Bhagavad Gita · 1.17 · Arjuna's Dilemma·17 of 47
काश्यश्च परमेष्वासः शिखण्डी च महारथः।धृष्टद्युम्नो विराटश्च सात्यकिश्चापराजितः ॥
kāśhyaśhcha parameṣhvāsaḥ śhikhaṇḍī cha
mahā-rathaḥ dhṛiṣhṭadyumno virāṭaśhcha sātyakiśh chāparājitaḥ
Sanskrit recitation
The field is set · 1.1–1.27 · Scene
Translation
The king of Kasi, an excellent archer, Sikhandi, the mighty car-warrior, Dhrishtadyumna, Virata, and Satyaki, the unconquered.
Meaning
Sañjaya informed King Dhṛtarāṣṭra very tactfully that his unwise policy of deceiving the sons of Pāṇḍu and endeavoring to enthrone his own sons on the seat of the kingdom was not very laudable. The signs already clearly indicated that the whole Kuru dynasty would be killed in that great battle. Beginning with the grandsire, Bhīṣma, down to the grandsons like Abhimanyu and others – including kings from many states of the world – all were present there, and all were doomed. The whole catastrophe was due to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, because he encouraged the policy followed by his sons.
After Swami Sivananda
The field is set· 1.1–1.27→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 1.1Dhritarashtra said, "What did my people and the sons of Pandu do when they had assembled together, eager for battle, on the holy plain of Kurukshetra, O Sanjaya?"
- 1.2Sanjaya said: Having seen the army of the Pandavas drawn up in battle array, King Duryodhana approached his teacher, Drona, and spoke these words.
- 1.3Behold, O Teacher! This mighty army of the sons of Pandu, arrayed by the son of Drupada, thy wise disciple.
- 1.4Here are heroes, mighty archers, equal in battle to Bhima and Arjuna, Yuyudhana (Satyaki), Virata, and Drupada—all mighty warriors.
- 1.5Dhrishtaketu, Chekitana, the valiant king of Kasi, Purujit, Kuntibhoja, and Saibya—the best of men.
- 1.6The strong Yudhamanyu and the brave Uttamaujas, the son of Subhadra (Abhimanyu, the son of Subhadra and Arjuna), and the sons of Draupadi, all of them great charioteers (great heroes)."
- 1.7Know also, O best among the twice-born! the names of those who are the most distinguished amongst ourselves, the leaders of my army; these I name to you for your information.
- 1.8"Thou thyself, Bhishma, Karna, Kripa, the victorious in war, Asvatthama, Vikarna, and Bhurisrava, the son of Somadatta—all these are ready for battle."
- 1.9And also many other heroes, ready to give up their lives for my sake, armed with various weapons and missiles, all well-skilled in battle.
- 1.10Our army, marshalled by Bhishma, is insufficient, whereas theirs, marshalled by Bhima, is sufficient.
- 1.11Therefore, do all of you, stationed in your respective positions in the several divisions of the army, protect Bhishma alone.
- 1.12His glorious grandsire, the oldest of the Kauravas, roared like a lion to cheer Duryodhana and blew his conch.
- 1.13Then, suddenly, conches, kettledrums, tabors, drums, and cow horns blared forth from the Kaurava side, and the sound was tremendous.
- 1.14Then, Madhava (Krishna) and the son of Pandu (Arjuna), seated in the magnificent chariot yoked with white horses, blew divine conches.
- 1.15Hrishikesha blew the Panchajanya, Arjuna blew the Devadatta, and Bhima, the wolf-bellied doer of terrible deeds, blew the great conch Paundra.
- 1.16King Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, blew the Anantavijaya; Nakula and Sahadeva blew the Sughosha and the Manipushpaka.
1.17The king of Kasi, an excellent archer, Sikhandi, the mighty car-warrior, Dhrishtadyumna, Virata, and Satyaki, the unconquered.
- 1.18Drupada and the sons of Draupadi, O Lord of the Earth, and the son of Subhadra, the mighty-armed, blew their conches each separately.
- 1.19The tumultuous sound rent the hearts of Dhritarashtra's party, reverberating through both heaven and earth.
- 1.20Then, seeing the people of Dhritarashtra's party standing arrayed and the discharge of weapons about to begin, Arjuna, the son of Pandu whose ensign was a monkey, took up his bow and said the following to Krishna, O Lord of the Earth.
- 1.21Arjuna said, "O Krishna, place my chariot in the middle between the two armies, so that I may behold those who stand here, desirous to fight, and know with whom I must fight when the battle is about to commence."
- 1.22Arjuna said, "O Krishna, place my chariot in the middle between the two armies, so that I may behold those who stand here, desirous to fight, and know with whom I must fight when the battle is about to commence."
- 1.23For I desire to observe those who are assembled here to fight, wishing to please in battle the evil-minded Duryodhana—the son of Dhritarashtra.
- 1.24Sanjaya said, Thus addressed by Arjuna, Krishna stationed the best of chariots, O Dhritarashtra, in the midst of the two armies.
- 1.25In front of Bhishma and Drona, and all the rulers of the earth, he said: "O Arjuna, son of Pritha, behold these Kurus gathered together."
- 1.26Then, Arjuna (son of Pritha) saw there (in the armies) stationed fathers, grandfathers, teachers, maternal uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons, and friends.
- 1.27He saw fathers-in-law and friends in both the armies. The son of Kunti, Arjuna, seeing all those kinsmen thus standing arrayed, spoke sorrowfully, deeply filled with pity.
Word-by-word→
- cha
- and
- kāśhyaḥ
- King of Kashi
- sātyakiḥ
- Satyaki
- virāṭaḥ
- Virat
- aparājitaḥ
- invincible
- mahā-rathaḥ
- warriors who could single handedly match the strength of ten thousand ordinary warriors
- śhikhaṇḍī
- Shikhandi
- parama-iṣhu-āsaḥ
- the excellent archer
- dhṛiṣhṭadyumnaḥ
- Dhrishtadyumna
Related verses
- 1.1Dhritarashtra said, "What did my people and the sons of Pandu do when they had assembled…
- 1.2Sanjaya said: Having seen the army of the Pandavas drawn up in battle array, King…
- 1.4Here are heroes, mighty archers, equal in battle to Bhima and Arjuna, Yuyudhana (Satyaki),…
- 1.9And also many other heroes, ready to give up their lives for my sake, armed with various…