I - Arjuna Vishatha Yogam

1/I. Dhratrastra said : Sanjaya, gathered on the sacred soil of Kuruksetra, eager to fight, what did my children and the children of Pandu do?

2/I. Sanjaya said, At that time, seeing the army of the Pandavas drawn up for battle and approaching Dronacarya King Duryodhana spoke these words:

3/I Behold, Master, the mighty army of the sons of Pandu arrayed for battle by your talented pupil, Dhrstadyumna, son of Drupada.

4,5,6/I. There are in this army heroes wielding mighty bows and equal in military prowess to Bhima and Arjuna - Satyaki and Virat and the Maharathi (warrior chief) Drupada; Dharstaketu, Chekitana and the valiant King of Kasi, and Purujit, Kuntibhoja, and Saivya, the best of men and mighty Yudhamanyu, and valiant Uttamauja, Abhimanyu, the son of Subhadra, and the five sons of Draupadi, - all of them Maharathis (warrior chiefs).

7/I. O best of Brahmanas, know them also who are the principal warriors on our side - the generals of army. For your information, I mention them below:-

8/I Yourself and Bhisma and Karna and Kripa, who is ever victorious in battle; and even so Asvatthama, Vikarna and Bhurisrava (the son of Somadatta);

9/I And there are many other heroes, equipped with various weapons and missiles, who have staked their lives for me, all skilled in warfare.

10/I This army of ours, fully protected by Bhisma, is unconquerable; while that army of theirs, guarded in every way by Bhisma, is easy to conquer.

11/I Therefore, stationed in your respective positions on all fronts, you all guard Bhisma in particular on all sides.

12/I. The grand old man of the Kaurava race, their glorious grand-uncle Bhisma, cheering up Duryodhana, roared terribly like a lion and blew his conch.

13/I. Then conches kettledrums tabors, drums and trumpets suddenly blared forth and the noise was tumultuous.

14/I. Then seated in a glorious chariot drawn by white horses, Sri Krsna as well as Arjuna blew their celestial conches.

15/I. Sri Krishna blew His Conch named Pancajanya; Arjuna, his own called Devadatta; while Bhima of terrible deeds blew his mighty conch Paundra.

16/I. King Yudhisthira, son of Kunti, blew his conch, Anantavijaya; while Nakula and Sahadeva blew theirs, known as Sughosa and Manipuspaka respectively.

17/I. And the excellent archer, the King of Kasi and Sikhandi the Maharathi (great car-warrior), Dhrstadyumna and Virata; and invincible Satyaki, Drupada as well as the five sons of Draupadi, and the mighty - armed Abhimanyu, son of Subhadra, all of them, O Lord of the earth, severally blew their respective conchs from all sides:

19/I. And the terrible sound, echoing through heaven and earth, rent the hearts of Dhritarastra's sons.

20,21/I. Now, O Lord of the earth, seeing your sons arrayed against him, and when missiles were ready to be hurled, Arjuna, son of Pandu, took up his bow and then addressed the following words to Sri Krisna " Krishna, place my chariot between the two armies.

22/I. And keep it there till I have carefully observed these warriors drawn up for battle, and have seen with whom I have to engage in this fight.

23/I. I shall scan the well-wishers in this war of evil-minded Duryodhana, whoever have assembled on this side and are ready for the fight.

24,25 /I. Sanjaya said : O king, thus addressed by Arjuna, Sri Krishna placed the magnificent chariot between the two armies in front of Bhisma, Drona, and all the kings and said, Arjuna, behold these Kauravas assembled here.

26,1/27 /I Now, Arjuna, saw stationed there in both the armies his uncles, grand-uncles and teachers, even great grand-uncles, maternal uncles, brothers and cousins, sons and nephews, and grand-nephews, even so friends, fathers-in-law and well-wishers as well.

28 /I. Seeing, all those relations present there, Arjuna was filled with deep compassion, and uttered these words in sadness.

2/28, 29 /I. Arjuna said: Krishna, at the sight of these kinsmen arrayed for battle my limbs give way, and my mouth is parching ; nay, a shiver runs through my body and hair stand upright.

30/I The bow, Gandiva,slips from my hand and my skin too burns all over ; my brain is whirling , as it were, and I can stand no longer.

31/I. And, Kesava, I see such omens of evil, nor do I see any good in killing my kinsmen in battle.

32/I. Krshna, I do not covet victory, nor kingdom nor pleasures. Govinda, of what use will kingdom, or luxuries, or even life be to us!

33,34/I. Those very persons for whose sake we covet the throne, luxuries and pleasures, - teachers, uncles, sons and nephews and even so grand-uncles and great grand-uncles, maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grand-nephews, brothers-in-law and other relations, - are here arrayed on the battle-field risking their lives and wealth.

35/I. Oslayer of Madhu, I do not want to kill them, though they should slay me, even for the throne of the three worlds; how much the less from earthly lordship!

36/I. Krishna, how can we hope to be happy slaying the sons of Dhrtarastra ; killing these desperadoes sin will surely take hold of us.

37/I. Therefore, Krishna, it does not behove us to kill our relations, the sons of Dhritarastra. For how can we be happy after killing our own kinsmen?

38,39/I. Even,if these people, with minds blinded by greed; perceive no evil in destroying their own race and no sin in treason to friends, why should not we, O Krishna, who see clearly the sin accruing from the destruction of one's family think of turning away from this crime.

40/I. Age-long family traditions disappear with the destruction of a family; and virtue having been lost, vice takes hold of the entire race.

41/I. With the preponderance of vice, Krishna, the women of the family become corrupt; and with the corruption of women, O descendant of Vrsni, there ensues an intermixture of castes.

42/I. Admixture of blood damns the destroyers of the race as well as the race itself. Deprived of the offerings of rice and water (Sraddha, Tarpana., etc.,) the manes of their race also fall.

43/I. Through these evils bringing about an intermixture of caste, the age-long caste-traditions and family customs of the killers of kinsmen get extinct.

44/I. Krishna, we hear that men who have lost their family traditions dwell in hell for an indefinite period of time.

45/I. Oh what a pity! Though possessed of intelligence we have set our mind on the commission of a great sin in that due to lust for throne and enjoyment we are intent on killing own kinsmen.

46/I. It would be better for me if the sons of Dhrtarastra, armed with weapons, killed me in battle while I was unarmed and unresisting.

47/I. Sanjaya said: Arjuna, whose mind was agitated by grief on the battle-field, having spoken, thus, and having thrown aside his bow and arrows, sank into the hinder part of his chariot.