The Gita: Text—Translation

CHAPTER ONE

Dhrtarāstra uvāca

dharmaksetre kuruksetre samaveta yuyutsavah

 māmakāh pāndavāścaiva kimakurvata sanjaya    (1)

Dhritarashtra said,

O Sanjaya, gathered together for war on the holy field of Kurukshetra, what did my partisans and those of the Pandavas do?

Sanjaya uvāca

drstva tu pāndavānīkam vyūdhām duryodhanastadā

 ācāryamupasangamya rājā vacanamabravīt        (2)

Sanjaya said,

Thereupon, King Duryodhana on seeing the Pandava army arranged in battle order approached the preceptor and said these words:

paśyaitam pānduputrānāmācārya mahatīm camūm

 vydhām drupadaputrena tava śisyena dhīmatā    (3)

"Look, 0 Teacher, look at this huge Pandava army arranged in order of battle by your clever disciple Dhrishtadyumna, the son of Drupada.

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atra śūrā mahesvāsā bhīmdrjunasamā yudhi

 yuyudhāno virātaśca drupadaśca māhdrathdh   (4)

dhrstaketuscekitānah kāśirājaśca vīryavān

 purujit kuntibhojasca saibyasca narapungavah   (5)

yudhāmanyuśca vikrdnta uttamaujaśca viryavān

saubhadro draupadeyāśca sarva eva mahārathāh  (6)

In this enormous army there are courageous men and mighty wielders of bow like unto Bhima and Arjuna— Yuyudhana, Virata, and Drupada, the great chariot-war rior.

There are Dhrishtaketu, Chekitana and the man of great might, the king of Kashi, there are Purujit and Kuntibhoja and Shaibya, the best of men. The powerful Yudhamanyu is there and the mighty Uttamauja, Abhimanyu the son of Subhadra, and the sons of Draupadi, great warriors all.

asmākantu viśistā ye tānnibodha dvijottama

nāyakā mama sainyasya sanjnārtham tān

bravīmi te                                                                     (7)

Those among us who are possessed of extraordinary strength, those who are the leaders of my troops, of them I recount the names that you may remember them, note:

bhavān bhīsmasca karnaśca krpasca samitinjayah

 aśvatthāmā vikarnasca saumadattirjayadrathah     (8)

 anye ca bahavah śūrā madarthe tyaktajīvitāh

 nānāśastrapraharanāh sarve yuddhaviśāradāh         (9)

Yourself and Bhishma, Kama and Kripa, the winner in battle, Aswatthama, Vikama, Bhurisrava, the son of  Somadatta, and Jayadratha, and many another man of courage have given up their attachment to life for my sake. All of

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them are skilled in warfare and are accoutred with many kinds of weapons.

aparyāptam tadasmdkām balam bhīshmābhiraks-

itam

paryāptam tvidametesām balam bhīmābhirak-

sitam                                                                             (10)

The strength of this army of ours is unlimited, on top of that Bhishma is our defender; the strength of that army of theirs is limited and Bhima alone is their hope and protection.

ayanesu ca sarvesu yathdbhāgamavasthitāh

bhismamevdbhiraksantu bhavantah sarva eva hi

                                                                                       (11)

Therefore all of you should protect Bhishma alone by remaining at your appointed stations among the troops at all the entries to the battle-field.

taśya śanjanayan harsarh kuruvrddh  pitāmahah

 simhanādam vinadyoccaih śankham dadhmau pratā pavān  (12)

Giving rise 10 joy in Duryodhana's heart, grandfather Bhishma the oldest of the Kauravas uttered a loud battle- cry that resounded through the field and blew with great power into his conch.

tatah śankhāśca bheryaśca panavānakagomukhāh

 sahasaivābhyahanyanta sa śabdastumulo'bhavat

                                                                                          (13)

Then suddenly there arose the sounds of conchs and horns and war-drums of all kinds, the battle-field was filled with loud noises.

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tatah śvetairhayaire yuktemahati syandane sthitau

mādhavah pāndavaścaiva divyau śankhau prada- dhmatuh   (14)

Thereupon, standing on their huge chariot drawn by white horses, Krishna and Pandu's son Arjuna blew their divine conchs.

pāncajanyam hrśikeso devadattam dhananjayah

 paundram dadhnau mahasankham bhimakarmd vrkodarah (15)

Hrishikesha blew his Pancajanya, Arjuna his conch named Devadatta, and Bhima of terrifying deeds blew his mighty conch named Paundra.

anantavijayam rājā kuntīputro yudhisthirah

 nakulah sahadevasca sughosamanipuspakau            (16)

King Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, blew his conch Anantavijaya, and Nakula and Sahadeva blew theirs named Sughosha and Manipushpaka.

kāsyaśca paramesvāsah śikhandī ca mahārathah

 dhrstadyumno virātaśca sātyakiścāparajitah (17)

 drupado draupadeyāśca sarvaśah prthivīpate

saubhadraśca mahābāhuhā Sankhan dadhmuh prthak prthak  (18)

Kashi's king, the supreme archer, the great chariot-fighter Shikhandi, Dhrishtadyumna and the unbeaten warrior Satyaki, Drupada and Draupadi's sons, the long-armed son of Subhadra, all blew their respective conchs from every direction.

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sa ghoso dhārtarāśtranam hrdaydni vyadarayat

 nabhaśca prthivincaiva tumulo vyanunddayan (19)

That mighty report sent tumultuous echoes through earth and sky and rent asunder the hearts of Dhritarashtra's sons.

atha vyavasthitān drstvā dhārtarāstrdn kapidhvajah

pravrtte sastrasampdte dhanurudyamya pdndavah

hrsīkesam tadā vākyamidamāha mahipate (20)

Then, after the missiles had begun to fly, Pandu's son Arjuna raised his bow and said these words to Hrishikesha:

Arjuna uvaca

senayorubhayormadhye ratham sthdpaya me'acyuta

                                                                             (21)

ydvadetdnnirikse'nam yoddhukdmdnavasthitān

 kairmayd. saha yoddhavyamasmin ranasamudyame

                                                                             (22)

yotsyamdndnavekse'ham ya ete'tra samdgatāh

 dhartardstrasya durbuddheryuddhe priyacikirsavah

                                                                               (23)

Arjuna said:

"O sinless one, place my chariot at a mid-point between the two armies, that I may gaze for sometime at these adversaries seized with the desire for battle. Let me see who are they who want a fight, who have come together here with the object of performing in the battle-field acts dear to Duryodhana, the misguided son of Dhritarashtra."

Sanjaya uvāca

 evamukto hrsīkeśo guddkesena bhārata

                 senayorubhayormadhye sthāpayitvā rathottamam

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         bhīsmadronapramukhatah sarvesānca mahīksitām

              uvāca pārtha paśyaitdn samavetān kuruniti      (25)

Sanjaya said:

On hearing these words of Arjuna, Hrishikesha placed that excellent chariot at a mid-point between the two armies, and arriving in front of Bhishma, Drona and all the other princes, said, "O Partha, watch all the Kurus gathered here."

tātrāpaśyat sthitānpārthah pitrnatha pitāmahān

     ācāryānmātulānbhrātrnputrdnpautrdnsakhimstathā

 śvaśurān suhrdaścaiva senayorubhayorapi     (26)

In that field of battle, Partha saw standing among the two opposing forces, fathers and grandfathers, teachers, uncles, brothers, sons and grandsons, friends, fathers-in- law and intimate companions, all his kith and kin.

tānsamīksya sa kaunteyah sarvān bandhunavasthitān

krpayā paraydvisto visidannidamabravit (27)

On seeing all those friends and relations thus standing before him, Kunti's son was overtaken by an acute sense of pity and said these words, his heart stricken with grief:

Arjuna uvaca

drstvemān svajanān krsna yuyutsum samavasthitān

 sīdanti mama gdtrdni mukhanca parisusyuti (28)

vepathuśca śarire me romaharsaśca jāyate

 gāndīvam sramsate hastāt tvak caiva paridahvate (29)

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Arjuna said:

"O Krishna, on seeing all these my own people ranged for battle, the limbs of my body are feeling weary, my mouth is getting parched, all over the body there is shivering and the hairs stand on edge, the Gandiva bow is slipping out of my hand without control, my skin is as if burning with fire.

na caśaknomyavasthātum bhramativa came manah

 nimittāni ca paśyāmi vipantdni kesava (30)

I can no longer keep standing, my mind is beginning as if to whirl,  Keshava, I am seeing evil omens.

na ca śreyo'nupaśyāmi hatvā svajanamahāve

 na kānkse vijayam krsna na ca rājyam sukhāni ca

                                                                          (31)

I do not see any good from killing my own people in battle. O Krishna, I do not wish for victory, nor do I want a kingdom nor seek happiness either.

kim no rājyena govinda kim bhogairjīvitena vā

 yesāmarthe kānksitam no rājyam bhogāh sukhāni ca

                                                                       (32)

ta ime'vasthitā yuddhe prānāmstyaktvādhanāni

ācāryāh pitarah putrāstathaiva ca pitāmahdh (33)

Tell me, O Govinda, what do we gain from kingdom? what profit is there in enjoyment? of what use is life itself? Those for whom kingdom and enjoyment and life become desirable are themselves present in this battlefield after renouncing their life and wealth—they who are teachers and fathers, sons and grandfathers,

mātulāh śvaśurāh pautrdh sydlah sambandhinas-

tathā etānna hantumicchdmi ghnato'pi madhusudana(34)

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api tratlokyarāyasya hetoh kim nu mahīkrte

 nihatya dhārtarasfrānnah kā prītih syājjanārdana

                                                                            (35)

uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law and other relatives. O Madhusudana, if they kill me, even then I do not wish to kill them, not even for the sake of dominion over the three worlds, what to say of the lordship of earth. What, O Janardana, can be our happiness of mind by killing the sons of Dhritarashtra ?

pāpamevāśrayedasmān hatvaitānātatāyinah

tasmānnārhā vayam hantum dhārtarāstrān svabāndhavān

svajanam hi katham hatvā sukhinah syāma mādhava (36)

They are out to kill, nevertheless, to kill them would be to give shelter in our mind to sin. Therefore, since the sons of Dhritarashtra are our kin, we are not the persons fit to destroy them. In what way, O Madhava, shall we be happy by killing our own people ?

yadyapyete na paśyanti lobhopahatacetasah

kulaksayakrtam dosarh mitradrohe ca pdtakam

                                                                      (37)

Under the influence of greed they have lost their understanding, and they do not appreciate the evils arising from a deterioration of the clans and the heinous sin of doing harm to one's friends.

katham na jneyamasmābhih pāpādasmdnnivartitum

kulaksayakrtam dosam prapasyadbhirjandrdana

                                                                       (38)

But we, O Janardana, realise the harm caused by the deterioration of clans. Why should we not wake to the

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knowledge, why should we not desist from this sin?

kulaksaye pranaśyanti kuladharmāh sanātanāh

               dharme naste kulam krtsnamadharmo'bhibhavatyuta   (39)

With a deterioration of the clan, all the established laws of right living come to an end, and with that, unrighteousness overtakes the entire clan.

adharmābhibhavāt krsna pradusyanti kulastriyah

 strīsu dustāsu vārsneya jāyate varnasankarah (40)

Under the influence of unrighteousness, 0 Krishna, the women of the clan lose their virtue; when the women lose their virtue, there is admixture of castes.

sankaro narakāyaiva kulaghnānām kulasya ca

 patanti pitaro hyesām luptapindodakakriydh   (41)

The admixture of castes is the cause of the clansmen and the destroyers of clans going to hell, because the ancestors are thereby deprived of the food and water given them as offerings and they fall from the world of the fathers.

dosairetaih kulaghnānām varnasankarakārakaih

utsādyante jātidharmāh kuladharmāśca sasvatah

                                                                              (42)

As a result of all these evils caused by the destroyers of clans and leading to the admixture of castes, the old established laws of the nation and the clan come to naught.

utsannakuladharmānām manusyānām Janārdana

 narake niyatam vāso bhavatītyanuśruma (43)

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In hell is assigned the abode of those the laws of whose clans have come to naught; this is what we have heard

from of old.

ahobata mahatpāpam kartum vyavasitā vayam

yadrājyasukhalobhena hantum svajanamudyatāh

                                                                           (44)

Lo ! the extremely heinous sin we had determined to commit, that we were making efforts to kill our own people out of greed for the pleasure of dominion.

yadi māmapratīkāramaśastram śastrapānayah

dhārtardstrā rane hanyustanme ksemataram bhavet

                                                                               (45)

It were better for me if the sons of Dhritarashtra accoutred in arms should kill me when I am without arms and make no effort to resist.

Sanjaya uvāca

evamuktvārjunah sankhye rathopastha upviśat

 visrjya saśram cāpam śokasamvignamānasah (46)

Sanjaya said:

With these words, his mind stained by the upsurge of grief, Arjuna threw away his bow with the arrow fixed on it and sat down in his chariot.

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