Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ऑपन--माजण बक। अकाल तग्यशीतितमो< ध्याय: श्रीकृष्णका हस्तिनापुरको प्रस्थान, युधिष्ठिरका माता कुन्ती एवं कौरवोंके लिये संदेश तथा श्रीकृष्णको मार्ममें दिव्य महर्षियोंका दर्शन अजुन उवाच कुरूणामद्य सर्वेषां भवान्‌ सुहृदनुत्तम: । सम्बन्धी दयितो नित्यमुभयो: पक्षयोरपि,अर्जुन बोले--श्रीकृष्ण![ आजकल आप ही समस्त कौरवोंके सर्वोत्तम सुहृद्‌ तथा दोनों पक्षोंके नित्य प्रिय सम्बन्धी हैं

Transliteration

arjuna uvāca

kurūṇām adya sarveṣāṁ bhavān suhṛd anuttamaḥ | sambandhī dayito nityam ubhayoḥ pakṣayor api ||

Translation

Wika ni Arjuna: “O Kṛṣṇa, sa panahong ito ikaw ang walang kapantay na mabuting kaibigan at tagapagmalasakit ng lahat ng Kuru. Ikaw din ay minamahal na kamag-anak, laging mahalaga sa dalawang panig.”

Word by Word

अर्जुनःArjuna

उवाचsaid

कुरूणाम्of the Kurus

अद्यtoday / now

सर्वेषाम्of all

भवान्you (honorific)

सुहृत्friend / well-wisher

अनुत्तमःunsurpassed, best

सम्बन्धीkinsman, relation

दयितःbeloved, dear

नित्यम्always

उभयोःof both

पक्षयोःof the two sides/parties

अपिalso, even

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

Krishna

Kurus

two parties (Pāṇḍava and Kaurava sides)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Arjuna frames Krishna’s role as ethically exemplary: a true suhṛt is one who seeks the welfare of all, not merely one faction. The verse highlights impartial goodwill and kinship as foundations for righteous counsel and peace-making, especially when conflict threatens to divide a family.

What is happening in the narrative?

At the outset of this chapter, Arjuna addresses Krishna in the context of impending negotiations between the Pāṇḍavas and Kauravas. He acknowledges that Krishna is trusted and beloved by both sides of the Kuru family, making him uniquely suited to act as mediator and messenger in the effort to avert war.