Bhagavadgītā (Bhagavad Gita): Chapter I (Arjunaviṣāda) Pure

Arjuna's disappointment - Pure translation

 Introduction

Sañjaya, disciple of Vyāsa himself, was asked by Dhṛtarāṣṭra about the situation of the two armies in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra. Sañjaya had the power of supernormal sight, and he could see what was occurring in Kurukṣetra though he was not there. The blind king Dhṛtarāṣṭra knew this, and that is why he asked Sañjaya to tell him what was happening between the Kaurava army commanded by his eldest son, Duryodhana, and that one commanded by the five Pāṇḍava-s. Bhagavadgītā thus begins...

This is a "pure translation" document, that is, there will be no original Sanskrit, but sometimes there will be a minimal quantity of transliterated Sanskrit in the translations themselves of the stanzas. Of course, there will not be any word for word translation. Anyway, there will be very often transliterated Sanskrit in the explanatory notes. If you are a blind person using a screen reader and do not want to read the notes, or simply if you are not blind but want to skip the notes, click on the respective "Skip the notes" link to jump directly onto the next stanza.

Important: All that is in brackets and italicized within the translation has been added by me in order to complete the sense of a particular phrase or sentence. In turn, all that is between double hyphen (--...--) constitutes clarifying further information also added by me. Besides, although I have not written any commentary on each stanza, I have added my own notes when a more detailed explanation is needed. In addition, note that I will use inverted commas to delimit text only when the person speaking is not Sañjaya himself (the narrator). Therefore, the words spoken by Sañjaya will not be delimited by inverted commas or quotation marks.

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 Chapter 1: Arjunaviṣāda (Arjuna's disappointment)

Dhṛtarāṣṭra said:
"(After having) met in Kurukṣetra, (also known as) Dharmakṣetra, full of desires to fight, oh Sañjaya, what did my own (sons) along with the 'reputed' sons of Pāṇḍu¹ do?"||1||
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¹ I wrote "reputed" because the five Pāṇḍava-s (Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīma, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva) were not really the sons of Pāṇḍu, but of the divinities Dharma, Vāyu and Indra (the three first Pāṇḍava-s), while the two Aśvī-s were the fathers of the twin-brothers Nakula and Sahadeva.

 Sañjaya said:
Certainly, having seen the Pāṇḍava army arrayed for battle, king Duryodhana then, approaching to (his) master¹, told (him)||2||
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¹ That is, Droṇācārya, who had given him military instruction. Likewise, the five Pāṇḍava-s had been trained by Droṇācārya too, but he took the Kaurava-s' side when the war began. Droṇācārya married Kṛpī, the twin-sister of king Kṛpācārya. This king is mentioned merely as "Kṛpa" later on in the text (8^th stanza). In turn, Droṇācārya and Kṛpī had a son, whose name was Aśvathāmā. Aśvathāmā is also mentioned later in the same 8^th stanza.

 "Oh master!, look at this large army of the sons of (king) Pāṇḍu arrayed for battle by the son of Drupada, your intelligent disciple¹"||3||
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¹ The son of Drupada was Dhṛṣṭadyumna, who had also been disciple of Droṇācārya. Since Drupada was father-in-law of Arjuna, Dhṛṣṭadyumna was brother-in-law of the great Pāṇḍava.

 "In this (army), brave men (and) great archers equal to Bhīma (and) Arjuna in battle, (such as) Yuyudhāna and Virāṭa, as well as (such) a great warrior (as) Drupada"||4||

"Dhṛṣṭaketu, Cekitāna and the powerful (warrior known as) Kāśirāja; Purujit and Kuntibhoja, as well as Śaibya, the excellent hero"||5||

"The bold (warrior called) Yudhāmanyu and the powerful (hero) Uttamaujās; Saubhadra and the sons of Draupadī, all of them great warriors indeed"||6||

"However, as far as our own side is concerned, oh first among the twice-born!, (just) learn (the names of) those who (are) the pre-eminent generals of my army. I am speaking about them to you (only) for (your) information"||7||
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¹ "Dvijottama" (dvija-uttama), that is, "first among the twice-born", is an epithet of Droṇācārya. By the word "dvija" or twice-born, the author is referring to the brāhmaṇa-s or priests.

 "You, Bhīṣma and Karṇa, as well as Kṛpa, who is (always) victorious in battle; Aśvathāmā and Vikarṇa, as well as Saumadatti"||8||

and the translation for the second version of the stanza reads

"You, Bhīṣma and Karṇa, as well as Kṛpa, who is (always) victorious in battle; Aśvathāmā, Vikarṇa and Saumadatti, whose war-chariot is (always) victorious"||8||

 "(There are) also many other bold men ready to abandon their lives for the sake of me. All of them strike with multiple weapons (and) are skillful in war "||9||

"That military force of ours, protected and commanded by Bhīṣma, (is) unlimited. But, this military force of theirs, protected and commanded by Bhīma, (is) limited"||10||

"And those (men) stationed, each in their respective position, in all strategical points, (that is,) all of you indeed, must protect Bhīṣma"||11||

Majestic paternal grandfather (Bhīṣma), the eldest among the Kaurava-s, blew (his) conch-shell powerfully, which sounded (like) a lion's roar. (This) caused joy to him --i.e. to Duryodhana--||12||

Afterward, conch-shells and kettledrums, along with small drums, large drums (and) horns, suddenly were sounded. The sound became tumultuous||13||

After that, the descendant of Madhu¹ and the descendant of Pāṇḍu², standing on a great war-chariot yoked with white horses, blew (their) two divine conch-shells||14||
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¹ Epithet for Kṛṣṇa.
² Epithet for Arjuna.

 The Lord of the senses¹ blew (his own conch-shell called) Pāñcajanya, (while) the conqueror of wealth² blew (his conch-shell known as) Devadatta. (In turn,) wolf-bellied³, (also named) Bhīmakarmā⁴, blew (his) great conch-shell (called) Pauṇḍra||15||
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¹ Epithet for Kṛṣṇa.
² Epithet for Arjuna.
³ Epithet for Bhīma.
⁴ Literally, "dreadful", or else "one who performs formidable actions".

 King Yudhiṣṭhira, son of Kuntī, (blew his conch-shell, whose name was) Anantavijaya. Nakula and Sahadeva (blew their two respective conch-shells called) Sughoṣa and Maṇipuṣpaka||16||

 The most excellent archer of Kāśī --also known as Vārāṇasī city-- and the great warrior Śikhaṇḍhī, (together with) Dhṛṣṭadyumna, Virāṭa and unconquered Sātyaki, (also blew their own conch-shells)||17||

Drupada and all sons of Draupadī, oh king!, as well as big-armed Saubhadra, blew (their respective) conch-shells, each of them separately||18||

That tumultuous sound (caused) sky and earth to resound, (and) rent the hearts of the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra||19||

Now, having seen the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra drawn up for battle, the descendant of Pāṇḍu¹ who has (the figure of) a monkey² on his flag or standard, raised (his) bow to commence discharging arrows||20||
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¹ Epithet for Arjuna.
² The monkey referred to is Hanumān, the loyal servant of Lord Rāmacandra.

 ¹Then, (Arjuna) spoke these words to the Lord of the senses², oh king!: "Station my chariot, oh Acyuta³, in the middle of both armies so that I (may) behold these (warriors) posted (here and) anxious for battle, with whom I am to fight in this first phase of the struggle"||21-22||
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¹ I joined these two stanzas together because the contents of the former naturally flow into the latter.
² Epithet for Kṛṣṇa.
³ Acyuta literally means "one who has not fallen". Sometimes it is translated as "unfailing", as in the case of arrows that do not fail the target. Kṛṣṇa, being God Himself appearing in a human form, never falls or fails, this is the sense.

 "I (want to) see the ones who are going to fight, (I want to see) these who met here wishing to please in battle the foolish and malignant (son) of Dhṛtarāṣṭra"||23||

Oh descendant of Bharata¹!, having been so said by the thick-haired one², the Lord of the senses³ stationed the best of the chariots⁴ in the middle of the two armies||24||
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¹ That is, Dhṛtarāṣṭra
² Epithet for Arjuna.
³ Epithet for Kṛṣṇa.
⁴ "Rathottama" (the best of the chariots), epithet of the Arjuna's chariot.

  In front of Bhīṣma, Droṇācārya and of all earth-rulers, (Kṛṣṇa) said: "Oh son of Pṛthā¹, look at these descendants of Kuru assembled (here)"||25||
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¹ Epithet for Arjuna.

 There, the son of Pṛthā¹ then saw fathers, paternal grandfathers, masters, maternal uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons as well as friends standing (in the battlefield). (He could) even (see) fathers-in-law and well-wishers in both armies. Having beheld all those relatives standing (there), that son of Kuntī², filled with a (feeling of) great compassion, said this in despair:

"After having seen my own people who have come (here) wishing to fight, oh Kṛṣṇa, my limbs become wearied and (my) mouth is dried up. Besides, (there is) a tremor in my body, and a bristling of the hair is (also) occurring. (My bow called) Gāṇḍiva gets loose from (my own) hand, and (my) skin is burning. I cannot stand (here any longer), and my mind is wandering about, as it were"||26-30||
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¹ Epithet for Arjuna.
² Epithet for Arjuna.

 "I see inauspicious and adverse causes (in all this), oh long-haired One¹. And I can see no good in killing (my) own people in battle"||31||
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¹ Epithet for Kṛṣṇa. It is to be noted that this word might also mean alternatively: "slayer of the demon Keśī".

  "I do not desire victory, oh Kṛṣṇa, nor a kingdom and pleasures. Oh Cowherd¹, what is the point of a kingdom to us, what is the point of enjoyments or (even one's own) life (when) all these (people), for the sake of whom we desire a kingdom, enjoyments and pleasures, are (now) engaged in war after having abandoned (their) lives and riches?

Spiritual teachers, fathers, sons as well as paternal grandfathers, maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law and (other) relatives... I do not want to kill them although they (want to) kill (me), oh destroyer of the demon Madhu², even in return for the sovereignty over the three worlds, let alone in order to get (a piece of) land"||32-35||
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¹ Epithet for Kṛṣṇa.
² Epithet for Kṛṣṇa.

 "Oh You who agitates men¹, what pleasure or satisfaction would we obtain by attacking and destroying the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra? By killing these whose bows are drawn to take our lives, sin would attach or adhere to us"||36||
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¹ Epithet for Kṛṣṇa.

 "Therefore, we are not entitled to kill the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, who are our own relatives. How would we become happy by killing our own people, oh descendant of Madhu¹, even if these (people), whose intelligence is affected by covetousness, do not see (neither) fault or wickedness in the act of destroying a family nor a crime in the act of injuring friends"||37-38||
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¹ Epithet for Kṛṣṇa.

 "Oh You who agitates men¹, how is it possible that we do not know (the way) to get ourselves rid of sin (when) we can actually see the fault or wickedness in the act of destroying a family?"||39||
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¹ Epithet for Kṛṣṇa.

 "On the destruction of a family, the eternal duties and observances peculiar to a family vanish, (and) when (that) dharma --duty and observance-- is lost, unrighteousness and irreligion overpower the entire family, certainly"||40||

 "Oh Kṛṣṇa, by means of the predominance of unrighteousness and irreligion, the women of the family are defiled or polluted. When women are corrupted, oh descendant of Vṛṣṇi¹, arises a mixture or confusion of castes (due to intermarriage)"||41||
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¹ Epithet for Kṛṣṇa.

 "For (both) the killers or destroyers of a family and the family (itself, that) mixture or confusion is synonymous with 'hell'¹ indeed. Undoubtedly, their forefathers fall (because) the ceremonies (in which there is offering of) balls of rice (and) water (to them) are suppressed"||42||
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¹ Or "leads to hell".

 "Due to these faults of the killers or destroyers of the family, which bring about mixture or confusion of castes, the eternal caste duties and the duties and observances peculiar to a family are annihilated"||43||

"Oh You who agitates men¹, we have heard repeatedly (that) 'the human beings whose family's duties and observances have been abolished, always live in hell'"||44||
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¹ Epithet for Kṛṣṇa.

 "Oh, alas!, we are willing to commit a great sin as we are intent on killing our own people out of greediness or desire for the enjoyment of a kingdom"||45||

"If the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, weapons in hand, were to kill me in battle, (while I am) unarmed (and unable) to oppose resistance, that would be more comfortable to me"||46||

Having so said in (the) battle(field), Arjuna, pushing aside (his) bow along with the arrows, sat down on the seat of the chariot, with his mind agitated by sorrow||47||

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 Further Information

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