Chapter One – The Great Warrior's Despair: Arjuna Refuses to Fight

This book is like a secret conversation that happened right in the middle of a massive war. It's not just any war; it's the Kurukshetra War, a battle between two families, the Pandavas (the good guys, led by Yudhishthira and Arjuna) and the Kauravas (their cousins, led by the wicked Duryodhana).

Chapter One sets the scene. Imagine two giant armies, thousands of warriors, horses, and elephants, all lined up for the biggest fight in history. But before the first arrow flies, some very important questions are asked. Let's see what happened!

The Blind King Asks About the Battlefield¹

The story begins with the old, blind King Dhritarashtra. He couldn't see the battlefield, but he desperately wanted to know what was happening. So, he turned to his charioteer and advisor, Sanjaya, who had a special power to see everything, even from far away.

"Dhṛtarāṣṭraḥ uvāca: dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetāḥ yuyutsavaḥ māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāḥ ca eva kim akurvata Sañjaya."¹ King Dhritarashtra said: "O Sanjaya, tell me! What did my sons, māmakāḥ, and the sons of Pandu, pāṇḍavāḥ ca eva, do when they gathered on the holy land, dharma-kṣetre, of Kurukshetra, kuru-kṣetre, ready to fight, yuyutsavaḥ?"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Dharma-kṣetre (dharma-kshe-tre) is a key phrase here, kids! It means 'place of pilgrimage' or 'field of dharma' (righteousness). The battlefield was not just dirt and dust; it was a holy place. This means that whatever happened there, good or bad, would have huge spiritual consequences. Dhritarashtra is blind and his sons are evil, but even he knows the holiness of this place.

Duryodhana Surveys the Mighty Armies²

Sanjaya began to reply, his voice calm, yet carrying the weight of the unfolding drama: "Sañjayaḥ uvāca: dṛṣṭvā tu pāṇḍava-anīkam vyūḍham duryodhanaḥ tadā ācāryam upasaṅgamya rājā vacanam abravīt."² "Sanjaya said: But when King Duryodhana, rājā Duryodhanaḥ, saw the Pandavas' army, pāṇḍava-anīkam, arranged in a military formation, vyūḍham, he immediately, tadā, approached his teacher, ācāryam upasaṅgamya (Dronacharya). And then, he spoke words, vacanam abravīt."

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: This word vyūḍham (vyu-dham) is important! It means 'arranged in a military phalanx,' like a well-organized, dangerous battle formation. Duryodhana isn't just seeing a crowd; he's seeing a highly trained, ready-for-war army, and it makes him nervous!

Duryodhana spoke directly to his teacher, Dronacharya, trying to sound confident but with a hint of worry in his voice: "Paśya etām pāṇḍu-putrāṇām ācārya mahatīm camūm vyūḍhām drupada-putreṇa tava śiṣyeṇa dhī-matā."³ "O teacher, ācārya, look at this great army, mahatīm camūm, of the sons of Pandu, pāṇḍu-putrāṇām! It is expertly arranged, vyūḍhām, by the son of Drupada, your very intelligent, dhī-matā, student, śiṣyeṇa!"

He then quickly listed the powerful heroes in the Pandava army, almost as if trying to impress his teacher, but really feeling a pang of fear: "Atra śūrāḥ mahā-iṣu-āsāḥ bhīma-arjuna-samāḥ yudhi yuyudhānaḥ virāṭaḥ ca drupadaḥ ca mahā-rathaḥ."⁴ "Here, atra, are mighty heroes, śūrāḥ, great archers, mahā-iṣu-āsāḥ, equal to Bhima and Arjuna in battle, yudhi Bhīma-arjuna-samāḥ! There is Yuyudhana, Virata, and Drupada, who is a mahā-rathaḥ—a great chariot fighter!"

He rattled off more names, trying to sound like he knew everyone, but secretly tallying their strength: "Dhṛṣṭaketuḥ cekitānaḥ kāśirājaḥ ca vīrya-vān purujit kuntibhojaḥ ca śaibyaḥ ca nara-puṅgavaḥ."⁵ "There's Dhrishtaketu, Cekitana, and the very powerful, vīrya-vān, King of Kashi! Also Purujit, Kuntibhoja, and Saibya, who is a hero among humans, nara-puṅgavaḥ!"

"Yudhāmanyuḥ ca vikrāntaḥ uttamaujāḥ ca vīrya-vān saubhadraḥ draupadeyāḥ ca sarve eva mahā-rathāḥ."⁶ "And Yudhāmanyu, who is mighty, vikrāntaḥ, and Uttamauja, who is very powerful! And Abhimanyu, the son of Subhadra, saubhadraḥ, and all the sons of Draupadi, draupadeyāḥ—they are all, sarve eva, great chariot fighters, mahā-rathāḥ!"

Then, Duryodhana quickly turned to his own army, trying to reassure Dronacharya (and himself) about their side. "Asmākam tu viśiṣṭāḥ ye tān nibodha dvija-uttama mama sainyasya saṁjñā-artham tān bravīmi te."⁷ "But listen, nibodha, O best of the brahmanas, dvija-uttama! Let me tell you about those who are especially powerful, viśiṣṭāḥ, on our side, asmākam! Just so you know them, saṁjñā-artham, I will name them for our army."

He proudly listed his own top warriors: "Bhavān bhīṣmaḥ ca karṇaḥ ca kṛpaḥ ca samitim-jayaḥ aśvatthāmā vikarṇaḥ ca saumadattiḥ tathā eva ca."⁸ "There's your good self (Dronacharya), Bhishma, Karna, and Kripa, who is always victorious in battle, samitim-jayaḥ! And Ashwatthama, Vikarna, and Saumadatti!"

"Anye ca bahavaḥ śūrāḥ mat-arthe tyakta-jīvitāḥ nānā-śastra-praharaṇāḥ sarve yuddha-viśāradāḥ."⁹ "And there are many other heroes, anye ca bahavaḥ śūrāḥ, who are willing to risk their lives, tyakta-jīvitāḥ, for me, mat-arthe! They are all equipped with many different weapons, nānā-śastra-praharaṇāḥ, and they are all experts in military science, yuddha-viśāradāḥ!"

Duryodhana Worries About the Pandavas' Strength¹⁰

Duryodhana then tried to sound confident about his own army's size, but his true worry slipped out as he compared it to the Pandavas'. "Aparyāptam tat asmākam balam bhīṣma-abhirakṣitam paryāptam tu idam eteṣām balam bhīma-abhirakṣitam."¹⁰ "Our strength, balam, protected by Grandfather Bhishma, bhīṣma-abhirakṣitam, is immeasurable, aparyāptam! But the strength of these Pandavas, eteṣām balam, protected by Bhima, bhīma-abhirakṣitam, is limited, paryāptam!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: This is a very interesting line, kids! Duryodhana says his army is aparyāptam (a-par-yap-tam), meaning 'immeasurable' or 'unlimited.' But then, about the Pandavas' army, he says it's paryāptam (par-yap-tam), meaning 'limited' or 'insufficient.' But scholars say Duryodhana might have actually reversed the words here, secretly thinking his own army was actually limited and the Pandavas' was unlimited! His insecurity is showing!

So, in a final attempt to boost morale and keep his army focused, Duryodhana gave a direct command: "Ayaneṣu ca sarveṣu yathā-bhāgam avasthitāḥ bhīṣmam eva abhirakṣantu bhavantaḥ sarve eva hi."¹¹ "Therefore, all of you, bhavantaḥ sarve eva hi, should remain in your strategic positions, ayaneṣu, as assigned, yathā-bhāgam! And you must all certainly protect Grandfather Bhishma, bhīṣmam eva abhirakṣantu!" He knew Bhishma was their greatest strength, and he was worried.

A Roar of War Shatters the Silence¹²

Sanjaya continued, describing the dramatic start of the battle: "Tasya sañjanayan harṣam kuru-vṛddhaḥ pitāmahaḥ siṁha-nādam vinadya uccaiḥ śaṅkham dadhmau pratāpa-vān."¹² "To increase the cheerfulness, harṣam sañjanayan, of Duryodhana, the valiant, pratāpa-vān, grandsire of the Kuru dynasty, kuru-vṛddhaḥ pitāmahaḥ (Bhishma), roared very loudly, uccaiḥ vinadya, like a lion's roar, siṁha-nādam! Then, he blew his conchshell, śaṅkham dadhmau!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: A siṁha-nādam (sim-ha-naa-dam) is a 'lion's roar'—a mighty, fearless sound meant to strike terror into enemies! Bhishma, as the oldest and wisest warrior, was giving the signal for war to begin, but also trying to give confidence to Duryodhana's side.

"Tataḥ śaṅkhāḥ ca bheryaḥ ca paṇava-ānaka-go-mukhāḥ sahasā eva abhyahanyanta saḥ śabdaḥ tumulaḥ abhavat."¹³ "Thereafter, tataḥ, many conchshells, śaṅkhāḥ, and large drums, bheryaḥ, and small drums, paṇava-ānaka, and horns shaped like cows' mouths, go-mukhāḥ, were all sounded at once, sahasā eva abhyahanyanta! That combined sound, saḥ śabdaḥ, became tumultuous, tumulaḥ abhavat—a truly deafening roar of war!"

Then, the Pandava side responded with their own powerful declaration: "Tataḥ śvetaiḥ hayaiḥ yukte mahati syandane sthitau mādhavaḥ pāṇḍavaḥ ca eva divyau śaṅkhau pradadhmatuḥ."¹⁴ "Thereafter, tataḥ, situated on a great chariot, mahati syandane sthitau, pulled by white horses, śvetaiḥ hayaiḥ yukte, were Lord Krishna, Mādhavaḥ (meaning 'husband of the goddess of fortune'), and Arjuna, pāṇḍavaḥ (the son of Pandu)! They both blew their divine conchshells, divyau śaṅkhau pradadhmatuḥ!"

"Pāñcajanyam hṛṣīka-īśaḥ devadattam dhanam-jayaḥ pauṇḍram dadhmau mahā-śaṅkham bhīma-karmā vṛka-udaraḥ."¹⁵ "Lord Krishna, Hṛṣīka-īśaḥ (Hri-shee-kay-sha)—meaning 'the Lord who directs the senses of the devotees'—blew His conchshell named Pañcajanya. Arjuna, dhanam-jayaḥ (dhana-jay-a)—meaning 'the winner of wealth'—blew his conchshell named Devadatta. And Bhima, bhīma-karmā (bhee-ma-kar-ma)—'one who performs herculean tasks' (super hard tasks)—and vṛka-udaraḥ (vri-ka-u-da-rah)—'the voracious eater' (he ate a lot!), blew his terrifying conchshell named Pauṇḍram!"

"Ananta-vijayam rājā kuntī-putraḥ yudhiṣṭhiraḥ nakulaḥ sahadevaḥ ca sughoṣa-maṇipuṣpakau kāśyaḥ ca parama-iṣu-āsaḥ śikhaṇḍī ca mahā-rathaḥ dhṛṣṭadyumnaḥ virāṭaḥ ca sātyakiḥ ca aparājitaḥ drupadaḥ draupadeyāḥ ca sarvaśaḥ pṛthivī-pate saubhadraḥ ca mahā-bāhuḥ śaṅkhān dadhmuḥ pṛthak pṛthak."¹⁶⁻¹⁸ "King Yudhishthira, rājā Kuntī-putraḥ, the son of Kunti, blew his conch named Ananta-vijaya (meaning 'endless victory'). Nakula and Sahadeva blew their conches named Sughoṣa and Maṇipuṣpaka. The King of Kashi, kāśyaḥ, a great archer, parama-iṣu-āsaḥ, and Shikhandi, śikhaṇḍī, a mahā-rathaḥ—a great chariot fighter—also blew their conches. Dhrishtadyumna, Virata, and Satyaki (who was never defeated, aparājitaḥ), Drupada, and all the sons of Draupadi, draupadeyāḥ sarvaśaḥ—O King (Dhritarashtra)!—and Abhimanyu, saubhadraḥ (the son of Subhadra), who was mighty-armed, mahā-bāhuḥ—they all blew their conchshells separately, pṛthak pṛthak!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: This long list of names and conchshells, kids, is like a thunderous roll call of heroes! Each conchshell had its own unique, powerful sound, and when they all blew together, it was a declaration that the battle for righteousness was about to begin!

"Saḥ ghoṣaḥ dhārtarāṣṭrāṇām hṛdayāni vyadārayat nabhaḥ ca pṛthivīm ca eva tumulaḥ abhyanunādayan."¹⁹ "That combined sound, saḥ ghoṣaḥ, was so thunderous, tumulaḥ, that it shattered, vyadārayat, the hearts, hṛdayāni, of the sons of Dhritarashtra, dhārtarāṣṭrāṇām! It made the sky, nabhaḥ, and the surface of the earth, pṛthivīm, completely resound, abhyanunādayan!"

Arjuna Asks to Face the Armies²⁰

As the roar of the conchshells died down, the moment of truth arrived.

"Atha vyavasthitān dṛṣṭvā dhārtarāṣṭrān kapi-dhvajaḥ pravṛtte śastra-sampāte dhanuḥ udyamya pāṇḍavaḥ hṛṣīkeśam tadā vākyam idam āha mahī-pate."²⁰ "Thereupon, atha, seeing the sons of Dhritarashtra, dhārtarāṣṭrān, arranged in battle formation, vyavasthitān dṛṣṭvā, Arjuna, pāṇḍavaḥ, whose flag was marked with Hanuman, kapi-dhvajaḥ, lifted his bow, dhanuḥ udyamya, as the release of arrows, śastra-sampāte, was about to begin. At that moment, tadā, he spoke these words, vākyam idam āha, to Lord Krishna, Hṛṣīkeśam, O King, mahī-pate!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Kapi-dhvajaḥ means 'he whose flag has a monkey emblem,' referring to Arjuna's banner with Hanuman. And Hṛṣīkeśam (Hri-shee-kay-sham) is a beautiful name for Krishna, meaning 'the Lord who directs the senses of the devotees.' This tells us Krishna is in control of Arjuna's very thoughts and actions, even though Arjuna thinks he's making his own choices.

"Arjunaḥ uvāca: senayoḥ ubhayoḥ madhye ratham sthāpaya me acyuta yāvat etān nirīkṣe aham yoddhu-kāmān avasthitān kaiḥ mayā saha yoddhavyam asmin raṇa-samudyame."²¹⁻²² Arjuna said: "O infallible one, acyuta (a-chyoo-ta), please place my chariot, ratham sthāpaya me, exactly between both armies, senayoḥ ubhayoḥ madhye! I want to see all these who have come desiring to fight, yoddhu-kāmān avasthitān, and who I must fight with, kaiḥ mayā saha yoddhavyam, in this great war effort, raṇa-samudyame!"

"Yotsyamānān avekṣe aham ye ete atra samāgatāḥ dhārtarāṣṭrasya durbuddheḥ yuddhe priya-cikīrṣavaḥ."²³ "Let me see, avekṣe aham, those who will be fighting, yotsyamānān, who have assembled here, atra samāgatāḥ, wishing well, priya-cikīrṣavaḥ, for the evil-minded son of Dhritarashtra, dhārtarāṣṭrasya durbuddheḥ, in this fight, yuddhe."

Arjuna's Heartbreaking Revelation²⁴

Sanjaya continued the narration: "Sañjayaḥ uvāca: evam uktaḥ hṛṣīkeśaḥ guḍākeśena bhārata senayoḥ ubhayoḥ madhye sthāpayitvā ratha-uttamam."²⁴ "Sanjaya said: Thus, evam, addressed by Arjuna, guḍākeśena (gu-daa-kay-she-na)—a name for Arjuna meaning 'one who has conquered sleep and ignorance'—Lord Krishna, Hṛṣīkeśaḥ, O descendant of Bharata, placed the finest chariot, ratha-uttamam, right in the middle of both armies, senayoḥ ubhayoḥ madhye sthāpayitvā."

"Bhīṣma droṇa pramukhataḥ sarveṣām ca mahī-kṣitām uvāca pārtha paśya etān samavetān kurūn iti."²⁵ "In front of Bhishma and Drona, bhīṣma droṇa pramukhataḥ, and all the chiefs of the world, sarveṣām ca mahī-kṣitām, Lord Krishna said: 'O son of Pritha, pārtha, just behold, paśya etān, all these members of the Kuru dynasty who have assembled, samavetān kurūn iti!'"

And what Arjuna saw shattered his spirit. "Tatra apaśyat sthitān pārthaḥ pitṝn atha pitāmahān ācāryān mātulān bhrātṝn putrān pautrān sakhīn tathā śvaśurān suhṛdaḥ ca eva senayoḥ ubhayoḥ api."²⁶ "There, tatra, Arjuna, pārthaḥ, saw standing, apaśyat sthitān, in both armies, senayoḥ ubhayoḥ api: fathers, pitṝn, and grandfathers, pitāmahān; teachers, ācāryān; maternal uncles, mātulān; brothers, bhrātṝn; sons, putrān; grandsons, pautrān; friends, sakhīn; also fathers-in-law, śvaśurān; and well-wishers, suhṛdaḥ!"

"Tān samīkṣya saḥ kaunteyaḥ sarvān bandhūn avasthitān kṛpayā parayā āviṣṭaḥ viṣīdan idam abravīt."²⁷ "Seeing all these relatives, tān sarvān bandhūn avasthitān, gathered there, Arjuna, saḥ kaunteyaḥ (the son of Kunti), became overwhelmed, āviṣṭaḥ, by a very deep compassion, kṛpayā parayā. And lamenting, viṣīdan, he spoke these words, idam abravīt."

Arjuna's Body Trembles as He Faces Kin²⁸

Arjuna spoke, his voice filled with a terrible sorrow and fear: "Arjunaḥ uvāca: dṛṣṭvā imam sva-janam kṛṣṇa yuyutsum samupasthitam sīdanti mama gātrāṇi mukham ca pariśuṣyati."²⁸ "Arjuna said: O Krishna, kṛṣṇa, after seeing all these kinsmen, sva-janam, gathered here to fight, yuyutsum samupasthitam, my limbs, mama gātrāṇi, are quivering, sīdanti! And my mouth, mukham, is drying up, pariśuṣyati!"

"Vepathuḥ ca śarīre me roma-harṣaḥ ca jāyate gāṇḍīvam sraṁsate hastāt tvak ca eva paridahyate."²⁹ "A trembling, vepathuḥ, is taking place in my body, śarīre me, and my hair is standing on end, roma-harṣaḥ jāyate! My Gandiva bow, gāṇḍīvam, is slipping from my hand, sraṁsate hastāt, and my skin, tvak, feels like it's burning, paridahyate!"

"Na ca śaknomi avasthātum bhramati iva ca me manaḥ nimittāni ca paśyāmi viparītāni keśava."³⁰ "I cannot even stand properly, na ca śaknomi avasthātum! My mind, manaḥ, feels like it's spinning, bhramati iva! And I see only bad omens, nimittāni viparītāni, O Krishna, Keśava!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Keśava is another beautiful name for Krishna, kids! It means 'one who has beautiful hair' or 'killer of the Keshi demon.' Here, Arjuna uses it as a term of endearment and dependence, showing he's confused but still trusts Krishna.

"Na ca śreyaḥ anupaśyāmi hatvā sva-janam āhave na kāṅkṣe vijayam kṛṣṇa na ca rājyam sukhāni ca."³¹ "I do not see any good, na ca śreyaḥ anupaśyāmi, in killing my own kinsmen, hatvā sva-janam, in this fight, āhave! O Krishna, kṛṣṇa, I do not desire victory, na kāṅkṣe vijayam, nor a kingdom, na ca rājyam, nor any happiness, na ca sukhāni!"

Arjuna Fears the Sins of War³²

Arjuna then explained why he felt such deep moral conflict, even if it meant giving up a kingdom.

"Kim naḥ rājyena govinda kim bhogaiḥ jīvitena vā yeṣām arthe kāṅkṣitam naḥ rājyam bhogāḥ sukhāni ca te ime avasthitāḥ yuddhe prāṇān tyaktvā dhanāni ca ācāryāḥ pitaraḥ putrāḥ tathā eva ca pitāmahāḥ mātulāḥ śvaśurāḥ pautrāḥ śyālāḥ sambandhinaḥ tathā etān na hantum icchāmi ghnataḥ api madhusūdana api trai-lokya rājyasya hetoḥ kim nu mahī-kṛte nihatya dhārtarāṣṭrān naḥ kā prītiḥ syāt janārdana."³²⁻³⁵ "What use is a kingdom to us, kim naḥ rājyena, O Govinda, govinda (a name for Krishna meaning 'one who gives pleasure to the cows, senses, and brahmanas')? What use are enjoyments, bhogaiḥ, or even living, jīvitena vā? All those for whom we desire kingdom, enjoyments, and happiness—our teachers, fathers, sons, grandfathers, maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law, and all other relatives—they are all standing here in this battle, ready to give up their lives, prāṇān tyaktvā, and their riches, dhanāni ca! O Krishna, madhusūdana (meaning 'killer of the Madhu demon'), I do not wish to kill any of them, etān na hantum icchāmi, even if they try to kill me, ghnataḥ api! I wouldn't kill them even for the kingdom of the three worlds, trai-lokya rājyasya hetoḥ! So why would I do it just for this little Earth, mahī-kṛte? What pleasure, kā prītiḥ syāt, would we get, O Janardana (meaning 'one who removes the distress of His devotees'), by killing the sons of Dhritarashtra?"

"Pāpam eva āśrayet asmān hatvā etān ātatāyinaḥ tasmāt na arhāḥ vayam hantum dhārtarāṣṭrān sa-bāndhavān sva-janam hi katham hatvā sukhinaḥ syāma mādhava."³⁶ "Sin, pāpam, will certainly come upon us, āśrayet asmān, by killing these aggressors, ātatāyinaḥ! Therefore, tasmāt, we should not, na arhāḥ, kill the sons of Dhritarashtra, dhārtarāṣṭrān, or their friends, sa-bāndhavān! O Madhava (another name for Krishna, 'husband of the goddess of fortune'), how can we be happy, katham hatvā sukhinaḥ syāma, by killing our own kinsmen, sva-janam?"

"Yadi api ete na paśyanti lobha-upahata-cetasaḥ kula-kṣaya-kṛtam doṣam mitra-drohe ca pātakam."³⁷⁻³⁸ "Even if they, ete, whose hearts are overcome by greed, lobha-upahata-cetasaḥ, do not see the fault, doṣam, in destroying the family, kula-kṣaya-kṛtam, or the sin, pātakam, in quarreling with friends, mitra-drohe—why should we not know how to stop ourselves from this sin, pāpāt asmāt nivartitum, O Krishna, Janardana, we who can see the crime, kula-kṣaya-kṛtam doṣam prapaśyadbhiḥ?"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Loba-upahata-cetasah is a great phrase here, kids! It means 'those whose hearts are overpowered by greed.' Arjuna is saying that his cousins are so greedy, they can't even see the terrible wrong they're doing.

"Kula-kṣaye praṇaśyanti kula-dharmāḥ sanātanāḥ dharme naṣṭe kulam kṛtsnam adharmaḥ abhibhavati uta."³⁹ "When a family is destroyed, kula-kṣaye, its eternal traditions, kula-dharmāḥ sanātanāḥ, are lost, praṇaśyanti! When righteousness, dharme, is destroyed, naṣṭe, then irreligion, adharmaḥ, completely takes over the whole family, kulam kṛtsnam abhibhavati!"

"Adharma-abhibhavāt kṛṣṇa praduṣyanti kula-striyaḥ strīṣu duṣṭāsu vārṣṇeya jāyate varṇa-saṅkaraḥ."⁴⁰ "When irreligion, adharma, becomes strong, abhibhavāt, O Krishna, the family women, kula-striyaḥ, become polluted, praduṣyanti! And when women become polluted, O descendant of Vrishni, vārṣṇeya, then unwanted children, varṇa-saṅkaraḥ, are born, jāyate!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Varṇa-saṅkaraḥ is an important term here, kids. It means 'unwanted progeny' or 'mixed population.' Arjuna is arguing that without the right family traditions and values, the next generation can become confused about their purpose and duties, leading to more problems in society.

"Saṅkaraḥ narakāya eva kula-ghnānām kulasya ca patanti pitaraḥ hi eṣām lupta-piṇḍa-udaka-kriyāḥ."⁴¹ "Such unwanted children, saṅkaraḥ, lead only to hellish life, narakāya eva, for those who destroy the family, kula-ghnānām, and for the family itself! Their ancestors, pitaraḥ, fall down, patanti, because the rituals of offering food and water, lupta-piṇḍa-udaka-kriyāḥ, are stopped!"

"Doṣaiḥ etaiḥ kula-ghnānām varṇa-saṅkara-kārakaiḥ utsādyante jāti-dharmāḥ kula-dharmāḥ ca śāśvatāḥ."⁴² "By these faults, doṣaiḥ etaiḥ, of those who destroy the family, which cause unwanted children, varṇa-saṅkara-kārakaiḥ, the eternal family traditions, kula-dharmāḥ śāśvatāḥ, and community projects, jāti-dharmāḥ, are ruined, utsādyante!"

"Utsanna-kula-dharmāṇām manuṣyāṇām janārdana narake niyatam vāsaḥ bhavati iti anuśuśruma."⁴³ "O Janardana, janārdana, we have heard, anuśuśruma, that those men, manuṣyāṇām, whose family traditions are spoiled, utsanna-kula-dharmāṇām, will live in hell, narake niyatam vāsaḥ, always, niyatam!"

"Aho bata mahat pāpam kartum vyavasitāḥ vayam yat rājya-sukha-lobhena hantum sva-janam udyatāḥ."⁴⁴ "Alas, aho bata, how strange it is! We have decided, vyavasitāḥ vayam, to commit a great sin, mahat pāpam kartum! We are trying, udyatāḥ, to kill our own kinsmen, sva-janam, just for the sake of royal happiness, rājya-sukha-lobhena, driven by greed!"

Arjuna Refuses to Fight⁴⁵

Overwhelmed by his despair and moral dilemma, Arjuna made a drastic decision.

"Yadi mām apratīkāram aśastram śastra-pāṇayaḥ dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ raṇe hanyuḥ tat me kṣema-taram bhavet."⁴⁵ "Even if the sons of Dhritarashtra, dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ, with weapons in hand, śastra-pāṇayaḥ, kill me, hanyuḥ, on the battlefield, raṇe, while I am unarmed, aśastram, and without resisting, apratīkāram—that would be better, kṣema-taram bhavet, for me!"

"Sañjayaḥ uvāca: evam uktvā arjunaḥ saṅkhye ratha-upasthe upāviśat visṛjya sa-śaram cāpam śoka-saṁvigna-mānasaḥ."⁴⁶ "Sanjaya said: Thus, evam uktvā, saying this, Arjuna, arjunaḥ, on the battlefield, saṅkhye, sat down again, upāviśat, on the chariot seat, ratha-upasthe! He put aside, visṛjya, his bow and arrows, sa-śaram cāpam, his mind distressed, saṁvigna-mānasaḥ, by lamentation, śoka!"

Wow, kids! What a powerful first chapter of the Bhagavad Gita! Arjuna, the greatest warrior, is completely overwhelmed by the thought of fighting his own family. His body trembles, his mind spins, and he sees only sin and destruction in the war. He'd rather be killed than fight!

This sets the stage perfectly for the amazing conversation that's about to happen between Arjuna and Lord Krishna. What will Krishna say to convince Arjuna to fight? You won't want to miss Chapter Two! Get ready!