Bhagavad Gita · Arjuna Vishada YogaChapter 1, Shloka 34 (1.34)

The list a second time — but in a different tone. This list is like the one in 1.26–1.27, but with one difference. In 1.26 Sanjaya was reporting what Arjuna saw (accusative — "he saw them"). Here Arjuna himself is speaking to Krishna (nominative — "these are"). The scene is now in Arjuna's own words — with pain.

New words — "śyālāḥ" (brothers-in-law) and "sambandhinaḥ" (relatives). Arjuna now also counts relationships made by marriage — brothers-in-law, relatives. The web of relationships spreads even wider. In this war it is not only blood relations but also families joined by marriage that face each other.

The order has changed. This time the teachers come first — respect for the guru weighs most heavily on Arjuna (Drona was his most beloved teacher). Later, in the second chapter (2.4), Arjuna will say the same thing: "how can I shoot arrows at Bhishma and Drona — they are worthy of worship".

The meaning of the repetition. Why does Arjuna count off the list again? In sorrow a person often repeats the same thing again and again — as if touching a wound over and over. This repetition is not a weakness of the poetry but the true language of a grieving person. (This interpretation is ours.)