Bhagavad Gita Verse 6, Chapter 2

na chaitvidmaha kataranno gareeyo
yadvaa jayeema yadi vaa no jayeyuhu |
yaaneva hatvaa na jijeevishaamstevasthitaaha
pramukhe dhaartaraashtraaha || 6 ||
 
To conquer them, or to be conquered by them, I do not know which is the better of the two. Dhritraashtra's kinsmen, after killing whom we certainly don't wish to live, stand here before us.
 
na cha : do not
vidmaha : know
naha : for us
katarat : of two which is
gareeyaha : better
te yat-vaa : whether
jayem : conquer them
yadi-vaa : or
naha : we
jayeyuhu: they conquer us
yaan : whom
eva : certainly
hatvaa : by killing
na jijeevishaa-maha : we don't wish to live
eva : certainly
asthitaaha : standing here
pramukhe : opposite us
dhaartaraashtraaha : Dhritaraashtra's kinsmen
 
Here we see Arjuna move away from the all-or-nothing position of "I will not fight". His hardline position morphed into a dilemma. And the dilemma was as follows: "Should I or should I not fight? I do not know which is correct." This question is the fundamental question that provoked the message of the Gita that we shall see very shortly.
 
We face questions like this all the time - this was alluded to in an earlier post. A boss may like an employee, but the business will tank if he does not fire the employee. Should he fire him or not? Questions like this arise all the time. Life is nothing but a series of actions driven by the day-to-day decisions we take.
 
Here's another important point. Arjuna's teachers and elders were revered and respected by him, they gave him pleasure, but here they were in front of him, ready to kill him. Similarly, behind every pleasure-filled person, experience or object we encounter in life lies its negative aspect. This is an interesting insight about life. It is rare to find people, experiences or objects that give us pleasure all of the time.  Here's an example that resonates with us: a new house that was a source of joy in the beginning, will cause grief when one has to pay for its maintenance.
 

Bhagavad Gita Verse 5, Chapter 2

guroonahatvaa hi mahaanubhaavaan shreyo bhoktum bhaikshyamapeeha loke |
hatvaarthakaamaamstu guroonohaiva bhunjeeya bhoogaanrudhirapradigdhaan || 5 ||
 
I will not kill my revered teachers, because in this world, I would prefer to partake of food received through alms, rather than enjoy the blood-stained worldly pleasures derived from killing my teachers.
 
guroon : teacher
ahatvaa : not kill
hi : because
mahaanubhaava : respected, revered
shreyaha : better
bhoktum : partake
bhaikshyam : donated food
api : even
iha : this
loke : world
hatvaa: kill
artha-kaamaan : worldly pleasures
tu : then
eva : only
bhunjeeya : partake
bhoogaan : enjoyments
rudhira-pradigdhaan : blood-stained
 
This verse and the next few verses may seem similar to the ones we saw in the last chapter, but upon closer inspection, there are subtle differences. Arjuna's panic attack has ended, and his emotional state has become somewhat normal. The change in Arjuna's attitude is also indicated by the change in meter - we notice that this shloka, and some of the forthcoming shlokas, have a longer meter.
 
What remains, though, is a tinge of the victim attitude, indicated in the statement that he would prefer begging to hurting his teachers. But what is positive here is that Arjuna is slowly opening up to logical reasoning, since he is no longer under the influence of the panic attack, and his agitations have subsided.
 
The lesson here is that we cannot have a sane conversation with someone in a charged emotional state, their mind has to calm down somewhat in order to create room for logic.
 
In this shloka, Arjuna is still holding on to the position that he will definitely not kill his kinsmen. But as his emotional state calms down, we shall see him begin to question that position.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 4, Chapter 2

Arjuna uvaacha
katham bheeshmamaham sankhye dronam cha madhusoodana |
ishubhihi prati yotsyami poojaarhaavarisoodana || 4 ||
 
How can I, O Madhusoodana, fight against Bheeshma and Drona with arrows? Both of them are worthy of worship, O Arisoodhana!
 
katham : how
bheeshmam : Bheeshma
aham : I
sankhye : in battle
dronam : Drona
cha : and
madhusoodana : O Madhusoodana
ishubhihi : with arrows
prati : with
yotsyami : fight
poojaahow : worthy of worship
ari-soodana : O Arisoodana
 
Shri Krishna's words jolted Arjuna out of his panic attack and brought him to a state where he was ready to have a conversation. Since Arjuna's arguments from the previous chapter remained unanswered, hence he continued to insist on relinquishing the war.
 
Arjuna uses the words "slayer of the demon Madhu" and "slayer of foes" to address Shri Krishna, hinting that it is easy to slay evil individuals but difficult to slay one's kinsmen. The fundamental problem still remained unsolved, which is that Arjuna was still holding on to the familial and teacher-student relationships in the context of a battlefield. But on the Kaurava side, Bheeshma and Drona viewed Arjuna as an enemy and not as a student or a family member. They were not under any delusion like Arjuna was.
 
Can we relate this to an example from our lives? Think of a father and mother who have brought up their children, and like any responsible parents, guided them as to what was right and what was wrong. When the children grow into adults, they now possess the ability to think for themselves, and on occasion will consult their parents on decisions that they need help with.
 
But, similar to Arjuna's attachment to his elders, if the parents still hold on to the relationship that existed when their children were young, the children would not consider that to be appropriate behaviour and then this could impact the relationship with their parents.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 3, Chapter 2

klaibyam maa sma gamah paartha naitattvayyupapadyate |
kshudram hridayadaurbalyam tyaktvotishtha parantapa || 3 ||


Don't yield to this effeminate behaviour, O Paartha, it is not worthy of you. Cast off this petty weakness of heart and arise, O scorcher of foes!

klaibyam : effeminate
maa sma gamah : do not yield
paartha : O son of Prithaa
etat: this
tvavi : in you
na : not
upapadyate : not worthy
kshudram : petty
hridaya: heart
daurbalyam : weakness
tyaktva : cast off
uttishtha : arise
paran-tapa : O scorcher of foes
 
Shri Krishna, an expert motivational speaker, used a "carrot and stick" approach towards Arjuna here. Let's first look at the stick or negative aspect, followed by the carrot or positive aspect.
 
One of the worst things you can call a warrior is effeminate. Even young boys playing sports will get upset when someone says 'Hey! You throw the ball like a girl!". So imagine how Arjuna felt when Shri Krishna called him effeminate. Moreover, using the adjective weak-hearted to describe Arjuna was another jolt to the usually courageous and lion-hearted warrior.
 
But Shri Krishna also appealed to Arjuna's better qualities. By addressing him as "Paartha", he reminded Arjuna of his esteemed and respected mother Prithaa (Kunti), and how she would feel if Arjuna shirked away from war. Shri Krishna also reminded Arjuna of his battle prowess, that he was called a "scorcher of foes".
 
The final point in this shloka is the powerful Sanskrit word "utthishta", meaning arise, which evokes Swami Vivekananda's famous statement "Arise! Awake! and stop not till the goal is reached!'. Arjuna is instructed not just to arise physically, but also to lift his mind from the depths of delusion to a higher plane of intelligence.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 2, Chapter 2

Shri Bhagavaan uvaacha
kutastvaa kashmalamidam vishame samupasthitam |
anaaryajusthamasvargyamakeertikaramarjuna || 2 ||
 
Shri Bhagavaan said:
From where has this weakness arisen, at this inconvenient time? It is not noble, nor will it get you to heaven, not will it earn you valour, O Arjuna.
 
kutaha : from where
tvaa : you
kashmalam : weakness, impurity
idam : this
vishame : inconvenient time
samupasthitam: arisen
anaarya : non-noble
justham : accept
asvargyam : non-heavenly
akeertikaram : non-valourous
arjuna : Arjuna
 
So finally we get to hear Shri Krishna speak in the Gita. But what he said was not what Arjuna expected at all.
 
Let's look at the kind of words Shri Krishna used.  They were not words of kindness. They were not words of sympathy or support. They were tough, provocative words meant to shake Arjuna out of his deluded state of mind. They were intended to inform Arjuna that his assessment of this situation, and his plan of exiting from the situation, were totally incorrect and invalid.
 
Moreover, rule number one in communication skills training is "tailor the message to the audience". We see that here. Arjuna is a tough warrior, and tough talk is the only language he understands. An analogy would be a coach providing directions to a player in the middle of a football game. He would use tough talk, not sympathetic talk.
 
Shri Krishna also highlights another point here, that the timing of Arjuna's fall into sorrow is not appropriate. If he did want to express any emotion towards his kinsmen, he had a lot of time to do so prior to the battle. Once in battle, this behaviour was unwarranted.
 
Footnotes
1. In the rest of the Gita, Shri Krishna is addressed as "Bhagavaan". Bhagavaan means the one who is endowed with "bhagas" or divine attributes: wealth, virtue, glory, might, knowledge and dispassion.
2. The second verse is one long word composed of several shorter words. In Sanskrit, words are joined together using a system of rules called "sandhi". It is not necessary to learn the sandhi rules since most commentaries dissect long words into their components. We are fortunate to leverage their efforts here.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 1, Chapter 2

Sanjaya uvaacha
tam tathaa kripayaavishtamashrupoornaakulekshanam |
vishidantamidam vaakyamuvaacha madhusoodanaha || 1 ||
 
To him who was possessed with grief and pity, and having tear-filled, confused eyes, Madhusoodana spoke these words.
 
tam : Towards him(Arjuna)
tathaa : that
kripayaa : pity
aavishtam : possessed
ashru-poorna : tear-filled
aakula : confused
ikshanam : eyes
vishidantam : grief-stricken
vaakyam : words
uvaacha : spoke
madhusoodanaha : Madhusoodana
 
Sanjaya opens this chapter painting a vivid portrait of Arjuna's state: the world's mightiest warrior struck by grief and actually crying. The poetic phrase "confused eyes" probably alludes to Arjuna not being able to see right from wrong i.e. his viveka was suppressed.
 
Moreover, this state has affected Arjuna's entire personality - physically because he had tears, emotionally because he was struck with grief and pity, and intellectually because he was confused about what to do and what not to do.
 
Shri Krishna is referred again here as Madhusoodana. This name can be interpreted a couple of ways. In the Puraanas, Lord Vishnu assumed the form of Hayagriva to kill the demon Madhu, hence he is known as Madhusoodana. This means that Sanjaya, through his divine vision, knew that Shri Krishna was connected to Lord Vishnu. Another interpretation of the name Madhusoodana is one who slays honey. Honey is a metaphor for the ego, which can be extremely sweet for someone who does not know all the nefarious things that it is capable of.

Introduction to Chapter 2

We are about to begin our journey into the second chapter of the Gita. Let us take this opportunity to orient ourselves, so that we can get the most out of our journey.
 
The second chapter is an extremely important chapter, perhaps the most important chapter of the Gita. It is long and contains most of the oft-quotes verses of the Gita. It also introduces most of the key themes of the Gita at a high level. The rest of the Gita picks up these themes and elaborates on them. Therefore there is a variety of topics that we shall get to see in the second chapter.
 
Looking back at the first chapter, we can see that it covered topics that any person could easily identify with. The second chapter will be different in this respect. It will tackle a mix of the practical as well as the spiritual, because the Gita treats both aspects as integral to living life correctly.
 
The second chapter will also introduce abstract concepts that may initially seem unfamiliar and hard to understand. The attitude here should be like the person who is visiting a prominent art gallery for the first time. You will see landscapes as well as modern art. The first time you come across modern art you may not understand it, but slowly through exposure and repetition, you begin to appreciate its nuances.
 
We will begin chapter 2 where chapter 1 left us, in the battlefield, where Arjuna had discarded his weapons.

Summary Of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1

The message of the first chapter of the Gita is this: The root cause of all sorrow and suffering in this world is our inability to deal with conflict. The sooner we recognize this universal truth, the sooner we can progress in our personal, professional, and ultimately, spiritual journeys. That is why the Gita is not taught to Arjuna in a remote ashram somewhere in the Himalayas amidst chirping birds and rolling meadows. It is taught in the middle of a gruesome battle with swords clanging, trumpets roaring and soldiers screaming.

We experience conflict at three levels - physical, mental and spiritual. At the physical level, conflict is everywhere. Atoms collide against atoms. Weeds take over carefully manicured flowers. Packs of wolves fight for control of territory. And we humans have disagreements with children, siblings, spouses, bosses, co-workers, states and countries. To deal with conflict, we need to learn how to act in this world, including, what to say in each of these situations.

How we conduct ourselves in physical conflict is largely dependent on the state of our minds. Our minds are also always in conflict, primarily between our rational side and our ego. Human beings have evolved to a point where they have the power to control and transcend the primitive urges and impulses that control most animals. These primal urges constitute the ego, the part of our mind that oversimplifies and exaggerates situations, and shuts off the rational part of our mind that can think logically and clearly.

Arjuna’s rational mind was clear – he was a warrior, and he entered the battlefield to fight a war against the enemy for a just cause. But, upon seeing his family on the other side, his ego – the primitive side of his mind – rose up and took control. It made him say, how can I ever kill my family? How can I ever kill my teacher? The inability to reconcile this conflict in his mind led to his mental breakdown in the middle of the battlefield. He literally did not know which side of the battle he was on, and being unable to decide, he wanted to quit. His mind immediately began to rationalize his decision to quit, as seen in the speech he gave to Shri Krishna about how unjust the war was.

So we have seen that conflict at the physical level, and at the mental level, is pervasive. It is an integral part of life. We cannot escape it. There's nothing new here. What's unique about the Gita is its perspective on how we should deal these two levels of conflict. The clue lies in verses 21 and 22, where Shri Krishna positions Arjuna literally in the middle of the two armies, a point from which Arjuna can see his dearest teachers and relatives stationed on the other side of the battlefield, which immediately triggers another conflict - not physical, not mental, but one of identity.

Arjuna now thinks: Who am I? Am I the warrior fighting for a just cause? Or am I the beloved student of my teacher? If I am a warrior, I should be in the Pandava army. If I am a beloved student, I should be in the Kaurava army. But I am both. So what should I do? Since I don't know how to reconcile my identity, let me quit - it is the easiest option I have.

In his speech to Shri Krishna, Arjuna used logic, God and religion to justify his quitting the battle. This is what many of us to - we run away from our conflicts, and use logic, God, religion, and a whole host of rationalizations to justify our quitting to ourselves, and to others. But at the root of it lies our identity crisis. We don't know who we truly are, and therefore, don't know which path to pursue.

This crisis of identity is the third type of conflict, the spiritual conflict. Unless we know who we are, what God (or a higher power) is, and what our relationship to that God is, we will never be able to completely resolve all of our physical and mental conflicts. This is the central theme of the first chapter.

The second chapter contains Shri Krishna's response to Arjuna's conflicts, and a summary of the entire Gita, which addresses all three conflicts. It explains in detail as to how we can deal with all three of them, so that we can put an end to sorrow and anxiety at their root.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 47, Chapter 1

Sanjaya uvaacha
evamuktaarjunaha samkhye rathopastha upaavishat |
visrujya sasharam chaapam shokasamvignamaanasaha || 47 ||
 
Having said these words in the battlefield, Arjun sat in the center of his chariot, casting off his weapons, his mind disturbed with sorrow.
 
evam : thus
uktva : having said
arjunaha : Arjun
samkhya : on the battlefield
rath : chariot
upasthaha : centre
upaavishat : sat
visrujya : cast out
sasharam : with arrows
chaapam : and bow
shoka : sorrow
samvignam : disturbed
maanasaha : mind
 
Arjuna ended his rant in this verse, which is the final verse in Chapter 1. His body language reflects his state of mind as he threw away his weapons and sat down on his chariot, in the midst of the battlefield. Sanjay the narrator took over here, and possibly gave a glimmer of hope to Dhritraashtra, who was hoping that this action of Arjuna could end the war even before it began.
 
Let us reflect upon the first chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, in preparation for the second chapter. Arjuna, ready for war, under the influence of his ego and mind, became weak when Shri Krishna moved the chariot in between the Paandava and Kaurava armies.
 
Now, we may never face a war in our lifetime, but we will undoubtedly face conflicts in life where we lose our mental equipoise, and need guidance on what the right course of action is. Death of a loved one, hard economic conditions, issues with family members or friends, a bad boss, a stressful job - life is full of conflict-ridden situations.
 
This chapter is called "Arjuna Vishaada Yoga", or the Yoga of Arjuna's dejection. We will delve deeper into the meaning of the word Yoga later, but for now, let's assume that it means technique or method that shows how one should conduct oneself in a life situation.
 
So why is Arjuna's dejection called a technique or a method? Let's take an example. Assume you own a car, and ever since you owned the car for about 10 years or so. You have never had an accident, and you never had the need to get a car insurance policy. But one fine day, you drive into your neighbour's car, and end up owing him a gigantic sum of money. From that day onwards, you will never ever drive a car without insurance. So, what this means is that you had to pass through an extremely difficult situation in order to gain the knowledge that insurance is important.
 
Similarly, Arjuna had to pass through an extremely difficult life situation which jolted him so much that it made him realize that he was missing something essential. He did not know how to conduct himself in such a difficult situation. Fortunately for him, Shri Krishna was right there to provide him that instruction. But without passing through that tough life situation, he never would have realized the need for such an instruction. Therefore, just like any other chapter in the Gita, this chapter is also a Yoga, or a method, of how to conduct one's life correctly.
 
Each chapter of the Gita concludes with a sentence that acts as a marker signifying the end of the chapter. These traditions were followed as a means to make memorization easier, among other things. Every end-of-chapter market contains the phrase "Shri-Krishna-Arjuna-Samvade" which means "a dialogue between Shri Krishna and Arjuna".
 
om tatsatiti shreematbhagavatgitasupanishadsu brahmavidyaayaam yogashaastre shreekrishnaarjunsamvade arjunavishaadayogo naama prathamodhyaayaha || 1 ||

Bhagavad Gita Verse 46, Chapter 1

yadi maamaprateekaaramashastram shasktrapaanayaha |
dhaartaraashtraa rane hanyustanme kshemataram bhavet || 46 ||
 
Even if I, unarmed and non-resistant, am killed in war by the sons of Dhritraasthra, who are armed with weapons, this will be beneficial for me.
 
yadi : even if
maama : I
aprateekaaram : non-resistant
ashastram : unarmed
shastra : weapons
paaneyaha : in hand
dhaartaraashtraa : sons of Dhritaraashtra
rane : in war
hanyuh : kill
tat : that
me : for me
kshemataram : beneficial
bhavet : will be
 
This is the final statement uttered by Arjuna in the first chapter of the Gita. It shows the extent of delusion in Arjuna's mind, as he morphed from a mighty warrior into a pathetic, weak, helpless individual. Arjuna was desperately looking to escape the difficult situation he found himself in, and so his mind came up with all kinds of arguments to justify this escape, including making the escape "beneficial".
 
Let us revisit our friend Mr. X. He has been laid off due to the recession, and has been out of work for 3 months. He has not interviewed in over 2 weeks now. As time goes by, his confidence begins to weaken. If his mind cannot maintain equanimity, it will lead him down a path similar to Arjuna's fall. He begins to think that there's no point in applying for more jobs since there aren't any, and even if he gets an interview call, he has to compete with more qualified candidates. Therefore, there's no point even trying. In fact, it's better to stay at home and do nothing because there's no point applying for a job in a bad economy. Just look at how his mind has generated perverse logic to preserve the ego.
 
There's another point to note here : Shri Krishna kept quiet throughout Arjuna's rant. He wanted Arjuna to expel every perverse argument out of his system, in preparation for the teaching of the Gita.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 44-45, Chapter 1

utsannakuladharmaanaam manushyaanaam janaardana |
narakeniyatam vaaso bhavatityanushushruma || 44 ||
 
aho bata mahatpaapam kartum vyavasitaa vayam |
yadryaadjyasukhalobhena hantum svajanamudyataaha || 45 ||
 
 
People whose societal values have eroded, O Janaardana, reside in hell indefinitely, this I have heard.
 
Alas! It's unfortunate that we have decided to undertake this extreme sin. Our greed towards the pleasures of the kingdom has prepared us to kill our kinsmen.
 
utsanna : delapidated, eroded
kula-dharmaanaam : societal values
manushyaanaam : those people
janaardana : O Janaardana
narake : hell
aniyatam : indefinitely
vaaso : reside
bhavati : happens
iti : this
anushushruma : I have heard
 
aho : Alas
bata : it's unfortunate
mahat-paapam : extreme sin
kartum : undertake
vyavasitaa : decided to do
vayam : we
yat : that
raajyasukha : pleasures of kingdom
lobhena : greed
hantum : kill
svajanam : our kin
udyataaha : are prepared
 
Here, Arjuna concluded an argument that he had begun a few verses prior. According to him, a rise in lawlessness began a chain reaction which caused the entire civilization, not just the warmongers, to end up residing in hell indefinitely.
 
Let's summarize this argument. What Arjuna is saying, in simple words, is that the Kaurava army is committing the sin of destroying the Kuru clan. Since he can see that it is a sin, he will not join them in this act, and therefore not fight.
 
Again, we see moha at work here. Duryodhana had moha for the Kauravas, whereas Arjuna had moha for the entire Kuru dynasty. Even though Arjuna was more large-hearted than Duryodhana in his moha, moha clouded his judgement the same way it clouded Duryodhana's judgement.
 
Moreover, in verse 45, Arjuna's demonstrates classic "victim" mindset where one cannot see oneself in control of a situation, by using words such as "alas", "it is unfortunate". His moha took over his mind so completely that one of the world's foremost warriors spoke words that a weakling would use.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 42-43, Chapter 1

samkaro narakaayeiva kulaghnaanaam kulasya cha |
patanti pitaro hyeshaam luptapindodakakriyaahaa || 42 ||
 
doshairetai kulaghnaanaam varnasamkarakaarakaihai |
utsaadyante jaatidharmaaha kuladharmaashcha shaashvataahaa || 43 ||
 
Contamination of character pushes the annihilators of society and society itself into hell; their ancestors fall from grace, having been deprived of their offerings of Pinda and water. Timeless societal and humanitarian values and traditions are destroyed by the contamination of character created by these annihilators of society.
 
samkaraha : contamination of character
narakaaya : takes to hell
eva : certainly
kula-ghnaanaam : annihilators of society
kulasya : society
cha : and
patanti : falls
pitaraha : ancestors
eshaam :due to these killers
lupta-pinda-udaka-kriyaaha : deprived of their offerings of Pinda (rice) and water
 
doshai : errors
etai : these
kulaghnaanaam : annihilators of society
varna-samkara-kaarakaihi : causing confusion of character
utsaadyante : get destroyed
jaati-dharmaaha : humanitarian values
kula-dharmaaha : societal values
cha : and
shaashvataaha : timeless
 
In Indian culture, one's ancestors and family lineage are given great importance. In these verses, Arjuna expressed his worry that the deterioration of post-war society would result in loss of respect for the ancestors who created the laws and values of that society. "Pinda" is a ball of rice offered to the memory of one's ancestors during certain Indian rituals.
 
It is not that difficult to draw a parallel between the reverence for the ancestors of a society expressed here, and the reverence for the builders of any institution in the modern world. During every independence day celebration of a country, freedom fighters' contributions are remembered and revered. Similarly, if you walk the hallways of any modern corporation, you will usually see the founders' portraits displayed prominently. Someone who cares deeply about one's country, or about one's place of work, will never look forward to the denigration of the founders. Arjuna, even in his deluded state, cared about the builders of the Kuru dynasty.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 41, Chapter 1

adharmaabhibhavaatkrishna pradushyanti kulastriyaha |
streeshu dushtaasu vaarshaneya jaayate varnasamkaraha || 41 ||
 
When lawlessness dominates, it deteriorates the condition of women in society, O Krishna. Deterioration of women, O Vaarshneya, gives rise to contamination of character.
 
adharma-abhibhavaat : when lawlessness dominates
krishna : O Krishna
pradyushanti : deterioration
kula-striyaha : women in society
streeshu : women
dushtasu : deteriorated
vaarshaneya : O Vaarshaneya
jaayate : arises
varna-samkara : contamination of character
 
Arjuna's rambling apocalyptic post-war imagination continues. He echoes a fear that most warriors have in the back of the mind when they go to war. Invading armies seldom show respect and dignity to the women of the defeated kingdom, they are usually treated as the spoils of the war. History has proven this out, and unfortunately it is still the case wherever there is the aftermath of war.
 
In any society, due to the law of averages, there always will be a part of the population with questionable morals and character. However, in a post-war situation where women are treated without dignity, and have to succumb to their invaders, there is no guarantee that they will be able to raise their children with the right values, education and morals. This results in a breakdown in character in the younger generation across the board. Arjuna downward-spiraling mind feared this scenario.
 
Footnotes
1. The Sanskrit word "varna" has several meanings. One traditional meaning of the word "varna" is caste, and if this meaning is taken, the second verse means "this gives rise to contamination of castes". However, since we cannot even begin to imagine what the caste system looked like in the age when the Gita was written, I have used a more abstract meaning of the word "varna".

Bhagavad Gita Verse 40, Chapter 1

kulakshaye pranashyanti kuladharmaaha sanaatanaaha |
dharme nashte kulam kritstramadharmobhibhavatyuta || 40 ||
 
As society gets destroyed, its timeless laws and traditions erode. Once that happens, lawlessness begins to dominate the entire society.
 
kula-kshaye : destruction of society
pranashyanti : gets destroyed
kula-dharmaaha : societal laws
sanaatanaaha : timeless
dharme : rules
nashte : after getting destroyed
kulam : society
kristram : total
adharmaha : lawless
abhibhavati : dominates
 
We are nearing the end of the first chapter, and have just begun examining the last set of verses.
 
Here, Arjuna's deluded mind began to spin out of control, and the scale of his delusion became progressively magnified. He began enumerating how the act of warfare between the two warring factions will ultimately result in the destruction of civilization.
 
Infighting has caused the downfall of empires and civilizations, the most notable example being the Roman empire. When the upholders of the law, namely the statesmen and the warriors, fight among themselves, a breakdown of law and order takes place.
 
But here, Arjuna looked only at the worst case scenario, totally ignoring the possibility that the war could result in restoration of peace, order and prosperity to the kingdom. His mind had begun a downward slide of negativity that only became worse as he spoke more.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 38-39, Chapter 1

yadyapyete na pashyanti lobhopahatchetasaha |
kulakshayakritam dosham mitradrohe cha paatakam || 38 ||
 
katham na gneyamasmaabhihi paapaadasmaannivartitum |
kulakshayakritam dosham prapashyadbhirjanaardana || 39 ||
 
If their greed-afflicted minds cannot see the error in annihilating society, and the sin of quarreling with their friends;
why shouldn't we, who correctly perceive this error, refrain from committing this sin, O Janaardana?
 
yadyapi : if
ete : they
na pashyanti : cannot see
lobhaha-upahat-chetasaha : minds afflicted by greed
kula-kshaya-kritam : act of annihilating society
dosham : error
mitra-drohe : quarreling against friends
cha : and
paatakam : sin
 
katham : why
na gneyam : not know
asmaabhihi : by us
paapat : sin
asmaat : this
nivartitum : refrain
prapashyadbhihi : right understanding
janaardana : O Janardanaa
 
Arjuna now began a second argument in which he began enumerating the flaws of the opposing army. He wanted to point out that his moral judgement was superior relative to the opposing army's position. This current sequence of verses is a classic example of how a seemingly logical argument is completely illogical because it has sprung from erroneous foundations. Moreover, Arjuna echoes the human tendency to point out flaws in others when the flaw lies in the pointer.
 
Illogical as it may be, Arjuna's comment lets us explore a force similar to moha, that of "lobha" or the desire to accumulate something. An increase in lobha for an object, person, situation or circumstance tends to suppress our viveka, our discerning ability. A politician that has extreme greed for a ministerial position could resort to illegal and unethical means to get it. Recent events in global financial markets are a good example where bankers were willing to defraud investors by selling them subprime loans, simply due to greed.
 
Both moha and lobha have one thing in common, they seemingly result in pleasure. Foe example, in case of moha, extreme attachment one's son or one's spouse gives one pleasure. In case of lobha, the desire to accumulate wealth or power gives one pleasure. But in both cases, the pleasure that one obtains is temporary and fleeting. In addition, one tends to cling to the object gained by lobha or moha for fear of losing it.
 
So what attitude should we have towards people or things we care about? The Gita delves into this topic in great detail.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 37, Chapter 1

tasmaannarhaa vayam hantum dhaartaraashtraan svabaandhavaan |
svajanam hi katham hatvaa sukhinaha syaama maadhava || 37 ||
 
Therefore, it is not appropriate for us to kill these relatives of Dhritraashtra who our also our brothers. How can we gain pleasure by killing our own, O Maadhava?
 
tasmaat : therefore
na arhaaha : not appropriate
vayam : we
hantum : to kill
dhaartarashtaan : relatives of Dhritraashtra
svabaandhavaan : our brothers
svajanam : our kinsmen
hi : because
katham : how
hatvaa : kill
sukhinaha : happiness
maadhava : O Maadhava
 
The word "tasmaat", which means therefore, indicates the conclusion of an argument. Here, Arjuna concluded his argument to Shri Krishna in which he asserted that that he did not want to fight. To defend that argument, Arjuna provided several points: that there was no point in the war or even in living itself, that the very people that he was fighting against were the same people that made him happy, that killing his kinsmen and his well-wishers was a sin, and that there would be no joy derived in doing so.
 
This argument was not built on any sort of rationality or logic because Arjuna came under the influence of "moha" or delusion, the delusion that personal relationships were more important in the battlefield than one's duty. An increase in moha usually suppresses our ability to discern between what is correct and what is not. This discerning ability is called "viveka".
 
Here's an real world example that illustrates moha and viveka. Imagine that your brother has a drinking problem, and needs to hear from you that the addiction needs to stop. What is the right thing for you to do? It is a difficult situation because your moha and viveka come into conflict. Viveka tells you that the right thing for you to do is to intervene, but moha tells you that doing so will endanger your relationship.
 
Another common example is that a surgeon will usually not perform an operation on a relative exactly because of this moha.
 
Viveka is the first step in the "Saadhana Chatushthaya", the 4-fold qualifications that are required for anyone treading on the spiritual path. Barring a few exceptions if you do not cultivate the ability to discern what is correct and what is not, your spiritual journey will never commence.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 36, Chapter 1

nihatya dhaartaraashtraanaha ka preetihi syaajjanaardana |
paapmevaashrayedasmaan hatvaitaanaatataayinaha || 36 ||
 
What pleasure will we derive by killing these relatives of Dhritraashtra, O Janaardana? We will only incur sin by killing these felons.
 
nihatya : kill
dhaartaraashtraan : relatives of dhritaraashtra
ka : what
preetihi : pleasure
syaat : derive
janaardana : O Janaardana
paapam : sin
eva : definitely
aashrayet : incur
asmaan : us
hatvaa : by killing
aatataayinaha : felons
 
As Arjuna built up a case in favour of not fighting the war, he added another point - that this endeavour will incur sin.
 
This is a critical point in understanding the message of the Gita. Let us examine what is meant by "sin" here. Since the word "sin" has several interpretations, let us first take something that we can define more precisely, which is the word "crime".
 
What is a crime? A crime is defined as an act conducted in opposition to a certain law enshrined in a country's legal system. So then, what is a sin? A sin is also defined as an act committed in opposition to a certain law. But what is that law? Who has written that law? Is that law defined by a certain religion? or by certain societal traditions? Which law did Arjuna use to come to the conclusion that his was about to commit a sin?
 
If Shri Krishna agreed that Arjuna's act was a sin, he would have said something. But as we see, Shri Krishna did not say anything even after hearing this statement.
 
All this boils down to a simple point: when faced with a situation in life, how should we act? As the Gita unfolds, we will get to the heart of this question.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 34-35, Chapter 1

aachaaryaaha pitaraha putrosthataiva cha pitaamahaaha |
maatulaaha shvashuraaha pautraaha shyaalyaaha sambandhinastathaa || 34 ||
 
etann hantumicchaami ghnatopi madhusoodana |
api trailokyarajyasya hetoha kim nu mahikrute || 35 ||
 
Teachers, uncles, fathers, sons, as well as grand-uncles, maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, brothers-in-law and other relatives are here. Although they would like to kill me, I don't want to attack them, O Madhusoodana. When I won't do so even if it would win me all the three worlds, what to speak of winning just this earth?
 
aachaaryaaha : teachers
pitaraha : fathers
putraha : sons
tatha eva : like these
cha: and
pitaamahaaha : grandfather
maatulaaha : uncles
shvashuraaha : fathers-in-law
pautraaha : grandsons
shyaalyaaha : brothers-in-law
sambandhinaha : relatives
 
etann : these people
hantum : kill
na icchaami : I don't want to
ghnataha : attack
madhusoodana : O Madhusoodana
api : also
trailokyarajyasya : three worlds
hetoha : obtain
kim : what 
nu : then
mahikrute : for this earth
 
We notice here that Arjuna essentially repeated his argument that he does not want to attack anyone in this war, since anyone he attacks is bound to be either a friend or a relative. But why was he repeating his arguments? Note that in each verse, he addressed Shri Krishna directly, hoping to get some sort of support or endorsement from him. But, Shri Krishna did not say one word, since he wanted to wait till Arjuna's delusionary outburst ended.
 
In the second verse about not desiring victory in the three worlds, Arjuna tried to justify his retreat from fighting by wrapping his cowardice in a cloak of fake large-heartedness. The ego can sometimes be more cunning than any politician.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 33, Chapter 1

yeshaamarthe kaankshitam no raajyam bhoogaha sukhani cha |
te imevasthitaa yudhde praanaamstyaktvaa dhanaani cha || 33 ||
 
Those, for whose sake we seek kingdom, enjoyment and happiness, are present here in war, ready to give up their desire for life and wealth.
 
yeshaam : those
arthe : for whose sake
kaankshitam : desire
naha : our
raajyam : kingdom
bhogaaha: enjoyment
sukhaani : happiness
cha : and
te : those
ime : their
avasthitaa : present here
yudhdhe : in the war
praanaam : their lives
tyaktvaa : given up
dhanaani : desire for wealth
 
Here Arjuna continues his fall into delusion by justifying why there is no point in living, or in carrying out the mission that he had committed to carry out. In his confused state, his mind mixed up his personal relationships with his mission-wise relationships.
 
In work, we are often asked to "not take things personally". Here we see an example of what happens when someone in war inserts personal aspects of his life into his work, resulting in complete confusion and breakdown of the mission.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 32, Chapter 1

na kangshe vijayam krishna na cha rajyam sukhani cha |
kim no rajyena govinda kim bhogaujeervitena vaa || 32 || 

O Krishna, neither do I desire victory, nor pleasures, nor the kingdom. Of what value is the kingdom, pleasure, or in life itself, O Govinda?
 
na : neither
kangshe : I desire
vijayam : victory
krishna : Krishna
na cha : nor
rajyam : kingdom
sukhani : pleasures
kim : what
no : for us
rajyena : in the kingdom
govinda : Govinda
kim : what
bhogau : pleasure
jeervitena : living
vaa : and
 
A search for "common symptoms of depression" on the web turns up the following information:
1) Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. A bleak outlook—nothing will ever get better and there’s nothing you can do to improve your situation.
2) Loss of interest in daily activities. No interest in former hobbies, pastimes or social activities. You’ve lost your ability to feel joy and pleasure.
3) Appetite or weight changes. Significant weight loss or weight gain—a change of more than 5% of body weight in a month.
4) Sleep changes. Either insomnia, especially waking in the early hours of the morning, or oversleeping (also known as hypersomnia).
5) Anger or irritability. Feeling agitated, restless, or even violent. Your tolerance level is low, your temper short, and everything and everyone gets on your nerves.
6) Loss of energy. Feeling fatigued, sluggish, and physically drained. Your whole body may feel heavy, and even small tasks are exhausting or take longer to complete.
7) Self-loathing. Strong feelings of worthlessness or guilt. You harshly criticize yourself for perceived faults and mistakes.
8) Reckless behavior. You engage in escapist behavior such as substance abuse, compulsive gambling, reckless driving, or dangerous sports.
9) Concentration problems. Trouble focusing, making decisions, or remembering things.
10)Unexplained aches and pains. An increase in physical complaints such as headaches, back pain, aching muscles, and stomach pain.
 
Arjuna was suffering from most of the symptoms from this list. He now was mired in deep, almost suicidal depression, especially because he was questioning the value of life itself.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 31, Chapter 1

nimittaani cha pashyaami vipareetani keshava |
na cha shreyanepashyaami hatva svajanamaahave || 31 ||
 
O Keshava, I see omens that are inauspicious. I also do not see the good in killing my kinsmen in battle.
 
nimittaani : omens
cha : also
pashyaami  : see
vipareetani : negative
keshava : Krishna
na cha  : also not
shreya: good
anupashyaami : I see
hatva : kill
svajanam : kinsmen
aahave : in battle
 
When one's emotions are running unchecked, rationality goes out the window. That's when one starts talking or thinking about irrational things like superstition, which is what Arjuna was alluding to in this verse. 
 
On the surface, one would attribute Arjuna's second statement in this verse to an outpouring of compassion towards his kinsmen. But, would an outpouring of compassion cause a panic attack? The true underlying emotion that caused the panic attack was fear. And what was Arjuna afraid of? Arjuna was accustomed to winning every war that he fought. When he saw the caliber of warriors in the Kaurava army, his ego felt extremely threatened that maybe this time it won't win. Here we see that Arjuna's ego was trying to deflect this fear by substituting compassion for the true emotion of fear. 

Bhagavad Gita Verse 28-30, Chapter 1

Arjuna uvaacha:
jaatasya hi dhruvo mrityurdhruvam janma mritasya cha |
dhrishtvemaam svajanam krishna yuyutsam samupasthitam || 28 ||
 
seedanti mama gaatrani mukham cha parishushyati
vepathuscha shareere me romaharshascha jaayate || 29 ||
 
gaandeevam stransate hastatvakchaiva paridahyate
na cha shaknomyavasthaatuma bhramateeva cha me manaha  || 30 ||
 
O Krishna, I see my kinsmen gathered here to fight. My limbs are weakening, and my mouth has completely dried up, my body is quivering and my hair is standing on end. My Gaandeeva bow is slipping from my hands, my skin is burning, I am unable to stand and cannot think clearly.
 
dhrishtva-mama : seeing my
svajanam : kinsmen
krishna : O Krishna
yuyutsam : wanting to fight
samupasthitam : gathered here
seedanti : weakening
mama : my
gaatrani : limbs
mukham cha : and mouth
parishushyati : completely dry
 
vepathuscha : quivering
shareere : body
me : my
romaharshascha : hair standing on end
jaayate : happening
gaandeevam : bow
stransate : slipping
hastak : from my hands
tvak cha paridahyate : skin is burning
 
na cha shaknomy : unable to
avasthaatuma : stand
bhramateeva : deluded
cha me manaha : my mind
 
After his mind was thrown off balance, Arjuna experienced a full-scale panic attack. In these verses, Arjuna described his symptoms to Shri Krishna, beginning first with his physical symptoms and in later verses, his mental and emotional symptoms.
 
It is rare that one gets to see a blow-by-blow account of a nervous breakdown in a spiritual text. But as we have seen, the Gita is not just a spiritual text but also an extremely practical text.
 
The rest of the chapter will look at what statements Arjuna or any individual will make when undergoing a highly disturbed emotional state. Many commentaries do not give importance to these verses. However, I think they are instructive for a variety of reasons, the primary one being that when we undergo such disturbed emotional states, we lose the objectivity to see clearly what is happening to us and perhaps stay alert for such symptoms.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 27, Chapter 1

taansameekshya sa kaunteyaha sarvaanbandhunavasthitaan |
kripayaa parayaavishto vishidannidamabraveet || 27 ||
 
Seeing his kinsmen standing near him, Arjuna, son of Kunti, became overwhelmed with pity, and struck by despair, spoke this.
 
taan : those
sameekshya sa : seeing
kaunteyaha : son of Kunti, Arjuna
sarvaanbandhuna : kinsmen
avasthitaan : standing
kripayaa : pity
parayaa :  extreme
avishto : filed with
vishidan : despair
idam : this
abraveet: spoke
 
Strong egos are mired in duality. Like bipolar person, a strong ego can go from one emotion to its exact opposite almost instantly. When Arjuna saw the caliber of warriors in the opposing army, his demeanour switched from courage to cowardice in a matter of seconds.
 
Why did this happen? When one is under the control of the ego rather than the rational intellect, one's emotional balance is extremely vulnerable. All it took to destabilize his balance was for Shri Krishna to highlight Arjuna's kinsmen in the army.
 
This verse also shows that no one is immune from the workings of the ego. Arjuna was a well-educated, committed warrior, in fact one of the best warriors on the planet. Even someone as tough as him lost his emotional balance so quickly.
 
An interesting simile is provided in the Jnyaneshwari for this verse. Just like a man forgets his old girlfriend after being infatuated with a new girl, Arjuna's warrior instincts were replaced with pity for his kinsmen, and cowardice for the war.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 26, Chapter 1

tatraapashyatsthitaanpaarthaha pitrinaatha pitaamahaan |
aachaaryaanmaatulaan bhraatrin putraan poutraan sakhimstathaa ||26 ||
shvasuraan suhradashchaiva senyorubhayorapi | 

There, Arjuna saw his fatherly and grandfatherly elders, teachers, uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons, as well as friends, in-laws and well-wishers, present in both armies.
 
tatra : there
apashyat : could observe
sthitaan : situated
paarthaha : Arjuna
pitrin atha : fatherly elders and
pitaamahaan : grandfatherly elders
aachaaryaan : teachers
maatulaan : maternal uncles
bhraatrin : brothers
putraan : sons
poutraan : grandsons
sakhims tathaa : friends too
shvasuraan : fathers-in-law
suhradashcha-eva : and well-wishers
senyor-ubhayor-api : in both armies
 
Before Shri Krishna had spoken, the Kaurava army seemed like one big sea of evil to Arjuna, ready to be destroyed. But after Arjuna heard those words, he began to spot some known faces in the Kaurava army. He saw Drona, Bheeshma, and all the other people he knew. Soon, he began to see familiar faces in both the Kaurava and Paandava armies.
 
This experience is not so far away from the real world. In fact, a similar situation could have been faced by soldiers in the India Pakistan war, where many soldiers may have had to fight their friends and relatives. Even if we never have to wage war, we may have faced a similar situation.
 
Imagine you are a student who is about to graduate from college. You have been shortlisted for a prestigious job that is also highly selective - there is just one student that will get recruited from your college. You prepare for this interview for several weeks. On the day of the interview, you are almost 100% sure that you will pass through the interview with flying colours. As you step into the waiting hall for the interview, you conduct a quick survey of the candidates that you will compete against. You find out that Miss X, someone who's always on top of the dean's list, and someone who you thought had already accepted another offer, is also waiting in the interview hall, looking sharp and confident.
 
What goes through your mind?

Bhagavad Gita Verse 24-25, Chapter 1

Sanjaya uvaacha
evamukto hrishikesho gudaakeshena bhaarata |
senyorubhayormadhye sthaapayitvaa rathottamam || 24 ||
 
bheeshmadronapramukhataha sarveshaam cha maheekshitaam |
uvaacha paartha pashyaitaansamavetankuruniti || 25 ||
 
Sanjay said:
O descendant of Bharat, having heard Gudaakesha address him, Hrisheekesha positioned his magnificent chariot between the two armies.
 
In front of Bheeshma, Drona and the other kings, he said "O Paartha, behold all the Kuru warriors gathered here".
 
evam-ukto : thus addressed
hrishikesho : conquerer of the senses - Shri Krishna
gudaakeshena : conquerer of sleep - Arjuna
bhaarata : descendant of Bharata - Dhritraashtra
senyorubhayormadhye : between the two armies
sthaapayitvaa : position
rath-uttamam: magnificent chariot
 
bheeshma-drona: Bheeshma and Drona
pramukhataha : in front of
sarveshaam : everyone
cha : and
maheekshitaam : kings
uvaacha : said
paartha : Arjuna, son of Prithaa
pashya : behold
etaan : all
samavetaan: assembled members
kurun : Kuru dynasty
iti : thus
 
Shri Krishna obeyed Arjuna's instructions, like any devoted charioteer should, and positioned their chariot in the middle of the Kaurava and Paandava armies. But he chose an interesting location, he positioned it right where Arjuna could see his fondest relatives, friends and well wishers on the Kaurava side. So now, Arjuna was face to face with the people he had love and respect for, including Bheeshma and Drona.
 
This verse contains the first words spoken by Shri Krishna in the Gita, and reflect his wise and clever personality. Instead of referring to the Kauravas as "sons of Dhritraashtra" as Arjuna and Sanjaya did, he refers to them as "Kurus". This was an interesting choice, because both Kauravas and Paandavas are part of the Kuru dynasty. So Shri Krishna was pointing out the similarity between the two armies rather than their differences.
 
In addition, Shri Krishna wanted to use this opportunity to create the conditions in which he would deliver the teaching of the Gita. He knew that Arjuna's puffed up ego and battle spirit would be challenged by bringing him face to face with warriors like Bheeshma and Drona, who were not just mighty and powerful, but were also people he cared a lot about.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 23, Chapter 1

yotsyamaanaanaveksheaham ya etetra samaagataahaa |
dhaartraashtrasya durbudhyeryuddhe priyachikeershavaha || 23 ||
 
Let me see those battle-hungry warriors, those who wish to adore that evil-minded Dhritraashtra's son, who have gathered here to fight this war.
 
yotsyamaanaan: battle-hungry warriors
avekshe : let me see
aham : I
ye ete atra : those who have
samaagataahaa : gathered
dhaartraashtrasya : Dhritrashtra's son Duryodhana
durbudhyer: evil-minded
yuddhe : war
priyachikeershavaha : wanting to adore
 
Arjuna's self-confidence and bravado rose to fever pitch. His words indicated disgust for Duryodhana, and everyone associated with him, including Dhritraashtra, who was Arjuna's uncle and a senior figure in the family.  Arjuna seemed to say "my victory is guaranteed, my prowess is superior, so let me look at the people that I am going to kill in battle today". He probably also wanted his opponents to take a closer look at him, so that the sight of Arjuna in full warrior mode would further weaken their spirits. Like Duryodhana's comment from a few verses ago "our army is unlimited and theirs is not", this comment indicated that Arjuna's ego was as puffed up as Duryodhana's.
 
Little did Arjuna know that Shri Krishna was going to totally change his state of mind very, very soon.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 21-22, Chapter 1

Arjuna uvaacha
senyorubhyormadhye ratham sthaapaya mechyuta | 21 |
yaavadetaannireeksheham yoddhukaamaanvasthitaan |
kairmayaa saha yodhdhavyamasminranasamudyame || 22 ||
 
Arjuna said: O infallible one, in preparation for combat, position my chariot between the two armies till I have surveyed those battle-hungry warriors with whom I have to fight.
 
senyorubhyormadhye : between both armies
ratham : chariot
sthaapaya : place
achyuta : infallible
yaavat: till I
etaan : those warriors
nireeksheham : I can observe/survey
yoddhukaamaanuavasthitaan : organized for battle
kaihamayaa : whom I have to
saha : with
yodhdhavyam : fight
asminranasamudyame : in preparation for combat
 
And so begins the conversation between Arjuna and Shri Krishna. At this point, Arjuna was firmly in control of the situation, and like any determined warrior, he commanded his charioteer to carry out his instructions.
 
Similar to the analysis of Duryodhana's emotional state from the previous verses, let us analyze Arjuna's state. Here, it is clear that he was charged up for war, his warrior instincts had kicked into high gear, and he was bursting with self-confidence.
 
Another point to consider here is how much, like Arjuna, we rely on our sense organs to deliver the right information to our brain so that we can take the right decision and carry out the necessary action that a situation demands. Our sense organs comprise our eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin. Any information that we process must necessarily come from one of these organs. Arjuna was located at some distance from the opposing army, so he knew that he needed to get a better look at the opposing army, and therefore have all the information he needs to make his battle plans.
 
Sense organs and understanding how they function is a topic that will be discussed at great length in the rest of the Gita.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 20, Chapter 1

atha vyavasthitaandhristhva dhaartaraashtraan kapidhvajaha |
pravrutte shastrasampatte dhanurudyamya paandavaha |
hrishikesham tada vaakyamidamaaha mahipate || 20 ||
 

Now, as he was about to take up arms against the battle-ready sons of Dhritrashtra, Arjuna - whose chariot displayed the emblem of an ape - spoke these words to Hrishikesha, O King.
 
atha : thereafter
vyavasthitaandhristhva : observed that they were getting ready for war
dhaartaraashtraan : sons of Dhritraashtra
kapidhvajaha : flag with the emblem of an ape
pravrutte : while about to engage
shastrasampatte : releasing of weapons
dhanurudyamya : taking up his bow
paandavaha : Arjuna
hrishikesham : Hrishikesha
tada : then
vaakyamidamaaha : spoke these words
mahipate : O king
 
Did you observe something different here? By now if you have attempted to read aloud any of the shlokas, you realize that they usually follow the same pattern - 2 lines per shloka, 2 quarters per line, 8 syllables per quarter. This meter used in most of the Gita is called "Anushtup Chhanda". But in this shloka, we see for the first time that there are 3 lines instead of 2.
 
This pattern or "meter" is changed every so often to indicate that the listener should play close attention to a particular shloka, or the shlokas that follow.
 
Let's also look at another aspect that this shloka highlights. The core of the Gita is a dialogue between Shri Krishna and Arjuna. In ancient Indian literature, there exists a tradition of beginning important teachings or messages with the word "atha" which means now. The shlokas so far covered introduction and background, but now, Arjuna starts the dialogue in the next verse, hence the word "atha" is used here.