Bhagavad Gita · Verse 1.1
Chapter 1: Arjuna Vishada Yoga (अर्जुनविषादयोगः)
(Dhritarashtra said)
धर्मक्षेत्रे कुरुक्षेत्रे समवेता युयुत्सवः । मामकाः पाण्डवाश्चैव किमकुर्वत सञ्जय ॥१॥
dharmakṣetre kurukṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ | māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāścaiva kimakurvata sañjaya ||1||
Complete Shloka Translation
Dhritarashtra said: Sanjaya, when my sons and the sons of Pandu assembled at Kurukshetra, the field of dharma, eager to fight, what did they do?
Word-by-Word Translation (Padartha / Anvaya)
| Sanskrit Term (पद) | IAST Roman | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| धर्मक्षेत्रे | dharma-kṣetre | in the sacred land of dharma |
| कुरुक्षेत्रे | kuru-kṣetre | in the field of Kurukshetra |
| समवेताः | samavetāḥ | assembled together |
| युयुत्सवः | yuyutsavaḥ | eager for combat / desiring war |
| मामकाः | māmakāḥ | my sons (the Kauravas) |
| पाण्डवाः | pāṇḍavāḥ | the sons of Pandu |
| च | ca | and |
| एव | eva | certainly / indeed |
| किम् | kim | what |
| अकुर्वत | akurvata | did they do |
| सञ्जय | sañjaya | O Sanjaya |
in the sacred land of dharma
in the field of Kurukshetra
assembled together
eager for combat / desiring war
my sons (the Kauravas)
the sons of Pandu
and
certainly / indeed
what
did they do
O Sanjaya
Detailed Commentary & Meaningful Thoughts
Dharma names the sphere of duty and right conduct, making the battlefield a setting for moral questions as well as conflict. The possessive distinction introduces the family division that Arjuna will later struggle to accept.
Philosophical Reflection & Self-Inquiry
"The king asks about the battle while distinguishing his own sons from their cousins."
Inquiry Question to Ponder:
Am I dividing people into my own and others before listening to them?
Modern Life Implementation (Practical Real-Life Application)
Overcoming In-Group Bias and Tribalism: King Dhritarashtra asks what 'my sons' and 'Pandu's sons' did, creating an artificial division between family members. In modern leadership, management, and family life, bias toward our 'inner circle' blinds us to objective justice, merit, and ethical duty. True clarity begins when we stop seeing challenges as 'us versus them' and evaluate them through universal principles of fairness and integrity.