Bhagavadgita Parva — Arjuna's dejection of mind

Dhritarashtra said What did my sons and the Pandava do, o Sanjaya, when desirous of battle they all assembled on the holy field of Kurukshetra?

Sanjaya said Seeing the Pandava army in battle array,

“Behold, O Preceptor, the grand army of the Pandavas, drawn up in battle array by your intelligent pupil the son of Drupada.

There are in it mighty bowmen, equals of Bhima and Arjuna in battle. There are Yudhishthira, Virata and the great car-warrior Drupada.

There are Dhrishtaketu, Chekitan and valiant king of Kashi, Purujit, Kuntibhoja and that kings of men, Shaivya.

There are mighty Yudhamanyu, heroic Uttamaujas, Subhadra's son and sons of Draupadi, all great car-warriors.

O best of Brahmanas, learn, I shall tell you also for your information who are the most distinguished amongst us, and who are the leaders of my army.

Yourself, and Bhishma, and Karna, and ever-victorious Kripa, Ashvatthama, Vikarna and the son of Somadatta.

There are (besides these) many warriors, all well-skilled in the art of war and (all) armed with various weapons, ready to die for me.

Our army protected by Bhishma is unlimited (more then sufficient) their army protected by Bhima is limited, (may be sufficient).

Therefore all of you, place yourselves at the head of your respective phalanx, and protect (and support) Bhishma only".

Then the older of the Kurus, the mighty Grandsire Bhishma, roaring like a lion, blew his conch, thus affording him (Duryodhana) great delight.

And then conchs, drums, trumpets and cymbals were all at once sounded, and there rose a great uproar (from all sides).

Then Madhava (Srikrishna) and the son of Pandu (Arjuna), seated in a great car yoked with white steeds, blew their celestial conchs.

Hrishikesha blew the Panchajanya, Dhananjaya, Devadatta, and the doer of fearful deeds, Bhima his great conch Paundra.

The son of Kunti, king Yudhishthira, Ananta Vijaya and Nakula and Sahadeva Sughosha and Mani Pushpaka respectively.

The great bowman the king of Kashi the mighty car warrior Shikhandin, Dhrishtadyumna, Virata, and ever-victorious Satyaki.

Drupada, and the sons of Draupadi and the mighty armed son of Subhadra, O king of all the world, each blew his conch separately.

Echoing heaven and earth, the tumultous din rent the hearts of Dhritarashtra's people.

O king of the world, the ape standard son of Pandu secing Dhritarashtra's people marshalled in battle bent, and missiles having been just began to be discharged, raised up his bow, and spoke thus to Hrishikesh :

"O undeteriorating one, place my car between the two armies. While I see those who stand here desirous of battle, and with whom I shall have to fight in this war-struggle.

I shall see those who have assembled here to fight, wishing to do good to the evil-minded son of Dhritarashtra.

Sanjaya said O Bharata, thus addressed by Gudakesha (Arjuna), Hrishikesh, placing the excellent car between the two armies.

In front of Bhishma, Drona and all the kings of the earth, said, “Behold Partha, the assembled Kaurava".

Partha saw in the two armies fathers, grandfathers, preceptors, maternal uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons, friends, fathers-in-law, and well-wishers.

Seeing in the two armies all friends and Kinsmen (present), the son of Kunti was ency said.

"Seeing, O Hrishikesh, these kinsmen present here with the desire to do battle my limbs are languid, my mouth is dried up.

My body trembles, my hairs stand on end, my Gandiva (bow) slips from my hand and my skin burns.

I am unable to stand, my mind is whirling and I see, O Keshava, evil omens.

I don't see any good by killing kinsmen in this battle. I desire, O Krishna, neither victory nor sovereignty, nor pleasures.

What is sovereignty, what is enjoyment, what is even.life to us, O Govinda when those, for whose sake we wish to have sovereignty, enjoyments and pleasures (in this world).

Are all present here in this battle, giving up all hopes of life and wealth! Preceptors, fathers, grand-fathers and sons, Maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-inlaw and relatives, I do not desire to kill them. O Madhusudana, even if they kill me.

Not even for the sake of the sovereignty over the three worlds, much less for that of this earth! What pleasure will be ours, O Janardana, by killing Dhritarashtra's sons!

Even killing these felons, we shall incur sin. Therefore, it is not proper that we shall kill our own kinsmen, these sons of Dhritarashtra. How can we, O Madhava, be happy by killing our own relatives?

If they, blinded by avarice, cannot see the sin they commit by exterminating the (Kuru) race, and playing enmity with friends.

Why should we not, O Janardana who know that sin is the result of exterminating the race, learn to desist from it?

On the extinction of a family, the old and ever continuing family rites are destroyed), nobody being alive to solemnize them). When religious rites are thus destroyed, sin predominates over all.

From the predominance of sin, O Krishna, women become corrupt, and then O descendant of Vrishni, cross-breeds (mixed-castes) are borm.

Such cross-breeding leads both the exterminator of the race and the race itself to hell. The (deceased) ancestors whose Sraddha ceremonies have ceased, (to whom children have stopped to give food and water), fall (from heaven to hell).

Both the caste and family-rites of the exterminators of the race, (who are) guilty of the sin of cross-breeding, are destroyed.

We have heard, O Janardana, that those whose family-rites are thus destroyed, live for ever in hell.

Alas, we are engaged in committing a great sin. We are to kill our own kinsmen for the greed of the pleasures of sovereignty.

Better would it be if unretaliating and unarmed myself, the armed sons of Dhritarashtra kill in battle".

Sanjaya said Having thus spoken on the field of battle, Arjuna, with a sorrowful heart, sat down on the car, casting aside his bow and arrows.