Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1, Verse 28

English Translation

Arjuna said O Krsna, seeing these relatives and friends who have assembled here with the intention of fighting, my limbs become languid and my mouth becomes completely dry.

Detailed Commentary

।।1.28।। Explanation – 'Having seen these my kinsmen, O Krishna, arrayed eager to fight' – The name 'Krishna' was very dear to Arjuna. This address appears nine times in the Bhagavad Gita. No other address for Lord Krishna appears as frequently. Similarly, the name 'Partha' was very dear to the Lord for Arjuna. Therefore, the Lord and Arjuna used these names in their conversations, and this was widely known among people. For this reason, Sanjaya mentioned the names 'Krishna' and 'Partha' at the end of the Gita: 'Where there is Krishna, the Lord of Yoga, and where there is Partha, the wielder of the bow' (18.78). Dhritarashtra had earlier said 'my sons and the sons of Pandu, eager to fight, assembled together' ('samavetā yuyutsavaḥ'), and here Arjuna also says 'yuyutsuṁ samupasthitam' (eager to fight, assembled). But there is a great difference in their perspectives. In Dhritarashtra's view, Duryodhana and others are 'my sons,' and Yudhishthira and others are 'Pandu's sons,' hence Dhritarashtra referred to 'māmakāḥ' and 'pāṇḍavāḥ'. However, Arjuna's perspective does not have this distinction, hence Arjuna says 'svajanam' (kinsmen), which includes people from both sides. That is, Dhritarashtra is afraid and grieves at the apprehension of his own sons dying in battle; but Arjuna grieves at the apprehension of his kinsmen on both sides dying, thinking that whoever dies, from whichever side, they are still 'our' kinsmen. Until now, the word 'dṛṣṭvā' (having seen) has appeared three times: 'dṛṣṭvā tu pāṇḍavānīkam' (1.2), 'vyavasthitāndṛṣṭvā dhārtarāṣṭrān' (1.20), and here 'dṛṣṭvemaṁ svajanam' (1.28). The meaning of these three instances is that Duryodhana's seeing was of one kind, meaning Duryodhana had only a martial attitude towards the war; but Arjuna's seeing was of two kinds. First, Arjuna, seeing the sons of Dhritarashtra, stands with his bow raised in valor, ready for battle, and now, seeing his kinsmen, he is overcome with cowardice, turning away from war, and his bow is falling from his hand. 'My limbs are sinking... my mind is reeling' – Arjuna's mind is filled with anxiety and sorrow regarding the future outcome of the war. The effect of this anxiety and sorrow is manifesting throughout Arjuna's body. Arjuna describes this effect in clear words, saying that every limb of his body – hands, feet, face, etc. – is becoming lax. His mouth is drying up, making it difficult to speak. His whole body is trembling. All the hairs on his body are standing on end, meaning his entire body is experiencing horripilation. The Gāṇḍīva bow, whose twang frightens enemies, is today falling from his hand. He feels a burning sensation in his skin, throughout his body. His mind is reeling, meaning he cannot even discern what he should do. Here, he is unable to stand even on the chariot in the battlefield. It feels as though he will faint and fall. Standing in such a calamitous war also feels like a sin. Connection – Having described eight physical symptoms born of sorrow in the previous verse, Arjuna now, indicating future outcomes, explains why fighting is improper from the perspective of omens.