Arjuna's Despair

धर्मक्षेत्रे कुरुक्षेत्रे समवेता युयुत्सवः ।
मामकाः पाण्डवाश्चैव किमकुर्वत सञ्जय ॥1॥

Dhritarashtra asked: Sanjaya, gathered at Kurukshetra, the field of dharma, eager to fight, what did my sons and Pandu's sons do?

दृष्ट्वा तु पाण्डवानीकं व्यूढं दुर्योधनस्तदा ।
आचार्यमुपसङ्गम्य राजा वचनमब्रवीत् ॥2॥

Sanjaya said: Seeing the Pandava army drawn up in formation, King Duryodhana went to his teacher Drona and spoke these words.

पश्यैतां पाण्डुपुत्राणामाचार्य महतीं चमूम् ।
व्यूढां द्रुपदपुत्रेण तव शिष्येण धीमता ॥3॥

Teacher, look at this great army of Pandu's sons, arrayed by Drupada's son, your own gifted pupil.

अत्र शूरा महेष्वासा भीमार्जुनसमा युधि ।
युयुधानो विराटश्च द्रुपदश्च महारथः ॥4॥

Here are heroes and great archers, a match in battle for Bhima and Arjuna: Yuyudhana, Virata, and Drupada the great warrior.

धृष्टकेतुश्चेकितानः काशिराजश्च वीर्यवान् ।
पुरुजित्कुन्तिभोजश्च शैब्यश्च नरपुङ्गवः ॥5॥

Dhrishtaketu, Chekitana, the valiant king of Kashi, Purujit, Kuntibhoja, and Shaibya, finest of men.

युधामन्युश्च विक्रान्त उत्तमौजाश्च वीर्यवान् ।
सौभद्रो द्रौपदेयाश्च सर्व एव महारथाः ॥6॥

Bold Yudhamanyu, strong Uttamauja, Subhadra's son, and Draupadi's sons: every one of them a great warrior.

अस्माकं तु विशिष्टा ये तान्निबोध द्विजोत्तम ।
नायका मम सैन्यस्य संज्ञार्थं तान्ब्रवीमि ते ॥7॥

Best of the twice-born, know also who stands out on our side. Let me name the leaders of my army so you have them clearly in mind.

भवान्भीष्मश्च कर्णश्च कृपश्च समितिञ्जयः ।
अश्वत्थामा विकर्णश्च सौमदत्तिस्तथैव च ॥8॥

Yourself, Bhishma, Karna, Kripa who wins his battles, Ashvatthama, Vikarna, and Somadatta's son.

Variant reading: सौमदत्तिर्जयद्रथः (कुछ संस्करणों में)

अन्ये च बहवः शूरा मदर्थे त्यक्तजीविताः ।
नानाशस्त्रप्रहरणाः सर्वे युद्धविशारदाः ॥9॥

And many other brave men who have given up their lives for my sake, all skilled in war and armed with every kind of weapon.

अपर्याप्तं तदस्माकं बलं भीष्माभिरक्षितम् ।
पर्याप्तं त्विदमेतेषां बलं भीमाभिरक्षितम् ॥10॥

Our force, guarded by Bhishma, is not enough; theirs, guarded by Bhima, is. (The line is also read the other way round: ours unlimited, theirs limited. Both readings are old.)

अयनेषु च सर्वेषु यथाभागमवस्थिताः ।
भीष्ममेवाभिरक्षन्तु भवन्तः सर्व एव हि ॥11॥

So all of you, holding your assigned positions at every entrance, guard Bhishma above all.

तस्य सञ्जनयन्हर्षं कुरुवृद्धः पितामहः ।
सिंहनादं विनद्योच्चैः शङ्खं दध्मौ प्रतापवान् ॥12॥

Then the mighty elder of the Kurus, the grandsire Bhishma, roared like a lion and blew his conch loudly, lifting Duryodhana's spirits.

ततः शङ्खाश्च भेर्यश्च पणवानकगोमुखाः ।
सहसैवाभ्यहन्यन्त स शब्दस्तुमुलोऽभवत् ॥13॥

At once conches, kettledrums, tabors, drums and horns sounded together, and the noise was tremendous.

ततः श्वेतैर्हयैर्युक्ते महति स्यन्दने स्थितौ ।
माधवः पाण्डवश्चैव दिव्यौ शङ्खौ प्रदध्मतुः ॥14॥

Then Krishna and Arjuna, standing in a great chariot yoked to white horses, blew their divine conches too.

पाञ्चजन्यं हृषीकेशो देवदत्तं धनञ्जयः ।
पौण्ड्रं दध्मौ महाशङ्खं भीमकर्मा वृकोदरः ॥15॥

Krishna blew the Panchajanya, Arjuna the Devadatta, and Bhima of terrible deeds blew his great conch Paundra.

अनन्तविजयं राजा कुन्तीपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः ।
नकुलः सहदेवश्च सुघोषमणिपुष्पकौ ॥16॥

King Yudhishthira, Kunti's son, blew the Anantavijaya; Nakula and Sahadeva blew the Sughosha and the Manipushpaka.

काश्यश्च परमेष्वासः शिखण्डी च महारथः ।
धृष्टद्युम्नो विराटश्च सात्यकिश्चापराजितः ॥17॥

The king of Kashi, a superb archer, Shikhandi the great warrior, Dhrishtadyumna, Virata, and Satyaki whom none has beaten,

द्रुपदो द्रौपदेयाश्च सर्वशः पृथिवीपते ।
सौभद्रश्च महाबाहुः शङ्खान्दध्मुः पृथक्पृथक् ॥18॥

Drupada, Draupadi's sons, and mighty-armed Abhimanyu: O king, each of them blew his own conch.

स घोषो धार्तराष्ट्राणां हृदयानि व्यदारयत् ।
नभश्च पृथिवीं चैव तुमुलोऽभ्यनुनादयन् ॥19॥

That uproar, echoing through sky and earth, tore the hearts of Dhritarashtra's sons.

Variant reading: तुमुलो व्यनुनादयन् (गीता प्रेस सहित कई संस्करणों में)

अथ व्यवस्थितान्दृष्ट्वा धार्तराष्ट्रान् कपिध्वजः ।
प्रवृत्ते शस्त्रसम्पाते धनुरुद्यम्य पाण्डवः ॥20॥

Then, O king, with the weapons about to fly, Arjuna of the monkey banner looked at Dhritarashtra's men in position and raised his bow.

हृषीकेशं तदा वाक्यमिदमाह महीपते ।
Arjuna saidसेनयोरुभयोर्मध्ये रथं स्थापय मेऽच्युत ॥21॥

And he said this to Krishna: Achyuta, halt my chariot between the two armies,

यावदेतान्निरीक्षेऽहं योद्धुकामानवस्थितान् ।
कैर्मया सह योद्धव्यमस्मिन् रणसमुद्यमे ॥22॥

long enough for me to look at these men standing here wanting a fight, and see whom I must face in this battle.

योत्स्यमानानवेक्षेऽहं य एतेऽत्र समागताः ।
धार्तराष्ट्रस्य दुर्बुद्धेर्युद्धे प्रियचिकीर्षवः ॥23॥

Let me see those who have come to fight, gathered here to please the ill-minded son of Dhritarashtra.

एवमुक्तो हृषीकेशो गुडाकेशेन भारत ।
सेनयोरुभयोर्मध्ये स्थापयित्वा रथोत्तमम् ॥24॥

Sanjaya said: Asked this by Arjuna, O Bharata, Krishna brought that fine chariot to a stop between the two armies,

भीष्मद्रोणप्रमुखतः सर्वेषां च महीक्षिताम् ।
उवाच पार्थ पश्यैतान्समवेतान्कुरूनिति ॥25॥

in front of Bhishma and Drona and all the kings, and said: Partha, look at these Kurus gathered here.

तत्रापश्यत्स्थितान्पार्थः पितॄनथ पितामहान् ।
आचार्यान्मातुलान्भ्रातॄन्पुत्रान्पौत्रान्सखींस्तथा ॥26॥

And there Arjuna saw fathers and grandfathers, teachers, uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons and friends,

श्वशुरान्सुहृदश्चैव सेनयोरुभयोरपि ।
तान्समीक्ष्य स कौन्तेयः सर्वान्बन्धूनवस्थितान् ॥27॥

fathers-in-law and well-wishers too, standing in both armies. Seeing all his own people there, Arjuna

कृपया परयाविष्टो विषीदन्निदमब्रवीत् ।
Arjuna saidदृष्ट्वेमं स्वजनं कृष्ण युयुत्सुं समुपस्थितम् ॥28॥

was filled with pity, and said in sorrow: Krishna, seeing my own people here, come wanting to fight,

सीदन्ति मम गात्राणि मुखं च परिशुष्यति ।
वेपथुश्च शरीरे मे रोमहर्षश्च जायते ॥29॥

my limbs give way, my mouth goes dry, my body shakes and my hair stands on end.

गाण्डीवं स्रंसते हस्तात्त्वक्चैव परिदह्यते ।
न च शक्नोम्यवस्थातुं भ्रमतीव च मे मनः ॥30॥

The Gandiva slips from my hand, my skin burns, I cannot keep standing, and my mind is reeling.

निमित्तानि च पश्यामि विपरीतानि केशव ।
न च श्रेयोऽनुपश्यामि हत्वा स्वजनमाहवे ॥31॥

Keshava, the omens I see are against us. I see no good in killing my own people in battle.

न काङ्क्षे विजयं कृष्ण न च राज्यं सुखानि च ।
किं नो राज्येन गोविन्द किं भोगैर्जीवितेन वा ॥32॥

I want no victory, Krishna, no kingdom, no pleasures. What is a kingdom to us, Govinda, or enjoyment, or life itself?

येषामर्थे काङ्क्षितं नो राज्यं भोगाः सुखानि च ।
त इमेऽवस्थिता युद्धे प्राणांस्त्यक्त्वा धनानि च ॥33॥

The very people for whose sake we want kingdom and pleasure and comfort are standing here in battle, giving up life and wealth.

आचार्याः पितरः पुत्रास्तथैव च पितामहाः ।
मातुलाः श्वशुराः पौत्राः श्यालाः सम्बन्धिनस्तथा ॥34॥

Teachers, fathers, sons, grandfathers, uncles, fathers-in-law, brothers-in-law, kinsmen, all of them.

एतान्न हन्तुमिच्छामि घ्नतोऽपि मधुसूदन ।
अपि त्रैलोक्यराज्यस्य हेतोः किं नु महीकृते ॥35॥

Even if they kill me, Madhusudana, I do not want to kill them. Not for rule over the three worlds, let alone for this earth.

निहत्य धार्तराष्ट्रान्नः का प्रीतिः स्याज्जनार्दन ।
पापमेवाश्रयेदस्मान्हत्वैतानाततायिनः ॥36॥

What joy would there be for us, Janardana, in killing Dhritarashtra's sons? Killing these aggressors would only bring us sin.

तस्मान्नार्हा वयं हन्तुं धार्तराष्ट्रान्स्वबान्धवान् ।
स्वजनं हि कथं हत्वा सुखिनः स्याम माधव ॥37॥

So we have no right to kill our own kinsmen. How could we be happy, Madhava, after killing our own people?

यद्यप्येते न पश्यन्ति लोभोपहतचेतसः ।
कुलक्षयकृतं दोषं मित्रद्रोहे च पातकम् ॥38॥

Their minds are overtaken by greed, so they do not see the wrong in destroying a family or the crime of betraying friends.

कथं न ज्ञेयमस्माभिः पापादस्मान्निवर्तितुम् ।
कुलक्षयकृतं दोषं प्रपश्यद्भिर्जनार्दन ॥39॥

But we can see what that destruction costs, Janardana. Why should we not know enough to turn back from this sin?

कुलक्षये प्रणश्यन्ति कुलधर्माः सनातनाः ।
धर्मे नष्टे कुलं कृत्स्नमधर्मोऽभिभवत्युत ॥40॥

When a family is destroyed its lasting traditions die with it, and when tradition is gone, lawlessness takes over the whole family.

अधर्माभिभवात्कृष्ण प्रदुष्यन्ति कुलस्त्रियः ।
स्त्रीषु दुष्टासु वार्ष्णेय जायते वर्णसङ्करः ॥41॥

With lawlessness spreading, Krishna, the women of the family are corrupted, and from that corruption, Varshneya, comes confusion of order.

सङ्करो नरकायैव कुलघ्नानां कुलस्य च ।
पतन्ति पितरो ह्येषां लुप्तपिण्डोदकक्रियाः ॥42॥

That confusion drags both the family and its destroyers down, and their ancestors fall too, deprived of the offerings of rice and water.

दोषैरेतैः कुलघ्नानां वर्णसङ्करकारकैः ।
उत्साद्यन्ते जातिधर्माः कुलधर्माश्च शाश्वताः ॥43॥

By these wrongs of the family's destroyers, which bring on such confusion, the lasting customs of community and family are wiped out.

उत्सन्नकुलधर्माणां मनुष्याणां जनार्दन ।
नरके नियतं वासो भवतीत्यनुशुश्रुम ॥44॥

And we have heard, Janardana, that for people whose family traditions are destroyed, a place in hell is certain.

अहो बत महत्पापं कर्तुं व्यवसिता वयम् ।
यद्राज्यसुखलोभेन हन्तुं स्वजनमुद्यताः ॥45॥

How strange, that we are set on a great sin, ready to kill our own people out of greed for the comforts of a kingdom.

यदि मामप्रतीकारमशस्त्रं शस्त्रपाणयः ।
धार्तराष्ट्रा रणे हन्युस्तन्मे क्षेमतरं भवेत् ॥46॥

If Dhritarashtra's armed men were to kill me in battle, unarmed and not resisting, that would be better for me.

एवमुक्त्वार्जुनः सङ्ख्ये रथोपस्थ उपाविशत् ।
विसृज्य सशरं चापं शोकसंविग्नमानसः ॥47॥

Sanjaya said: Saying this, Arjuna let go of his bow and arrows and sank down on the seat of the chariot, his mind overwhelmed with grief.