Chapter 1 · Verse 1

Arjuna's Dilemma

धृतराष्ट्र उवाच धर्मक्षेत्रे कुरुक्षेत्रे समवेता युयुत्सवः। मामकाः पाण्डवाश्चैव किमकुर्वत सञ्जय
dhṛitarāśhtra uvācha dharma-kṣhetre kuru-kṣhetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāśhchaiva kimakurvata sañjaya

Word Meanings

dhṛitarāśhtraḥ uvācha — Dhritarashtra said; dharma-kṣhetre — the land of dharma; kuru-kṣhetre — at Kurukshetra; samavetāḥ — having gathered; yuyutsavaḥ — desiring to fight; māmakāḥ — my sons; pāṇḍavāḥ — the sons of Pandu; cha — and; eva — certainly; kim — what; akurvata — did they do; sañjaya — Sanjay

Translation

Dhritarashtra said: O Sanjaya, gathered on the holy field of Kurukshetra, eager for battle, what did my sons and the sons of Pandu do?

Commentary

धर्मक्षेत्रे on the holy plain? कुरुक्षेत्रे in Kurukshetra? समवेताः assembled together? युयुत्सवः desirous to fight? मामकाः my people? पाण्डवाः the sons of Pandu? च and? एव also? किम् what? अकुर्वत did do? सञ्जय O Sanjaya.Commentary Dharmakshetra -- that place which protects Dharma is Dharmakshetra. Because it was in the land of the Kurus? it was called Kurukshetra.Sanjaya is one who has conered likes and dislikes and who is impartial.