Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1, Verse 22

Chapter 1 – Arjuna Vishada Yoga · Speaker: Arjuna

Sanskrit verse

यावदेतान्निरीक्षेऽहं योद्धुकामानवस्थितान् ।
कैर्मया सह योद्धव्यमस्मिन् रणसमुद्यमे ॥

Transliteration

yāvadetānnirikṣe.ahaṃ yoddhukāmānavasthitān .
kairmayā saha yoddhavyamasmin raṇasamudyame ॥

Meaning

So that I may observe those who stand here eager for battle, and see with whom I must fight in this great enterprise of war.

Word meanings

यावत् – so that, while
एतान् – these
निरीक्षे – I may observe carefully
अहम् – I
योद्धुकामान् – desirous of fighting
अवस्थितान् – standing arrayed
कैः – with whom
मया – by me
सह – together with
योद्धव्यम् – must be fought
अस्मिन् – in this
रणसमुद्यमे – undertaking of battle

Anvaya (word order)

यावत् अहम् एतान् योद्धुकामान् अवस्थितान् निरीक्षे, अस्मिन् रणसमुद्यमे मया कैः सह योद्धव्यम् (इति) ।

Explanation

Arjuna explains his request. Like a skilled warrior, he wants to survey the opposing side, to see which warriors stand before him and whom he will face. The word nirikshe means not simply 'to see' but 'to examine closely'. In military practice it is natural for a warrior to understand the strength and arrangement of the enemy before the fighting begins.

The word yoddhukaman, 'desirous of fighting', reveals a firm conviction in Arjuna's mind. He holds that the desire for war belongs to the Kauravas, not the Pandavas. The Pandavas had tried every possible way to peace; Krishna himself went to Hastinapura as envoy of peace, and Duryodhana even tried to take him prisoner. So Arjuna is clear that this war has been forced upon them.

Kair maya saha yoddhavyam, 'with whom must I fight?', seems an ordinary question, but it holds the seed of all the despair to come. When Arjuna sees the answer with his own eyes, he will find before him not unknown enemies but his grandsire, his teachers, his cousins and kinsmen. That sight will shake him to the core.

For now Arjuna's tone is confident. He speaks of himself as aham, 'I', the doer. This very sense of being the doer later becomes the ground of his delusion.

Context

In verse 21 Arjuna asked for the chariot to be placed between the two armies; in this verse and the next he gives the reason.

Life lesson

Before entering any conflict, one should see clearly who is involved and whom it will affect. Clear sight is the foundation of right decision.

Key terms

Niriksha: close observation, careful survey
Yoddhukama: one who desires to fight
Ranasamudyama: the undertaking or full preparation of battle