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    "name": "Bhagavad Gita"
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  "chapter": {
    "num": 1,
    "slug": "01-discourse-1-the-despondency-of-arjuna",
    "title": "Discourse 1: The Despondency of Arjuna",
    "of": 18,
    "words": 1058,
    "text": "## Discourse 1: The Despondency of Arjuna\n\n\nVerse 1:1: Dhritarashtra said: On the holy plain, on the field of Kuru, gathered together, \neager for battle, what did they, O Sanjaya, my people and the Pandavas? \n\nVerse 1:2: Sanjaya said: Having seen arrayed the army of the Pandavas, the Prince \nDuryodhana approached his teacher, and spake these words: \n\nVerse 1:3: \"Behold this mighty host of the sons of Pandu, O teacher, arrayed by the son of \nDrupada, thy wise disciple. \n\nVerse 1:4: Heroes are these, mighty bowmen, to Bhima and Arjuna equal in battle; \nYuyudhana, Virata, and Drupada of the great car. \n\nVerse 1:5: Drishtaketu, Chekitana and the valiant King of Kashi, Purujit and Kuntibhoja, \nand Shaivya, bull among men; \n\nVerse 1:6: Yudhdmanyu the strong, and Uttamaujas the brave; Saubhadra and the \nDraupadeyas, all of great cars. \n\nVerse 1:7: Know further all those who are our chiefs, O best of the twice-born, the leaders \nof my army; these I name to thee for thy information: \n\nVerse 1:8: Thou, Lord, and Bhishma, and Karna and Kripa, conquering in battle \nAshvatthama, Vikarna, and Saumadatti also; \n\nVerse 1:9: And many others, heroes, for my sake renouncing their lives, with divers \nweapons and missiles, and all well-skilled in war. \n\nVerse 1:10: Yet insufficient seems this army of ours, though marshalled by Bhishma, while \nthat army of theirs seems sufficient, though marshalled by Bhima; \n\nVerse 1:11: Therefore in the rank and file let all, standing firmly in their respective \ndivisions, guard Bhishma, even all ye generals.\" \n\nVerse 1:12: To enhearten him, the Ancient of the Kurus, the Grandsire, the glorious, blew \nhis conch, sounding on high a lion's roar. \n\nVerse 1:13: Then conches and kettledrums, tabors and drums and cowhorns, suddenly \nblared forth, and the sound was tumultuous. \n\nVerse 1:14: Then, stationed in their great war-chariot, yoked to white horses, Madhava and \nthe son of Pandu blew their divine conches. \n\nVerse 1:15: Panchajanya by Hrishikesha, and Devadatta by Dhananjaya. Vrikodara of \nterrible deeds, blew his mighty conch, Paundra; \n\nVerse 1:16: The King Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, blew Anantavijaya; Nakula and \nSahadeva, Sughosha and Manipushpaka. \n\nVerse 1:17: And Kashya, of the great bow, and Shikhandi, the mighty car-warrior, \nDrishtadyumna and Virata and Satyaki, the unconquered. \n\nVerse 1:18: Drupada and the Draupadeyas, O Lord of earth, and Saubhadra, the mighty- \narmed, on all sides their several conches blew. \n\nVerse 1:19: That tumultuous uproar rent the hearts of the sons of Dhritarashtra, filling the \nearth and sky with sound. \n\nVerse 1:20: Then, beholding the sons of Dhritarashtra standing arrayed, and the flight of \nmissiles about to begin, he whose crest is an ape, the son of Pandu, took up his bow, \n\nVerse 1:21: And spake this word to Hrishikesha, O Lord of earth: Arjuna said: In the midst, \nbetween the two armies, stay my chariot, O Achyuta, \n\nVerse 1:22: That I may behold these standing, longing for battle, with whom I must strive in \nthis outbreaking war, \n\nVerse 1:23: And gaze on those here gathered together ready to fight, desirous of pleasing in \nbattle the evil-minded son of Dhritarashtra. \n\nVerse 1:24: Sanjaya said: Thus addressed by Gudakesha, Hrishikesha, O Bharata, having \nstayed that best of chariots in the midst, between the two armies, \n\nVerse 1:25: Over against Bhishma, Drona and all the rulers of the world, said: \"O Partha, \nbehold these Kurus gathered together.\" \n\nVerse 1:26: Then saw Partha standing there, uncles and grandfathers, teachers, mother's \nbrothers, cousins, sons and grandsons, comrades, \n\nVerse 1:27: Fathers-in-law and benefactors also in both armies; seeing all these kinsmen \nthus standing arrayed, Kaunteya, \n\nVerse 1:28: Deeply moved to pity, this uttered in sadness: Arjuna said: Seeing these my \nkinsmen, O Krishna, arrayed, eager to fight, \n\nVerse 1:29: My limbs fail and my mouth is parched, my body quivers, and my hair stands \non end, \n\nVerse 1:30: Gândîva slips from my hand, and my skin burns all over, I am not able to stand, \nmy mind is whirling, \n\nVerse 1:31: And I see adverse omens, O Keshava. Nor do I foresee any advantage from \nslaying kinsmen in battle. \n\nVerse 1:32: For I desire not victory, O Krishna, nor kingdom, nor pleasures; what is \nkingdom to us, O Govinda, what enjoyment, or even life? \n\nVerse 1:33: Those for whose sake we desire kingdom, enjoyments and pleasures, they stand \nhere in battle, abandoning life and riches— \n\nVerse 1:34: Teachers, fathers, sons, as well as grandfathers, mother's brothers, fathers-in- \nlaw, grandsons, brothers-in-law, and other relatives. \n\nVerse 1:35: These I do not wish to kill, though myself slain, O Madhusŭdana, even for the \nsake of the kingship of the three worlds; how then for earth? \n\nVerse 1:36: Slaying these sons of Dhritarashtra, what pleasure can be ours, O Janardana? \nKilling these desperadoes, sin will but take hold of us. \n\nVerse 1:37: Therefore we should not kill the sons of Dhritarashtra, our relatives; for how, \nkilling our kinsmen, may we be happy, O Madhava? \n\nVerse 1:38: Although these, with intelligence overpowered by greed, see no guilt in the \ndestruction of a family, no crime in hostility to friends, \n\nVerse 1:39: Why should not we learn to turn away from such a sin, O Janardana, who see \nthe evils in the destruction of a family? \n\nVerse 1:40: In the destruction of a family the immemorial family traditions perish; in the \nperishing of tradition, lawlessness overcomes the whole family; \n\nVerse 1:41: Owing to predominance of lawlessness, O Krishna, the women of the family \nbecome corrupt; women corrupted, O Varshneya, there ariseth caste-confusion; \n\nVerse 1:42: This confusion draggeth to hell the slayers of the family, and the family for their \nancestors fall, deprived of rice-balls and libations. \n\nVerse 1:43: By these caste-confusing misdeeds of the slayers of the family, the everlasting \ncaste customs and family customs are abolished. \n\nVerse 1:44: The abode of the men whose family customs are extinguished, O Janardana, is \neverlastingly in hell. Thus have we heard. \n\nVerse 1:45: Alas! in committing a great sin are we engaged, we who are endeavouring to \nkill our kindred from greed of the pleasures of kingship. \n\nVerse 1:46: If the sons of Dhritarashtra, weapon-in-hand, should slay me, unresisting, \nunarmed, in the battle, that would for me be the better. \n\nVerse 1:47: Sanjaya said: Having thus spoken on the battle-field, Arjuna sank down on the \nseat of the chariot, casting away his bow and arrow, his mind overborne by grief.",
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}