Sankhya Yoga · Verse 1

Bhagavad Gita 2.1

Grief opens the door for instruction.

Wisdom translation, edited by Ankur Shukla. Commentary AI-drafted, human-reviewed. Reviewed June 2026. Methodology →

सञ्जय उवाचतं तथा कृपयाऽविष्टमश्रुपूर्णाकुलेक्षणम् ।
विषीदन्तमिदं वाक्यमुवाच मधुसूदनः ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
संजय बोले वैसी कायरता से आविष्ट उन अर्जुन के प्रति, जो कि विषाद कर रहे हैं और आँसुओं के कारण जिनके नेत्रों की देखने की शक्ति अवरुद्ध हो रही है, भगवान् मधुसूदन ये आगे कहे जानेवाले वचन बोले ॥
English
Sanjaya said: To Arjuna, overcome by pity, his eyes full of tears and clouded with grief, Madhusudana spoke these words.

What this verse means

Sanjaya describes Arjuna in tears and grief as Krishna begins to speak to him.

Context & commentary

On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna has broken down before the fight begins. Sanjaya describes his tear-filled, confused state just before Krishna answers him. This verse sets the emotional scene for the teaching that follows.

Why this verse still matters

You sit in your car after a brutal phone call, unable to start the engine. Before any advice can help, the mind first has to be seen in its breaking point.

The takeaway

Even the deepest collapse can become the starting point of guidance.

Word-by-word translation

सञ्जय उवाच (Sanjaya said) / तम् (to him) / तथा (thus) / कृपया (by pity) / आविष्टम् (overcome) / अश्रु-पूर्ण-आकुल-ईक्षणम् (with eyes full of tears and troubled) / विषीदन्तम् (grieving) / इदम् (this) / वाक्यम् (speech) / उवाच (spoke) / मधुसूदनः (Madhusudana)

Explore related themes: kurukshetra (95 verses), arjuna (52 verses), krishna (31 verses)

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