Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1: Arjuna Vishada Yoga
Facing his own family in battle, Arjuna collapses in grief and doubt.
अर्जुनविषादयोग — अपने ही स्वजनों को सामने देखकर अर्जुन शोक और संशय में डूब जाते हैं।
Chapter 1 of 18 · 47 verses · “The Yoga of Arjuna’s Despondency”
Chapter 1 summary
The Gita opens on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, where the armies of the Kauravas and the Pandavas stand ready. The blind king Dhritarashtra asks his minister Sanjaya, who has been granted divine sight, to describe what is happening. Sanjaya narrates the scene: Duryodhana reviews the warriors on both sides, the great conch shells are blown, and Arjuna asks Krishna, his charioteer, to drive the chariot between the two armies so he can see whom he must fight.
What Arjuna sees breaks him. Facing him are his grandfather Bhishma, his teacher Drona, cousins, uncles and friends. His limbs give way, his mouth dries up and his bow Gandiva slips from his hand. He argues that no kingdom is worth killing his own family, that such a war will destroy the traditions that hold society together, and that it would be better to be killed unarmed. The chapter ends with Arjuna sinking down in the chariot, overwhelmed by grief.
Key teachings of chapter 1
- The Gita begins not with an answer but with a person in crisis. Its teaching is a response to real human confusion.
- Arjuna’s arguments sound reasonable and compassionate, yet they come from grief and attachment rather than clarity.
- Even the strongest person can be paralysed when duty and emotion pull in opposite directions.
- Naming the problem honestly — as Arjuna does — is the first step towards being helped.
Key verses of chapter 1
धर्मक्षेत्रे कुरुक्षेत्रे समवेता युयुत्सवः। मामकाः पाण्डवाश्चैव किमकुर्वत सञ्जय॥
On the field of dharma, at Kurukshetra, gathered and eager to fight — what did my sons and the sons of Pandu do, O Sanjaya?
हिंदी अर्थ: धर्मभूमि कुरुक्षेत्र में युद्ध की इच्छा से एकत्र हुए मेरे पुत्रों और पाण्डु के पुत्रों ने क्या किया, हे संजय?
- On the field of dharma at Kurukshetra, what did my sons and the sons of Pandu do, O Sanjaya? — Gita 1.1
- My limbs give way, my mouth is parched, my body trembles and my hair stands on end. — Gita 1.29
- Having spoken thus on the battlefield, Arjuna cast aside his bow and arrows and sat down in the chariot, his mind overcome with sorrow. — Gita 1.47
What chapter 1 means today
Most of us know Arjuna’s moment: a decision we cannot avoid, people we love on both sides, and a body that reacts before the mind can think. Chapter 1 gives permission to admit that we are overwhelmed. The rest of the Gita shows what to do next.
Frequently asked questions
How many verses are in chapter 1 of the Bhagavad Gita?
Chapter 1, Arjuna Vishada Yoga, has 47 verses in the standard (Gita Press) numbering.
Why is chapter 1 called Arjuna Vishada Yoga?
“Vishada” means despondency or grief. The chapter describes Arjuna’s collapse when he sees his relatives and teachers on the opposing side. It is called a “yoga” because this honest despair is what opens him to Krishna’s teaching.
Who speaks in the first chapter of the Gita?
Dhritarashtra asks the opening question, Sanjaya narrates the scene, Duryodhana speaks to Drona, and Arjuna speaks to Krishna. Krishna himself says only one short verse (1.25) in this chapter.