Chapter 1
Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra
- dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre haiyā ekatra
- yuddhakāmī mamaputra pāṇḍava sarvatra
- ki karila tārpar kahata sañjay
- dhṛtarāṣṭra jijñāsaye sandigdha hṛday
Text 1: Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: O Sañjaya, after my sons and the sons of Pāṇḍu assembled in the place of pilgrimage at Kurukṣetra, desiring to fight, what did they do?
- sañjay kahilen:
- rājā śuna mana diyā
- pāṇḍaver sainya-sajjā sājāna dekhiyā
- rājā duryodhan śīghra droṇācārya pāśe
- yāiyā vṛttānta sab kahila sakāśe
Text 2: Sañjaya said: O King, after looking over the army arranged in military formation by the sons of Pāṇḍu, King Duryodhana went to his teacher and spoke the following words.
- ācārya cāhiyā dekha mahatī senānī
- pāṇḍu-putra raciyāche vyūha nānā-sthānī
- tava śiṣya vuddhimān drupadera putra
- sājāila ei sab kari ekasūtra
Text 3: O my teacher, behold the great army of the sons of Pāṇḍu, so expertly arranged by your intelligent disciple the son of Drupada.
- eisthāne vartamān vahu yoddhāgaṇ
- bhīmārjun-sama tā'rā dhanurdhārī han
- yuyudhān virāṭ drupad mahārathī sab
- dhṛṣṭaketu cekitān kāśīra puṁgav
- purujit kuntibhoj śaivya-rājā-gaṇ
- yudhāmanyu vikrānta nahe sādhāraṇ
- vīryavān ye ei soubhadra draupadeya
- sakalei mahārathī keha nahe heya
Text 4: Here in this army are many heroic bowmen equal in fighting to Bhīma and Arjuna: great fighters like Yuyudhāna, Vīrāṭa and Drupada.
Text 5: There are also great heroic, powerful fighters like Dhṛṣṭaketu, Cekitāna, Kāśīrāja, Purujit, Kuntibhoja and Śaivya.
Text 6: There are the mighty Yudhāmanyu, the very powerful Uttamaujā, the son of Subhadrā and the sons of Draupadī. All these warriors are great chariot fighters.
- āmāder madhye yārā viśiṣṭa mahān
- dvijottama śuna tāhā kariyā manan
- senāpati ye ye sab mama sainya-pāśe
- saṁjñārthe tomāre kahi aśeṣa viśeṣe
Text 7: But for your information, O best of the brāhmaṇas, let me tell you about the captains who are especially qualified to lead my military force.
- āpani ār pitāmaha bhīṣmādi-gaṇ
- kṛpācārya raṇajayī hay ekatre varṇan
- aśvatthāmā vikarṇādi soumadatti ār
- yathā-yathā tathā tathā sainya se apār
Text 8: There are personalities like you, Bhīṣma, Karṇa, Kṛpa, Aśvatthāmā, Vikarṇa and the son of Somadatta called Bhūriśrava, who are always victorious in battle.
- ār ye anek vīr āmāra lāgiyā
- āsiyāche hethā sab jīvana tyajiyā
- nānā-astrapāṇi sab yuddhe viśārad
- erā sab hay mor yuddhera saṁsad
Text 9: There are many other heroes who are prepared to lay down their lives for my sake. All of them are well equipped with different kinds of weapons, and all are experienced in military science.
- aparyāpta mama sainya bhīṣma senāpati
- paryāpta oder sainya bhīm yār gati
- yathā-sthāne sthita thāki āpani sakale
- rakṣa bhīṣma pitāmahe hena yuddha-sthale
Text 10: Our strength is immeasurable, and we are perfectly protected by Grandfather Bhīṣma, whereas the strength of the Pāṇḍavas, carefully protected by Bhīma, is limited.
Text 11: All of you must now give full support to Grandfather Bhīṣma, as you stand at your respective strategic points of entrance into the phalanx of the army.
- tabe sei pitāmaha vṛddha kurupati
- harṣa utpādane yave kaila sthira-mati
- siṁha-nāde bājāila śaṁkha sei vīr
- ucca-rav sei sab atīva gambhīr
Text 12: Then Bhīṣma, the great valiant grandsire of the Kuru dynasty, the grandfather of the fighters, blew his conchshell very loudly, making a sound like the roar of a lion, giving Duryodhana joy.
- śuni sei śatru-rav yata śaṁkha bherī
- gomukha paṇavānaka bājila satvari
- sahasā uṭhila sei raṇera jhaṁkār
- tumula haila śavda vahula apār
Text 13: After that, the conchshells, drums, bugles, trumpets and horns were all suddenly sounded, and the combined sound was tumultuous.
- tārpar śveta aśva rathete vasiyā
- āsila ye mahā-yuddhe niyukta haiyā
- mādhava āra pāṇḍava divya saṁkha dhari
- vājāila pare pare apūrva mādhurī
Text 14: On the other side, both Lord Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, stationed on a great chariot drawn by white horses, sounded their transcendental conchshells.
- hṛṣīkeśa bhagavān pāñcajanya-rave
- dhanañjaya bājāila devadatta sabe
- bhīmakarmā bhīmasen bājāila pare
- pouṇḍra-nām saṁkha sei ati uccaiḥ-svare
Text 15: Lord Kṛṣṇa blew His conchshell, called Pāñcajanya; Arjuna blew his, the Devadatta; and Bhīma, the voracious eater and performer of herculean tasks, blew his terrific conchshell, called Pouṇḍra.
- yudhīṣṭhir dhare śaṁkha rājā kuntiputra
- ananta-vijay sei ghoṣaṇā sarvatra
- nakula bājāla śaṁkha sughoṣa tāra nām
- sahadev bājāla maṇi-puṣpaka nām
- tārpar eke eke yata mahā-rathī
- dhanurdhar kāśirāj śikhaṇḍī sārathi
- dhṛṣṭadyumna virāṭādi vīr se sātyaki
- mahā-yoddhā pāre yārā yujhite ekākī
- drupad āra draupadeya pṛthivīpate
- soubhadra bājāla śaṁkha yār yār mate
Texts 16-18: King Yudhiṣṭhira, the son of Kuntī, blew his conchshell, the Anantavijaya, and Nakula and Sahadeva blew the Sughoṣa and Maṇipuṣpaka. That great archer the king of Kāśī, the great fighter Śikhaṇḍī, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, Virāṭa, the unconquerable Sātyakī, Drupada, the sons of Draupadī, and others, O King, such as the mighty-armed son of Subhadrā, all blew their respective conchshells.
- se śavda bhāṅila buk dhārta-rāṣṭragaṇe
- ākāśa bhedila pṛthvī kṅāpila saghane
Text 19: The blowing of these different conchshells became uproarious. Vibrating both in the sky and on the earth, it shattered the hearts of the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra.
- kapi-dhvaj dekhi dhārta-rāṣṭrera gaṇere
- yuddhera sajjāy sethā milila acire
- nija astra dhanurvāṇ yathāsthāne dhari
- yuddhera lāgiyā sethā smarila śrīhari
Text 20: At that time, Arjuna, the son of Pāṇḍu, seated in the chariot bearing the flag of Hanumān, took up his bow and prepared to shoot his arrows. O King, after looking at the sons of Dhṛtarāṣtra drawn in military array, Arjuna then spoke to Lord Kṛṣṇa these words.
- mahipate! pāṇḍuputra kahe hṛṣīkeśe
- ubhaya senār mājhe rathera praveśe
- yāvata dekhiba ei yuddha-kāmīgaṇe
- tāvata rākhibe ratha acyuta ekhāne
- dekhibāre cāhi kevā āsiyāche hethā
- kāhāra sahita habe yujhibāre sethā
Texts 21-22: Arjuna said: O infallible one, please draw my chariot between the two armies so that I may see those present here, who desire to fight, and with whom I must contend in this great trial of arms.
- yuddhakāmīgaṇe āj nirakhiba āmi
- durvuddhi dhārta-rāṣṭrer janya yuddhakāmī
Text 23: Let me see those who have come here to fight, wishing to please the evil-minded son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra.
- se kathā śuniyā hṛṣīkeś bhagavān
- ubhaya senār dike haila āguyān
- ubhaya senār madhye rākhi rathottam
- kahite lāgila kṛṣṇa haiyā sambhram
Text 24: Sañjaya said: O descendant of Bharata, having thus been addressed by Arjuna, Lord Kṛṣṇa drew up the fine chariot in the midst of the armies of both parties.
- dekha pārtha samaveta dhārta-rāṣṭragaṇ
- bhīṣma droṇ pramukhata yata yoddhāgaṇ
Text 25: In the presence of Bhīṣma, Droṇa and all the other chieftains of the world, the Lord said, Just behold, Pārtha, all the Kurus assembled here.
- tārpar dekhe pārtha yoddhṛ-pitṛgaṇ
- ācārya mātul ādi pitṛsama han
- dekhe putra pautrādik yata sakhājan
- ār saba vahu lok ātmīya-svajan
- śvaśurādi kuṭumvīya nāhi pārāpār
- ubhaya-pakṣīya sainya se hala apār
Text 26: There Arjuna could see, within the midst of the armies of both parties, his fathers, grandfathers, teachers, maternal uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons, friends, and also his father-in-law and well-wishers.
- tādera dekhila pārtha saba-i vāndhava
- kṅāpila hṛdaya tāra viṣaṇṇa vaibhava
- kṛpāte kṅāpiche man ati dayāvān
- viṣaṇṇa haiyā bale śuna bhagavān
Text 27: When the son of Kuntī, Arjuna, saw all these different grades of friends and relatives, he became overwhelmed with compassion and spoke thus.
- arjun kahaye kṛṣṇa erā ye svajan
- raṇāṁgane āsiyāche karibāre raṇ
- dekhiyā āmār gātre hayeche romāñca
- mukha-madhye ras nāi e ye mahāvañca
Text 28: Arjuna said: My dear Kṛṣṇa, seeing my friends and relatives present before me in such a fighting spirit, I feel the limbs of my body quivering and my mouth drying up.
- kṅāpiche śarīr mor sahite nā pāri
- gāṇḍīv khasiyā yāy ki kariyā dhari
- jvaliyā uṭhiche tvak mahā-tāpa vāṇ
- haio nā haio nā vandhu ār āguyān
Text 29: My whole body is trembling, my hair is standing on end, my bow Gāṇḍīva is slipping from my hand, and my skin is burning.
- asthira hayechi āmi sthir nahe man
- sab bhul haye yāya ki kari ekhan
- viparīta artha dekhi śunaha keśav
- e yuddhe kāj nāhi hala paṇḍa sab
Text 30: I am now unable to stand here any longer. I am forgetting myself, and my mind is reeling. I see only causes of misfortune, O Kṛṣṇa, killer of the Keṣī demon.
- kona hita nāhi hethā svajana-saṁhāre
- yuddhe mor kāj nāi phirāo āmāre
- he kṛṣṇa! vijaya mor nāhi se ākāṅkṣā
- rājya ār sukh śānti saba-i āśaṅkā
Text 31: I do not see how any good can come from killing my own kinsmen in this battle, nor can I, my dear Kṛṣṇa, desire any subsequent victory, kingdom, or happiness.
- yādera lāgiyā cāhi sukha-bhoga śānti
- tārāi eseche hethā dite se aśānti
- dhana prāṇa saba tyaji marivār tare
- sabāi eseche hethā ke jīye ke mare
- eseche ācārya pūjya pitāra samān
- saṅge āche pītāmaha ār putragaṇ
- mātula śvaśura pautra kata ye kahiba
- śālā ār samvandhī sabāi mariba
- āmi mari kṣati nāi erā yadi mare
- edera marite śakti nāhi dekhibāre
- tribhuvana rājya yadi pāiba jiniyā
- tathāpi nā lai tāhā edera māriyā
- dhārta-rāṣṭragaṇe māri kivā prīti habe
- janārdana tumi kṛṣṇa āpani kahibe
Text 32-35: O Govinda, of what avail to us are a kingdom, happiness or even life itself when all those for whom we may desire them are now arrayed on this battlefield? O Madhusūdana, when teachers, fathers, sons, grandfathers, maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law, and other relatives are ready to give up their lives and properties and are standing before me, why should I wish to kill them, even though they might otherwise kill me? O maintainer of all living entities, I am not prepared to fight with them even in exchange for the three worlds, let alone this earth. What pleasure will we derive from killing the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra?
- edera mārile mātra pāpa lābha habe
- emana vipakṣa śatru ke dekheche kabe
- ei dhārtarāṣṭra-gaṇ sa-vāndhava hay
- ucita nā hay kārya tāhādera kṣay
- svajana māriyā bala kebā kabe sukhī
- sukha-leśa nāhi mātra haba śudhu duḥkhī::
Text 36: Sin will overcome us if we slay such aggressors. Therefore it is not proper for us to kill the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra and our friends. What should we gain, O Kṛṣṇa, husband of the goddess of fortune, and how could we be happy by killing our own kinsmen?
- yadyapi erā nāhi dekhe lobhījana
- kula-kṣaya mitra-droha saba alakṣaṇa
- esab pāpera rāśi ke vahite pāre
- bujhibe tumi ta sab bujhāve āmāre
- ucit ki nahe ei pāpe nivṛtti
- bujhā ki ucit nahe sei kupravṛtti
- kulakṣaye yei doṣ jāna janārdan
- ataev ei yuddha kara nivāraṇ
Texts 37-38: O Janārdana, although these men, their hearts overtaken by greed, see no fault in killing one's family or quarreling with friends, why should we, who can see the crime in destroying a family, engage in these acts of sin?
- kula-kṣaye kaluṣita sanātana dharma
- dharma-naṣṭe prādurbhāve haibe adharma
Text 39: With the destruction of dynasty, the eternal family tradition is vanquished, and thus the rest of the family becomes involved in irreligion.
- adharmer prādurbhāve kula-nārīgaṇ
- patitā haibe sab kara anveṣaṇ
Text 40: When irreligion is prominent in the family, O Kṛṣṇa, the women of the family become polluted, and from the degradation of womanhood, O descendant of Vṛṣṇi, comes unwanted progeny.
- duṣṭā strī haile janme varṇa-saṅkar dal
- varṇa-saṅkar hale habe naraker phal
- yei se kāraṇa hay varṇa-saṅkarera
- kulakṣay kulaghnāni yei aparer
Text 41: An increase of unwanted population certainly causes hellish life both for the family and for those who destroy the family tradition. The ancestors of such corrupt families fall down, because the performances for offering them food and water are entirely stopped.
- narake patana hay lupta piṇḍa janya
- tarivār nāhi kona upāy ye anya
- kula dharmer naṣṭa-kārī varṇa-saṅkar phale
- ś āśvata jāti dharma utsādita hale
Text 42: By the evil deeds of those who destroy the family tradition and this give rise to unwanted children, all kinds of community projects and family welfare activities are devastated.
- narake niyata vāsa se manuṣyer hay
- tumi jāna janārdan se saba viṣay
- āmi śuniyāchi tāi sādhu-santa mukhe
- naraker pathe cali ke rahibe sukhe
Text 43: O Kṛṣṇa, maintainer of the people, I have heard by disciplic succession that those whose family traditions are destroyed dwell always in hell.
- hāya hāya mahāpāp karite udyata
- hayechi āmrā śudhu haye kaluṣita
- rājyera lobhete paḍe e duṣkārya kari
- svajana hanana ei ucita ki hari?
Text 44: Alas, how strange it is that we are preparing to commit greatly sinful acts. Driven by the desire to enjoy royal happiness, we are intent on killing our own kinsmen.
- yadi dhārta-rāṣṭra-gaṇ āmāke māriyā
- ei raṇe rājya lay aśastra bujhiyā
- se bhālo mane kari yuddha se apekṣā
- vinā-yuddhe sei āmi kariba pratikṣā
Text 45: Better for me if the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, weapons in hand, were to kill me unarmed and unresisting on the battlefield.
- ekathā baliyā pārtha niścala basila
- rathopastha yuddha madhye astra se tyajila
- śokete udvignamanā arjun sadaya
- viṣād-yoga nām ei gītāra viṣay
Text 46: Sañjaya said: Arjuna, having thus spoken on the battlefield, cast aside his bow and arrows and sat down on the chariot, his mind overwhelmed with grief.
- bhaktivedānta kahe śrī-gītāra gān
- śune yadi śuddha bhakta kṛṣṇagata-prāṇ
Thus Bhaktivedānta sings the song of Śrī Gītā, with the hope that hearing this, Kṛṣṇa conscious pure devotees will be pleased.