Awareness comes before transformation.
Sanjaya narrates to King Dhritarashtra
भीष्मद्रोणप्रमुखतः सर्वेषां च महीक्षिताम्।उवाच पार्थ पश्यैतान् समवेतान् कुरूनिति।।
bhīṣma-droṇa-pramukhataḥ sarveṣāṁ ca mahī-kṣitām uvāca pārtha paśyaitān samavetān kurūn iti
Use this verse when you are avoiding an uncomfortable truth.
Meaning
In front of Bhishma, Drona, and all the rulers of the earth, Krishna said: O Partha, behold these Kurus assembled here.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Krishna asks Arjuna to look. True guidance does not force conclusions; it invites direct seeing.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
Krishna does not give a lecture here. He simply says, 'Look.' This is profound.
Many times, the first step in spiritual guidance is not advice but awareness. Krishna places Arjuna before Bhishma and Drona, the very people who will trigger his emotional crisis. Divine wisdom does not avoid the painful point; it brings attention to it.
In modern life, healing and clarity begin when we finally look at what we have been avoiding: a strained relationship, ethical compromise, fear of failure, grief, or attachment. The Gita begins transformation through seeing.
Read the traditional commentary
Krishna places the chariot not just between the armies but specifically before Bhishma and Drona — the two figures who will most deeply shake Arjuna's resolve. Then, with a single word, he points: 'Behold.' This is not instruction or warning; it is simply an invitation to see clearly. The entire Gita begins here, in this moment of being invited to look without flinching at what is actually present.
Arjuna is addressed as 'Partha' — son of Pritha (Kunti) — which emphasises his human identity and maternal lineage, linking him to the love, vulnerability, and human heart that is about to be torn by what he sees. The name stands in contrast to his warrior epithet, reminding us that before he is a hero he is a son, a student, a nephew, a friend.
Krishna's 'paśya' — behold — is the most minimal and most powerful teaching: see what is. Not what you fear it to be, not what you wish it to be, not what it was — but what is actually here. This capacity for clear seeing, without the distorting lens of attachment, is the foundation of all the wisdom that follows.
In daily life
Do not rush to solve what you have not fully seen.
Someone may keep changing jobs without looking at the real issue: fear of feedback or difficulty with authority.
Try this today
Choose one avoided issue and write exactly what is happening without judgment.
I have the courage to look clearly and honestly.Reflect
What truth is life asking me to look at directly?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘भीष्मद्रोणप्रमुखतः’ mean in this verse?
The Gita on confusion, in other chapters
- Verse 2.1 · SanjayaWhen we are most overwhelmed by emotion is precisely when we most need the clear wisdom of a true guide.
- Verse 3.2 · ArjunaWhen a teaching overwhelms you, ask sincerely for the one clear next step instead of drowning in every possibility.
- Verse 16.7Losing the sense of what is right to do and right to avoid is the first symptom of a life slipping into darkness.
- Verse 18.31A passion-clouded mind sees right and wrong but distorts them to fit its desires.
Swipe left for 1.26 · Empathy reveals complexity, but it should not destroy clarity.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 1.25
Who says Bhagavad Gita 1.25, and to whom?
Sanjaya narrates to King Dhritarashtra in verse 1.25, in Chapter 1, Arjuna's Dilemma (Arjuna Vishada Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 1.25 mean?
In front of Bhishma, Drona, and all the rulers of the earth, Krishna said: O Partha, behold these Kurus assembled here. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 1.25 for daily life?
Do not rush to solve what you have not fully seen. Someone may keep changing jobs without looking at the real issue: fear of feedback or difficulty with authority.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 1.25 mean?
भीष्मद्रोणप्रमुखतः — in front of Bhishma, Drona and all the kings; सर्वेषाम् — of all; महीक्षिताम् — the rulers of the earth; उवाच — said; पार्थ — O Partha (son of Pritha/Kunti).
Where does verse 1.25 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 25 of 47 in Chapter 1, Arjuna's Dilemma. The next verse is 1.26.