Arjuna's Dilemma
Arjuna Vishada Yoga • 47 verses
On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna sees his relatives and teachers arrayed on both sides and is overcome with grief and confusion. He loses his resolve to fight, setting the stage for Krishna's teachings.
Chapter Overview
Two armies face each other at Kurukshetra, and Arjuna asks to be driven into the gap between them so he can see who he is about to fight.
That is when it stops being abstract. The men opposite him are his cousins, the teachers who trained him, the grandfather who raised him. His bow slips out of his hand. His skin burns. He tells Krishna he cannot do this.
What follows is not cowardice, and the Gita never treats it as such. Arjuna argues well — families will be broken, children will grow up without fathers, the old order will come apart. Every word of it is true. He is still wrong, and it takes Krishna seventeen chapters to show him why.
Nothing is resolved here. That is the point. The chapter sets down a problem most people recognise, the moment when doing the right thing means hurting someone you love, and then leaves you sitting in it — which is exactly where Arjuna is when Chapter 2 begins.
Key Verses
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच | धर्मक्षेत्रे कुरुक्षेत्रे समवेता युयुत्सवः | मामकाः पाण्डवाश्चैव किमकुर्वत सञ्जय ॥१॥
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ | māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva kim akurvata sañjaya ||1||
Dhritarashtra said: O Sanjaya, after assembling in the place of pilgrimage at Kurukshetra, what did my sons and the sons of Pandu do, being desirous to fight?
सञ्जय उवाच दृष्ट्वा तु पाण्डवानीकं व्यूढं दुर्योधनस्तदा। आचार्यमुपसङ्गम्य राजा वचनमब्रवीत्।।
sañjaya uvāca dṛṣṭvā tu pāṇḍavānīkaṁ vyūḍhaṁ duryodhanas tadā ācāryam upasaṅgamya rājā vacanam abravīt
Sanjaya said: Having seen the army of the Pandavas arrayed in battle formation, King Duryodhana then approached his teacher Drona and spoke these words.
पश्यैतां पाण्डुपुत्राणामाचार्य महतीं चमूम्। व्यूढां द्रुपदपुत्रेण तव शिष्येण धीमता।।
paśyaitāṁ pāṇḍu-putrāṇām ācārya mahatīṁ camūm vyūḍhāṁ drupada-putreṇa tava śiṣyeṇa dhīmatā
O teacher, behold this mighty army of the sons of Pandu, so skilfully arrayed by the son of Drupada — your own talented student.
अत्र शूरा महेष्वासा भीमार्जुनसमा युधि। युयुधानो विराटश्च द्रुपदश्च महारथः।।
atra śūrā maheṣvāsā bhīmārjuna-samā yudhi yuyudhāno virāṭaś ca drupadaś ca mahārathaḥ
Here in this army are great heroes, mighty archers equal to Bhima and Arjuna in battle — Yuyudhana, Virata, and the great chariot-warrior Drupada.
धृष्टकेतुश्चेकितानः काशिराजश्च वीर्यवान्। पुरुजित्कुन्तिभोजश्च शैब्यश्च नरपुङ्गवः।।
dhṛṣṭaketuś cekitānaḥ kāśirājaś ca vīryavān purujit kuntibhojaś ca śaibyaś ca nara-puṅgavaḥ
Dhrishtaketu, Chekitana, the valiant King of Kashi, Purujit, Kuntibhoja, and Shaibya — the foremost among men — are all present here.