Indian stream·Bhagavad Gita·Discourse 1: The Despondency of Arjuna

Source context

Theme

collapse of inherited warrior-will at the threshold of self-conscious moral crisis

Soul-faculty

Consciousness Soul — the emergence of individual moral suffering over collective duty-identity

Steiner

• GA 142, 1912-12-28Steiner identifies the Bhagavad Gita as the harmonious interpenetration of three spiritual streams (Vedic, Samkhya, Yoga), with Arjuna's position on the battlefield functioning as the dramatic frame through which Krishna's teaching unfolds — the despondency scene thus serves as the necessary threshold condition for all subsequent revelation.
• GA 146, 1913-06-05Steiner distinguishes the Bhagavad Gita age as one in which souls rose passively toward Brahma, placing Arjuna's paralysis within an evolutionary stage prior to the active self-directed spiritual striving characteristic of the present intellectual age.

Cross-tradition

• Aristotelian ethics — moral paralysis (akrasia)Arjuna's inability to act despite knowing his duty presents a cross-tradition congruence with Aristotle's analysis of akrasia, where the will fails at the moment of action not from ignorance but from overwhelming affect.
• Kabbalistic tradition — tzimtzum / withdrawal as preconditionArjuna's self-contraction and lamentation before the battle shows cross-tradition congruence with the Kabbalistic principle that a withdrawal or emptying (tzimtzum) is the necessary precondition for a higher influx of light or wisdom.
• Buddhist teaching — dukkha as the first noble truthArjuna's acute confrontation with suffering, impermanence, and the cost of action parallels the Buddhist framing of dukkha as the unavoidable starting-point of any genuine spiritual inquiry.

Discourse 1: The Despondency of Arjuna

1:1Dhritarashtra said: On the holy plain, on the field of Kuru, gathered together,
eager for battle, what did they, O Sanjaya, my people and the Pandavas?

1:2Sanjaya said: Having seen arrayed the army of the Pandavas, the Prince
Duryodhana approached his teacher, and spake these words:

1:3"Behold this mighty host of the sons of Pandu, O teacher, arrayed by the son of
Drupada, thy wise disciple.

1:4Heroes are these, mighty bowmen, to Bhima and Arjuna equal in battle;
Yuyudhana, Virata, and Drupada of the great car.

1:5Drishtaketu, Chekitana and the valiant King of Kashi, Purujit and Kuntibhoja,
and Shaivya, bull among men;

1:6Yudhdmanyu the strong, and Uttamaujas the brave; Saubhadra and the
Draupadeyas, all of great cars.

1:7Know further all those who are our chiefs, O best of the twice-born, the leaders
of my army; these I name to thee for thy information:

1:8Thou, Lord, and Bhishma, and Karna and Kripa, conquering in battle
Ashvatthama, Vikarna, and Saumadatti also;

1:9And many others, heroes, for my sake renouncing their lives, with divers
weapons and missiles, and all well-skilled in war.

1:10Yet insufficient seems this army of ours, though marshalled by Bhishma, while
that army of theirs seems sufficient, though marshalled by Bhima;

1:11Therefore in the rank and file let all, standing firmly in their respective
divisions, guard Bhishma, even all ye generals."

1:12To enhearten him, the Ancient of the Kurus, the Grandsire, the glorious, blew
his conch, sounding on high a lion's roar.

1:13Then conches and kettledrums, tabors and drums and cowhorns, suddenly
blared forth, and the sound was tumultuous.

1:14Then, stationed in their great war-chariot, yoked to white horses, Madhava and
the son of Pandu blew their divine conches.

1:15Panchajanya by Hrishikesha, and Devadatta by Dhananjaya. Vrikodara of
terrible deeds, blew his mighty conch, Paundra;

1:16The King Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, blew Anantavijaya; Nakula and
Sahadeva, Sughosha and Manipushpaka.

1:17And Kashya, of the great bow, and Shikhandi, the mighty car-warrior,
Drishtadyumna and Virata and Satyaki, the unconquered.

1:18Drupada and the Draupadeyas, O Lord of earth, and Saubhadra, the mighty-
armed, on all sides their several conches blew.

1:19That tumultuous uproar rent the hearts of the sons of Dhritarashtra, filling the
earth and sky with sound.

1:20Then, beholding the sons of Dhritarashtra standing arrayed, and the flight of
missiles about to begin, he whose crest is an ape, the son of Pandu, took up his bow,

1:21And spake this word to Hrishikesha, O Lord of earth: Arjuna said: In the midst,
between the two armies, stay my chariot, O Achyuta,

1:22That I may behold these standing, longing for battle, with whom I must strive in
this outbreaking war,

1:23And gaze on those here gathered together ready to fight, desirous of pleasing in
battle the evil-minded son of Dhritarashtra.

1:24Sanjaya said: Thus addressed by Gudakesha, Hrishikesha, O Bharata, having
stayed that best of chariots in the midst, between the two armies,

1:25Over against Bhishma, Drona and all the rulers of the world, said: "O Partha,
behold these Kurus gathered together."

1:26Then saw Partha standing there, uncles and grandfathers, teachers, mother's
brothers, cousins, sons and grandsons, comrades,

1:27Fathers-in-law and benefactors also in both armies; seeing all these kinsmen
thus standing arrayed, Kaunteya,

1:28Deeply moved to pity, this uttered in sadness: Arjuna said: Seeing these my
kinsmen, O Krishna, arrayed, eager to fight,

1:29My limbs fail and my mouth is parched, my body quivers, and my hair stands
on end,

1:30Gândîva slips from my hand, and my skin burns all over, I am not able to stand,
my mind is whirling,

1:31And I see adverse omens, O Keshava. Nor do I foresee any advantage from
slaying kinsmen in battle.

1:32For I desire not victory, O Krishna, nor kingdom, nor pleasures; what is
kingdom to us, O Govinda, what enjoyment, or even life?

1:33Those for whose sake we desire kingdom, enjoyments and pleasures, they stand
here in battle, abandoning life and riches—

1:34Teachers, fathers, sons, as well as grandfathers, mother's brothers, fathers-in-
law, grandsons, brothers-in-law, and other relatives.

1:35These I do not wish to kill, though myself slain, O Madhusŭdana, even for the
sake of the kingship of the three worlds; how then for earth?

1:36Slaying these sons of Dhritarashtra, what pleasure can be ours, O Janardana?
Killing these desperadoes, sin will but take hold of us.

1:37Therefore we should not kill the sons of Dhritarashtra, our relatives; for how,
killing our kinsmen, may we be happy, O Madhava?

1:38Although these, with intelligence overpowered by greed, see no guilt in the
destruction of a family, no crime in hostility to friends,

1:39Why should not we learn to turn away from such a sin, O Janardana, who see
the evils in the destruction of a family?

1:40In the destruction of a family the immemorial family traditions perish; in the
perishing of tradition, lawlessness overcomes the whole family;

1:41Owing to predominance of lawlessness, O Krishna, the women of the family
become corrupt; women corrupted, O Varshneya, there ariseth caste-confusion;

1:42This confusion draggeth to hell the slayers of the family, and the family for their
ancestors fall, deprived of rice-balls and libations.

1:43By these caste-confusing misdeeds of the slayers of the family, the everlasting
caste customs and family customs are abolished.

1:44The abode of the men whose family customs are extinguished, O Janardana, is
everlastingly in hell. Thus have we heard.

1:45Alas! in committing a great sin are we engaged, we who are endeavouring to
kill our kindred from greed of the pleasures of kingship.

1:46If the sons of Dhritarashtra, weapon-in-hand, should slay me, unresisting,
unarmed, in the battle, that would for me be the better.

1:47Sanjaya said: Having thus spoken on the battle-field, Arjuna sank down on the
seat of the chariot, casting away his bow and arrow, his mind overborne by grief.

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