Bhagvad Gita - Chapter: 1 Arjuna Visada Yogah

Arjuna Visada Yogah - There, Arjuna saw his uncles, grandfathers, teachers, maternal uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons, and friends, on both sides of the battlefield.

तत्रापश्यत्स्थितान् पार्थ: पितृ नथ पितामहान् |
आचार्यान्मातुलान्भ्रातृ न्पुत्रान्पौत्रान्सखींस्तथा |
श्वशुरान्सुहृदश्चैव सेनयोरुभयोरपि ||26||

There, Arjuna saw his uncles, grandfathers, teachers, maternal uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons, and friends, on both sides of the battlefield.

Pitarah: Fathers or ancestors.
Acharyah: Teachers.
Bhratarah: Brothers.

As Arjuna surveys the battlefield, he sees familiar faces, including family members and respected elders. This scene marks the moment when Arjuna begins to feel conflicted about fighting in the war. The sight of his loved ones makes him question the righteousness of engaging in such a destructive conflict.

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Arjuna Visada Yogah - Seeing all his relatives gathered there, Arjuna, son of Kunti, was overwhelmed with compassion and sorrow, and he spoke these words.

तान्समीक्ष्य स कौन्तेय: सर्वान्बन्धूनवस्थितान् |
कृपया परयाविष्टो विषीदन्निदमब्रवीत् ||27||

Seeing all his relatives gathered there, Arjuna, son of Kunti, was overwhelmed with compassion and sorrow, and he spoke these words.

Kunti: The mother of Arjuna.
Krupaya: Compassion.
Vishidann: Overwhelmed with sorrow.

Arjuna’s emotional turmoil deepens as he sees his kin on the battlefield. His sense of duty conflicts with his compassion for his relatives. This verse marks the start of Arjuna’s profound inner struggle, where the weight of his moral dilemma leads him to question the very purpose of the war.

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अर्जुन उवाच दृष्ट्वेमं स्वजनं कृष्ण युयुत्सुं समुपस्थितम् |
सीदन्ति मम गात्राणि मुखं च परिशुष्यति ||28||

Arjuna said: O Krishna, seeing my own kinsmen standing ready to fight, my limbs weaken, my mouth dries up, and my body trembles.

Svajanam: One’s own people.
Sidanti: Becoming weak or faint.
Parishushyati: Drying up or parched.

Arjuna begins expressing his physical reactions to the emotional stress he is experiencing. The sight of his relatives ready to kill each other causes him to feel weak, shaky, and paralyzed by fear. This verse conveys the depth of Arjuna’s inner crisis, where his body reacts to the mental conflict he faces.

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वेपथुश्च शरीरे मे रोमहर्षश्च जायते |
गाण्डीवं स्रंसते हस्तात्त्वक्चै व परिदह्यते ||29||

My body shivers, and my hair stands on end. The Gandiva (my bow) slips from my hand, and my skin burns all over.

Gandiva: Arjuna’s celestial bow.
Tvak: Skin.
Paridahyate: Burning sensation.

Arjuna continues to describe his physical symptoms, highlighting the extent of his distress. His inability to hold his bow, a symbol of his warrior duty, reflects his internal turmoil. The burning sensation and loss of control indicate his intense psychological and emotional suffering as he grapples with the decision to fight.

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न च शक्नोम्यवस्थातुं भ्रमतीव च मे मन: |
निमित्तानि च पश्यामि विपरीतानि केशव ||30||

I am unable to stand any longer, and my mind seems to be reeling. I foresee only evil, O Krishna.

Bhramati: Reeling or spinning.
Viparitan: Inauspicious or evil omens.

Arjuna’s emotional breakdown deepens as he confesses that he cannot stand firm due to his mental and physical state. His mind is clouded, and he perceives only negative outcomes, reflecting his inner turmoil and the overwhelming moral dilemma he faces about the consequences of war.

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न च श्रेयोऽनुपश्यामि हत्वा स्वजनमाहवे |
न काङ्क्षे विजयं कृष्ण न च राज्यं सुखानि च ||31||

I do not see how any good can come from killing my own relatives in this battle. I do not desire victory, kingdom, or pleasures.

Shreyah: Good or beneficial.
Sukhan: Pleasures or comforts.

Arjuna openly questions the purpose of the war. He expresses that no victory, kingdom, or pleasure can justify the killing of his kin. This statement reveals his deep sense of disillusionment, as he begins to reject the material gains that the war is supposed to bring, considering them hollow without family.

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Arjuna Visada Yogah - O Govinda, what is the use of a kingdom, or pleasures, or even life itself, when those for whom we desire these things stand here ready to fight?

किं नो राज्येन गोविन्द किं भोगैर्जीवितेन वा |
येषामर्थे काङ्क्षितं नो राज्यं भोगा: सुखानि च ||32||

O Govinda, what is the use of a kingdom, or pleasures, or even life itself, when those for whom we desire these things stand here ready to fight?

Govinda: A name for Krishna, meaning protector of cows.
Bhogah: Pleasures or enjoyments.

Arjuna asks Krishna what good can come from material success when the very people for whom these gains are sought are on the battlefield, prepared to fight. He is grappling with the emotional weight of potentially losing loved ones and questions the value of life and luxury in such a context.

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