्मक्षेत्रेकुरुक्षेत्रेसमवेतायुयुत्सवः।
मामकाःपाण्डवाश्चैवकिमकुर्वतसञ्जय॥
Transliteration:
Dhṛtarāṣṭrauvāca
Dharma-kṣetrekuru-kṣetresamavetāyuyutsavaḥ
Māmakāḥpāṇḍavāścaivakimakurvatasañjaya
Meaning:
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “O Sanjaya, assembled at the sacred land of Kurukṣetra and desiring to fight, what did my sons and the sons of Pāṇḍu do?”
Key thought: The words “my sons” and “the sons of Pāṇḍu” reveal Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s attachment and sense of division.
- 1.10 — Duryodhana Assesses the Two Armies
अपर्याप्तंतदस्माकंबलंभीष्माभिरक्षितम्।
पर्याप्तंत्विदमेतेषांबलंभीमाभिरक्षितम्॥
Transliteration:
Aparyāptaṁ tad asmākaṁbalaṁbhīṣmābhirakṣitam
Paryāptaṁtvidameteṣāṁbalaṁbhīmābhirakṣitam
Meaning:
Duryodhana compares his army, protected by Bhīṣma, with the Pāṇḍava army protected by Bhīma.
Key thought: Though surrounded by a mighty army, Duryodhana remains highly conscious of the strength of the Pāṇḍavas.
- 1.15 — The Divine Conches of Krishna and Arjuna
पाञ्चजन्यंहृषीकेशोदेवदत्तंधनञ्जयः।
पौण्ड्रंदध्मौमहाशङ्खंभीमकर्मावृकोदरः॥
Transliteration:
Pāñcajanyaṁhṛṣīkeśodevadattaṁdhanañjayaḥ
Pauṇḍraṁdadhmaumahā-śaṅkhaṁbhīma-karmāvṛkodaraḥ
Meaning:
Lord Krishna blew His conch Pāñcajanya, Arjuna blew Devadatta, and mighty Bhīma, performer of tremendous deeds, blew his great conch Pauṇḍra.
Key thought: The sounding of the conches announces the readiness of the Pāṇḍavas and the presence of Krishna Himself on their side.
- 1.16 — The Conches of Yudhiṣṭhira, Nakula and Sahadeva
अनन्तविजयंराजाकुन्तीपुत्रोयुधिष्ठिरः।
नकुलःसहदेवश्चसुघोषमणिपुष्पकौ॥
Transliteration:
Anantavijayaṁrājākuntī-putroyudhiṣṭhiraḥ
Nakulaḥsahadevaś ca sughoṣa-maṇipuṣpakau
Meaning:
King Yudhiṣṭhira, the son of Kuntī, blew his conch Anantavijaya; Nakula and Sahadeva blew Sughoṣa and Maṇipuṣpaka respectively.
Key thought: Each principal Pāṇḍava sounds his own conch, collectively announcing their preparedness for the battle of dharma.
- 1.20–21 — Arjuna Asks Krishna to Place the Chariot Between the Armies
अथव्यवस्थितान्दृष्ट्वाधार्तराष्ट्रान्कपिध्वजः।
प्रवृत्तेशस्त्रसम्पातेधनुरुद्यम्यपाण्डवः॥
हृषीकेशंतदावाक्यमिदमाहमहीपते।
सेनयोरुभयोर्मध्येरथंस्थापयमेऽच्युत॥
Transliteration:
Athavyavasthitāndṛṣṭvādhārtarāṣṭrānkapi-dhvajaḥ
Pravṛtteśastra-sampātedhanurudyamyapāṇḍavaḥ
Hṛṣīkeśaṁtadāvākyamidamāhamahī-pate
Senayorubhayormadhyerathaṁsthāpaya me ’cyuta
Meaning:
Seeing the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra ready for battle, Arjuna raised his bow and asked Krishna: “O Acyuta, please place my chariot between the two armies.”
Key thought: Arjuna initially approaches the battlefield as a warrior, confident and ready for action.
- 1.28–29 — Arjuna’s Emotional Collapse Begins
दृष्ट्वेमंस्वजनंकृष्णयुयुत्सुंसमुपस्थितम्।
सीदन्तिममगात्राणिमुखंचपरिशुष्यति॥
वेपथुश्चशरीरेमेरोमहर्षश्चजायते॥
Transliteration:
Dṛṣṭvemaṁsva-janaṁkṛṣṇayuyutsuṁsamupasthitam
Sīdanti mama gātrāṇimukhaṁ ca pariśuṣyati
Vepathuś ca śarīre me roma-harṣaś ca jāyate
Meaning:
“O Krishna, seeing my own relatives assembled here, eager to fight, my limbs weaken, my mouth becomes dry, my body trembles and my hair stands on end.”
Key thought: The battlefield now shifts from outside to within Arjuna’s mind.
- 1.30 — Arjuna Loses His Composure
गाण्डीवंस्रंसतेहस्तात्त्वक्चैवपरिदह्यते।
नचशक्नोम्यवस्थातुंभ्रमतीवचमेमनः॥
Transliteration:
Gāṇḍīvaṁsraṁsatehastāttvakcaivaparidahyate
Na ca śaknomyavasthātuṁbhramatīva ca me manaḥ
Meaning:
“My bow Gāṇḍīva is slipping from my hand, my skin is burning, I am unable to stand steady, and my mind seems to be reeling.”
Key thought: Even a mighty warrior can become powerless when the mind is overwhelmed by attachment and confusion.
- 1.31 — Arjuna Sees No Good in the Battle
निमित्तानिचपश्यामिविपरीतानिकेशव।
नचश्रेयोऽनुपश्यामिहत्वास्वजनमाहवे॥
Transliteration:
Nimittāni ca paśyāmiviparītānikeśava
Na ca śreyo ’nupaśyāmihatvāsva-janamāhave
Meaning:
“O Keshava, I see only adverse consequences. I cannot see any good in killing my own relatives in battle.”
Key thought: Arjuna begins viewing his duty through the lens of personal attachment rather than spiritual wisdom.
- 1.32 — What Value Is Victory?
नकाङ्क्षेविजयंकृष्णनचराज्यंसुखानिच।
किंनोराज्येनगोविन्दकिंभोगैर्जीवितेनवा॥
Transliteration:
Na kāṅkṣevijayaṁkṛṣṇana ca rājyaṁsukhāni ca
Kiṁ no rājyenagovindakiṁbhogairjīvitenavā
Meaning:
“O Krishna, I desire neither victory, nor kingdom, nor pleasures. O Govinda, what use are a kingdom, enjoyment, or even life itself to us?”
Key thought: Material success loses its attraction when Arjuna sees that it may come at the cost of those he loves.
- 1.36 — Arjuna Fears Sin
निहत्यधार्तराष्ट्रान्नःकाप्रीतिःस्याज्जनार्दन।
पापमेवाश्रयेदस्मान्हत्वैतानाततायिनः॥
Transliteration:
Nihatyadhārtarāṣṭrānnaḥkāprītiḥsyājjanārdana
Pāpamevāśrayedasmānhatvaitānātatāyinaḥ
Meaning:
“O Janārdana, what happiness could we gain by killing the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra? Although they are aggressors, sin would surely come upon us by killing them.”
Key thought: Arjuna’s dilemma becomes moral as well as emotional: What is the right action when duty appears to conflict with compassion?
- 1.40 — Destruction of Family Values
कुलक्षयेप्रणश्यन्तिकुलधर्माःसनातनाः।
धर्मेनष्टेकुलंकृत्स्नमधर्मोऽभिभवत्युत॥
Transliteration:
Kula-kṣayepraṇaśyantikula-dharmāḥsanātanāḥ
Dharmenaṣṭekulaṁkṛtsnamadharmo ’bhibhavatyuta
Meaning:
“When a family is destroyed, its ancient traditions of dharma perish; and when dharma is lost, adharma overwhelms the entire family.”
Key thought: Arjuna worries about the long-term moral and social consequences of war.
- 1.46 — Arjuna Gives Up the Desire to Fight
यदिमामप्रतीकारमशस्त्रंशस्त्रपाणयः।
धार्तराष्ट्रारणेहन्युस्तन्मेक्षेमतरंभवेत्॥
Transliteration:
Yadimāmapratīkāramaśastraṁśastra-pāṇayaḥ
Dhārtarāṣṭrāraṇehanyus tan me kṣemataraṁbhavet
Meaning:
“It would be better for me if the armed sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra were to kill me in battle while I remained unarmed and did not resist.”
Key thought: Arjuna’s confusion has become so deep that he would rather die than perform the duty before him.
- 1.47 — Arjuna Lays Down His Bow
सञ्जयउवाच।
एवमुक्त्वार्जुनःसङ्ख्येरथोपस्थउपाविशत्।
विसृज्यसशरंचापंशोकसंविग्नमानसः॥
Transliteration:
Sañjayauvāca
Evamuktvārjunaḥsaṅkhyerathopasthaupāviśat
Visṛjyasa-śaraṁcāpaṁśoka-saṁvigna-mānasaḥ
Meaning:
Sanjaya said: “Having spoken thus on the battlefield, Arjuna cast aside his bow and arrows and sat down on the chariot, his mind overwhelmed with grief.”
Key thought: Chapter 1 ends with Arjuna in complete despondency. Yet this crisis prepares him to receive spiritual wisdom from Krishna.
🌸 Essence of Chapter 1
Attachment → Conflict → Confusion → Grief → Surrender → Spiritual Enquiry
Arjuna’s despair is not the end of his journey—it becomes the starting point for the divine teachings of the Bhagavad Gita.