Illustration for Bhagavad Gita chapter 1 verse 1
Chapter 1 · Arjuna Vishada Yoga

The Field of Dharma · Where Every Battle Begins

धृतराष्ट्र उवाच । धर्मक्षेत्रे कुरुक्षेत्रे समवेता युयुत्सवः । मामकाः पाण्डवाश्चैव किमकुर्वत सञ्जय ॥

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva kim akurvata sañjaya

Meaning

"Dhritarashtra said: O Sanjay, gathered on the holy field of Kurukshetra, eager to fight, what did my sons and the sons of Pandu do?"

Explanation

The Gita opens not with answers but with a question — a king anxiously asking what's happening on a battlefield he cannot see. Every great teaching begins with someone honestly admitting they don't yet understand.

Today's Life Lesson

Whatever battlefield you're standing on today, inner or outer, it's alright to start simply by asking what's really going on.

More verses to reflect on