Arjuna's Grief · 1.28
Compassion and Confusion
अर्जुन उवाच | दृष्ट्वेमं स्वजनं कृष्ण युयुत्सुं समुपस्थितम् | सीदन्ति मम गात्राणि मुखं च परिशुष्यति ||
arjuna uvāca | dṛṣṭvemaṁ sva-janaṁ kṛṣṇa yuyutsuṁ samupasthitam | sīdanti mama gātrāṇi mukhaṁ ca pariśuṣyati
Translation
Arjuna said: My dear Krishna, seeing my friends and relatives present before me in such a fighting spirit, I feel the limbs of my body quivering and my mouth drying up.
Meaning
Arjuna, the great warrior, is suddenly overwhelmed by compassion and grief. Seeing his own relatives and teachers on the battlefield, he loses his resolve. His limbs quiver, his bow slips. This is the human condition — attachment and love causing us to abandon our duty. The entire Bhagavad Gita arises as Krishna's response to this very moment.
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