Chapter 1, Verse 30 (Bhagavad Gita 1.30)
Chapter 1: Arjun Viṣhād Yog – Arjuna's Dilemma
Sanskrit Shloka
गाण्डीवं स्रंसते हस्तात्त्वक्चैव परिदह्यते। न च शक्नोम्यवस्थातुं भ्रमतीव च मे मनः
Transliteration
gāṇḍīvaṁ sraṁsate hastāt tvak chaiva paridahyate na cha śhaknomy avasthātuṁ bhramatīva cha me manaḥ
Word Meanings
gāṇḍīvam—Arjun’s bow; sraṁsate—is slipping; hastāt—from (my) hand; tvak—skin; cha—and; eva—indeed; paridahyate—is burning all over; na—not; cha—and; śhaknomi—am able; avasthātum—remain steady; bhramati iva—whirling like; cha—and; me—my; manaḥ—mind;
Translation
The Gandiva slips from my hand, and my skin burns all over; I am unable to stand, and my mind is reeling, as it were.
Meaning & Commentary
Arjuna’s physical collapse reflects the internal fragmentation of the ego when it faces a conflict that contradicts its deeply held moral conditioning. This illustrates how existential anxiety manifests psychosomatically, paralyzing the intellect and stripping away one’s sense of purpose and agency.