Arjuna Vishada Yoga:
The Yoga of Arjuna’s Sorrow
1:1: Dhritarastra asked Sanjaya: My people, the Kauravas, and the people of Pandu have assembled in the field of righteousness known as Kurukshetra, wanting to fight. What did they do, O Sanjaya?
1:2: Sanjaya replied: Having seen the Pandava army drawn into battle array, King Duryodhana approached his teacher Drona and said:
1:3: O master, behold this great military of Pandu, arrayed by your skillful disciple, the son of Drupada.
1:4: Gathered here are heroes in battle, mighty archers equal to Bhima and Arjuna: Yuyudhana, Virata, and Drupada, each a maha-rathah [or great chariot fighter proficient in war and able to defeat ten thousand archers single-handedly].
1:5, 6: The greatest mortals of all, including Dhristaketu, Cekitana, and the fearless Kasiraja, Purujit, also Kuntibhoja and Shaibya,
Yudhamanyu and the mighty Uttamauja, Abhimanyu, the courageous son of Subhadra [and Arjuna], and the sons of Draupadi; all of whom are certainly great chariot fighters.
1:7: O best of the brahmana, all of my warriors are most powerful, but for the sake of brevity, I will tell only of the military leaders.
1:8: Your honored self, Bhishma, Karna, and Kripa are victorious in battle even as Ashvatthama, Vikarna, and Bhurishrava, the son of Somadatta.
1:9: There are many other heroes as well who are prepared to sacrifice their very lives for my sake. They are armed with many weapons and missiles, and all are well-equipped for battle.
1:10: [Behold] our unlimited forces, commanded by [venerable Grandfather] Bhishma, and their limited army, commanded by Bhima.
1:11: “Everyone in this panoply of troops, divided by divisions and stations, defend [Grandfather] Bhishma!”
1:12: [Bhishma], the grandsire and elder of the Kuru dynasty, encouraged him [Duryodhana] by roaring like a lion and trumpeting his mighty conch.
1:13: Then the conchs, kettledrums, tabors, small drums, and cow horns in unison quickly blared forth their tumultuous sounds.
1:14-19: Thereafter, seated on a great chariot drawn by white horses, Madava [Shri Krishna] and Pandava [Arjuna] likewise blew their celestial conchs. Hrishikesha [Shri Krishna] blew Panchajanya, Dhananjaya [Arjuna] blew Devadatta and Bhima, ‘whose actions inspire fear,’ sounded the great conch named Paundra. King Yudhisthira, the son of Kunti, blew his conch, named Anantavijaya. Nakula and Sahadeva sounded Sughosa and Manipuspaka.
That expert archer, the king of Kashi named Shikhandhi, the great chariot fighter, Dhristadyumna, and Virata, as well as Satyaki the unconquerable — O lord of the Earth [Dhritarastra] — and Drupada, the sons of Draupadi and the well-armed son of Subhadra [Abhimanyu] all sounded their respective conchs. The tumultuous uproar shattered the hearts of the sons of Dhritarastra and even oscillated the sky and earth.
1:20: Then, in battle array with the banner of Hanuman, the son of Pandu [Arjuna] prepared to engage in battle. Beholding the sons of Dhritarastra, he took up arrows and spoke the following words to Hrishikesha [Shri Krishna], O lord of the earth.
1:21-23: Arjuna said, O Eternal Vishnu, please place my chariot between the two armies so that I may behold all those desiring to fight, both those with me and those with whom I must enter this strife of war.
I wish to look upon those assembled here by the evil-minded son of Dhritarastra who are intent upon fighting to please him.
1:24: Sanjaya said: Thus, addressed by Gudakesha [Arjuna], Hrishikesha [Shri Krishna], O descendant of Bharata, placed that best of chariots between the two armies.
1:25: In the presence of [Grandfather] Bhishma and Drona, as well as all the rulers of the earth, [the Lord] spoke these words: O child of Partha, behold all these Kurus who are here gathered.
1:26: There before him the son of Partha [Arjuna] saw stationed before him fathers, grandfathers, teachers, maternal uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons, friends, and fathers-in-law; indeed, well-wishers were in both armies.
1:27: Having seen all these relatives so situated, the son of Kunti [Arjuna] was filled with compassion and deepest lamentation. And he spoke thus:
1:28,29: Arjuna said: O Krishna, seeing all these relatives standing ready and eager to fight; my limbs falter and my mouth is parched. My body is trembling, and the hairs of my body stand erect. Gandiva [my bow] is slipping from my hand and indeed, my skin is burning.
1:30-35: I cannot stand; my mind is reeling, and I see adverse omens everywhere, O Keshava [Krishna].
I see no benefit in killing my relatives in this battle, nor do I desire victory or kingdoms, nor the subsequent happiness that may come about, O Krishna.
O Govinda, what use to us is the kingdom? Where is the enjoyment in life, considering that those for whose sake we desire the kingdom, material enjoyment, and happiness will die today? Those for whom we desire these things — our teachers, fathers, sons, indeed, even our grandfathers — are standing here ready to battle and give up their lives and wealth.
Other relations are present as well, including our maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, and brothers-in-law; all these I do not wish to kill, even if I am killed by them, O Madhusudana [Krishna].
O Janardana [Krishna], what pleasure would there be, even if the three worlds were given as my reward; how, for the sake of this earth, can I kill the sons of Dhritarastra?
1:36: Only guilt will cleave to us by killing these aggressors. Therefore, we are not justified in slaying the sons of Dhritarastra. Indeed, how can we attain happiness by murdering our relations and relatives, O Madhava [Krishna]?
1:37,38: Although these [Kauravas] do not see their fault — their minds being overpowered by greed — the destruction of families and the oppression of friends is a crime!
Why should we, who know the sin of destroying a dynasty, not cease from this crime, O Janardana [Krishna]?
1:39-42: With the destruction of a family, its noble traditions perish. When its eternal rites and religious principles are destroyed, the whole dynasty is overtaken by irreligion.
O Krishna, irreligion having become prevalent, the women of the family become adulterated. When the women become corrupt, O descendant of Vrishni, caste confusion is generated.
Such confusion brings to hell the slayers of the family and the family itself. Then the ancestors are deprived of their sacrificial offerings of rice cakes and water and hence they also fall.
By such faults of the destroyers of the family system, caste confusion leads to the devastation of caste religious traditions, as well as other eternal family traditions.
1:43-45: We have heard, O Janardana [Krishna], that those who spoil family traditions have hell as their eternal abode.
Alas, because of greed for royal pleasures, we have determined to commit a great sin this day and are prepared to kill our own relatives.
Even if the sons of Dhritarastra, weapons in hand, should kill me unarmed and without me making any resistance in battle, for me, that would be better.
1:46: Sanjaya said: Having thus spoken, his mind overwhelmed with grief on the battlefield, Arjuna sat down in his chariot and dropped his bow and arrows.
Here Ends Chapter One