अथ व्यवस्थितान्दृष्ट्वा धार्तराष्ट्रान् कपिध्वज: |
प्रवृत्ते शस्त्रसम्पाते धनुरुद्यम्य पाण्डव: ||20||
हृषीकेशं तदा वाक्यमिदमाह महीपते |
atha vyavasthitān dṛiṣhṭvā dhārtarāṣhṭrān kapi-dhwajaḥ
pravṛitte śhastra-sampāte dhanurudyamya pāṇḍavaḥ
hṛiṣhīkeśhaṁ tadā vākyam idam āha mahī-pate
atha—thereupon; vyavasthitān—arrayed; dṛiṣhṭvā—seeing; dhārtarāṣhṭrān—Dhritarashtra’s sons; kapi-dwajaḥ—the monkey bannered; pravṛitte—about to commence; śhastra-sampāte—to use the weapons; dhanuḥ—bow; udyamya—taking up; pāṇḍavaḥ—Arjun, the son of Pandu; hṛiṣhīkeśham—to Shree Krishna; tadā—at that time; vākyam—words; idam—these; āha—said; mahī-pate—king
Translation:
O King! Now seeing the Kauravas arrayed in battle order and the discharge of weapons about to begin, Arjuna took up his bow and spoke these words to Lord Krishna.
“Now, O lord of the earth, seeing your sons arrayed against him, and when missiles were ready to be hurled, Arjuna, who had the figure of Hanuman on the flag of his chariot, took up his bow and then addressed the following words to Sri Krishna: ‘Krishna, place my chariot between the two armies.’”
In accordance with his promise to Bhimasena (Mahabharata, Vana Parva, 151.17-18), the great hero Hanuman always occupied the huge flag of Arjuna, and from time to time, during the war, he used to give loud and dreadful roars (Mahabharata, Bhishma Parva, 52.18). Sanjaya uses the attribute “Kapidhvaja” for Arjuna in this verse to remind Dhritarashtra of this fact.
Observing that Duryodhana, his brothers, and all the other Kaurava warriors, in their full battle-uniform, were completely ready with their weapons to start the battle, the heroic sentiment was awakened in Arjuna’s mind as well, and he immediately took up the Gandiva bow in his hand. This is what Sanjaya conveys by verse 2.
अर्जुन उवाच |
सेनयोरुभयोर्मध्ये रथं स्थापय मेऽच्युत || 21||
यावदेतान्निरीक्षेऽहं योद्धुकामानवस्थितान् |
कैर्मया सह योद्धव्यमस्मिन् रणसमुद्यमे || 22||
arjuna uvācha
senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya me ’chyuta
yāvadetān nirīkṣhe ’haṁ yoddhu-kāmān avasthitān
kairmayā saha yoddhavyam asmin raṇa-samudyame
arjunaḥ uvācha—Arjun said; senayoḥ—armies; ubhayoḥ—both; madhye—in the middle; ratham—chariot; sthāpaya—place; me—my; achyuta—Shree Krishna, the infallible One; yāvat—as many as; etān—these; nirīkṣhe—look; aham—I; yoddhu-kāmān—for the battle; avasthitān—arrayed; kaiḥ—with whom; mayā—by me; saha—together; yoddhavyam—must fight; asmin—in this; raṇa-samudyame—great combat
Translation:
Arjuna said: O Achyuta, between the two armies draw up my chariot, that I may behold those who stand there eager to fight, and may know, on the eve of battle, with whom I must contend.
Observing that Duryodhana, his brothers, and all the other Kaurava warriors, in their full battle-uniform, were completely ready with their weapons to start the battle, the heroic sentiment was awakened in Arjuna’s mind as well, and he immediately took up the Gandiva bow in his hand. This is what Sanjaya conveys by verse 20.
Referring again to Bhagavan Sri Krishna as “Hrishikesha” in verse 21 , Sanjaya points out to King Dhritarashtra that God Himself, the Knower of all hearts, was acting as Arjuna’s charioteer. Was it not, therefore, the height of ignorance and folly to expect victory in a fight where the Lord Himself was aiding the other side?
“Acyuta” means one who is never vanquished, or who never suffers a fall. The word also implies one who ever remains established in his self, never dissociated from his power and glory. By addressing Sri Krishna by this name, Arjuna reveals his understanding of the glory and reality of Sri Krishna. In other words, Arjuna means to say that regardless of the servile role of driving his chariot, Krishna is nevertheless, and forever, God Himself.
Arjuna then said to Bhagavan Sri Krishna, “And keep it there till I have carefully observed these warriors drawn up for battle and have seen with whom I have to engage in this fight.”
Arjuna requests Krishna to position the chariot between the two armies at a suitable point and for a sufficient length of time so that he could see and closely examine all the warriors arrayed for battle. His intention was to know exactly who were the heroes on the other side with whom he would be required to engage in this dreadful business of war.
Arjuna prays to Krishna to let him see those with whom he has to fight. It is important to consider a few things here:
Firstly, Arjuna’s request to see those he has to fight indicates that, for him, war is a responsibility imposed from above, not a desire from within. War is a compulsion, a necessity, rather than an inherent tendency. He asks to see who has come eager to fight, reflecting the burden of the duty laid upon him.
Secondly, in war, properly identifying the enemy is the first rule. All wars, whether internal or external, require the correct identification of the adversary. Only those who identify their enemy accurately can win the war. The eagerness to fight often blinds one to the reality of who the enemy is, leading to defeat. In this moment, Arjuna is seeking clarity and perspective, showing that he is not driven by anger or blind rage.
Arjuna’s request to observe his enemies suggests a state of witnessing rather than aggression. In moments of anger, observation is usually lost, yet observation is most needed at such times. If there is observation, anger dissipates. This Arjuna is not in anger; therefore, he can talk about observation. He is detached, wanting to see who all have come to fight, who are eager for battle.
This matter of observation is crucial. Whether fighting external enemies or internal ones, right observation is the first principle. If one has to fight with anger, then observe anger; if with greed, then observe greed. Arjuna’s request to Krishna reflects his desire to properly observe those he will battle, which indicates he is not yet fully committed to the fight.
This sets the stage for the Bhagavad Gita, which is about to begin. Even without knowing the rest of the Gita, one could infer from this moment that Arjuna might struggle to fight. A person focused on observation may find it difficult to engage in battle. For Arjuna to fight, he must either abandon his thoughtful nature, like Bhima or Duryodhana, or transcend his thoughts entirely, like Krishna. If Arjuna remains in his current state of thought, he may find it impossible to go to war and might instead choose to flee.
The Gita presents three levels of consciousness: thoughtlessness (where one is driven by instinct like Bhima or Duryodhana), thoughtfulness (where Arjuna currently stands), and a state beyond thought (where Krishna resides). Arjuna’s current state is unstable and wavering, and unless he transcends it, he will struggle to fulfill his warrior’s duty.
Ultimately, the Gita’s message is one of transcending the dualities of thought, reaching a state of higher understanding where action and wisdom are in harmony.