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Chapter-1
Arjun
Vishad Yog
1: Dhrtarastra
said: O Sanjaya, after my sons and the sons of Pandu
assembled in the place of pilgrimage at Kuruksetra,
desiring to fight, what did they do?
2: 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.
3: O my teacher, behold the great army of the sons of
Pandu, so expertly arranged by your intelligent disciple
the son of Drupada.
4: Here in this army are heroic bowmen equal in fighting
to Bhima and Arjuna: great fighters like Yuyudhana,
Virata and Drupada.
5: There are also great heroic, powerful fighters like
Dhrstaketu, Cekitana, Kasiraja, Purujit Kuntibhoja and
Saibya.
6: 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.
7: But for your information, O best of the brahmanas,
let me tell you about the captains who are especially
qualified to lead my military force.
8: There are personalities like you, Bhima, Karna, Krpa,
Asvatthama, Vikarna and the son of Somadatta called
Bhurisrava, who are always victorious in battle.
9: There are many other heroes who are prepared to lay
down their live for my sake. All of them are well
equipped with different kinds of weapons, and all are
experienced in military science.
10: Our strength is immeasurable, and we are protected
by Grandfather Bhisma, whereas the strength of the
Pandavas, carefully protected by Bhima, is limited.
11: All of you must give full support to Grandfather
Bhima, as you stand at your respective strategic points
of entrance into the Phalanx of the army.
12: Then Bhima, the 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.
13: After that, the conchshells, drums, bugles, trumpets
and horns were all suddenly sounded, and the combined
sound was tumultuous.
14: On the other side, both Lord Krsna and Arjuna,
stationed on a great chariot drawn by white horses,
sounded their transcendental conchshells.
15: Lord Krsna blew His conchshell, called Pancajanya;
Arjuna blew his, the Devadatta; and Bhima, the voracious
eater and performer of Herculean tasks, blew his
terrific conchshell, called Paundra.
16-18: King Yudhisthira, the son of Kunti, blew his
conchshell, the Anantavijaya, and Nakula and Sahadeava
blew the Sughosa and Manipuspaka. That great archer the
King of Kasi, the great fighter Sikhandi, Dhrstadyumna,
and others, O King, such as the mighty-armed son of
Subhadra, all blew their respective conchshells.
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 Dhrtarastra.
20: At the 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 Dhrtarastra drawn in the military
array, Arjuna then spoke to Lord Krsna these words.
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 his great trial of arms
23: Let me see those who have come to here to fight,
wishing to please evil-minded son of Dhrtarastra.
24: Sanjaya said: O descendent of Bharata, having thus
been addressed by Arjuna, Lord Krsna drew up the fine
chariot in the midst of the armies of both parties.
25: 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.
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 his father-in-law and well-wishers.
27: When the son of Kunti, Arjuna, saw all these
different grades of friends and relatives, he become
overwhelmed with compassion and spoke thus.
28: 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 drying
up.
29: My whole body is trembling, my hair is standing on
end, my bow Gandiva is slipping from my hand, and my
skin is burning.
30: I am now unable to stand here any longer. I am
forgetting myself, and mind is reeling. I see only cause
of misfortune, O Krsna, killer of the Kesi demon.
31: 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.
32-35: O Govinda, of what avail to us are a kingdom,
happiness or even life itself when all those for whom we
desire them are now arrayed on this battlefield? O
Madhusudaana, when teachers, fathers, sons, grandsons,
maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons,
brother-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 even in exchange for the
three worlds, let along this earth. What pleasure will
we desire form killing the sons of Dhrtarastra?
36: Sin will overcome us if we slay such aggressors.
Therefore it is not proper for us to kill the sons of
Dhrtarastra 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?
37-38: O Janardana, 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?
39: With the destruction of dynasty, the eternal family
tradition is vanquished, and thus the rest of the family
becomes involved in irreligion.
40: When irreligion is prominent in the family, O Krsna,
the women of the family become polluted, and from the
degradation of womanhood, O descendent of Vrsni, comes
unwanted progeny,
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.
42: By the evil deeds of these who destroy the family
tradition and thus give rise to unwanted children, all
kinds of community projects and family welfare
activities are devastated.
43: O Krsna, maintainer of the people, I have heard by
disciplic succession that those who family traditions
dwell always in hell.
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.
45: Better for me if the sons of Dhrtarastra, weapons in
hand, were to kill me unarmed and unresisting on the
battlefield.
46: Sanjaya 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.
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