Bhagavad Gita Chapters: |
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2 |
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6 |
7 |
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9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
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15 |
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- 1. Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “O Sanjaya, what did my people and the Pāṇḍavas do, gathered together on the holy field of Kurukshetra, eager for battle?”
- 2. Sanjaya said: King Duryodhana, upon seeing the Pandava army in battle array, approached his teacher Drona and said these words.
- 3. Behold, O teacher, this mighty army of the Pandavas, arrayed by the son of Drupada, your intelligent disciple.
- 4. There (in that army) are heroes, great bowmen, such as Bhima and Arjuna; Yuyudhana, Virata, and Drupada, a mighty warrior;
- 5. Dhrstaketu, Cekitana, the valiant king of Kasi, Purujit, Kuntibhoja, and Saibya, the best among men;
- 6. Yudhamanyu, the valiant one, and Uttamaujas, the strong one; and also the son of Subhadra, as well as the sons of Draupadi, all mighty warriors.
- 7. Know, O best of Brahmanas, those who are important on our side—those who are the commanders of my army. I shall name them to refresh your memory.
- 8. Yourself, Bhisma, Karna, the victorious Krpa, Asvatthama, Vikarna, and Jayadratha, the son of Somadatta;
- 9. And there are many other heroes who are determined to give up their lives for my sake. They are all experts in using manifold missiles and dexterous in battle.
- 10. Our force is inadequate, guarded by Bhisma, while their force is adequate, guarded by Bhima.
- 11. Therefore, all of you, taking your places firmly in your respective divisions, should guard Bhisma at all costs.
- 12. Then the valiant grandsire Bhisma, the senior-most of the Kuru clan, roared like a lion and blew his conch with the intention of cheering up Duryodhana.
- 13. Then suddenly conchs, kettle drums, trumpets, tabors, and blow horns blared forth, and the sound was terrific.
- 14. Then Sri Krishna and Arjuna, stationed in their great chariot yoked with white horses, blew their divine conchs.
- 15. Sri Krishna blew his conch, Pancajanya, Arjuna his Devadatta, and Bhima of terrible deeds blew his great conch, Paundra.
- 16. King Yudhisthira, the son of Kunti, blew his conch, Anantavijaya, and Nakula and Sahadeva blew their conchs, Sughosa and Manipuspaka.
- 17. And the King of Kasi, the supreme bowman, Sikandi the mighty warrior, Dhrstadyumna, and Virata; and Satyaki, the invincible;
- 18. Drupada and the sons of Draupadi, as well as the strong-armed son of Subhadra—all, O King, blew their respective conchs again and again.
- 19. And that tumultuous uproar, reverberating through heaven and earth, rent the hearts of Dhrtarastra's sons.
- 20. Then Arjuna, whose banner crest was Hanuman, on beholding the sons of Dhrtarastra arrayed, took up his bow, while missiles were beginning to fly.
- 21. And he spoke, O Lord of the Earth, these words to Sri Krishna: Arjuna said, “Draw up my chariot, O Krishna, between the two armies.
- 22. So that I may have a good look at those who are standing, eager to fight, and know with whom I must fight in this enterprise of war.
- 23. I wish to see those gathered here ready to fight in this battle in order to please the evil-minded son of Dhrtarashtra.
- 24. Sanjaya said: Thus addressed by Arjuna, Sri Krishna drew up the best of chariots between the two armies, in full view of Bhisma, Drona, and all the other kings, O Dhrtarastra. He then said, "O Arjuna, behold these assembled Kauravas."
- 25. Sanjaya said: Thus addressed by Arjuna, Sri Krishna drew up the best of chariots between the two armies, in full view of Bhisma, Drona, and all the other kings, O Dhrtarastra. He then said, "O Arjuna, behold these assembled Kauravas."
- 26. Then, as Arjuna looked on, he saw standing there fathers, grandfathers, teachers, uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons, and comrades.
- 27. Fathers-in-law and dear friends in both armies, when Arjuna saw all these kinsmen arrayed,
- 28. He was filled with deep compassion and said these words in despair:
- 29. My limbs have weakened, my mouth has become parched, my body is trembling, and my hairs are standing on end.
- 30. The bow Gandiva slips from my hand and my skin is burning. I can no longer stand. My mind seems to be reeling.
- 31. I see, Kṛṣṇa, inauspicious omens. I foresee no good in slaying my kinsmen in battle.
- 32. I desire no victory, nor empire, nor pleasures. What have we to do with empire, O Krishna, or enjoyment, or even life?
- 33. Those for whose sake we desire empire, enjoyment, and pleasures, stand here in war, renouncing life and wealth.
- 34. all these are to be regarded as one's own self.
Teachers, fathers, sons, grandfathers, uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law, and other kinsmen—all these are to be regarded as one's own self.
- 35. I would not slay them, even if they might slay me, for the sovereignty of the three worlds—how much less for this earth, O Krsna?
- 36. If we were to kill the sons of Dhrtarastra, what joy would be ours, O Krsna? Sin alone would accrue to us if we killed these murderous felons.
- 37. Therefore, it is not befitting for us to slay our kin, the sons of Dhrtarastra. For if we kill our kinsmen, O Krsna, how can we be happy?
- 38. Though these people, whose minds are overpowered by greed, see no evil in the destruction of a clan and no sin in treachery to friends,
- 39. Why should we not learn to shun this crime—we who see the evil of ruining a clan, O Krishna?
- 40.
With the ruin of a clan, its ancient traditions perish, and when traditions perish, lawlessness overtakes the whole clan.
- 41. When lawlessness prevails, O Krsna, the women of the clan become corrupted; when women become corrupted, there arises an intermixing of classes.
- 42. This mixing of classes leads to hell for the clan itself and its destroyers; for the spirits of their ancestors fall degraded, deprived of the ritual offerings of food and water.
- 43. By the sins of the clan-destroyers who bring about intermixing of classes, the ancient traditions of the clans and classes are destroyed.
- 44. For those whose clan laws are destroyed, dwelling in hell is ordained, O Krishna; thus, we have heard.
- 45. Alas! We have resolved to commit a great sin, for we are ready to slay our kin out of desire for sovereignty and enjoyment.
- 46. If the well-armed sons of Dhrtarastra should slay me in battle, unresisting and unarmed, that would be better for me.
- 47. Sanjaya said: Having spoken thus on the battlefield, Arjuna threw aside his bow and arrows and sat down on the chariot seat, his heart overwhelmed with grief.