BG 1.1: Dhrtarashtra said: On the holy field of Kurukshetra, gathered together eager for battle, what did my people and the Pandavas do, O Sañjaya?

BG 1.2: Sañjaya said: King Duryodhana, on seeing the Pandava army in battle array, approached his teacher Drona and said these words:

BG 1.3: Behold, O teacher, this mighty army of the Pandavas, arrayed by the son of Drupada, your intelligent disciple.

BG 1.4: There (in that army) are heroes, great bowmen, like Bhima and Arjuna; Yuyudhana, Virata and Drupada a mighty warrior;

BG 1.5: Dhrshtaketu, Cekitana, and the valiant king of Kashi; Purujit and Kuntibhoja, and Shaibya the best among men;

BG 1.6: Yudhamanyu the valiant, and Uttamaujas the strong; and also the son of Subhadra and the sons of Draupadi, all mighty warriors.

BG 1.7: Know, O best of Brahmanas, those who are important on our side—those who are the commanders of my army. I shall name them to refresh your memory.

BG 1.8: Yourself, Bhishma and Karna, the victorious Krpa, Ashvatthama, Vikarna and Jayadratha the son of Somadatta;

BG 1.9: And there are many other heroes who are determined to give up their lives for my sake. They all are experts in using manifold missiles and are dexterous in battle.

BG 1.10: Inadequate is this force of ours, which is guarded by Bhishma, while adequate is that force of theirs, which is guarded by Bhima.

BG 1.11: Therefore all of you taking your places firmly in your respective divisions, guard Bhishma at all cost.

BG 1.12: Then the valiant grandsire Bhishma, seniormost of the Kuru clan, roaring like a lion, blew his conch with a view to cheer up Duryodhana.

BG 1.13: Then suddenly conchs and kettle drums, trumpets, tabors and blow horns blared forth; and the sound was terrific.

BG 1.14: Then Shri Krishna and Arjuna, stationed in their great chariot yoked with white horses, blew their divine conchs.

BG 1.15: Shri Krishna blew his conch, Pañcajanya, Arjuna his Devadatta and Bhima of terrible deeds his great conch Paundra.

BG 1.16: King Yudhishthira the son of Kunti blew his conch Anantavijaya and Nakula and Sahadeva blew their conchs Sughosha and Manipushpaka.

BG 1.17: And the King of Kashi the supreme bowman, Shikandi the mighty warrior, Dhrshtadyumna and Virata; and Satyaki the invincible;

BG 1.18: Drupada and the sons of Draupadi, and the strong-armed son of Subhadra—all, O King, blew their several conchs again and again.

BG 1.19: And that tumultuous uproar, resounding through heaven and earth, rent the hearts of Dhrtarastra’s sons.

BG 1.20: Then Arjuna, who had Hanuman as his banner crest, on beholding the sons of Dhrtarashtra in array, took up his bow, while missiles were beginning to fly.

BG 1.21: And he spoke, O lord of earth, these words to Shri Krishna... Arjuna said: ...Draw up my chariot, O Krishna, between the two armies,

BG 1.22: So that I may have a good look at those who are standing eager to fight and know with whom I have to fight in this enterprise of war.

BG 1.23: I wish to see those gathered here ready to fight in this battle in order to please the evil-minded son of Dhrtarashtra.

BG 1.24-25: Sañjaya said: Thus addressed by Arjuna, Shri Krishna drew up that best of chariots between the two armies before the view of Bhishma and Drona and all the other kings, O Dhrtarashtra, and said, ‘O Arjuna, behold these assembled Kauravas.’

BG 1.26: Then as Arjuna looked on, he saw standing there fathers and grand-fathers, teachers, uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons and comrades;

BG 1.27: Fathers-in-law and dear friends in both armies. When Arjuna saw all these kinsmen in array,

BG 1.28: He was filled with deep compassion and said these words in despair... Arjuna said: ...O Krishna, when I look on these, my kinsmen present here, eager for battle,

BG 1.29: My limbs are weakened, my mouth gets parched, my body trembles and my hairs stand erect.

BG 1.30: The bow Gandiva slips from my hand and my skin is burning. I can stand no longer. My mind seems to reel.

BG 1.31: I see, Krishna, inauspicious omens. I foresee no good in killing my kinsmen in the fight.

BG 1.32: I desire no victory, nor empire, nor pleasures. What have we to do with empire, O Krishna, or enjoyment or even life?

BG 1.33: Those for whose sake we do desire empire, enjoyment and pleasures, stand here in war renouncing life and wealth—

BG 1.34: Teachers, fathers, sons and also grandfathers, uncles, fathers-in-law and grandsons, brothers-in-law and other kinsmen—

BG 1.35: These I would not slay, though they might slay me, even for the sovereignty of the three worlds—how much less for this earth O Krishna?

BG 1.36: If we kill the sons of Dhrtarashtra, what joy will be ours, O Krishna? Sin alone will accrue to us if we kill these murderous felons.

BG 1.37: Therefore, it is not befitting that we slay our kin, the sons of Dhrtarashtra. For if we kill our kinsmen, O Krishna, how indeed can we be happy?

BG 1.38: Though these people, whose minds are overpowered by greed, see no evil in the destruction of a clan and no sin in treachery to friends,

BG 1.39: Why should we not learn to shun this crime—we who see the evil of ruining a clan, O Krishna?

BG 1.40: With the ruin of a clan, perish its ancient traditions, and when traditions perish, lawlessness overtakes the whole clan.

BG 1.41: When lawlessness prevails, O Krishna, the women of the clan become corrupt; when women become corrupt, there arises intermixture of classes.

BG 1.42: This mixing of classes leads to hell the clan itself and its destroyers; for the spirits of their ancestors fall degraded, deprived of the ritual offerings of food and water.

BG 1.43: By the sins of the clan-destroyers who bring about inter-mixture of classes, the ancient traditions of the clan and class are destroyed.

BG 1.44: For those whose clan-laws are destroyed, dwelling in hell is ordained, O Krishna; thus have we heard.

BG 1.45: Alas! we have resolved to commit a great sin in that we are ready to slay our kith and kin out of desire for sovereignty and enjoyments.

BG 1.46: If the well-armed sons of Dhrtarashtra should slay me in battle, unresisting and unarmed, that will be better for me.

BG 1.47: Sanjaya said: Having spoken thus on the battle-field, Arjuna threw aside his how and arrows and sat down on the seat of the chariot, his heart overwhelmed with grief.