Shloka 21

Karma-Yoga, Yajña-Cakra, and the Governance of Desire (कर्मयोग–यज्ञचक्र–कामनिग्रह)

Devanagari script

हृषीकेशं तदा वाक्यमिदमाह महीपते । अर्जुन उवाच सेनयोरुभयोर्मध्ये रथं स्थापय मेडच्युत,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

Transliteration

hṛṣīkeśaṃ tadā vākyam idam āha mahīpate | arjuna uvāca senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṃ sthāpaya me 'cyuta ||

Translation

O King, at that moment Arjuna addressed Hṛṣīkeśa (Kṛṣṇa) with these words: “O Acyuta, place my chariot between the two armies.”

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'hṛṣīkeśam', 'definition': 'Hṛṣīkeśa

• ‘Lord of the senses,’ an epithet of Kṛṣṇa'}, {'term': 'tadā', 'definition': 'then, at that time'}, {'term': 'vākyam idam', 'definition': 'these words, this statement'}, {'term': 'āha', 'definition': 'said, spoke'}, {'term': 'mahīpate', 'definition': 'O lord of the earth

• O King (address to Dhṛtarāṣṭra in the narrative frame)'}, {'term': 'arjuna uvāca', 'definition': 'Arjuna said'}, {'term': 'senayoḥ ubhayoḥ', 'definition': 'of both armies'}, {'term': 'madhye', 'definition': 'in the middle, between'}, {'term': 'ratham', 'definition': 'chariot'}, {'term': 'sthāpaya', 'definition': 'place, station (imperative)'}, {'term': 'me', 'definition': 'my, for me'}, {'term': 'acyuta', 'definition': 'Acyuta

Speaker

अर्जुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Kṛṣṇa (Hṛṣīkeśa, Acyuta)
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• two armies (Pāṇḍava and Kaurava forces)
• chariot (ratha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

This verse sets the ethical stage for Arjuna’s crisis: before acting in war, he insists on seeing clearly who stands on both sides. The request symbolizes deliberate moral scrutiny—recognition of persons and relationships—prior to choosing action (karma) and its dharmic justification.

What is happening in the narrative?

On the battlefield, Arjuna instructs Kṛṣṇa, his charioteer, to position the chariot between the two armies. He wants to observe the opposing ranks—especially his own relatives and elders—just as the battle is about to begin.