Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 1, verse 1 · Dhritarashtra
Bhagavad Gita 1.1 · Dharmakshetre Kurukshetre
धर्मक्षेत्रे कुरुक्षेत्रे समवेता युयुत्सवः ।
मामकाः पाण्डवाश्चैव किमकुर्वत सञ्जय ॥
dharmakṣetre kurukṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ |
māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāścaiva kimakurvata sañjaya ||
Translation
Dhritarashtra said: On the field of dharma, the field of the Kurus, gathered together and eager to fight — what did my sons and the sons of Pandu do, Sanjaya?
Explanation
The first words of the Gita are spoken by the blind king, anxious about his sons. Calling the battlefield dharma-kshetra, “the field of righteousness”, frames the war as a moral and spiritual struggle as much as a physical one.
Context
Spoken by Dhritarashtra in chapter 1, Arjuna Vishada Yoga — “The Yoga of Arjuna’s Despondency”, which has 47 verses.
Frequently asked questions
What does Bhagavad Gita 1.1 mean?
Dhritarashtra said: On the field of dharma, the field of the Kurus, gathered together and eager to fight — what did my sons and the sons of Pandu do, Sanjaya?
Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 1.1?
Dhritarashtra, in chapter 1, Arjuna Vishada Yoga (The Yoga of Arjuna’s Despondency).
Sanskrit text: traditional, public domain. Translation and explanation are our own.