Sanjaya frankly speaks to Dhritarāṣṭra at this time saying that Arjuna, who is the most noble minded, the most compassionate, the eternal well-wisher and the most virtuous;

although frequently fraught with difficulties along with his four brothers, instigated by thee and thy son, including horrid acts of treachery against them with intent to kill,

such as attempting to burn them all alive in a specially made house of combustible lac, administering poison and other unworthy deeds as well.

It is surely known to you that by Arjuna the destruction of all your clan is certain due to the fact that he has the support of the Parama Puruṣa, Krishna Himself, by his side.

He felt weak, overcome by his love and extreme compassion for his relatives. He was also filled with fear, not knowing what was Dharma(righteous) and what was Adharma (unrighteous). His mind was distracted by grief at the thought of losing his relatives.

So he cast aside his bow and arrow and sat down on the floor of the chariot as if to fast to the death.

25 "Confronting Bhīṣma and Drona and all the Rulers of the Earth, and spake: 'O (Arjuna, thou) Son of Pṛthā, behold these congregated Kurus.'" 26 "There the son of Pṛthā beheld, stationed, sires and grand-sires, preceptors, maternal uncles, brothers, sons, grand-sons, as also comrades." 27 “Fathers-in-law, and benefactors in both the armies. Perceiving all the kinsmen there stationed, that son of Kuntī. (174)

The chariot was stationed on the spot where Arjuna saw face to face Bhishma, Drona and others closely related, as also several other kings. Turning round Dhanurdhara viewed the whole army and got embarrassed and said, ‘See here, all these are elderly relatives’. Lord Krishna felt momentarily amazed at Pārtha’s saying such strange things and said to himself, “This looks surprising that Pārtha should feel in a way that cannot be understood.” Capable however of reading the future, Lord Krishna understood Pārtha’s mentality, but remained quiet without saying anything. Here Pārtha beheld standing face to face all (closely related such as) fatherlike elders, grand-fathers, brother-disciples (गुरुबधु) maternal uncles; also saw relatives and friends as also youths all included therein. Dhanurdhara also saw there well-wishing fathers-in-law and other relations, sons, grandsons (others) who were once laid under obligation or were given protection in adversity; whether big or small they were all seen coming for fighting. When Pārtha perceived members of the common Gotra all ready for fight in both the armies, he got confused in mind and unconsciously compassion possessed him entirely with the result that heroism abandoned him, resenting such insult; just as a loyal and faithful wife, born of the best family and possessed of good qualities and looks, would not with the force of her character put up with the upper hand of anyone else: or just as an amorous husband forgets his own wife for the love of another youthful woman and gets blind and follows her although (she is) less fit; or just as one, attaining perfection and success (ऋद्धिसिद्धि) on the strength of his penance and religious austerities, gets deluded and forgets the success of his asceticism: in the same way Pārtha lost all his heroism and surrendered completely to compassion; just as a charmer (मात्रिक) missing any word of his incantation himself suffers at the hand of the spirit, in the same way Dhanurdhara got extremely paralysed by a great delusion. (He) lost all physical energy and his heart was greatly melted just as a moon-stone (चंद्रकांत) begins to ooze out with the touch of the moon’s rays: in the same way Pārtha getting deluded by extreme compassion addressed Lord Krishna with a sad heart.

'Tatrāpaśyatshitānpārthaḥ pitṛnatha pitāmahān ācāryānm-ātulānbhrātṛnputrānpautrānsakhīmstathā śvaśurānsuhṛdaścaiva senayorubhayorapi'—When Lord Kṛṣṇa, told Arjuna to behold the Kurus on the battlefield, Arjuna saw the members of his family, assembled on both sides. He saw his father's brother, named Bhūriśravā, who was just like his father. He saw his grand-uncles—Bhīṣma and Somadatta etc., preceptors—Droṇa and Kṛpa etc., maternal uncles, such as Purujit, Kuntibhoja, Śalya and Śakuni etc., brothers and cousins—Bhīma and Duryodhana etc., sons, such as Abhimanyu, Ghaṭokaca, Lakṣmaṇa (Duryodhana's

son) etc., grandsons, such as the sons of Lakṣmaṇa; friends of Duryodhana, named Aśvatthāmā etc., and also his friends; fathers-in-law such as Drupada and Śaibya etc., and also well-wishers, such as Sātyaki and Kṛtavarmā etc.

*Link:—In the next verse there is description of what Arjuna did, after seeing members of his family, in both armies.*

जेथ भीष्माद्रोणादिक । जवळिकेचि सन्मुख । पृथिविपति आणिक । बहुत आहाति ॥ १७५॥

तेथ स्थिर करूनि रथु । अर्जुन असे पाहतु । तो दळभार समस्तु । संभ्रमेसी ॥ १७६॥

मग देवा म्हणे देख देख । हे गोत्रगुरु अशेख । तंव कृष्णा मनीं नावेक । विस्मो जाहला ॥ १७७॥

तो आपणयां आपण म्हणे । एथ कायि कवण जाणे । हें मनीं धरिले येणें । परि कांही आश्चर्य असे ॥ १७८॥

ऐसी पुढील से घेतु । तो सहजें जाणे हृदयस्थु । परि उगा असे निवांतु । तिये वेळीं ॥ १७९॥

तंव तेथ पार्थु सकळ । पितृपितामह केवळ । गुरू बंधु मातुळ । देखता जाहला ॥ १८०॥

इष्टमित्र आपुले । कुमरजन देखिले । हे सकळ असती आले । तयांमाजि ॥ १८१॥

सुहृज्जन सासरे । आणिकही सखे सोईरे । कुमर पौत्र धनुर्धरें । देखिले तेथ ॥ १८२॥

जयां उपकार होते केले । कां आपदीं जे राखिले । हे असो वडील धाकुले - । आदिकरुनि ॥ १८३॥

ऐसे गोत्रचि दोहीं दळीं । उदित जालें असे कळीं । हें अर्जुने तिये वेळीं । अवलोकिलें ॥ १८४॥

(1.175) और जहाँ भीष्म-द्रोणादिक नातेदार सामने ही खड़े थे और अन्य भी बहुत से राजा लोग थे।

(1.176) वहीं रथ ठहरा कर अर्जुन शीघ्रता से उस समग्र सेना को देखने लगा।

(1.177) और फिर बोला — हे देव! देखिए देखिए, ये सब अपने ही कुल के श्रेष्ठ जन हैं।

यह सुनकर श्रीकृष्ण के मन में क्षण भर विस्मय हुआ।

(1.178) वे मन में कहने लगे कि न जानें इसके मन में यह क्या आया! परन्तु क्या आश्चर्य है...

(1.179) इस प्रकार उन्हें होनहार बात का स्मरण हुआ। वे सहज ही उसका अन्तरात्मा जान गये, परन्तु उस समय स्तब्ध हो रहे और कुछ न बोले।

(1.180) यहाँ अर्जुन ने अपने सब पितृ, पितामह, गुरु, भ्राता और मातुलों की ओर देखा।

(1.181) अपने इष्ट-मित्र, कुमारजन भी देखे। वे सब युद्ध के लिए आये हुए वीरों में उपस्थित थे। (1.182) मित्रगण, श्वसुर और अन्य सगे सम्बन्धी, कुमार और नाती आदि को अर्जुन ने वहाँ उपस्थित देखा।

(1.183) जिनका उसने उपकार किया था, अथवा संकट के समय जिनकी रक्षा की थी वही नहीं, वरन् सब बड़े-छोटे

(1.184) गोत्रज दोनों सेनाओं में युद्ध के लिए उत्सुक देख पड़े।

श्वसुरान्सुहृदश्चैव सेनयोरुभयोरपि।

तब अर्जुन ने वहाँ अपने पिता के भाइयों, दादाओं, आचार्यों, मामाओं, भाइयों, पुत्रों, पौत्रों, मित्रों, ससुरों और सुहृदों को दोनों ही सेनाओं में स्थित हुए देखा।

'तत्रापश्यत्...सेनयोरुभयोरपि'—जब भगवान्ने अर्जुनसे कहा कि इस रणभूमिमें इकट्ठे हुए कुरुवंशियोंको देख, तब अर्जुनकी दृष्टि दोनों सेनाओंमें स्थित अपने कुटुम्बियोंपर गयी। उन्होंने देखा कि उन सेनाओंमें युद्धके लिये अपने-अपने स्थानपर भूरिश्रवा आदि पिताके भाई खड़े हैं, जो कि मेरे लिये पिताके समान हैं। भीष्म, सोमदत्त आदि पितामह खड़े हैं। द्रोण, कृप आदि आचार्य (विद्या पढ़ानेवाले और कुलगुरु) खड़े हैं।

पुरुजित् कुन्तिभोज, शल्य, शकुनि आदि मामा खड़े हैं। भीम, दुर्योधन आदि भाई खड़े हैं। अभिमन्यु, घटोत्कच, लक्ष्मण (दुर्योधनका पुत्र) आदि मेरे और मेरे भाइयोंके पुत्र खड़े हैं। लक्ष्मण आदिके पुत्र खड़े हैं, जो कि मेरे पौत्र हैं। दुर्योधनके अश्वत्थामा आदि मित्र खड़े हैं और ऐसे ही अपने पक्षके मित्र भी खड़े हैं। द्रुपद, शैब्य आदि ससुर खड़े हैं। बिना किसी हेतुके अपने-अपने पक्षका हित चाहनेवाले सात्यकि, कृतवर्मा आदि सुहृद भी खड़े हैं।

सम्बन्ध—अपने सब कुटुम्बियोंको देखनेके बाद अर्जुनने क्या किया—इसको आगेके श्लोकमें कहते हैं।