Chapter 1 · 47 verses

अर्जुनविषादयोग

Arjuna Viṣāda Yoga

The Yoga of Arjuna's Dejection

On the field of Kurukshetra, Arjuna surveys both armies and is overcome with grief and moral confusion at the prospect of fighting his own kinsmen, teachers and elders. He lays down his bow, unwilling to fight.

Theme: Despair on the battlefield

All Shlokas (Shloka 1–47)

47 verses

1.1
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच ।Dhritarashtra said: O Sanjaya, assembled on the sacred field of Kurukshetra, eager to fight, what did my sons and the sons of Pandu do?
1.2
सञ्जय उवाचSanjaya said: Having seen the army of the Pandavas drawn up in battle array, King Duryodhana approached his teacher, Drona, and spoke these words.
1.3
पश्यैतां पाण्डुपुत्राणामाचार्य महतीं चमूम्।Behold, O Teacher! This mighty army of the sons of Pandu, arrayed by the son of Drupada, thy wise disciple.
1.4
अत्र शूरा महेष्वासा भीमार्जुनसमा युधि।Here are heroes, mighty archers, equal in battle to Bhima and Arjuna, Yuyudhana (Satyaki), Virata, and Drupada—all mighty warriors.
1.5
धृष्टकेतुश्चेकितानः काशिराजश्च वीर्यवान्।Dhrishtaketu, Chekitana, the valiant king of Kasi, Purujit, Kuntibhoja, and Saibya—the best of men.
1.6
युधामन्युश्च विक्रान्त उत्तमौजाश्च वीर्यवान्।The strong Yudhamanyu and the brave Uttamaujas, the son of Subhadra (Abhimanyu, the son of Subhadra and Arjuna), and the sons of Draupadi, all of them great charioteers (great heroes)."
1.7
अस्माकं तु विशिष्टा ये तान्निबोध द्विजोत्तम।Know also, O best among the twice-born! the names of those who are the most distinguished amongst ourselves, the leaders of my army; these I name to you for your information.
1.8
भवान्भीष्मश्च कर्णश्च कृपश्च समितिञ्जयः।"Thou thyself, Bhishma, Karna, Kripa, the victorious in war, Asvatthama, Vikarna, and Bhurisrava, the son of Somadatta—all these are ready for battle."
1.9
अन्ये च बहवः शूरा मदर्थे त्यक्तजीविताः।And also many other heroes, ready to give up their lives for my sake, armed with various weapons and missiles, all well-skilled in battle.
1.10
अपर्याप्तं तदस्माकं बलं भीष्माभिरक्षितम्।Our army, marshalled by Bhishma, is insufficient, whereas theirs, marshalled by Bhima, is sufficient.
1.11
अयनेषु च सर्वेषु यथाभागमवस्थिताः।Therefore, do all of you, stationed in your respective positions in the several divisions of the army, protect Bhishma alone.
1.12
तस्य संजनयन्हर्षं कुरुवृद्धः पितामहः।His glorious grandsire, the oldest of the Kauravas, roared like a lion to cheer Duryodhana and blew his conch.
1.13
ततः शङ्खाश्च भेर्यश्च पणवानकगोमुखाः।Then, suddenly, conches, kettledrums, tabors, drums, and cow horns blared forth from the Kaurava side, and the sound was tremendous.
1.14
ततः श्वेतैर्हयैर्युक्ते महति स्यन्दने स्थितौ।Then, Madhava (Krishna) and the son of Pandu (Arjuna), seated in the magnificent chariot yoked with white horses, blew divine conches.
1.15
पाञ्चजन्यं हृषीकेशो देवदत्तं धनंजयः।Hrishikesha blew the Panchajanya, Arjuna blew the Devadatta, and Bhima, the wolf-bellied doer of terrible deeds, blew the great conch Paundra.
1.16
अनन्तविजयं राजा कुन्तीपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः।King Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, blew the Anantavijaya; Nakula and Sahadeva blew the Sughosha and the Manipushpaka.
1.17
काश्यश्च परमेष्वासः शिखण्डी च महारथः।The king of Kasi, an excellent archer, Sikhandi, the mighty car-warrior, Dhrishtadyumna, Virata, and Satyaki, the unconquered.
1.18
द्रुपदो द्रौपदेयाश्च सर्वशः पृथिवीपते।Drupada and the sons of Draupadi, O Lord of the Earth, and the son of Subhadra, the mighty-armed, blew their conches each separately.
1.19
स घोषो धार्तराष्ट्राणां हृदयानि व्यदारयत्।The tumultuous sound rent the hearts of Dhritarashtra's party, reverberating through both heaven and earth.
1.20
अथ व्यवस्थितान् दृष्ट्वा धार्तराष्ट्रान्कपिध्वजः।Then, seeing the people of Dhritarashtra's party standing arrayed and the discharge of weapons about to begin, Arjuna, the son of Pandu whose ensign was a monkey, took up his bow and said the following to Krishna, O Lord of the Earth.
1.21
अर्जुन उवाचArjuna said, "O Krishna, place my chariot in the middle between the two armies, so that I may behold those who stand here, desirous to fight, and know with whom I must fight when the battle is about to commence."
1.22
यावदेतान्निरीक्षेऽहं योद्धुकामानवस्थितान्।Arjuna said, "O Krishna, place my chariot in the middle between the two armies, so that I may behold those who stand here, desirous to fight, and know with whom I must fight when the battle is about to commence."
1.23
योत्स्यमानानवेक्षेऽहं य एतेऽत्र समागताः।For I desire to observe those who are assembled here to fight, wishing to please in battle the evil-minded Duryodhana—the son of Dhritarashtra.
1.24
संजय उवाचSanjaya said, Thus addressed by Arjuna, Krishna stationed the best of chariots, O Dhritarashtra, in the midst of the two armies.
1.25
भीष्मद्रोणप्रमुखतः सर्वेषां च महीक्षिताम्।In front of Bhishma and Drona, and all the rulers of the earth, he said: "O Arjuna, son of Pritha, behold these Kurus gathered together."
1.26
तत्रापश्यत्स्थितान्पार्थः पितृ़नथ पितामहान्।Then, Arjuna (son of Pritha) saw there (in the armies) stationed fathers, grandfathers, teachers, maternal uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons, and friends.
1.27
श्वशुरान्सुहृदश्चैव सेनयोरुभयोरपि।He saw fathers-in-law and friends in both the armies. The son of Kunti, Arjuna, seeing all those kinsmen thus standing arrayed, spoke sorrowfully, deeply filled with pity.
1.28
अर्जुन उवाचArjuna said, "O Krishna, seeing my kinsmen arrayed here, eager to fight,
1.29
सीदन्ति मम गात्राणि मुखं च परिशुष्यति।My limbs fail, my mouth is parched, my body quivers, and my hair stands on end.
1.30
गाण्डीवं स्रंसते हस्तात्त्वक्चैव परिदह्यते।The Gandiva slips from my hand, and my skin burns all over; I am unable to stand, and my mind is reeling, as it were.
1.31
निमित्तानि च पश्यामि विपरीतानि केशव।And I see ill omens, O Kesava. I do not see any good in slaying my kinsmen in battle.
1.32
न काङ्क्षे विजयं कृष्ण न च राज्यं सुखानि च।I desire not victory, O Krishna, nor kingdom, nor pleasures. What use is dominion to us, O Krishna, or pleasures or even life?
1.33
येषामर्थे काङ्क्षितं नो राज्यं भोगाः सुखानि च।Those for whose sake we desire kingdom, enjoyments, and pleasures stand here in battle, having renounced life and wealth.
1.34
आचार्याः पितरः पुत्रास्तथैव च पितामहाः।Teachers, fathers, sons, and grandfathers, maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law, and other relatives—
1.35
एतान्न हन्तुमिच्छामि घ्नतोऽपि मधुसूदन।These I do not wish to kill, O Krishna, even though they kill me, for the sake of dominion over the three worlds; leave alone killing them for the sake of the earth."
1.36
निहत्य धार्तराष्ट्रान्नः का प्रीतिः स्याज्जनार्दन।By killing these sons of Dhritarashtra, what pleasure could be ours, O Janardana? Only sin would accrue to us from killing these felons.
1.37
तस्मान्नार्हा वयं हन्तुं धार्तराष्ट्रान्स्वबान्धवान्।Therefore, we should not kill the sons of Dhritarashtra, our relatives; for how can we be happy by killing our own kin, O Madhava (Krishna)?
1.38
यद्यप्येते न पश्यन्ति लोभोपहतचेतसः।Though they, with intelligence overpowered by greed, see no evil in the destruction of families and no sin in hostility to friends,
1.39
कथं न ज्ञेयमस्माभिः पापादस्मान्निवर्तितुम्।Why should we not, who clearly see the evil in the destruction of families, learn to turn away from this sin, O Janardana (Krishna)?
1.40
कुलक्षये प्रणश्यन्ति कुलधर्माः सनातनाः।In the destruction of a family, the immemorial religious rites of that family perish; on the destruction of spirituality, impiety indeed, overwhelms the whole family.
1.41
अधर्माभिभवात्कृष्ण प्रदुष्यन्ति कुलस्त्रियः।O Krishna, by the prevalence of impiety, the women of the family become corrupt; and, when women are corrupted, O Varshenya (descendant of Vrishni), intermingling of castes arises.
1.42
सङ्करो नरकायैव कुलघ्नानां कुलस्य च।Confusion of castes leads to hell for the slayers of the family, for their forebears fall, deprived of the offerings of rice-balls and libations of water.
1.43
दोषैरेतैः कुलघ्नानां वर्णसङ्करकारकैः।By these evil deeds of the destroyers of the family, which cause confusion of castes, the eternal religious rites of the caste and the family are destroyed.
1.44
उत्सन्नकुलधर्माणां मनुष्याणां जनार्दन।We have heard, O Janardana, that those men in whose families the religious practices have been destroyed are inevitably destined to dwell in hell for an unknown period.
1.45
अहो बत महत्पापं कर्तुं व्यवसिता वयम्।Alas! We are involved in a great sin, for we are prepared to kill our kinsmen, out of greed for the pleasures of a kingdom.
1.46
यदि मामप्रतीकारमशस्त्रं शस्त्रपाणयः।If the sons of Dhritarashtra, with weapons in hand, should slay me in battle, unresisting and unarmed, that would be better for me.
1.47
सञ्जय उवाचSanjaya said, Having thus spoken in the midst of the battlefield, Arjuna cast away his bow and arrow and, his mind overwhelmed with sorrow, sat down on the seat of the chariot.