Bhagavad Gita- Chapter 1– A Summary
Arjuna Vishada Yogam- SriKrishna advices Arjuna.
Seeing the multitudes of relatives and friends on the battlefield of kurukshetra, Arjuna feels a sudden surge of depression and sits down in the chariot, dejected and sad.
King Dhritharashtra who is blind asks his charioteer Sanjaya [who has been blessed by Lord Krishna to see the battle with a special insight from inside the palace in order to relate the events to the king], about the war which is going to start.
Sanjaya who has been blessed with divine vision relates the conversations. He says that Duryodhana, the son of king Dhridharashtra addresses his teacher the revered Dronacharya and tells him that the Pandavas side is led by great warriors like Arjuna, Bhishma, Satyaki, Virat, Drupad, Dhrishtaketu, Chekithanan, the great warrior king of kashi-Purujit, Kuntibhojan, Shybyan, warrior- Yudhamanyu, the courageous Uthamaujas, Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna, the sons of Panchali etc; he says that all the above mentioned warriors are all very skilled and powerful in warfare. Likewise he reports that his side, the kauravas is also filled with great warriors like guru Dronacharya, great grandfather Bhishma, Karna, Krupacharya, Ashwathama, Vikarna and Jayadratha. He says that there are other warriors also who will sacrifice their life for Duryodhana. He asks all his warriors to take their positions and also protect Bheeshma.
To please Duryodhana, Bhishma the great grandfather of Duryodhana and the Pithamaha of the entire clan, blows his conch with the might of a lion. After that all great warriors blew their conches on both sides, to declare the start of fighting.
The sound of conches and other drums like mrudanga made a huge commotion. Arjuna asked Lord Krishna, who had agreed to be Arjuna’s charioteer to take the chariot forward and place it between the two armies.
Srikrishna drove the chariot in between the Kaurava and Pandava armies. On seeing the relatives, elders, teachers and friends on both sides, prepared to die for their leader in war, Arjuna feels a sudden surge of depression and sits down in the chariot, dejected and sad. He tells Krishna that a victory attained by killing kith and kin is not a victory at all.
Arjuna throws his bow and arrows on he floor of the chariot and feels that all energy is being drained out of him. All the faces standing, ready to give up life in war swim before his eyes and he feel so sad and depressed that he pleads with Lord Krishna saying that he will not be able to kill people dear to him. This is the summary of chapter one of the Bhagavad Gita.
