CHAPTER 1

Verse 1

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca
dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre
samavetā yuyutsavaḥ
māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva
kim akurvata sañjaya

King Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: O Sañjaya, what did my sons and the sons of Pāṇḍu do, having assembled on the sacred land of Kurukñetra, desiring to fight?

Verse 2

sañjaya uvāca
dṛṣṭvā tu pāṇḍavānīkaṁ
vyūḍhaṁ duryodhanas tadā
ācāryam upasaṅgamya
rājā vacanam abravīt

Sañjaya said: O King, after surveying the Pāṇḍava army arrayed in military formation, Duryodhana approached his guru Droṇācārya and spoke the following words.

Verse 3

paśyaitāṁ pāṇḍu-putrāṇām
ācārya mahatīṁ camūm
vyūḍhāṁ drupada-putreṇa
tava śiṣyeṇa dhīmatā

O my teacher, behold this great army of the Pāṇḍavas, arranged in a military phalanx by your intelligent disciple Dhṛṣṭadyumna, son of Drupada.

Verse 4-6

atra śūrā maheṣv-āsā
bhīmārjuna-samā yudhi
yuyudhāno virāṭaś ca
drupadaś ca mahā-rathaḥ

dhṛṣṭaketuś cekitānaḥ
kāśirājaś ca vīryavān
purujit kuntibhojaś ca
śaibyaś ca nara-puṅgavaḥ

yudhāmanyuś ca vikrānta
uttamaujāś ca vīryavān
saubhadro draupadeyāś ca
sarva eva mahā-rathāḥ

Present in this army are mighty bowmen, such as Sātyaki, King Virāṭa and the great warrior Drupada, who are equal in combat to Arjuna and Bhīma. Also present are Dhṛṣṭaketu, and Cekitāna, the heroic king of Kāśi, Purujit, Kuntibhoja, the most valiant Śaibya, and other noble men, such as the victorious Yudhāmanyu, the heroic Uttamaujā and Abhimanyu, as well as Pratibindhya and the other sons of Draupadī. All of these are mahārathīs who can fight against huge opposition.

Verse 7

asmākaṁ tu viśiṣṭā ye
tān nibodha dvijottama
nāyakā mama sainyasya
saṁjñārthaṁ tān bravīmi te

O best of the brāhmaṇas, for your information I shall also mention the names of my army’s most excellent heroes.

Verse 8-9

bhavān bhīṣmaś ca karṇaś ca
kṛpaś ca samitiṁ-jayaḥ
aśvatthāmā vikarṇaś ca
saumadattis tathaiva ca

anye ca bahavaḥ śūrā
mad-arthe tyakta-jīvitāḥ
nānā-śastra-praharaṇāḥ
sarve yuddha-viśāradāḥ

In my army, there are heroes like your good self (Droṇācārya), Grandfather Bhīṣma, Karṇa, Kṛpācārya, who is ever-victorious in battle, Aśvatthāmā, Vikarṇa, Bhūriśravā (the son of Somadatta) and Jayadratha, the king of Sindhu. There are many other heroes who are prepared to give up their lives for my sake. All are equipped with varieties of weapons and are expert in warfare.

Verse 10

The strength of our forces, although protected by Bhīṣma, is not sufficient. On the other hand, the army of the Pāṇḍavas, under the careful protection of Bhīma, is fully competent.

Verse 11

ayaneṣu ca sarveṣu
yathā-bhāgam avasthitāḥ
bhīṣmam evābhirakṣantu
bhavantaḥ sarva eva hi

Therefore, you must all remain in your strategically assigned positions at the entry points and give protection to Grandsire Bhīṣma in every respect.

Verse 12

tasya sañjanayan harṣaṁ
kuru-vṛddhaḥ pitāmahaḥ
siṁha-nādaṁ vinadyoccaiḥ
śaṅkhaṁ dadhmau pratāpavān

Then Grandsire Bhīṣma, the valiant elder of the Kuru dynasty, loudly blew his conch-shell, making a sound like the roar of a lion, thus delighting the heart of Duryodhana.

Verse 13

tataḥ śaṅkhāś ca bheryaś ca
paṇavānaka-gomukhāḥ
sahasaivābhyahanyanta
sa śabdas tumulo ’bhavat

Thereafter, conch-shells, bugles, kettledrums, small drums, horns, trumpets and various other instruments were suddenly sounded simultaneously, creating a tumultuous, fearsome sound.

Verse 14

tataḥ śvetair hayair yukte
mahati syandane sthitau
mādhavaḥ pāṇḍavaś caiva
divyau śaṅkhau pradadhmatuḥ

Then Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Dhanañjaya (Arjuna), situated on an excellent chariot drawn by white horses, blew their divine conch-shells.

Verse 15

pāñcajanyaṁ hṛṣīkeśo
devadattaṁ dhanañ-jayaḥ
pauṇḍraṁ dadhmau mahā-śaṅkhaṁ
bhīma-karmā vṛkodaraḥ

Hṛṣīkeśa Śrī Kṛṣṇa blew His conch-shell known as Pāñcajanya; Dhanañjaya blew his conch known as Devadatta; and Bhīma, the performer of Herculean tasks, whose appetite is insatiable, blew his great conch known as Pauṇḍra.

Verse 16

anantavijayaṁ rājā
kuntī-putro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ
nakulaḥ sahadevaś ca
sughoṣa-maṇipuṣpakau

Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, the son of Kuntī, blew the conch named Anantavijaya. Nakula blew the Sughoṣa conch, and Sahadeva blew the conch known as Maṇipuṣpaka

Verse 17-18

O king of the Earth, Dhṛtarāṣṭrs, that great archer the king of Kāśī; the mahārathī Śikhaṇḍī; Dhṛṣṭadyumna; the king of Virāṭa; the unconquerable Sätyaki; King Drupada; the sons of Draupadī; and Abhimanyu, the son of Subhadrā, all one by one distinctly sounded their respective conch-shells. 

Verse 19

sa ghoṣo dhārtarāṣṭrāṇāṁ
hṛdayāni vyadārayat
nabhaś ca pṛthivīṁ caiva
tumulo ’bhyanunādayan

Reverberating throughout the earth and sky, the tumultuous sound of those conches shattered the hearts of the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra.

Verse 20

atha vyavasthitān dṛṣṭvā
dhārtarāṣṭrān kapi-dhvajaḥ
pravṛtte śastra-sampāte
dhanur udyamya pāṇḍavaḥ
hṛṣīkeśaṁ tadā vākyam
idam āha mahī-pate

O King, after seeing your sons in military array, Kapi-dhvaja Arjuna raised his bow and prepared to shoot his arrows. He then spoke the following words to Śrī Hṛṣīkeśa (Kṛṣṇa).

Verse 21-23

Arjuna said: O Acyuta, let me see all those heroes who are standing here desiring to fight and with whom I shall have to combat in this battle. Let me look upon those who have assembled here desiring the welfare of the evil-minded son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra. Kindly situate my chariot in the midst of these two armies.

Verses 24-25

sañjaya uvāca
evam ukto hṛṣīkeśo
guḍākeśena bhārata
senayor ubhayor madhye
sthāpayitvā rathottamam

bhīṣma-droṇa-pramukhataḥ
sarveṣāṁ ca mahī-kṣitām
uvāca pārtha paśyaitān
samavetān kurūn iti

Sañjaya said: O Bhārata (King Dhṛtarāṣṭra), having thus been addressed by Guḍākeśa (Arjuna), Hṛṣīkeśa (Śrī Kṛṣṇa). drew the excellent chariot into the midst of both armies, in the presence of all the kings and prominent personalities like Bhīṣma and Droṇa. He then said: O Pärtha, just behold this assembly of Kurus

Verse 26

tatrāpaśyat sthitān pārthaḥ
pitṝn atha pitāmahān
ācāryān mātulān bhrātṝn
putrān pautrān sakhīṁs tathā
śvaśurān suhṛdaś caiva
senayor ubhayor api

There, from the midst of both armies, Arjuna saw his paternal uncles, grandfathers, teachers, maternal uncles, cousins, nephews, grandsons, friends, fathers-in-law, sons and well-wishers

Verse 27

tān samīkṣya sa kaunteyaḥ
sarvān bandhūn avasthitān
kṛpayā parayāviṣṭo
viṣīdann idam abravīt

Seeing all his friends and relatives standing before him on the battlefield, the son of Kuntī, Arjuna, lamenting and overwhelmed with compassion for them, spoke thus.

Verse 28

Verse 29

vepathuś ca śarīre me
roma-harṣaś ca jāyate
gāṇḍīvaṁ sraṁsate hastāt
tvak caiva paridahyate

My body is quivering and my hairs are standing on end. My Gāṇḍīva bow is slipping from my hand and my skin is burning.

Verse 30

na ca śaknomy avasthātuṁ
bhramatīva ca me manaḥ
nimittāni ca paśyāmi
viparītāni keśava

O Keśava, I am unable to remain standing. My mind is reeling and I am seeing inauspicious omens

Verse 31

na ca śreyo ’nupaśyāmi
hatvā sva-janam āhave
na kāṅkṣe vijayaṁ kṛṣṇa
na ca rājyaṁ sukhāni ca

O Kṛṣṇa, I do not see how anything auspicious can arise from killing my own kinsmen in battle. Nor do I desire victory, the resulting kingdom, or even happiness.

Verse 32-34

O Govinda! Of what use to us is a kingdom, enjoyment or even life itself, when those for whom we desire them – teachers, uncles, sons, grandfathers, maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law and other relatives – are all standing before us in battle array, ready to give up their lives and wealth? Therefore, O Madhusūdana, even if they kill me, I still do not wish to kill them.

Verse 35

api trailokya-rājyasya
hetoḥ kiṁ nu mahī-kṛte
nihatya dhārtarāṣṭrān naḥ
kā prītiḥ syāj janārdana

O Janārdana, if we kill the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra – even for the sake of sovereignty over the three worlds, what to speak of this Earth – what joy shall we receive?

Verse 36

pāpam evāśrayed asmān
hatvaitān ātatāyinaḥ
tasmān nārhā vayaṁ hantuṁ
dhārtarāṣṭrān sa-bāndhavān
sva-janaṁ hi kathaṁ hatvā
sukhinaḥ syāma mādhava

O Mādhava, sin will take shelter of us because of killing all these aggressors. Therefore, it is improper to kill Duryodhana and our other relatives. How can we be happy by slaying our own kinsmen?

Verse 37-38

O Janārdana, the intelligence of Duryodhana and others has been polluted by greed to attain the kingdom. Thus, they are unable to see the faults that arise from destroying the dynasty, or the sin incurred by betraying their friends. But since we are in knowledge of these faults, why do we not consider the situation and refrain from such improper acts?

Verse 39

kula-kṣaye praṇaśyanti
kula-dharmāḥ sanātanāḥ
dharme naṣṭe kulaṁ kṛtsnam
adharmo ’bhibhavaty uta

When a dynasty is destroyed, the ancient religious traditions of the family, handed down through countless generations, are also destroyed. Upon the destruction of these virtuous traditions, the entire dynasty becomes overcome by irreligion.

Verse 40

adharmābhibhavāt kṛṣṇa
praduṣyanti kula-striyaḥ
strīṣu duṣṭāsu vārṣṇeya
jāyate varṇa-saṅkaraḥ

O Kṛṣṇa, when a dynasty is overpowered by irreligion, the women of that dynasty become degraded. O descendant of Vṛṣṇi, when women become degraded and unchaste, the result is unwanted progeny.

Verse 41

saṅkaro narakāyaiva
kula-ghnānāṁ kulasya ca
patanti pitaro hy eṣāṁ
lupta-piṇḍodaka-kriyāḥ

The generation of such impure progeny certainly takes both the destroyers of the dynasty and the dynasty itself to hell. Indeed, their forefathers, being bereft of oblations of sanctified food and water, must also suffer the same fate.

Verse 42

doṣair etaiḥ kula-ghnānāṁ
varṇa-saṅkara-kārakaiḥ
utsādyante jāti-dharmāḥ
kula-dharmāś ca śāśvatāḥ

Due to the evil deeds of these destroyers of the dynasty, the teachings of religious principles, which accord with timeless family traditions, sink into oblivion.

Verse 43

utsanna-kula-dharmāṇāṁ
manuṣyāṇāṁ janārdana
narake niyataṁ vāso
bhavatīty anuśuśruma

O Janārdana (Śrī Kṛṣṇa), I have heard through disciplic succession that those who are devoid of the religious principles of their dynasty suffer in hell for an unlimited period of time.

Verse 44

aho bata mahat pāpaṁ
kartuṁ vyavasitā vayam
yad rājya-sukha-lobhena
hantuṁ sva-janam udyatāḥ

Alas! How regrettable it is that we are determined to engage in this great sin. Driven by greed for royal happiness, we are prepared to slay our own kinsmen.

Verse 45

Verse 46

sañjaya uvāca
evam uktvārjunaḥ saṅkhye
rathopastha upāviśat
visṛjya sa-śaraṁ cāpaṁ
śoka-saṁvigna-mānasaḥ

Sañjaya said: Having spoken these words in the midst of the battlefield, Arjuna, his mind distracted by lamentation, cast aside his bow and arrows and sat down on the chariot.

“Iti Srimad Bhagavad Gitasu Upanishatsu Brahma Vidyayaam Yogashastre, Sri Krsna Arjuna Samvāde Sainya-Darśana Nāma Prathamodhyāyaha”