Chapter I- Dhritirashtra. Ranged thus for battle on the sacred plain-
- On Kurukshetra- say, Sanjaya! say
- What wrought my people, and the Pandavas?
- Sanjaya. When he beheld the host of Pandavas,
- Raja Duryodhana to Drona drew,
- And spake these words: "Ah, Guru! see this line,
- How vast it is of Pandu fighting-men,
- Embattled by the son of Drupada,
- Thy scholar in the war! Therein stand ranked
- Chiefs like Arjuna, like to Bhima chiefs,
- Benders of bows; Virata, Yuyudhan,
- Drupada, eminent upon his car,
- Dhrishtaket, Chekitan, Kasi's stout lord,
- Purujit, Kuntibhoj, and Saivya,
- With Yudhamanyu, and Uttamauj
- Subhadra's child; and Drupadi's;- all famed!
- All mounted on their shining chariots!
- On our side, too,- thou best of Brahmans! see
- Excellent chiefs, commanders of my line,
- Whose names I joy to count: thyself the first,
- Then Bhishma, Karna, Kripa fierce in fight,
- Vikarna, Aswatthaman; next to these
- Strong Saumadatti, with full many more
- Valiant and tried, ready this day to die
- For me their king, each with his weapon grasped,
- Each skilful in the field. Weakest- meseems-
- Our battle shows where Bhishma holds command,
- And Bhima, fronting him, something too strong!
- Have care our captains nigh to Bhishma's ranks
- Prepare what help they may! Now, blow my shell!"
- Then, at the signal of the aged king,
- With blare to wake the blood, rolling around
- Like to a lion's roar, the trumpeter
- Blew the great Conch; and, at the noise of it,
- Trumpets and drums, cymbals and gongs and horns
- Burst into sudden clamour; as the blasts
- Of loosened tempest, such the tumult seemed!
- Then might be seen, upon their car of gold
- Yoked with white steeds, blowing their battle-shells,
- Krishna the God, Arjuna at his side:
- Krishna, with knotted locks, blew his great conch
- Carved of the "Giant's bone;" Arjuna blew
- Indra's loud gift; Bhima the terrible-
- Wolf-bellied Bhima- blew a long reed-conch;
- And Yudhisthira, Kunti's blameless son,
- Winded a mighty shell, "Victory's Voice;"
- And Nakula blew shrill upon his conch
- Named the "Sweet-sounding," Sahadev on his
- Called "Gem-bedecked," and Kasi's Prince on his.
- Sikhandi on his car, Dhrishtadyumn,
- Virata, Satyaki the Unsubdued,
- Drupada, with his sons, (O Lord of Earth!)
- Long-armed Subhadra's children, all blew loud,
- So that the clangour shook their foemen's hearts,
- With quaking earth and thundering heav'n.
- Then 'twas-
- Beholding Dhritirashtra's battle set,
- Weapons unsheathing, bows drawn forth, the war
- Instant to break- Arjun, whose ensign-badge
- Was Hanuman the monkey, spake this thing
- To Krishna the Divine, his charioteer:
- "Drive, Dauntless One! to yonder open ground
- Betwixt the armies; I would see more nigh
- These who will fight with us, those we must slay
- To-day, in war's arbitrament; for, sure,
- On bloodshed all are bent who throng this plain,
- Obeying Dhritirashtra's sinful son."
- Thus, by Arjuna prayed, (O Bharata!)
- Between the hosts that heavenly Charioteer
- Drove the bright car, reining its milk-white steeds
- Where Bhishma led, and Drona, and their Lords.
- "See!" spake he to Arjuna, "where they stand,
- Thy kindred of the Kurus:" and the Prince
- Marked on each hand the kinsmen of his house,
- Grandsires and sires, uncles and brothers and sons,
- Cousins and sons-in-law and nephews, mixed
- With friends and honoured elders; some this side,
- Some that side ranged: and, seeing those opposed,
- Such kith grown enemies- Arjuna's heart
- Melted with pity, while he uttered this:
- Arjuna. Krishna! as I behold, come here to shed
- Their common blood, yon concourse of our kin,
- My members fail, my tongue dries in my mouth,
- A shudder thrills my body, and my hair
- Bristles with horror; from my weak hand slips
- Gandiv, the goodly bow; a fever burns
- My skin to parching; hardly may I stand;
- The life within me seems to swim and faint;
- Nothing do I foresee save woe and wail!
- It is not good, O Keshav! nought of good
- Can spring from mutual slaughter! Lo, I hate
- Triumph and domination, wealth and ease,
- Thus sadly won! Aho! what victory
- Can bring delight, Govinda! what rich spoils
- Could profit; what rule recompense; what span
- Of life itself seem sweet, bought with such blood?
- Seeing that these stand here, ready to die,
- For whose sake life was fair, and pleasure pleased,
- And power grew precious:- grandsires, sires, and sons,
- Brothers, and fathers-in-law, and sons-in-law,
- Elders and friends! Shall I deal death on these
- Even though they seek to slay us? Not one blow,
- O Madhusudan! will I strike to gain
- The rule of all Three Worlds; then, how much less
- To seize an earthly kingdom! Killing these
- Must breed but anguish, Krishna! If they be
- Guilty, we shall grow guilty by their deaths;
- Their sins will light on us, if we shall slay
- Those sons of Dhritirashtra, and our kin;
- What peace could come of that, O Madhava?
- For if indeed, blinded by lust and wrath,
- These cannot see, or will not see, the sin
- Of kingly lines o'erthrown and kinsmen slain,
- How should not we, who see, shun such a crime-
- We who perceive the guilt and feel the shame-
- O thou Delight of Men, Janardana?
- By overthrow of houses perisheth
- Their sweet continuous household piety,
- And- rites neglected, piety extinct-
- Enters impiety upon that home;
- Its women grow unwomaned, whence there spring
- Mad passions, and the mingling-up of castes,
- Sending a Hell-ward road that family,
- And whoso wrought its doom by wicked wrath.
- Nay, and the souls of honoured ancestors
- Fall from their place of peace, being bereft
- Of funeral-cakes and the wan death-water.
- So teach our holy hymns. Thus, if we slay
- Kinsfolk and friends for love of earthly power,
- Ahovat! what an evil fault it were!
- Better I deem it, if my kinsmen strike,
- To face them weaponless, and bare my breast
- To shaft and spear, than answer blow with blow.
- So speaking, in the face of those two hosts,
- Arjuna sank upon his chariot-seat,
- And let fall bow and arrows, sick at heart.
HERE ENDETH Chapter I OF THE BHAGAVAD-GITA, Entitled "Arjun-Vishad," Or "The Book of the Distress of Arjuna." |
