1.1 - Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 1, Verse 1)

As the curtain rises on the Bhagavad Gita, we are immediately thrust into a scene dense with tension and anticipation. The armies of the Pandavas and Kauravas have gathered on the vast plains of Kurukshetra, a land hallowed by centuries of spiritual austerity and righteous acts. Against this backdrop, the blind king Dhritarashtra opens the dialogue with a pointed inquiry to his minister Sanjaya, who possesses divine vision. Dhritarashtra’s question—“After gathering on the holy field of Kurukshetra, and desiring to fight, what did my sons and the sons of Pandu do?”—serves as the solemn overture of the epic conversation that will follow.

Beneath the apparent simplicity of this question lies a web of subtle emotions and unspoken fears. Dhritarashtra refers to the Kauravas possessively as “my sons,” while distancing the Pandavas, calling them merely the “sons of Pandu.” This single word choice captures the king’s lifelong partiality and foreshadows the division at the heart of the conflict. His question is not just a request for information but a reflection of deep internal anxiety. He is blind not only in body but, as tradition holds, in his moral and spiritual judgment as well.

The significance of Kurukshetra being referred to as “dharma-kshetra” or “the field of righteousness” cannot be overstated. By calling it a place of dharma, the stage is set for more than just a physical battle—it is the ground where truth and justice will ultimately be tested and revealed. Dhritarashtra’s implicit worry is whether this sacred field might influence the hearts of the assembled warriors. Could the holiness of the land inspire a change of heart in his sons and stop the war, or will it strengthen the resolve of the Pandavas? The king’s uncertainty and trepidation echo in the rhetorical nature of his question.

This opening verse also positions Kurukshetra as a metaphorical field—“kshetra” literally means a field or ground—where the seeds of actions, intentions, and destinies are about to be sown. Krishna, who will soon emerge as the principal voice of wisdom, can be seen as the cultivator in this field, guiding the growth of righteousness amidst the tangled weeds of ambition and greed. The aftermath of this “cultivation” will bear fruits not just for those present on the battlefield, but for all generations to come.

Dhritarashtra’s inquiry is outwardly concerned with the events on the battlefield but is also colored by his internal struggle. Years of unchecked ambition, favoritism, and emotional dependence on his son Duryodhana have brought about this moment. The war is thus not only between two rival clans but is also the culmination of Dhritarashtra’s inability to curb his own weaknesses. The seeds of this conflict were sown much earlier, in the daily choices and silent approvals that paved the way for injustice to flourish.

The verse sets a unique tone for what follows in the Gita. The king’s question introduces both the narrative device—Sanjaya’s divine narration—and the broader spiritual canvas on which the Gita’s teachings will be painted. The story is no longer just about the fate of two sets of cousins but about the perennial struggle between righteousness and unrighteousness within every heart and society.

In a literary sense, this verse is masterful for its economy. It contains only a few lines, but within them is compressed the sorrow of a father, the anxiety of a king, and the anticipation that precedes great upheaval. Every word hints at volumes of prior history—the silent approval of wrongdoing, the heartbreak of lost opportunities for reconciliation, and the inexorable pull of destiny towards a reckoning.

Thus, the Bhagavad Gita opens not with a grand pronouncement or philosophical declaration, but with an anxious, uncertain question. This question, however, lays the foundation for one of the most profound discourses on duty, righteousness, and the human condition. The reverberations of Dhritarashtra’s opening words will echo throughout the Gita, framing every subsequent teaching in the light of real human dilemmas and failings, and inviting each listener to examine the battlefields within their own lives.