Chapter 1, Verse 28 (Bhagavad Gita 1.28)
Chapter 1: Arjun Viṣhād Yog – Arjuna's Dilemma
Sanskrit Shloka
अर्जुन उवाच कृपया परयाऽऽविष्टो विषीदन्निदमब्रवीत्। दृष्ट्वेमं स्वजनं कृष्ण युयुत्सुं समुपस्थितम्
Transliteration
arjuna uvācha dṛiṣhṭvemaṁ sva-janaṁ kṛiṣhṇa yuyutsuṁ samupasthitam
Word Meanings
arjunaḥ uvācha—Arjun said; dṛiṣhṭvā—on seeing; imam—these; sva-janam—kinsmen; kṛiṣhṇa—Krishna; yuyutsum—eager to fight; samupasthitam—present;
Translation
Arjuna said, "O Krishna, seeing my kinsmen arrayed here, eager to fight,
Meaning & Commentary
Arjuna’s observation represents the psychological paralysis born from an inability to reconcile ego-driven familial attachments with the necessity of fulfilling one's higher duty (dharma). It marks the transition from worldly ignorance to the threshold of spiritual inquiry, where emotional identification with the body and kin clouds the vision of the eternal soul.