Chapter 1

योत्स्यमानानवेक्षेऽहं य एतेऽत्र समागता: | धार्तराष्ट्रस्य दुर्बुद्धेर्युद्धे प्रियचिकीर्षव: ॥23॥ Transliteration yotsyamānān avekṣhe ’haṁ ya ete ’tra samāgatāḥ dhārtarāṣhṭrasya durbuddher yuddhe priya-chikīrṣhavaḥ Word Meanings yotsyamānān—those who have come to fight; avekṣhe aham—I desire to see; ye—who; ete—those; atra—here; samāgatāḥ—assembled; dhārtarāṣhṭrasya—of Dhritarashtra’s son; durbuddheḥ—evil-minded; yuddhe—in the fight; priya-chikīrṣhavaḥ—wishing to please Translation These who have assembled here and…

यावदेतान्निरीक्षेऽहं योद्धुकामानवस्थितान् | कैर्मया सह योद्धव्यमस्मिन् रणसमुद्यमे ॥22॥ Transliteration yāvadetān nirīkṣhe ’haṁ yoddhu-kāmān avasthitān kairmayā saha yoddhavyam asmin raṇa-samudyame Word Meanings yāvat—as many as; etān—these; nirīkṣhe—look; aham—I; yoddhu-kāmān—for the battle; avasthitān—arrayed; kaiḥ—with whom; mayā—by me; saha—together; yoddhavyam—must fight; asmin—in this; raṇa-samudyame—great combat Translation And keep it there until I survey these who stand intent on…

अर्जुन उवाच | सेनयोरुभयोर्मध्ये रथं स्थापय मेऽच्युत ॥21॥ Transliteration arjuna uvācha senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya me ’chyuta Word Meanings arjunaḥ uvācha—Arjun said; senayoḥ—armies; ubhayoḥ—both; madhye—in the middle; ratham—chariot; sthāpaya—place; me—my; achyuta—Shree Krishna, the infallible One; Translation Arjuna said: O Acyuta, please place my chariot between both the armies.

अथ व्यवस्थितान्दृष्ट्वा धार्तराष्ट्रान् कपिध्वज: | प्रवृत्ते शस्त्रसम्पाते धनुरुद्यम्य पाण्डव: ॥20॥ हृषीकेशं तदा वाक्यमिदमाह महीपते | Transliteration atha vyavasthitān dṛiṣhṭvā dhārtarāṣhṭrān kapi-dhwajaḥ pravṛitte śhastra-sampāte dhanurudyamya pāṇḍavaḥ hṛiṣhīkeśhaṁ tadā vākyam idam āha mahī-pate Word Meanings atha—thereupon; vyavasthitān—arrayed; dṛiṣhṭvā—seeing; dhārtarāṣhṭrān—Dhritarashtra’s sons; kapi-dwajaḥ—the Monkey Bannered; pravṛitte—about to commence; śhastra-sampāte—to use the weapons; dhanuḥ—bow; udyamya—taking up; pāṇḍavaḥ—Arjun, the son of…

स घोषो धार्तराष्ट्राणां हृदयानि व्यदारयत् | नभश्च पृथिवीं चैव तुमुलो नुनादयन् ॥19॥ Transliteration sa ghoṣho dhārtarāṣhṭrāṇāṁ hṛidayāni vyadārayat nabhaśhcha pṛithivīṁ chaiva tumulo nunādayan Word Meanings saḥ—that; ghoṣhaḥ—sound; dhārtarāṣhṭrāṇām—of Dhritarashtra’s sons; hṛidayāni—hearts; vyadārayat—shattered; nabhaḥ—the sky; cha—and; pṛithivīm—the earth; cha—and; eva—certainly; tumulaḥ—terrific sound; abhyanunādayan—thundering Translation That tremendous sound pierced the hearts of the sons of Dhrtarastra as…

द्रुपदो द्रौपदेयाश्च सर्वश: पृथिवीपते | सौभद्रश्च महाबाहु: शङ्खान्दध्मु: पृथक् पृथक् ॥18॥ Transliteration drupado draupadeyāśhcha sarvaśhaḥ pṛithivī-pate saubhadraśhcha mahā-bāhuḥ śhaṅkhāndadhmuḥ pṛithak pṛithak Word Meanings drupadaḥ—Drupad; draupadeyāḥ—the five sons of Draupadi; cha—and; sarvaśhaḥ—all; pṛithivī-pate—Ruler of the earth; saubhadraḥ—Abhimanyu, the son of Subhadra; cha—also; mahā-bāhuḥ—the mighty-armed; śhaṅkhān—conch shells; dadhmuḥ—blew; pṛithak pṛithak—individually Translation Drupada and the sons of Draupadi,…