तत्रापश्यत्स्थितान् पार्थ: पितृ नथ पितामहान् |
आचार्यान्मातुलान्भ्रातृ न्पुत्रान्पौत्रान्सखींस्तथा || 26||
श्वशुरान्सुहृदश्चैव सेनयोरुभयोरपि |
tatrāpaśhyat sthitān pārthaḥ pitṝīn atha pitāmahān
āchāryān mātulān bhrātṝīn putrān pautrān sakhīṁs tathā
śhvaśhurān suhṛidaśh chaiva senayor ubhayor api
tatra—there; apaśhyat—saw; sthitān—stationed; pārthaḥ—Arjun; pitṝīn—fathers; atha—thereafter; pitāmahān—grandfathers; āchāryān—teachers; mātulān—maternal uncles; bhrātṝīn—brothers; putrān—sons; pautrān—grandsons; sakhīn—friends; tathā—also; śhvaśhurān—fathers-in-law; suhṛidaḥ—well-wishers; cha—and; eva—indeed; senayoḥ—armies; ubhayoḥ—in both armies; api—also
Translation:
There Arjuna saw fathers, grand-fathers, teachers, uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons, companions, fathers-in-law, and friends in both the armies.
तान्समीक्ष्य स कौन्तेय: सर्वान्बन्धूनवस्थितान् || 27||
कृपया परयाविष्टो विषीदन्निदमब्रवीत् |
अर्जुन उवाच |
दृष्ट्वेमं स्वजनं कृष्ण युयुत्सुं समुपस्थितम् || 28||
tān samīkṣhya sa kaunteyaḥ sarvān bandhūn avasthitān
kṛipayā parayāviṣhṭo viṣhīdann idam abravīt
arjuna uvācha
dṛiṣhṭvemaṁ sva-janaṁ kṛiṣhṇa yuyutsuṁ samupasthitam
tān—these; samīkṣhya—on seeing; saḥ—they; kaunteyaḥ—Arjun, the son of Kunti; sarvān—all; bandhūn—relatives; avasthitān—present; kṛipayā—by compassion; parayā—great; āviṣhṭaḥ—overwhelmed; viṣhīdan—deep sorrow; idam—this; abravīt—spoke; arjunaḥ uvācha—Arjun said; dṛiṣhṭvā—on seeing; imam—these; sva-janam—kinsmen; kṛiṣhṇa—Krishna; yuyutsum—eager to fight; samupasthitam—present;
Translation:
Casting his eyes on all these kinsmen stationed on opposing sides, the son of Kunti was overcome with deep pity and sorrowfully spoke.
Arjuna said: O Krishna, at the sight of these my kinsmen, assembled here eager to give battle, my limbs fail and my mouth is parched.
Now, Arjuna saw before him in both armies his uncles, grand-uncles, teachers, great grand-uncles, maternal uncles, brothers, cousins, sons, nephews, grand-nephews, friends, fathers-in-law, and well-wishers. Hearing the Lord’s direction, Arjuna lifted his eyes and scanned all his relations stationed in the two armies. He observed uncles like Bhurishrava, grand-uncles, great-grand-uncles like Bhishma, Somadatta, and Bahlika. He also saw teachers like Dronacharya and Kripacharya, maternal uncles like Purujit, Kuntibhoja, and Shalya (Madri’s brother), brothers like Yudhishthira and Karna, and cousins like Duryodhana. Arjuna’s sons, nephews, and grand-nephews, like Abhimanyu, Prativindhya, Ghatotkacha, and Lakshmana, stood in the ranks as well. Besides, there were many friends and playmates from his youth, fathers-in-law like Drupada and Shaibya, and other well-wishers who had joined the battle to do good for their respective sides without any selfish motive.
Sanjaya now describes Arjuna’s reaction after observing the warriors in both armies. Seeing all those relations present there, Arjuna was overcome with deep compassion and uttered words of sadness. The preceding verses mentioned Arjuna’s uncles, grand-uncles, and other relations standing in both armies. However, there were other relations like his wife’s brothers—Dhrishtadyumna, Shikhandi, and Suratha—and his sister’s husbands like Jayadratha, and others related to him in various ways. Sanjaya refers to all of them when he says, “all relations present there.”
Seeing all his near and dear ones arrayed for battle, Arjuna felt a deep compassion, a sentiment contrary to the mindset of a warrior. This compassion was born out of excessive attachment and tenderness, leading to a moment of internal conflict. Under this influence, Arjuna forgot his inherent nature—the manliness of a Kshatriya—which is why Sanjaya refers to him as “filled with compassion.”
The term “Idam,” meaning “these words,” refers to all the words Arjuna uttered in the verses beginning with the next and ending with verse 46 of this chapter.
Arjuna saw only his paternal uncles, grandfathers, teachers, brothers, sons, grandsons, peers, fathers-in-law, and friends—his relatives in both armies. Seeing them ready for battle, Arjuna felt great pity and said to Krishna, “O Krishna, seeing these sons, grandsons, and other relatives gathered here, desiring to fight, my body is becoming weak, my mouth is dry, my body is trembling, and I am groaning with fear and sorrow.”
Arjuna’s distress was not due to his aversion to war or violence. His entire life had been dedicated to the rituals and teachings of warfare. However, it is important to understand that the more violent the mind, the more affectionate it can be. Violence and love coexist, and the non-violent mind can even become detached from love.
In truth, one who seeks non-violence must relinquish the sense of “mine.” The emotion of “mine” is violence because as soon as we claim something as ours, we begin to separate ourselves from what is not ours. When we call someone a friend, we inadvertently create an enemy. Drawing boundaries around what is “mine” also creates boundaries with others, leading to violence.
Arjuna’s distress stemmed from his deep attachments. His entire life had been intertwined with these relationships, and the thought of destroying them in battle was unbearable. He realized that the violence of war was not just about killing enemies; it was also about the emotional destruction that came with severing these bonds.
Krishna observed Arjuna’s state and understood that his compassion was rooted in attachment rather than true non-violence. Arjuna’s inner conflict was not about rejecting violence itself but about the pain of losing his loved ones. His identity was so closely tied to these relationships that he felt his own existence would lose its meaning if they were gone.
Arjuna’s sadness was not a result of a newfound aversion to war or violence. It was the deep attachment to his loved ones that made him hesitate. If those standing before him had been strangers, he would not have faltered. But seeing his own people, the people he cared about, made him question the very foundation of his life as a warrior.
Krishna then began to guide Arjuna towards a deeper understanding of duty and detachment. He helped Arjuna see beyond his attachments and recognize the importance of fulfilling his responsibilities as a warrior, without being swayed by personal emotions.
The Bhagavad Gita’s teachings, delivered by Krishna in this moment of Arjuna’s despair, go beyond the immediate context of the battlefield. They address the universal human condition—our struggle with attachments, our duties, and the conflicts that arise when these two come into opposition. Krishna’s guidance to Arjuna is a lesson in finding balance, in understanding the deeper truths of life, and in performing one’s duty with clarity and purpose, without being clouded by personal attachments.