Shloka 1

Devanagari script

संजय कहते हैं--राजन्‌! जब अर्जुनने सिंधुराज जयद्रथके वधकी प्रतिज्ञा कर ली, उस समय महाबाहु भगवान्‌ श्रीकृष्णने अर्जुनसे कहा--

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca—rājan! yadā arjunena sindhurāja-jayadrathasya vadha-pratijñā kṛtā, tadā mahābāhuḥ bhagavān śrīkṛṣṇaḥ arjunam uvāca—

Translation

సంజయుడు అన్నాడు—రాజా! అర్జునుడు సింధురాజు జయద్రథుని వధిస్తానని ప్రతిజ్ఞ చేసినప్పుడు, మహాబాహువు భగవాన్ శ్రీకృష్ణుడు అర్జునునితో ఇలా పలికెను—

Word by Word

संजयःSanjaya

कथयतिsays/tells

राजन्O king

यदाwhen

अर्जुनःArjuna

सिन्धुराजस्यof the king of Sindhu

जयद्रथस्यof Jayadratha

वधस्यof the killing/slaying

प्रतिज्ञाम्a vow/pledge

कृतवान्made/did (having made)

तदाthen/at that time

महाबाहुःthe mighty-armed

भगवान्the Blessed Lord

श्रीकृष्णःŚrī Kṛṣṇa

अर्जुनम्to Arjuna / Arjuna (as object)

उवाचsaid/spoke

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Arjuna

Jayadratha

Sindhu

Śrī Kṛṣṇa

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds the ethical weight of a pratijñā (vow): once a warrior publicly binds himself to a purpose, he must align that resolve with dharma and seek right counsel. Kṛṣṇa’s impending guidance signals that determination in war should be disciplined by wisdom, not driven by rage alone.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Arjuna has vowed to kill Jayadratha, the Sindhu king. At that critical moment, Kṛṣṇa speaks to Arjuna—introducing strategic and moral counsel that will shape the coming battle events.