Arjuna Vishada Yoga

धृतराष्ट्र उवाच |

Dhritarashtra said: O Sanjaya, what did my sons and the sons of Pandu do after assembling on the holy field of Kurukshetra, eager to fight?

सञ्जय उवाच |

Sanjaya said: O King, having seen the Pandava army arrayed in military formation, King Duryodhana then approached his teacher Drona and spoke these words.

पश्यैतां पाण्डुपुत्राणामाचार्य महतीं चमूम् |

Duryodhana said: O Teacher, behold this great army of the sons of Pandu, so expertly arrayed in battle formation by your own talented disciple, the son of Drupada.

अत्र शूरा महेष्वासा भीमार्जुनसमा युधि |

Here in this army are great heroes and mighty bowmen equal in battle to Bhima and Arjuna themselves — Yuyudhana (Satyaki), Virata, and the great chariot-warrior Drupada.

धृष्टकेतुश्चेकितानः काशिराजश्च वीर्यवान् |

Also Dhrishtaketu, Chekitana, the valiant King of Kashi, Purujit, Kuntibhoja, and Shaibya — all foremost among men.

युधामन्युश्च विक्रान्त उत्तमौजाश्च वीर्यवान् |

The valiant Yudhamanyu, the heroic Uttamauja, the son of Subhadra (Abhimanyu), and the sons of Draupadi — all of them are great chariot-warriors.

अस्माकं तु विशिष्टा ये तान्निबोध द्विजोत्तम |

O best among the twice-born, hear now of the distinguished commanders of my army — I name the leaders for your information.

भवान्भीष्मश्च कर्णश्च कृपश्च समितिञ्जयः |

There are yourself (Drona), Bhishma, Karna, and Kripa — who is ever victorious in battle — and also Ashvatthama, Vikarna, and the son of Somadatta (Bhurishrava).

अन्ये च बहवः शूरा मदर्थे त्यक्तजीविताः |

And there are many other heroes who are ready to give up their lives for my sake, armed with various weapons and missiles, all experienced and skilled in warfare.

अपर्याप्तं तदस्माकं बलं भीष्माभिरक्षितम् | पर्याप्तं त्विदमेतेषां बलं भीमाभिरक्षितम् ||१०||

Our army, protected by Bhishma, is unlimited and unconquerable. But the army of the Pandavas, protected by Bhima, is limited and can be overcome.

अयनेषु च सर्वेषु यथाभागमवस्थिताः | भीष्ममेवाभिरक्षन्तु भवन्तः सर्व एव हि ||११||

All of you, stationed at your respective positions at every entry point of the battle formation, must fully support and protect Bhishma above all else.

तस्य सञ्जनयन्हर्षं कुरुवृद्धः पितामहः | सिंहनादं विनद्योच्चैः शङ्खं दध्मौ प्रतापवान् ||१२||

Then the mighty grandsire Bhishma, eldest of the Kurus, roared like a lion and blew his conch shell with great power — filling Duryodhana's heart with joy.

ततः शङ्खाश्च भेर्यश्च पणवानकगोमुखाः | सहसैवाभ्यहन्यन्त स शब्दस्तुमुलोऽभवत् ||१३||

Then all at once, conches, kettledrums, small drums, war drums, and bugles were sounded together — and the combined uproar became utterly tumultuous.

ततः श्वेतैर्हयैर्युक्ते महति स्यन्दने स्थितौ | माधवः पाण्डवश्चैव दिव्यौ शङ्खौ प्रदध्मतुः ||१४||

Then, seated in their magnificent chariot yoked with white horses, Krishna and Arjuna blew their divine conch shells.

पाञ्चजन्यं हृषीकेशो देवदत्तं धनञ्जयः | पौण्ड्रं दध्मौ महाशङ्खं भीमकर्मा वृकोदरः ||१५||

Krishna blew his conch Panchajanya; Arjuna blew his conch Devadatta; and Bhima, of terrible deeds and wolf-like appetite, blew his mighty conch Paundra.

अनन्तविजयं राजा कुन्तीपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः | नकुलः सहदेवश्च सुघोषमणिपुष्पकौ ||१६||

King Yudhishthira, son of Kunti, blew his conch Anantavijaya; Nakula blew Sughosa; and Sahadeva blew Manipushpaka.

काश्यश्च परमेष्वासः शिखण्डी च महारथः | धृष्टद्युम्नो विराटश्च सात्यकिश्चापराजितः ||१७||

The supreme archer Kashiraja, the great chariot warrior Shikhandi, Dhrishtadyumna, Virata, and the unconquered Satyaki — all blew their conches.

द्रुपदो द्रौपदेयाश्च सर्वशः पृथिवीपते | सौभद्रश्च महाबाहुः शङ्खान्दध्मुः पृथक्पृथक् ||१८||

Drupada, the sons of Draupadi, and mighty-armed Abhimanyu — son of Subhadra — all blew their individual conches, O lord of the earth.

स घोषो धार्तराष्ट्राणां हृदयानि व्यदारयत् |

The tumultuous sound, reverberating through the sky and across the earth, shattered the hearts of the sons of Dhritarashtra.

अथ व्यवस्थितान्दृष्ट्वा धार्तराष्ट्रान् कपिध्वजः |

Then, O King, seeing the sons of Dhritarashtra arranged in battle formation, Arjuna — whose flag bore the emblem of Hanuman — took up his bow as weapons were about to clash, and spoke these words to Krishna.

सेनयोरुभयोर्मध्ये रथं स्थापय मेऽच्युत ||२१||

O Achyuta, please place my chariot in the middle between both armies.

यावदेतान्निरीक्षेऽहं योद्धुकामानवस्थितान् | कैर्मया सह योद्धव्यमस्मिन् रणसमुद्यमे ||२२||

Let me see those who have assembled here, eager to fight, and with whom I must contend in this great battle.

योत्स्यमानानवेक्षेऽहं य एतेऽत्र समागताः | धार्तराष्ट्रस्य दुर्बुद्धेर्युद्धे प्रियचिकीर्षवः ||२३||

I wish to observe those who have assembled here, ready to fight, eager to please the evil-minded son of Dhritarashtra in battle.

सञ्जय उवाच | एवमुक्तो हृषीकेशो गुडाकेशेन भारत | सेनयोरुभयोर्मध्ये स्थापयित्वा रथोत्तमम् ||२४||

Sanjaya said: O descendant of Bharata, thus addressed by Gudakesha, Hrishikesha placed that finest of chariots in the middle between the two armies.

भीष्मद्रोणप्रमुखतः सर्वेषां च महीक्षिताम् | उवाच पार्थ पश्यैतान्समवेतान्कुरूनिति ||२५||

In the presence of Bhishma, Drona and all the kings, Krishna said: O Partha, behold these Kurus assembled here.

तत्रापश्यत्स्थितान्पार्थः पितॄनथ पितामहान् | आचार्यान्मातुलान्भ्रातॄन्पुत्रान्पौत्रान्सखींस्तथा ||२६||

There Arjuna saw — standing arrayed — fathers, grandfathers, teachers, maternal uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons, and friends as well.

श्वशुरान्सुहृदश्चैव सेनयोरुभयोरपि | तान्समीक्ष्य स कौन्तेयः सर्वान्बन्धूनवस्थितान् ||२७||

Seeing fathers-in-law and dear friends in both armies — having beheld all those kinsmen thus arrayed — he, the son of Kunti...

दृष्ट्वेमं स्वजनं कृष्ण युयुत्सुं समुपस्थितम् |

Seeing my own kinsmen, O Krishna, arrayed here eager to fight, my limbs fail and my mouth is drying up.

सीदन्ति मम गात्राणि मुखं च परिशुष्यति | वेपथुश्च शरीरे मे रोमहर्षश्च जायते ||२९||

My limbs are failing, my mouth dries up, my body trembles, and my hair stands on end.

गाण्डीवं स्रंसते हस्तात्त्वक्चैव परिदह्यते | न च शक्नोम्यवस्थातुं भ्रमतीव च मे मनः ||३०||

My Gandiva bow slips from my hand, my skin burns all over, I am unable to stand, and my mind seems to whirl.

निमित्तानि च पश्यामि विपरीतानि केशव | न च श्रेयोऽनुपश्यामि हत्वा स्वजनमाहवे ||३१||

O Keshava, I see only inauspicious omens, and I cannot foresee any good coming from killing my own kinsmen in this battle.

किं नो राज्येन गोविन्द किं भोगैर्जीवितेन वा ।येषामर्थे काङ्क्षितं नो राज्यं भोगाः सुखानि च ॥३२॥

O Govinda, what use is a kingdom to us? What are pleasures or even life itself? Those for whose sake we desire kingdom, enjoyments, and happiness now stand ready to fight against us.

आचार्याः पितरः पुत्राः तथैव च पितामहाः ।मातुलाः श्वशुराः पौत्राः श्यालाः सम्बन्धिनस्तथा ॥३३॥

Teachers, fathers, sons, grandfathers, maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law, and all manner of kinsmen — all of them stand arrayed before us on this battlefield.

एतान्न हन्तुमिच्छामि घ्नतोऽपि मधुसूदन ।अपि त्रैलोक्यराज्यस्य हेतोः किं नु महीकृते ॥३४॥

O Madhusudana, I do not wish to kill them even if they kill me — not even for sovereignty over the three worlds. How then for the sake of this earth alone?

निहत्य धार्तराष्ट्रान्नः का प्रीतिः स्याज्जनार्दन ।पापमेवाश्रयेदस्मान्हत्वैतानाततायिनः ॥३५॥

O Janardana, what pleasure could we find in killing the sons of Dhritarashtra? Sin alone would overcome us by slaying these aggressors.

तस्मान्नार्हा वयं हन्तुं धार्तराष्ट्रान्स्वबान्धवान् ।स्वजनं हि कथं हत्वा सुखिनः स्याम माधव ॥३६॥

Therefore we should not kill the sons of Dhritarashtra, our own kinsmen. O Madhava, how can we be happy by killing our own people?

यद्यप्येते न पश्यन्ति लोभोपहतचेतसः ।कुलक्षयकृतं दोषं मित्रद्रोहे च पातकम् ॥३७॥

Although these men, their hearts overtaken by greed, see no fault in destroying their dynasty or sin in betraying their friends...

कथं न ज्ञेयमस्माभिः पापादस्मान्निवर्तितुम् ।कुलक्षयकृतं दोषं प्रपश्यद्भिर्जनार्दन ॥३८॥

O Janardana, why should we not know to turn ourselves away from this sin — we who can clearly see the fault in the destruction of the dynasty?

कुलक्षये प्रणश्यन्ति कुलधर्माः सनातनाः ।धर्मे नष्टे कुलं कृत्स्नमधर्मोऽभिभवत्युत ॥३९॥

With the destruction of the dynasty, the eternal family traditions are destroyed. When dharma is ruined, irreligion overcomes the entire family.

अधर्माभिभवात्कृष्ण प्रदुष्यन्ति कुलस्त्रियः ।स्त्रीषु दुष्टासु वार्ष्णेय जायते वर्णसङ्करः ॥४०॥

O Krishna, when irreligion becomes prevalent in the family, the women of the family become corrupted; O Varshneya, when women are thus corrupted, there arises an unwanted intermixture of classes.

सङ्करो नरकायैव कुलघ्नानां कुलस्य च ।पतन्ति पितरो ह्येषां लुप्तपिण्डोदकक्रियाः ॥४१॥

Such unwanted progeny causes hellish life for both the destroyers of the family and the family itself. The ancestors of such families fall down, because the offerings of food and water are stopped.

दोषैरेतैः कुलघ्नानां वर्णसङ्करकारकैः ।उत्साद्यन्ते जातिधर्माः कुलधर्माश्च शाश्वताः ॥४२॥

By the evil deeds of those who destroy the family and cause unwanted population, the eternal community traditions and family traditions are all devastated.

उत्सन्नकुलधर्माणां मनुष्याणां जनार्दन ।नरकेऽनिवसन्ति इत्यनुशुश्रुम ॥४३॥

O Janardana, I have heard from the disciplic succession that those men whose family traditions have been destroyed dwell in hell for an indefinite time.

अहो बत महत्पापं कर्तुं व्यवसिता वयम् ।यद्राज्यसुखलोभेन हन्तुं स्वजनमुद्यताः ॥४४॥

Alas, how strange it is that we are prepared to commit great sin, driven by the desire for royal happiness, and are ready to kill our own kinsmen.

यदि मामप्रतीकारमशस्त्रं शस्त्रपाणयः ।धार्तराष्ट्रा रणे हन्युस्तन्मे क्षेमतरं भवेत् ॥४५॥

If the armed sons of Dhritarashtra were to kill me on the battlefield while I am unarmed and unresisting, that would be better for me.

सञ्जय उवाच ।एवमुक्त्वार्जुनः सङ्ख्ये रथोपस्थ उपाविशत् ।विसृज्य सशरं चापं शोकसंविग्नमानसः ॥४६॥

Sanjaya said: Having spoken thus on the battlefield, Arjuna cast aside his bow and arrows and sat down on the chariot seat, his mind overwhelmed with grief.

इति श्रीमद्भगवद्गीतासूपनिषत्सु ब्रह्मविद्यायां योगशास्त्रे श्रीकृष्णार्जुनसंवादे अर्जुनविषादयोगो नाम प्रथमोऽध्यायः ॥

Thus ends the first chapter of the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, in the Upanishads, the science of the Absolute, the scripture of yoga, in the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, entitled 'Arjuna Vishaada Yoga' — the Yoga of Arjuna's Grief.