1.1 Dhritarashtra said: On the field of righteousness, the field of the Kurus, my sons and the sons of Pandu gathered, eager for battle — what did they do, O Sanjaya?

1.2 Sanjaya said: Seeing the army of the Pandavas drawn up in array, King Duryodhana approached his teacher Drona and spoke these words:

1.3 Behold, O teacher, this mighty army of the sons of Pandu, arrayed by the son of Drupada, your own wise pupil.

1.4 Here are heroes, great archers equal in battle to Bhima and Arjuna — Yuyudhana, Virata, and Drupada, the great chariot-warrior;

1.5 Dhrishtaketu, Chekitana, and the valiant king of Kashi; Purujit, Kuntibhoja, and Shaibya, the foremost of men;

1.6 the courageous Yudhamanyu and the brave Uttamaujas; the son of Subhadra and the sons of Draupadi — all of them great chariot-warriors.

1.7 Know also, O best of the twice-born, the distinguished ones on our side, the leaders of my army; I name them for your knowledge:

1.8 yourself and Bhishma, Karna and Kripa, victorious in battle; Ashvatthaman, Vikarna, and the son of Somadatta;

1.9 and many other heroes who would risk their lives for my sake, armed with many weapons, all skilled in war.

1.10 Unbounded is this army of ours guarded by Bhishma, while that army of theirs guarded by Bhima is limited.

1.11 Therefore, standing in your appointed places in every division, all of you guard Bhishma above all.

1.12 Then, to cheer him, the aged grandsire of the Kurus, Bhishma, roared aloud like a lion and blew his conch.

1.13 Then conches and kettledrums, tabors, drums and horns sounded suddenly, and the noise was tumultuous.

1.14 Then, standing in a great chariot yoked with white horses, Krishna, son of Madhu's line, and Arjuna, son of Pandu, blew their noble conches.

1.15 Krishna, Hrishikesha, blew the Panchajanya; Arjuna blew the Devadatta; and Bhima of terrible deeds blew the great conch Paundra.

1.16 King Yudhishthira, son of Kunti, blew the Anantavijaya; Nakula and Sahadeva blew the Sughosha and the Manipushpaka.

1.17 The king of Kashi, the great archer, and Shikhandin, the great chariot-warrior, Dhrishtadyumna, Virata, and the unconquered Satyaki,

1.18 Drupada and the sons of Draupadi, O lord of the earth, and the mighty-armed son of Subhadra — all blew their conches, each on his own side.

1.19 That tumultuous sound tore the hearts of the sons of Dhritarashtra, making the sky and the earth resound.

1.20 Then Arjuna, whose banner bore the image of a monkey, seeing the sons of Dhritarashtra drawn up, and the clash of weapons about to begin, raised his bow,

1.21 and spoke these words to Krishna, O lord of the earth: O Achyuta, place my chariot between the two armies,

1.22 that I may behold those who stand here eager for battle, with whom I must fight in this enterprise of war.

1.23 Let me see those who have assembled here to fight, wishing to please in battle the evil-minded son of Dhritarashtra.

1.24 Sanjaya said: Thus addressed by Arjuna, O descendant of Bharata, Krishna placed that excellent chariot between the two armies,

1.25 before Bhishma, Drona and all the rulers of the earth, and said: O son of Pritha, behold these Kurus assembled.

1.26 There Arjuna saw, standing in both armies, fathers and grandfathers, teachers, uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons and companions,

1.27 fathers-in-law and friends. Seeing all these kinsmen standing arrayed, the son of Kunti,

1.28 filled with deep compassion, spoke in sorrow: O Krishna, seeing my own people here, eager to fight,

1.29 my limbs give way, my mouth is parched, my body trembles and my hair stands on end.

1.30 The bow Gandiva slips from my hand, my skin burns, I cannot stand firm, and my mind is reeling.

1.31 I see adverse omens, O Keshava, and I see no good in slaying my own kinsmen in battle.

1.32 I do not desire victory, O Krishna, nor kingdom, nor pleasures. Of what use is a kingdom to us, O Govinda, or enjoyments, or even life?

1.33 Those for whose sake we desire kingdom, enjoyments and pleasures stand here in battle, giving up life and wealth —

1.34 teachers, fathers, sons and grandfathers, uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law and other kinsmen.

1.35 These I do not wish to slay, O Madhusudana, even though they slay me — not even for the rule of the three worlds, how much less for the earth!

1.36 What joy can be ours, O Janardana, in slaying the sons of Dhritarashtra? Sin alone would take hold of us for killing these aggressors.

1.37 Therefore we ought not to slay the sons of Dhritarashtra, our own kinsmen; for how could we be happy, O Madhava, after killing our own people?

1.38 Even if they, their minds overcome by greed, see no wrong in destroying a family and no sin in treachery to friends,

1.39 why should we not learn to turn away from this sin, we who clearly see the wrong in destroying a family, O Janardana?

1.40 When a family is destroyed, its ancient duties perish; and when duty perishes, lawlessness overcomes the whole family.

1.41 When lawlessness prevails, O Krishna, the women of the family become corrupted; and when women are corrupted, the moral order of society is confounded.

1.42 This confusion leads to ruin both those who destroyed the family and the family itself; and the remembrance and good name of their forefathers is lost.

1.43 By these wrongs of the destroyers of families, which bring about the confusion of the social order, the lasting duties of community and family are overthrown.

1.44 We have heard, O Janardana, that for men whose family duties are destroyed, punishment in the Fire awaits, before God, on the Day of Judgement.

1.45 Alas, what a great sin we have resolved to commit, ready to slay our own kinsmen out of greed for the pleasures of a kingdom!

1.46 Better would it be for me if the sons of Dhritarashtra, weapons in hand, should slay me in battle, unresisting and unarmed.

1.47 Sanjaya said: Having spoken thus on the field of battle, Arjuna sank down on the seat of his chariot, casting away his bow and arrows, his mind overwhelmed with sorrow.