Chapter 1: Arjuna's Dilemmaअर्जुनविषादयोग
1:1
“Dhritarashtra said: O Sanjaya, what did my sons and the sons of Pandu do when they assembled on the holy field of Kurukshetra, eager for battle?”
Sanskrit
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच | धर्मक्षेत्रे कुरुक्षेत्रे समवेता युयुत्सवः | मामकाः पाण्डवाश्चैव किमकुर्वत सञ्जय ||
Transliteration
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva kim akurvata sañjaya
Commentary
This opening verse sets the stage for the entire Bhagavad Gita. Dhritarashtra, the blind king, anxiously asks his minister Sanjaya about the events on the battlefield. The term 'dharma-kshetra' (field of dharma) indicates that Kurukshetra is a sacred place where righteousness would prevail.
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Chapter 1
Arjuna's Dilemma