Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1, Verse 20

Chapter 1 – Arjuna Vishada Yoga · Speaker: Sanjaya

Sanskrit verse

अथ व्यवस्थितान्दृष्ट्वा धार्तराष्ट्रान् कपिध्वजः ।
प्रवृत्ते शस्त्रसम्पाते धनुरुद्यम्य पाण्डवः ।
हृषीकेशं तदा वाक्यमिदमाह महीपते ॥

Transliteration

atha vyavasthitāndṛṣṭvā dhārtarāṣṭrān kapidhvajaḥ .
pravṛtte śastrasampāte dhanurudyamya pāṇḍavaḥ ॥

Meaning

Then, O king, seeing the sons of Dhritarashtra drawn up in array as the clash of weapons was about to begin, Arjuna, the son of Pandu whose banner bore Hanuman, raised his bow and spoke these words to Hrishikesha (Krishna).

Word meanings

अथ – then
व्यवस्थितान् – arrayed, standing in order
दृष्ट्वा – seeing
धार्तराष्ट्रान् – the sons of Dhritarashtra
कपिध्वजः – he whose banner bears the monkey (Hanuman)
प्रवृत्ते – having begun, being about to begin
शस्त्रसम्पाते – the discharge of weapons
धनुः – bow
उद्यम्य – raising
पाण्डवः – the son of Pandu, Arjuna
हृषीकेशम् – to Hrishikesha (Krishna)
तदा – then
वाक्यम् – words
इदम् – these
आह – spoke
महीपते – O lord of the earth (Dhritarashtra)

Anvaya (word order)

महीपते, अथ शस्त्रसम्पाते प्रवृत्ते धार्तराष्ट्रान् व्यवस्थितान् दृष्ट्वा कपिध्वजः पाण्डवः धनुः उद्यम्य तदा हृषीकेशम् इदं वाक्यम् आह ।

Explanation

This verse is a decisive turn in the story of the Gita. Until now the description concerned the two armies, their warriors and their conches; from here Arjuna becomes the centre. Everything is ready for battle; pravritte shastrasampate, the discharge of weapons is about to begin. At that very moment Arjuna lifts his bow, and at that very moment begins the dialogue that will become the Gita.

Arjuna is called Kapidhvaja, he whose banner bears the monkey. Hanuman sat upon his chariot's flag. The story goes that during the exile Hanuman promised Bhima he would help the Pandavas in the war by residing on Arjuna's banner. Hanuman, the great devotee of Rama, now rides the chariot of Krishna and Arjuna, a sign that devotion, strength and divine grace are all with the Pandavas.

Seeing the Kauravas arrayed for battle, Arjuna's ardour rises. At this point there is no doubt in his mind; he raises his bow like a resolute warrior. This matters, because the despair that soon follows will arise not from cowardice but from the attachment that wells up on seeing his own kinsmen before him.

Once again Sanjaya addresses Dhritarashtra as mahipate, 'lord of the earth', as if reminding him that there is still time, and the king could still stop the destruction if he wished.

Context

Verse 19 told of the effect of the Pandava conches on the Kauravas. Here Arjuna raises his bow and turns to speak to Krishna; his words begin in the next verse (21).

Life lesson

The most important turning points of life often come in the moment just before action. In such moments, turning to the Divine or to a true guide is what gives the right direction.

Key terms

Kapidhvaja: he whose banner bears the monkey (Hanuman); Arjuna
Shastrasampata: the clash of weapons, the start of battle
Hrishikesha: lord of the senses; Krishna