Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1 Summary: Arjuna Vishada Yoga

Verses 1–11: The field of dharma

The blind king Dhritarashtra asks Sanjaya what his sons and the Pandavas are doing on Kurukshetra, the 'field of dharma'. Duryodhana surveys the Pandava army and names its great warriors, then Drona, Bhishma and the heroes on his own side.

Verses 12–27: Conches and the pause before war

Bhishma blows his conch like a lion's roar, and the Pandava conches answer — Krishna's Panchajanya, Arjuna's Devadatta, Bhima's Paundra. Arjuna then asks Krishna to drive the chariot between the two armies so he can see who has come to fight.

Verses 28–46: Arjuna's collapse

Seeing fathers, grandfathers, teachers and friends in both armies, Arjuna's limbs tremble and his mouth dries. He argues that victory gained by killing one's own people would be no victory at all, that destroying a family destroys its dharma, and that it would be better to be killed unarmed than to strike. In verse 1.46 he casts aside his bow and sits down on the chariot, mind overwhelmed by sorrow.

Why Chapter 1 matters

Nothing is 'taught' yet — Chapter 1 poses the problem. Arjuna's crisis is the human condition the Gita addresses: duty pulling one way, love and fear pulling the other. Krishna's entire teaching, beginning in Chapter 2, is the answer to this moment.

Key verses to read

• 1.1 — Dhritarashtra's question on the field of dharma
• 1.21–22 — Arjuna asks for the chariot between the armies
• 1.28–29 — Arjuna's limbs fail as he sees his kin
• 1.31–35 — 'What use is a kingdom gained by killing our own?'
• 1.46 — Arjuna casts aside his bow and sits in sorrow

Frequently asked questions

Keep reading

• Read all 47 verses of Chapter 1 →
• Chapter 2 summary →
• What is the Bhagavad Gita? →
• Who is Krishna in the Gita? →