Chapter 1, Verse 27 (Bhagavad Gita 1.27)
Chapter 1: Arjun Viṣhād Yog – Arjuna's Dilemma
Sanskrit Shloka
श्वशुरान्सुहृदश्चैव सेनयोरुभयोरपि। तान्समीक्ष्य स कौन्तेयः सर्वान्बन्धूनवस्थितान्
Transliteration
tān samīkṣhya sa kaunteyaḥ sarvān bandhūn avasthitān kṛipayā parayāviṣhṭo viṣhīdann idam abravīt
Word Meanings
tān—these; samīkṣhya—on seeing; saḥ—they; kaunteyaḥ—Arjun, the son of Kunti; sarvān—all; bandhūn—relatives; avasthitān—present; kṛipayā—by compassion; parayā—great; āviṣhṭaḥ—overwhelmed; viṣhīdan—deep sorrow; idam—this; abravīt—spoke
Translation
He saw fathers-in-law and friends in both the armies. The son of Kunti, Arjuna, seeing all those kinsmen thus standing arrayed, spoke sorrowfully, deeply filled with pity.
Meaning & Commentary
Arjuna’s emotional collapse signifies the psychological conflict between duty (Dharma) and human attachment (Moha), where the ego-centered perception of relationships obscures one's higher purpose. This moment represents the onset of existential crisis, where the soul confronts the pain of detachment from worldly identities.