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“The battle becomes unbearable when every side is family.”
Seeing all his relatives standing there, Arjuna sank into grief and spoke in fear.
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Hover a word to focus on it.
Read literallyfathers-in-law · well-wishers · and · indeed · of the armies · of both · also · those · having seen · he · son of Kunti · all · relatives · standing
Arjuna sees every kind of relative on both sides of the battlefield and is overwhelmed with grief.
Sanjaya speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Arjuna Vishada Yoga" (The Yoga of Arjuna's Despair).
Verse 27 sits in Chapter 1 of the Bhagavad Gita — Arjuna Vishada Yoga, "The Yoga of Arjuna's Despair". The chapter has 47 verses in total.
You open a family group chat and realize the conflict has names and faces. The issue is no longer abstract, and your stomach drops.
Did you like this verse?
It turns a distant conflict into a personal wound, making action emotionally impossible.
What this verse means
Arjuna sees every kind of relative on both sides of the battlefield and is overwhelmed with grief.
Context & commentary
On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna looks again and sees not strangers, but fathers-in-law, friends, and relatives standing in both armies. That sight deepens his collapse and prepares the words of despair that follow.
Why this verse still matters
You open a family group chat and realize the conflict has names and faces. The issue is no longer abstract, and your stomach drops.
“Seeing familiar faces can make a fight feel unbearable.”
Explore related themes: kurukshetra (95 verses)