Shloka 24

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

Devanagari script

इस प्रकार श्रीमह्याभारत भीष्मपर्वके अन्तर्गत श्रीमद्भगवद्गीतापर्वमें धतराष्ट्र-संजय- संवादविषयक चौबीसवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ,संजय उवाच एवमुक्तो हृषीकेशो गुडाकेशेन भारत । सेनयोरुभयोर्म ध्ये स्थापयित्वा रथोत्तमम्‌ संजय बोले--हे धृतराष्ट्र! अर्जुनद्वारा इस प्रकार कहे हुए महाराज श्रीकृष्णचन्द्रने दोनों सेनाओंके बीचमें भीष्म और द्रोणाचार्यके सामने तथा सम्पूर्ण राजाओंके सामने उत्तम रथको खड़ा करके इस प्रकार कहा कि “हे पार्थ! युद्धके लिये जुटे हुए इन कौरवोंको देख“

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | evam ukto hṛṣīkeśo guḍākeśena bhārata | senayor ubhayor madhye sthāpayitvā rathottamam ||

Translation

桑贾亚说：“噢，婆罗多（持国王）！古达克沙（阿周那）如此言毕，赫利希凯沙（奎师那）便将那上乘战车安置在两军之间。”

Word by Word

संजयःSanjaya

उवाचsaid

एवम्thus

उक्तःhaving been addressed / spoken to

हृषीकेशःHrishikesha (Krishna)

गुडाकेशेनby Gudakesha (Arjuna)

भारतO Bharata (descendant of Bharata)

सेनयोःof the two armies

उभयोःof both

मध्येin the middle

स्थापयित्वाhaving placed / having stationed

रथोत्तमम्the excellent chariot

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

Dhritarashtra

Krishna (Hrishikesha)

Arjuna (Gudakesha)

the two armies

the chariot (rathottama)

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?

The verse frames the ethical setting of the Gita: before action, one must see reality clearly. Krishna’s act of placing the chariot between the armies symbolizes deliberate, conscious engagement with duty (dharma) rather than impulsive action or avoidance.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Arjuna requests to view those assembled for war, Krishna drives and stations the chariot between the two armies, positioning Arjuna to look directly at the opposing forces and the people involved, initiating the crisis that leads to the Gita’s teaching.