Speaker: Sañjaya
अथ व्यवस्थितान्दृष्ट्वा धार्तराष्ट्रान् कपिध्वजः ।
प्रवृत्ते शस्त्रसम्पाते धनुरुद्यम्य पाण्डवः ।
हृषीकेशं तदा वाक्यमिदमाह महीपते ॥२०॥
atha vyavasthitān dṛṣṭvā
dhārtarāṣṭrān kapi-dhvajaḥ
pravṛtte śastra-sampāte
dhanur udyamya pāṇḍavaḥ
hṛṣīkeśaṁ tadā vākyam
idam āha mahī-pate
Word for word (synonyms)
- atha
- thereupon
- vyavasthitān
- situated
- dṛṣṭvā
- looking on
- dhārtarāṣṭrān
- the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra
- kapi-dhvajaḥ
- one whose flag is marked with Hanumān
- pravṛtte
- while about to be engaged
- śastra-sampāte
- the arrows released
- dhanuḥ
- bow
- udyamya
- after taking up
- pāṇḍavaḥ
- the son of Pāṇḍu (Arjuna)
- hṛṣīkeśam
- unto Lord Kṛṣṇa
- tadā
- at that time
- vākyam
- words
- idam
- these
- āha
- said
- mahī-pate
- O King
Translation
O King, at that time Arjuna, the son of Pāṇḍu, who was seated in his chariot, his flag marked with Hanumān, took up his bow and prepared to shoot his arrows, looking at the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra. O King, Arjuna then spoke to Hṛṣīkeśa [Kṛṣṇa] these words:
Purport
The battle was just about to begin. It is understood from the above statement that the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra were more or less disheartened by the unexpected arrangement of military force by the Pāṇḍavas, who were guided by the direct instructions of Lord Kṛṣṇa on the battlefield. The emblem of Hanumān on the flag of Arjuna is another sign of victory because Hanumān cooperated with Lord Rāma in the battle between Rāma and Rāvaṇa, and Lord Rāma emerged victorious. Now both Rāma and Hanumān were present on the chariot of Arjuna to help him. Lord Kṛṣṇa is Rāma Himself, and wherever Lord Rāma is, His eternal servitor Hanumān and His eternal consort Sītā, the goddess of fortune, are present. Therefore, Arjuna had no cause to fear any enemies whatsoever. And above all, the Lord of the senses, Lord Kṛṣṇa, was personally present to give him direction. Thus, all good counsel was available to Arjuna in the matter of executing the battle. In such auspicious conditions, arranged by the Lord for His eternal devotee, lay the signs of assured victory.
What this verse teaches
Desiring to see the supporters of Duryodhana, Arjuna asks Kṛṣṇa to take the chariot between the two armies.
- Section
- Arjuna Observes the Armies
Śrīla Prabhupāda lectures 1
- Bhagavad-gītā 1.20 1973-07-17
Bhagavad-gītā As It Is by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda © The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.