Shrimad Bhagavad Gita · 47 verses
Chapter 1: Arjuna's Despair
The two armies face each other at Kurukshetra. Seeing his own family, teachers and friends on the other side, Arjuna is overwhelmed by grief and decides not to fight.
All verses, with meaning
1.1Dhritarashtra's questionBlind King Dhritarashtra asks Sanjaya what his own sons and the sons of Pandu did after ga…1.2Duryodhana approaches DronaSanjaya says that on seeing the Pandava army arranged for battle, Duryodhana went to his t…1.3Looking at the Pandava armyDuryodhana says: Teacher, look at this huge army of the sons of Pandu, arranged by your ow…1.4Heroes of the Pandava sideIn that army are great archers and heroes equal to Bhima and Arjuna in battle, such as Yuy…1.5Heroes of the Pandava sideThere are also Dhrishtaketu, Chekitana, the brave king of Kashi, Purujit, Kuntibhoja and S…1.6Heroes of the Pandava sideAlso present are the bold Yudhamanyu, the mighty Uttamauja, the son of Subhadra and the so…1.7Duryodhana's own commandersNow, best of brahmins, hear also about the leading warriors on our side, the commanders of…1.8Heroes of the Kaurava sideThey are you yourself, Bhishma, Karna, Kripa who wins every battle, Ashvatthama, Vikarna a…1.9Warriors ready to dieMany other brave men, skilled with many weapons and expert in war, are ready to give their…1.10Comparing the two armiesOur strength, protected by Bhishma, is beyond measure, while their strength, protected by …1.11Protect BhishmaSo all of you, standing firm at your posts at every entrance of the formation, must guard …1.12Bhishma blows his conchTo cheer Duryodhana, the old grandsire Bhishma, eldest of the Kurus, roared like a lion an…1.13The sound of warThen conches, kettledrums, tabors, drums and horns all sounded at once, and the noise was …1.14Krishna and Arjuna's conchesThen Krishna and Arjuna, seated in their great chariot yoked to white horses, blew their d…1.15Names of the conchesKrishna blew the Panchajanya, Arjuna blew the Devadatta, and Bhima, the doer of mighty dee…1.16Names of the conchesKing Yudhishthira, son of Kunti, blew the Anantavijaya; Nakula and Sahadeva blew the Sugho…1.17The Pandava allies soundThe great archer king of Kashi, the mighty warrior Shikhandi, Dhrishtadyumna, Virata and t…1.18The Pandava allies soundO lord of the earth, Drupada, the sons of Draupadi and the strong-armed son of Subhadra al…1.19Fear in the Kaurava campThat mighty sound, echoing through earth and sky, tore at the hearts of Dhritarashtra's so…1.20Arjuna raises his bowThen, seeing Dhritarashtra's sons lined up and the weapons about to be used, Arjuna, whose…1.21Chariot between the armiesArjuna said: O Achyuta, place my chariot between the two armies.1.22Arjuna wants to seeKeep it there so that I may look at those who stand ready and eager to fight, and see with…1.23Those who came to fightI want to see those who have gathered here to fight, wishing to please the evil-minded son…1.24Krishna places the chariotSanjaya said: Asked thus by Arjuna, Krishna placed that finest chariot between the two arm…1.25Behold the KurusFacing Bhishma, Drona and all the kings, Krishna said: Partha, look at all these Kurus gat…1.26Arjuna sees his familyThere Arjuna saw, standing in both armies, fathers' generation, grandfathers, teachers, un…1.27Overcome by pitySeeing fathers-in-law and well-wishers in both armies, all his own kin, Arjuna was filled …1.28Arjuna's grief beginsFull of sorrow, Arjuna said: Krishna, seeing my own people standing here eager to fight...1.29Arjuna's body fails...my limbs give way, my mouth is drying up, my body trembles and my hair stands on end.1.30Arjuna's body failsMy bow Gandiva slips from my hand, my skin burns, I cannot stand steady, and my mind is sp…1.31No good in killing kinKeshava, I see bad omens, and I see no good in killing my own people in battle.1.32No wish for victoryKrishna, I do not want victory, nor a kingdom, nor pleasures. Govinda, what use to us is a…1.33For whom we wanted itThe very people for whose sake we wanted kingdom, pleasures and comforts are standing here…1.34All are relativesThey are teachers, fathers, sons, grandfathers, maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons…1.35Refusing to killEven if they kill me, Madhusudana, I do not wish to kill them — not even for the rule of t…1.36Fear of sinWhat joy could we have by killing the sons of Dhritarashtra, Janardana? Only sin would com…1.37Not right to kill kinSo it is not right for us to kill our own kinsmen, the sons of Dhritarashtra. How can we b…1.38Blinded by greedEven if they, blinded by greed, do not see the wrong in destroying the family and the sin …1.39Why not turn away?...why should we, who clearly see the evil of destroying a family, not turn away from this…1.40Loss of family dharmaWhen a family is destroyed, its age-old traditions of dharma are lost, and when dharma is …1.41Social disorderWhen wrongdoing prevails, Krishna, the women of the family are led astray, and from that c…1.42Ancestors also sufferSuch confusion drags both the family and its destroyers down to suffering, and their ances…1.43Traditions destroyedThrough these wrongs of the family-destroyers, which cause social confusion, the lasting t…1.44The fate of such peopleJanardana, we have heard that people whose family traditions are destroyed must live long …1.45Arjuna's regretAlas, how strange that we have set out to commit a great sin, ready to kill our own people…1.46Better to be killedIt would be better for me if the armed sons of Dhritarashtra killed me in battle while I s…1.47Arjuna lays down his bowSanjaya said: Having said this on the battlefield, Arjuna, his mind overwhelmed by sorrow,…