Chapter 1, Verse 20 (Bhagavad Gita 1.20)
Chapter 1: Arjun Viṣhād Yog – Arjuna's Dilemma
Sanskrit Shloka
अथ व्यवस्थितान् दृष्ट्वा धार्तराष्ट्रान्कपिध्वजः। प्रवृत्ते शस्त्रसंपाते धनुरुद्यम्य पाण्डवः
Transliteration
atha vyavasthitān dṛiṣhṭvā dhārtarāṣhṭrān kapi-dhwajaḥ pravṛitte śhastra-sampāte dhanurudyamya pāṇḍavaḥ hṛiṣhīkeśhaṁ tadā vākyam idam āha mahī-pate
Word Meanings
atha—thereupon; vyavasthitān—arrayed; dṛiṣhṭvā—seeing; dhārtarāṣhṭrān—Dhritarashtra’s sons; kapi-dwajaḥ—the Monkey Bannered; pravṛitte—about to commence; śhastra-sampāte—to use the weapons; dhanuḥ—bow; udyamya—taking up; pāṇḍavaḥ—Arjun, the son of Pandu; hṛiṣhīkeśham—to Shree Krishna; tadā—at that time; vākyam—words; idam—these; āha—said; mahī-pate—King
Translation
Then, seeing the people of Dhritarashtra's party standing arrayed and the discharge of weapons about to begin, Arjuna, the son of Pandu whose ensign was a monkey, took up his bow and said the following to Krishna, O Lord of the Earth.
Meaning & Commentary
Arjuna’s action signifies the threshold between passive observation and active engagement, representing the moment when the seeker must confront internal conflicts. By picking up the bow, he acknowledges that the battle for righteousness requires a purposeful commitment of one's faculties under the guidance of the Divine.