Shloka 20
Karma-Yoga, Yajña-Cakra, and the Governance of Desire (कर्मयोग–यज्ञचक्र–कामनिग्रह)
अथ व्यवस्थितान् दृष्टवा धार्तराष्ट्रानू कपिध्वज: । प्रवृत्ते शस्त्रसम्पाते धनुरुद्यम्य पाण्डव:,हे राजन! इसके बाद कपिध्वज अर्जुनने मोर्चा बाँधकर डटे हुए धृतराष्ट्र- सम्बन्धियोंको देखकर, उस शस्त्र चलनेकी तैयारीके समय धनुष उठाकर हृषीकेश श्रीकृष्ण महाराजसे यह वचन कहा--'हे अच्युत! मेरे रथको दोनों सेनाओंके बीचमें खड़ा कीजिये
atha vyavasthitān dṛṣṭvā dhārtarāṣṭrān kapidhvajaḥ | pravṛtte śastra-sampāte dhanur udyamya pāṇḍavaḥ ||
Then, seeing the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra drawn up in firm formation, Arjuna—whose banner bore the emblem of Hanumān—at the moment when the clash of weapons was about to begin, lifted his bow and prepared to speak to Hṛṣīkeśa (Kṛṣṇa).
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
This verse sets the ethical stage: just as violence is about to begin, Arjuna pauses to look directly at those he must fight. The coming teaching arises from this confrontation between duty in war and the moral weight of harming one’s own kin.
Sañjaya describes Arjuna seeing the Kaurava forces arrayed for battle. As the exchange of weapons is about to start, Arjuna lifts his bow—signaling readiness—yet this moment leads into his request to Kṛṣṇa to position the chariot between the armies so he can observe them.