First discourse
THE DESPONDENCY OF ARJUNA
*Sanjaya narrates the course of the war
Dhritarashtra said:
1.
What did Pandu's sons and mine do when they assembled together on the sacred plain of Kurukshetra eager for battle, O Sanjaya?
Sanjaya said:
2.
Having seen the army of the Pandavas drawn up in battle-array, prince Duryodhana then approached his teacher and spoke following words:
*Duryodhana addresses Drona
3.
O teacher, look at this grand army of the sons of Pandu, marshalled by your talented pupil, the son of Drupada.
4.
Here are heroes, mighty archers, equal in battle to Bhima and Arjuna,- Yuyudhana, Virata and Drupada, the master of a great car (maharatha),
5.
Dhrishtaketu, Chekitana, and the valiant king of Kasi, Purujit and Kunti-Bhoja and that eminent man Saibya;
6.
There are also present the heroic Yudhamanyu and the brave Uttamanujas; the son of Subhadra and the sons of Draupadi, all masters of great cars (maharathas).
7.
But know, O best of the twice-born, who are the most distinguished among us, the leaders of my army; these I name to thee by way of example.
8.
Thyself and Bhishma, and Karna, and also Kripa, the victor in war, Asvatthama and Vikarna, and also Jayadratha, the son of Somadatta;
9.
And many other heroes who have given up their lives for my sake, fighting with various weapons, all well-skilled in battle.
10.
This army of ours protected by Bhishma is inadequate, whereas that army of theirs which is under the protection of Bhima is adequate;
11.
And therefore all of you, occupying your respective positions in the several divisions of the army, support Bhisma only.
*Both armies ready for battle
12.
His mighty grandsire, (Bhishma), the oldest of the Kauravas, in order to cheer him, sounded on high a lion's roar and blew his conch.
13.
Then, all at once, conches and kettledrums, cymbols, drums and horns were played upon, and the sound was a tumultuous uproar.
14.
Then, both Madhava and the son of Pandu, seated in a grand chariot yoked to white horses, and blew their celestial conches.
15.
Hrishikesa blew the Panchajanya, and Arjuna blew Devadatta. Bhima, (the doer) of terrible deeds, blew his great conch Paundra.
16.
Prince Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, blew the Anantavijaya, while Nakula and Sahadeva blew the Sughosha and the Manipushpaka.
17.
The king of Kasi, an excellent archer, Sikhandin, the master of a great car, Dhrishtadyumna and Virata, and the unconquered Satyaki;
18.
Drupada and the sons of Draupadi, O lord of earth, and the son of Subhadra, of mighty arms, all together blew their respective conches.
19.
That tremendous sound rent the hearts of (the people) of Dhritarashtra's party, making both heaven and earth resound.
*Arjuna's survey of the enemy
20-22.
Then seeing the people of Dhritarashtra's party regularly marshalled, while the discharge of weapons began, Arjuna, the son of Pandu, whose ensign was a monkey, O King of earth, took up his bow and said thus to Krishna:
O Achyuta (Immortal), place my chariot between the two armies, that I may just see those who stand here desirous to fight, and know with whom I must fight in this strife of battle.
23.
I will observe those who are assembled here and are about to engage in battle desirous to do service in war to the evil-minded son of Dhritarashtra.
Sanjaya said:
24-25.
O descendant of Bharata, Hrishikesa (Krishna) thus addressed by Gudakesa (Arjuna) stationed that excellent car between the two armies in front of Bhishma and Drona and all the rulers of earth, and said: ''O son of Pritha, look at these assembled Kauravas.''
26-27.
Then the son of Pritha saw arrayed there in both the armies fathers and grandfathers, teachers, maternal uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons and comrades, fathers-in-law and friends.
27-28.
When the son of Kunti saw all the kinsmen standing, he was overcome with deepest pity and said thus in sorrow:
*Arjuna's words of despondency
Arjuna Said:
28-29.
Seeing these kinsmen, O Krishna, arrayed and desirous to fight, my limbs droop down, and my mouth is dried up. A tremor comes on my body and my hairs stand on end.
30.
The Gandiva slips from my hand, and my skin is intensely burning. I am also unable to stand and my mind is whirling round, as it were.
31.
And, O Kesava, I see omens foreboding evil. Nor do I see any good from killing my kinsmen in battle.
32.
I desire not victory, O Krishna, nor kingdom, nor pleasures. Of what avail is dominion to us, O Govinda? Of what avail are pleasures and even life?
33-34.
They for whose sake dominion, enjoyments and pleasures are sought by us are here standing, having staked their life and wealth: teachers, fathers, sons as well as grandfathers; maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law as also (other) relatives.
35.
These, O slayer of Madhu, I do not wish to kill, though they kill me, even for the sake of dominion over the three worlds; how much less for the sake of the earth!
36.
O Janardana, what delight shall be ours after killing the sons of Dhritarashtra? On killing these felons, sin only will take hold of us.
37.
We had then better not slay our own kinsmen, the sons of Dhritarashtra; for, how can we be happy, O Madhava, after slaying our own people?
*Arjuna's grief at the evils of war
38-39.
Though these, whose intelligence is stricken by greed, perceive no evil in the extinction of families and no sin in treachery to friends, yet, O Janardana, should not we, who clearly see evil in the extinction of a family, learn to refrain from this sinful deed?
40.
On the extinction of a family, the immemorial dharmas of that family disappear. When the dharmas disappear, impiety (adharma) overtakes the whole family.
41.
By the prevalence of impiety, O Krishna, the women of the family become corrupt. Women corrupted, there will be intermingling of castes (varna-samkara), O descendant of Vrishnis.
42.
Confusion of castes leads the family of these destroyers of families also to hell; for, their forefathers fall (down to hell), deprived of the offerings of pinda (rice-ball) and water.
43.
By these evil deeds of the destroyers of families which cause the intermingling of castes, the eternal dharmas of castes and families are subverted.
44.
We have heard, O Janardana, that necessary is the dwelling in hell of the men whose family dharmas are subverted.
45.
Alas! We have resolved to commit a great sin, inasmuch as we are endeavouring to slay our kinsmen out of a craving for the pleasures of dominion.
46.
It would be better for me, if the sons of Dhritarashtra, with arms in hand, should slay me unarmed and unresisting in the battle.
Sanjaya said:
47.
Having said thus, Arjuna, sorrow-stricken in mind, cast aside his bow and arrows in the midst of the battle and sat down in the chariot.
END OF FIRST DISCOURSE
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