Chapter 1

On the holy plain, on the field of Kuru, gathered together, eager for battle, what did they, O Sanjaya, my people and the Pândavas?

Having seen arrayed the army of the Pândavas, the Prince Duryodhana approached his teacher, and spake these words:

"Behold this mighty host of the sons of Pându, O teacher, arrayed by the son of Drupada, thy wise disciple.

Heroes are these, mighty bowmen, to Bhîma and Arjuna equal in battle: Yuyudhâna, Virâta, and Drupada of the great car.

Drishtaketu, Chekitâna and the valiant King of Kâshi, Purujit and Kuntibhoja, and Shaivya, bull among men;

Yudhâmanyu the strong, and Uttamaujas the brave; Saubhadra and the Draupadeyas, all of great cars.

Know further all those who are our chiefs, O best of the twice-born, the leaders of my army; these I name to thee for thy information:

Thou, Lord, and Bhîshma, and Karna and Kripa, conquering in battle; Ashvatthâmâ, Vikarna, and Saumadatti also;

And many others, heroes, for my sake renouncing their lives, with divers weapons and missiles, and all well-skilled in war.

Yet insufficient seems this army of ours, though marshalled by Bhîshma, while that army of theirs seems sufficient, though marshalled by Bhîma;

Therefore in the rank and file let all, standing firmly in their respective divisions, guard Bhîshma, even all ye generals.

To enhearten him, the Ancient of the Kurus, the Grandsire, the glorious, blew his conch, sounding on high a lion's roar.

Then conches and kettledrums, tabors and drums and cowhorns, suddenly blared forth, and the sound was tumultuous.

Then, stationed in their great war-chariot, yoked to white horses, Mâdhava and the son of Pându blew their divine conches.

Pânchajanya by Hrishîkesha, and Devadatta by Dhananjaya. Vrikodara of terrible deeds blew his mighty conch, Paundra;

The King Yudhishthira, the son of Kuntî, blew Anantavijaya; Nakula and Sahadeva, Sughosha and Manipushpaka.

And Kâshya, of the great bow and Shikhandî, the mighty car-warrior, Drishtadyumna and Virâta and Sâtyaki, the unconquered.

Drupada and the Draupadeyas, O Lord of earth, and Saubhadra, the mighty-armed, on all sides their several conches blew.

That tumultuous uproar rent the hearts of the sons of Dhritarâshtra, filling the earth and sky with sound.

Then, beholding the sons of Dhritarâshtra standing arrayed, and flight of missiles about to begin, he whose crest is an ape, the son of Pându, took up his bow,

In the midst, between the two armies, stay my chariot, O Achyuta,

That I may behold these standing, longing for battle, with whom I must strive in this outbreaking war,

And gaze on those here gathered together ready to fight, desirous of pleasing in battle the evil-minded son of Dhritarâshtra.

Thus addressed by Gudâkesha, Hrishîkesha, O Bhârata, having stayed that best of chariots in the midst, between the two armies,

Over against Bhîshma, Drona and all the rulers of the world, said: "O Pârtha, behold these Kurus gathered together."

Then saw Pârtha standing there, uncles and grandfathers, teachers, mother's brothers, cousins, sons and grandsons, comrades,

Fathers-in-law and benefactors also in both armies; seeing all these kinsmen thus standing arrayed, Kaunteya,

Seeing these my kinsmen, O Krishna, arrayed, eager to fight,

My limbs fail and my mouth is parched, my body quivers, and my hair stands on end,

Gândîva slips from my hand, and my skin burns all over, I am not able to stand, my mind is whirling,

And I see adverse omens, O Keshava. Nor do I foresee any advantage from slaying kinsmen in battle.

For I desire not victory, O Krishna, nor kingdom, nor pleasures; what is kingdom to us, O Govinda, what enjoyment or even life?

Those for whose sake we desire kingdom, enjoyments and pleasures, they stand here in battle, abandoning life and riches—

Teachers, fathers, sons, as well as grandfathers, mother's brothers, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law, and other relatives.

These I do not wish to kill, though myself slain, O Madhusûdana, even for the sake of the kingship of the three worlds; how then for earth?

Slaying these sons of Dhritarâshtra, what pleasure can be ours, O Janârdana? Killing these desperadoes, sin will but take hold of us.

Therefore we should not kill the sons of Dhritarâshtra, our relatives; for how, killing our kinsmen, may we be happy, O Mâdhava?

Although these, with intelligence overpowered by greed, see no guilt in the destruction of a family, no crime in hostility to friends,

Why should not we learn to turn away from such a sin, O Janârdana, who see the evils in the destruction of a family?

In the destruction of a family the immemorial family traditions perish; in the perishing of tradition, lawlessness overcomes the whole family;

Owing to predominance of lawlessness, O Krishna, the women of the family become corrupt; women corrupted, O Vârshneya, there ariseth caste confusion;

This confusion draggeth to hell the slayers of the family, and the family; for their ancestors fall, deprived of rice-balls and libations.

By these caste-confusing misdeeds of the slayers of the family, the everlasting caste customs and family customs are abolished.

The abode of the men whose family customs are extinguished, O Janârdana, is everlastingly in hell. Thus have we heard.

Alas! in committing a great sin are we engaged, we who are endeavouring to kill our kindred from greed of the pleasures of kingship.

If the sons of Dhritarâshtra, weapon in hand, should slay me, unresisting, unarmed, in the battle, that would for me be the better.

Having thus spoken on the battle-field, Arjuna sank down on the seat of the chariot, casting away his bow and arrow, his mind overborne by grief.