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Bhagavad Gita

Translation by Swami Prabhupad

Chapter One : Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kurukshetra

dhrtarastra uvaca  dharma-ksetre kuru-ksetre  samaveta yuyutsavah  mamakah pandavas caiva  kim akurvata sanjaya	Dhrtarashtra said: O Sanjaya , after my sons and the sons of Pandu assembled in the place of pilgimage at Kuruksetra,desiring to fight , what did they do?
Sanjaya uvaca  drstva tu pandavanikam  vyudham duryodhanas tada  acaryam upasangamya  raja vacanam abravit	Sanjaya said: O King, after looking over the army arranged in military formation by the sons of Pandu, King Duryodhana went to his teacher and spoke the following words.
pasyaitam pandu-putranam  acarya mahatim camum  vyudham drupada- putrena  tava sisyena dhimata	O my teacher , behold the great army of the sons of Pandu, so expertly arranged by your intelligent disciple the son of Drupada.
atra sura mahesv-asa  bhimarjuna-sama yudhi  yuyudhano viratas ca  drupadas ca maha-rathah	Here in this army are many heroic bowmen equal in fighting to Bhima and Arjuna: great fighters like Yuyudhana, Virata and Drupada.
dhrstaketus cekitanah  kasirajas ca viryavan  purujit kuntibhojas ca  saibyas ca nara-pungavah	There are also great heroic, powerful fighters like Dhrstaketu, Cekitana,Kasiraja, Purujit, Kuntibhoja and Saibya
yudhamanyus ca vikranta  uttamaujas ca viryavan  saubhadro draupadesyas ca  sarva eva maha-rathah	There are the mighty Yudhamanyu, the very powerful Uttamauja, the son of Subhadra and the sons of Draupadi. All these warriors are great chariot fighters.
asmakam tu visista ye  tan nibodha dvijottama  nayaka mama sainyasya  samjnartham tan bravimi te	But for your information, O best of the b rahmanas, let me tell you about the captains who are especially qualified to lead my military force.
bhavan bhismas ca karnas ca  krpas ca samitim-jayah  asvatthama vikarnas ca  saumadattis tathaiva ca	There are personalities like you, Bhisma, Karna, Krpa, Asvatthama, Vikarna and the son of Somadatta called Bhurisrava, who are always victorious in battle.
anye ca bahavah sura  mad-arthe tyakta-jivitah  nana-sastra-praharanah  sarve yuddha-visaradah	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.
aparyaptam tad asmakam balam bhismabhirakshitam paryaptam tv idam etesam balam bhimabhirakshitam	Our strength is immeasurable, and we are perfectly protected by Grandfather Bhisma, whereas the strength of the Pandavas, carefully protected by Bhima, is limited.
ayanesu ca sarvesu yatha- bhagam avasthitah bhismam evabhirakshantu bhavantah sarva eva hi	All of you must now give full support to Grandfather Bhisma, as you stand at your respective strategic points of entrance into the phalanx of the army.
tasya sanjanayan harsam  kuru-vrddhah pitamahah simha-nadam vinadyoccaih sankham dadhmau pratapavan	Then Bhisma, 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.
tatah sankhas ca bheryas ca panavanaka- gomukhah sahasaivabhyahanyanta sa sabdas tumulo bhavat	After that, the conchshells, drums, bugles, trumpets and horns were all suddenly sounded, and the combined sound was tumultuous.
tatah svetair hayair yukte mahati syandane sthitau madhavah pandavas caiva divyau sankhau pradadhmatuh	On the other side, both Lord Krsna and Arjuna, stationed on a great chariot drawn by white horses, sounded their transcendental conchshells.
panchajanyam hrshikesho devadattam dhananjayah paundram dadhmau maha-shankham bhima-karma vrkodarah	Lord Krsna blew his conchshell , called Panchajanya; Arjuna blew his, the Devadatta; and Bhima , the voracious eater and performer of herculean tasks, blew his terrific conchshell called Paundra.
anantavijayam raja kunti-putro yudhisthirah nakulah sahadevas ca sughosa-manipuspakau kasyas ca paramesv-asah sikhandi ca maha-rathah dhrstadyumno viratas ca satyakis caparajitah drupado draupadeyas ca sarvasah prthivi-pate saubhadras ca maha-bahuh sankhan dadhmuh prthak prthak	King Yudhishtira, the son of Kunti, blew his conchshell, the Anantavijaya, and Nakula and Sahadeva blew the Sughosha and Manipushpaka. That great archer the King of Kashi, the great fighter Shikhandi, Dhrstadyumna, Virata, the unconquerable Satyaki, Drupada, the sons of Draupadi, and the others , O King, such as the mighty-armed son of Subhadra, all blew their respective conchshells.

sa ghoso dhartarashtranam  hrdayani vyadaarayat nabhas ca prthivim caiva tumulo ‘bhyanunaadayan	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 Dhrtarashtra.
atha vyavasthitan drstva dhartarashtran kapi-dhvajah  pravrtte sastra-sampaate dhanur udyamya pandavah hrsikesam tada vakyam idam aha mahi-pate	At that time Arjuna, the son of Pandu, seated in the chariot bearing the flag marked with Hanuman, took up his bow and prepared to shoot his arrows. O King, after looking at the sons of Dhrtarashtra drawn in military array, Arjuna then spoke to Lord Krsna these words.
arjuna uvaca senayor ubhayor madhye ratham sthapaya me ‘cyuta yavad etan nirikshe ham yoddhu-kaman avasthitan kair maya saha yoddhavyam asmin rana-samudyame	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.
yotsyamanan avekse 'ham ya ete 'tra samagatah dhartarastrasya durbuddher yuddhe priya-cikirsavah	Let me see those who have come here to fight, wishing to please the evil-minded son of Dhrtarastra.
sanjaya uvaca evam ukto hrsikeso gudakesena bharata senayor ubhayor madhye sthapayitva rathottamam	Sanjaya said: O descendant of Bharata, being thus addressed by Arjuna, Lord Krsna drew up the fine chariot in the midst of the armies of both parties.
bhisma-drona-pramukhatah sarvesam ca mahi-ksitam  uvaca partha pasyaitan samavetan kurun iti	In the presence of Bhisma, Drona and all the other chieftains of the world, the Lord said, Just behold, Partha, all the Kurus assembled here.
tatrapashyat sthitaan parthah pitrn atha pitamahan acharyan matulan bhratrn putran pautran sakhims tatha svashuran suhrdas caiva senayor ubhayor api	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 fathers-in-law and well –wishers.

tan samikshya sa kaunteyah sarvan bandhun avasthitan krpaya parayavishto visidann idam abravit	When the son of Kunti, Arjuna, saw all these different grades of friends and relatives, he became overwhelmed with compassion and spoke thus.
arjuna uvacha drstvemam sva-janam krsna yuyutsum samupasthitam sidanthi mama gaatrani mukham cha parishushyati	Arjuna said: My dear Krsna, seeing my friends and relatives present before me in such a fighting spirit, I feel the limbs of my body quivering and my mouth is drying up.
vepathus cha sharire me roma-harshash cha jaayate gandivam sramsate hastaat tvak chaiva paridahyate	My whole body is trembling, my hair is standing on end, my bow Gandiva is slipping from my hand, and my skin is burning.
na cha shaknomy avasthaatum bhramativa cha me manah nimittani cha pashyami vipareetani keshava	I am now unable to stand here any longer . Iam forgetting myself,and my mind is reeling. I see only causes of misfortune, O krsna, killer of the Keshi demon.
na cha shreyo anupashyami hatva sva-janam aahave na kankshe vijayam krsna na cha rajyam sukhani cha	I do not see how any good can come from killing my own kinsmen in this battle, nor can I, my dear Krsna, desire any subsequent victory, kingdom or happiness.
kim no rajyena govinda kim bhogair jivitena va yesham arthe kankshitam no rajyam bhogah sukhani cha ta ime avasthita yuddhe praanaams tyaktva dhanaani cha acharyah pitarah putras tathaiva cha pitamahah maatulah shvashurah pautrah shyalaah sambhandinas tatha etaan na hantum icchaami ghnato api madhusudana api trailokya-rajyasya hetoh kim nu mahi-krte nihatya dhartaraashtran nah ka pritih syaaj janaardana	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 Madhusudana, 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 Janaardana, 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 Dhrtarashtra?
paapam evashrayed asmaan hatvaitaan aatataayinah tasmaan naarhaa vayam hantum dhaartaraashtraan sa-baandhavaan sva-janam hi katham hatvaa sukhinah syaama madhava	Sin will overcome us if we slay such aggressors. Therefore it is not proper for us to kill the sons of Dhrtaraashtra and our friends. What should we gain, O Krsna, husband of the goddess of fortune, and how could we be happy by killing our own kinsmen?
yady apy ete na pashyanti lobhopahata- cetasah kula-kshaya-krtam dosham mitra- drohe ca paatakam katham na jneyam asmaabhih paapaad asmaan nivartitum kula-kshaya-krtam dosham prapashyadbhir janardana	O Janardana, although these men , their hearts overtaken by greed, see no fault in killing one’s family or quarrelling with friends, why should we, who can see the crime in destroying a family, engage in these acts of sin?
kula-kshaye pranashyanti kula-dharmah sanatanah dharme nashte kulam krtsnam adharmo abhibhavaty uta	With the destruction of dynasty, the eternal family tradition is vanquished, and thus the rest of the family becomes involved in irreligion.
adharmaabhibhavaat krsna pradushyanti kula-striyah strishu dushtaasu vaarshneya jaayate varna-sankarah	When irreligion is prominent in the family, O Krsna, the women of the family become polluted, and from the degradation of womanhood, O descendant of Vrsni, comes unwanted progeny.
sankaro narakaayaiva kula-ghnaanam kulasya ca patanti pitaro hy esaam uptapindodaka-kriyah	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 rituals for offering them food and water are entirely stopped.
doshair etaih kula-ghnaanam varna-sankara-kaarakaih utsaadyante jaati-dharmaah kula-dharmas ca shashvatah	By the evil deeds of those who destroy the family tradition set forth by sanaatana dharma, and thus give rise to unwanted children, all kinds of community projects and family welfare activities of varnaashrama-dharma are devastated.
utsanna-kula-dharmaanaam manushyaanaam janaardana narake niyatam vaaso bhavatity anushushruma	O Krsna, maintainer of the people , I have heard by disciplic succession that those who destroy family tradition dwell always in hell.
aho bata mahat paapam kartum vyavasitaa vayam yad rajya-sukha-lobhena hantum sva-janam udyataah	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 maam apratiikaaram ashastram shastra-paanayah dhaartaraashtraa raney hanyus tan me kshemataram bhavet	Better for me if the sons of Dhrtarashtra, weapons in hand, were to kill me unarmed and unresisting on the battle field.
Sanjaya uvaca evam uktvaarjunah sankhye rathopastha upaavishat visrjya sa-sharam chaapam shoka-samvigna-maanasah	Sanjaya said: Arjuna, having thus spoken on the battlefield, put aside his bow and arrows and sat down on the chariot, his mind overwhelmed with grief.

Gita verse is maintained by Sarla Menon

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