Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1, Verse 26

Chapter 1 – Arjuna Vishada Yoga · Speaker: Sanjaya

Sanskrit verse

तत्रापश्यत्स्थितान्पार्थः पितॄनथ पितामहान् ।
आचार्यान्मातुलान्भ्रातॄन्पुत्रान्पौत्रान्सखींस्तथा ॥

Transliteration

tatrāpaśyatsthitānpārthaḥ pitṝnatha pitāmahān .
ācāryānmātulānbhrātṛnputrānpautrānsakhīṃstathā ॥

Meaning

There Partha (Arjuna) saw, standing in both armies, fathers and grandfathers, teachers, maternal uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons and friends.

Word meanings

तत्र – there
अपश्यत् – saw
स्थितान् – standing
पार्थः – Partha (Arjuna)
पितॄन् – fathers (elders of the father's generation)
अथ – then
पितामहान् – grandfathers
आचार्यान् – teachers
मातुलान् – maternal uncles
भ्रातॄन् – brothers
पुत्रान् – sons
पौत्रान् – grandsons
सखीन् – friends
तथा – also

Anvaya (word order)

अथ तत्र पार्थः उभयोः अपि सेनयोः स्थितान् पितॄन्, पितामहान्, आचार्यान्, मातुलान्, भ्रातॄन्, पुत्रान्, पौत्रान्, तथा सखीन् अपश्यत् ।

Explanation

The moment Krishna says 'behold', Arjuna's vision changes. Until now he wanted to see 'enemies': 'those eager to fight', 'those who wish to please the evil-minded Duryodhana'. But what he now sees is not an enemy army but a web of relationships. Sanjaya lists the scene as Arjuna's own eyes take it in.

Pitrin, 'fathers': elders of his father's generation such as Bhurishrava and Somadatta. Pitamahan, 'grandfathers': Bhishma and Bahlika. Acharyan, 'teachers': Drona and Kripa. Matulan, 'maternal uncles': Shalya and Shakuni. Bhratrin, 'brothers': his cousins Duryodhana, Duhshasana and the rest. Putran and pautran, 'sons and grandsons': nephews such as Lakshmana, Duryodhana's son, regarded as sons, and their children. Sakhin, 'friends': companions of his youth such as Ashvatthama.

This list subtly shows how attachment is born. When we see a person as an 'enemy', the mind feels the urge to fight; when we see the same person as 'our own', affection wells up. The person is the same; only our way of seeing has changed. Arjuna's gaze has shifted from duty to relationship.

Note that Sanjaya speaks of ubhayor api senayoh, 'in both armies' (the phrase completes in the next verse). Arjuna saw his own kinsmen on his own side too. Whoever wins this war, those who die will all be his own. This realisation shakes him to the core.

Context

In verse 25 Krishna told Arjuna to behold the Kurus. In this verse and the next Sanjaya relates what Arjuna saw; verses 27-28 describe the effect of this sight on Arjuna's mind.

Life lesson

The situation stays the same, but when our way of seeing changes, our feelings change too. So before any decision we should ask whether we are looking through the eyes of duty or merely of attachment.

Key terms

Partha: son of Pritha; Arjuna
Svajana: one's own people, kinsmen
Matula: maternal uncle; here Shalya, Shakuni and others
Mamata: the sense of 'mine' that gives rise to attachment