धर्मक्षेत्रे कुरुक्षेत्रे समवेता युयुत्सवः । मामकाः पाण्डवाश्चैव किमकुर्वत सञ्जय ॥१॥
Dharmakṣetre kurukṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ | Māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāścaiva kimakurvata sañjaya ||1||
“O Sanjaya, what did my sons and the sons of Pandu do when they assembled on the sacred field of Kurukshetra, eager for battle?”
1. धर्मक्षेत्रे (Dharmakṣetre)
— in the field of Dharma
- This indicates a land where sacrifices, penance, and righteous acts were performed.
- Kurukshetra is called Dharmakshetra because gods performed yajñas here and King Kuru practiced austerities here.
- The word Dharma placed at the beginning shows that all actions—including war—are to be viewed through the lens of righteousness.
- The entire Gita is enclosed within Dharma.
Contextual sense:
A sacred land where righteous action is primary, and where even death leads to spiritual upliftment.
2. कुरुक्षेत्रे (Kurukṣetre)
— in the land of the Kurus
- This is the ancestral land of King Kuru.
- Both the sons of Dhritarashtra and the sons of Pandu belong to the Kuru lineage.
- Therefore, both parties have equal claim over this land.
- The war is fundamentally over land, which is the main cause of conflict among kings.
Contextual sense:
A disputed territory belonging equally to both sides, making the conflict about rightful ownership.
3. समवेताः (Samavetāḥ)
— having assembled together
- Both armies have gathered fully prepared.
- This assembly occurred only after all peace efforts failed.
- Repeated proposals of reconciliation were rejected by Duryodhana.
Contextual sense:
Both sides have arrived together with their forces after all alternatives were exhausted.
4. युयुत्सवः (Yuyutsavaḥ)
— desiring to fight
- Both armies are willing to fight, but their intentions differ.
- Duryodhana desires war primarily for kingdom and power, regardless of justice.
- The Pandavas accept war only for the sake of Dharma.
- Yudhishthira was reluctant, but obeyed his mother’s command; war became a duty.
Contextual sense:
Externally similar desire to fight, but internally driven by different motives.
5. मामकाः (Māmakāḥ)
— my people / my sons
- Literally means “those who are mine.”
- Logically, this could include both Kauravas and Pandavas, since the Pandavas obeyed Dhritarashtra like a father.
- However, Dhritarashtra uses it only for his own sons.
- This reveals attachment and bias.
Contextual sense:
Expression of possessiveness limited only to one’s own sons.
6. पाण्डवाः (Pāṇḍavāḥ)
— the sons of Pandu
- Used separately, showing emotional distance.
- Indicates Dhritarashtra did not consider them his own.
- Reveals duality: “mine” versus “others.”
- This duality becomes the cause of destruction.
Contextual sense:
Deliberate exclusion caused by inner partiality.
7. च एव (Ca eva)
— indeed / distinctly
- Emphasizes separation.
- Suggests that Pandavas, though righteous, are placed apart.
- Also implies surprise: although they are righteous, they too came to the battlefield.
Contextual sense:
Strong emphasis on distinction and contrast.
8. किम् (Kim)
— what
- Has three possible meanings: option, criticism, or question.
- Cannot mean option (war already occurred).
- Cannot mean criticism (no reproachful intent).
- Must mean a simple inquiry.
Contextual sense:
Desire to know events clearly and sequentially.
9. अकुर्वत (Akurvata)
— what did they do
- Refers to actions after assembling on the battlefield.
- Leads Sanjay to describe:
- First the actions of Duryodhana and the Kauravas
- Then the actions of Shri Krishna and the Pandavas
- Then Arjuna’s inner turmoil and dialogue
Contextual sense:
Inquiry into conduct, not outcome.
10. सञ्जय (Sañjaya)
— O Sanjay
- Addressing the narrator who sees everything through divine vision.
- Dhritarashtra depends entirely on Sanjaya’s narration.
- Indicates blindness, both physical and inner.
Contextual sense:
Request for truthful, complete narration.
Comparative Summary Table of Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, and Madhvācārya
| Word | Śaṅkara | Rāmānuja | Madhva |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dharmakṣetre | Sacred name | Holy land favoring Dharma | Morally potent field |
| Kurukṣetre | Geography | Ancestral irony | Misused sacred land |
| Samavetāḥ | Assembled | Peace failed | Fixed intent |
| Yuyutsavaḥ | Desire to fight | Duty vs greed | Moral contrast |
| Māmakāḥ | Attachment | Partiality | Cause of ruin |
| Pāṇḍavāḥ | Identification | Exclusion | Righteous ignored |
| Kim | Question | Anxious inquiry | Fear-filled |
| Akurvata | Actions | Conduct focus | Nature revealed |
One Verse, Three Philosophical Readings
| Aspect | Advaita (Śaṅkara) | Viśiṣṭādvaita (Rāmānuja) | Dvaita (Madhva) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultimate Reality | One non-dual Brahman; all distinctions are empirical | Brahman with real attributes; souls & matter as modes of God | Eternal distinction between God, souls, and matter |
| Status of the War | Empirical event within saṃsāra | Real moral event within divine order | Absolute moral battle between Dharma and Adharma |
| Meaning of Dharmakṣetra | Conventional sacred name; preparatory field of karma | Truly sacred land that supports righteousness | Morally potent field that actively favors Dharma |
| Meaning of Kurukṣetra | Worldly field of attachment and action | Ancestral land governed by duty | Testing ground exposing moral worth |
| Cause of Conflict | Ignorance and ego (“mine” vs “others”) | Failure to uphold Dharma and righteous duty | Sinful attachment and inherent moral difference |
| Samavetāḥ Yuyutsavaḥ | All actors equally bound by karma | Same action, different intentions | Same assembly, opposite natures |
| Māmakāḥ vs Pāṇḍavāḥ | Expression of ahaṅkāra (false ownership) | Moral partiality and relational failure | Deliberate exclusion rooted in adharma |
| Nature of Dharma | Instrumental means leading to knowledge | Divinely ordained moral order | Active force enforcing divine justice |
| Meaning of “Kim Akurvata” | Opening inquiry leading toward self-knowledge | Anxiety about moral outcome | Fear of inevitable defeat of adharma |
| Role of Dhritarashtra | Embodiment of ignorance | Morally anxious but deluded ruler | Blind, attachment-bound sinner |
| Function of the Verse | Sets stage for renunciation and jñāna | Establishes Dharma–grace framework | Announces moral polarity from outset |
| Final Aim of the Gita | Liberation through Self-knowledge | Liberation through surrender and grace | Liberation through divine justice and devotion |
| Symbolic Reading | Battlefield = human mind | Battlefield = God’s moral universe | Battlefield = God’s court of justice |
| Aspect | Advaita | Viśiṣṭādvaita | Dvaita |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conflict | Apparent | Real moral | Absolute |
| Dharma | Instrumental | Divine order | Active force |
| Division | Ignorance | Moral failure | Sin |
| Outcome | Knowledge | Grace | Justice |
Traditional Insight
- Advaita sees the battlefield as the mind
- Viśiṣṭādvaita sees it as God’s moral universe
- Dvaita sees it as God’s court of justice
Complete Verse Meaning in Context
“O Sanjaya, assembled on the sacred field of Kurukshetra – that land of dharma where righteousness has been practiced since ancient times, that ancestral territory of the Kuru dynasty – what did my sons and the sons of Pandu do when they gathered there, eager for battle?”
In this one verse, Dhritarashtra reveals:
- His awareness of the sacred nature of the ground
- His attachment to his biological sons
- His separation from the Pandavas despite their devotion
- His genuine desire to know the unfolding events
- The inevitability of the conflict
- The tension between dharma and family attachment
This opening question sets the stage for the entire Bhagavad Gita – a teaching that emerges from crisis, transforms confusion into clarity, and shows how even in the midst of conflict, eternal wisdom can manifest.
Thus begins the sacred dialogue that addresses not just the battlefield at Kurukshetra, but the battlefield within every human heart, where the eternal struggle between our higher and lower natures unfolds each day.
