Chapter 1
Arjuna Vishada Yoga
Arjuna's Despondency
- Verse 1.1What did my (people) and the Pandavas do, O Sanjaya! when they assembled together on the holy field of Kurukshetra,…
- Verse 1.2Seeing the army of the Pandavas drawn up in battle-array, the prince Duryodhana approached the preceptor, and spoke…
- Verse 1.3'O preceptor! observe this grand army of the sons of Pandu, drawn up in battle-array by your talented pupil, the son…
- Verse 1.4In it are heroes (bearing) large bows, the equals of Bhima and Arguna in battle--(namely), Yuyudhana, Virata, and…
- Verse 1.5and Dhrishtaketu, Kekitana, and the valiant king of Kasi, Purugit and Kuntibhoga, and that eminent man Saibya;
- Verse 1.6the heroic Yudhamanyu, the valiant Uttamaugas, the son of Subhadra, and the sons of Draupadi--all masters of great…
- Verse 1.7learn who are most distinguished among us, and are leaders of my army. I will name them to you, in order that you may…
- Verse 1.8Yourself, and Bhishma, and Karna, and Kripa the victor of (many) battles; Asvatthaman, and Vikarna, and also the son…
- Verse 1.9and many other brave men, who have given up their lives for me, who fight with various weapons, (and are) all…
- Verse 1.10Thus our army which is protected by Bhishma is unlimited; while this army of theirs which is protected by Bhima is…
- Verse 1.11And therefore do ye all, occupying respectively the positions assigned to you, protect Bhishma only.'
- Verse 1.12Then his powerful grandsire, Bhishma, the oldest of the Kauravas, roaring aloud like a lion, blew his conch, (thereby)…
- Verse 1.13And then all at once, conchs, and kettledrums, and tabors, and trumpets were played upon; and there was a tumultuous…
- Verse 1.14Then, too, Madhava and the son of Pandu (Arguna), seated in a grand chariot to which white steeds were yoked, blew…
- Verse 1.15Hrishikesa blew the Panchaganya, and Dhananjaya the Devadatta, and Bhima, (the doer) of fearful deeds, blew the great…
- Verse 1.16King Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, blew the Anantavigaya, and Nakula and Sahadeva (respectively) the Sughosha and…
- Verse 1.17And the king of Kasi, too, who has an excellent bow, and Sikhandin, the master of a great car, and Dhrishtadyumna,…
- Verse 1.18and Drupada, and the sons of Draupadi, and the son of Subhadra, of mighty arms, blew conchs severally from all sides,…
- Verse 1.19That tumultuous din rent the hearts of all (the people) of Dhritarashtra's (party), causing reverberations throughout…
- Verse 1.20Then seeing (the people of) Dhritarashtra's party regularly marshalled, the son of Pandu, whose standard is the ape,…
- Verse 1.21'O undegraded one! station my chariot between the two armies, while I observe those, who stand here desirous to engage…
- Verse 1.22'O undegraded one! station my chariot between the two armies, while I observe those, who stand here desirous to engage…
- Verse 1.23I will observe those who are assembled here and who are about to engage in battle, wishing to do service in battle to…
- Verse 1.24Thus addressed by Gudakesa, O descendant of Bharata! Hrishikesa stationed that excellent chariot between the two…
- Verse 1.25Thus addressed by Gudakesa, O descendant of Bharata! Hrishikesa stationed that excellent chariot between the two…
- Verse 1.26There the son of Pritha saw in both armies, fathers and grandfathers, preceptors, maternal uncles, brothers, sons,…
- Verse 1.27There the son of Pritha saw in both armies, fathers and grandfathers, preceptors, maternal uncles, brothers, sons,…
- Verse 1.28Seeing these kinsmen, O Krishna! standing (here) desirous to engage in battle, my limbs droop down; my mouth is quite…
- Verse 1.29Seeing these kinsmen, O Krishna! standing (here) desirous to engage in battle, my limbs droop down; my mouth is quite…
- Verse 1.30the Gandiva (bow) slips from my hand; my skin burns intensely. I am unable, too, to stand up; my mind whirls round, as…
- Verse 1.31I see adverse omens; and I do not perceive any good (to accrue) after killing (my) kinsmen in the battle.
- Verse 1.32I do not wish for victory, O Krishna! nor sovereignty, nor pleasures: what is sovereignty to us, O Govinda! what…
- Verse 1.33I do not wish for victory, O Krishna! nor sovereignty, nor pleasures: what is sovereignty to us, O Govinda! what…
- Verse 1.34I do not wish for victory, O Krishna! nor sovereignty, nor pleasures: what is sovereignty to us, O Govinda! what…
- Verse 1.35I do not wish for victory, O Krishna! nor sovereignty, nor pleasures: what is sovereignty to us, O Govinda! what…
- Verse 1.36What joy shall be ours, O Ganardana! after killing Dhritarashtra's sons? Killing these felons we shall only incur sin.
- Verse 1.37Therefore it is not proper for us to kill our own kinsmen, the sons of Dhritarashtra. For how, O Madhava! shall we be…
- Verse 1.38Although having their consciences corrupted by avarice, they do not see the evils flowing from the extinction of a…
- Verse 1.39Although having their consciences corrupted by avarice, they do not see the evils flowing from the extinction of a…
- Verse 1.40On the extinction of a family, the eternal rites of families are destroyed. Those rites being destroyed, impiety…
- Verse 1.41In consequence of the predominance of impiety, O Krishna! the women of the family become corrupt; and the women…
- Verse 1.42that intermingling necessarily leads the family and the destroyers of the family to hell; for when the ceremonies of…
- Verse 1.43By these transgressions of the destroyers of families, which occasion interminglings of castes, the eternal rites of…
- Verse 1.44And O Ganardana! we have heard that men whose family-rites are subverted, must necessarily live in hell.
- Verse 1.45Alas! we are engaged in committing a heinous sin, seeing that we are making efforts for killing our own kinsmen out of…
- Verse 1.46If the sons of Dhritarashtra, weapon in hand, should kill me in battle, me weaponless and not defending (myself), that…
- Verse 1.47Having spoken thus, Arguna cast aside his bow together with the arrows, on the battle-field, and sat down in (his)…