Chapter 1अर्जुनविषादयोगःArjuna Vishada Yoga

On Kurukshetra, the field of dharma, the two armies stand face to face. Seated in his palace, the blind king Dhritarashtra asks his charioteer Sanjaya — "what did my sons and the Pandavas do?" (1.1). In his very distinction between "mine" and "the Pandavas" lies the root of the whole tragedy.

Sanjaya begins his account. Seeing the Pandava army, Duryodhana goes to his teacher Drona and, in language full of taunts, counts off the warriors of both armies (1.2–1.9). His words carry both pride and a hidden anxiety — "our army is protected by Bhishma, theirs by Bhima" (1.10) — and he orders everyone to protect Bhishma (1.11). Drona stays silent.

To raise Duryodhana's spirits, Bhishma roars like a lion and blows his conch; the instruments of the Kaurava army ring out (1.12–1.13). In reply, Krishna and Arjuna, seated in a chariot drawn by white horses, and then all the Pandava warriors blow their conches, each with its own name (1.14–1.18). The sound of the Pandava conches tears through the hearts of the Kauravas (1.19).

Now the scene rests on Arjuna. Eagerly he raises his bow and asks Krishna to take the chariot between the two armies, so that he may see whom he must fight (1.20–1.23). Krishna halts the chariot right in front of Bhishma and Drona and speaks his first words in the Gita: "Partha, behold these Kurus" (1.24–1.25).

Arjuna looks — and he sees not enemies but relationships: men like fathers, grandfathers, teachers, uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons, friends, fathers-in-law — in both armies (1.26–1.27). Deep compassion and despair overwhelm him (1.28). His body gives way — limbs slack, mouth dry, trembling, the Gandiva slipping, his mind reeling (1.29–1.30).

Then Arjuna reasons: there is no good in this war (1.31); he has no wish for victory, kingdom or pleasure — those for whom all this was wanted are the very ones standing before him (1.32–1.34); even if they kill me, I will not kill (1.35); there is sin even in killing these aggressors (1.36–1.37); blinded by greed, they may not see the wrong, but we do (1.38–1.39). With the destruction of the family, the family dharma will perish, adharma will spread, and society and the ancestors will fall (1.40–1.44). At the end, Arjuna laments over himself (1.45) and decides that it is better to be killed unarmed (1.46). Sanjaya reports: his mind overwhelmed by grief, Arjuna put down his bow and arrows and sat down in the chariot (1.47).

The chapter ends without any answer. The question stands; the answer will begin from the next chapter.