Shloka 25
Arjuna Vishada Yoga — Arjuna Vishada Yoga
भीष्मद्रोणप्रमुखतः सर्वेषां च महीक्षिताम् । उवाच पार्थ पश्यैतान्समवेतान्कुरूनिति ॥ १.२५ ॥
bhīṣma-droṇa-pramukhataḥ sarveṣāṁ ca mahī-kṣitām | uvāca pārtha paśyaitān samavetān kurūn iti || 1.25 ||
In front of Bhīṣma and Droṇa, and of all the rulers, he said: O Pārtha, behold these Kurus assembled here.
In front of Bhīṣma and Droṇa and all the rulers, he said: O Pārtha, behold these Kurus assembled here.
Having stationed it before Bhīṣma, Droṇa, and the earth’s rulers, he said: “Pārtha, see these Kurus gathered together.”
Some translations treat ‘pramukhataḥ’ as ‘in the presence of/at the forefront of’; academically it indicates the chariot’s placement facing leading figures, emphasizing Arjuna’s personal ties.
FAQs
Kṛṣṇa’s prompt to ‘see’ encourages direct confrontation with reality, which often precedes emotional upheaval and ethical reflection.
The imperative ‘paśya’ can be read as an invitation to deeper seeing—moving from surface identity to insight into duty, self, and impermanence (developed later in the text).
This is the immediate setup for Arjuna’s recognition of teachers and kin, catalyzing his crisis (viṣāda).
Avoid denial in hard situations; accurate perception is the first step toward ethical and psychologically integrated action.