Gita : Ch-1. Slo-28 & 29.





Srimad   Bhagavad-Gita


Chapter-1. ( Arjuna-vishada-yogam )


Slokam-28 & 29. (  Arjuna said: My dear Krishna, seeing my friends and relatives present before me in such a fighting spirit, I feel the limbs of my body quivering and my mouth drying up,  My whole body is trembling, and my hair is standing on end. )



Arjuna uvaca : 

Drshtvemam    sva-janam    krishna    yuyutsum samupasthitam,


Sidanti    mama    gatrarni    mukham   ca    parisushyati,


Vepathus    ca    sarire   me    roma-harshas     ca    jayate.




Arjunah    uvaca      =     Arjuna    said; 

Krishna      yuyutsum      =     O Krishna    all in fighting spirit;

Samupasthitam     =    All     present;

Imam    sva-janam      drushtva    =     After   seeing     all   these     kinsmen;

Mama    gatrani     sidanti      =     My    limbs of the body    quivering;

Mukham    parisushyati    ca     =      Mouth     also     drying     up;

Me    sarire    vepathuh     ca      =      In     my    body     shivering;

Roma-harshah     ca     jayate      =     Romancham   ( straightening of body hairs)   happens. 

(my hair is standing on end.)




Any man who has genuine devotion to the Lord has all the good qualities which are found in godly persons or in the demigods, whereas the nondevotee, however advanced he may be in material qualifications by education and culture, lacks in godly qualities. As such, Arjuna, just after seeing his kinsmen, friends and relatives on the battlefield, was at once overwhelmed by compassion for them who had so decided to fight amongst themselves. As far as his soldiers were concerned, he was sympathetic from the beginning, but he felt compassion even for the soldiers of the opposite party, foreseeing their imminent death. And so thinking, the limbs of his body began to quiver, and his mouth became dry. He was more or less astonished to see their fighting spirit. Practically the whole community, all blood relatives of Arjuna, had come to fight with him. This overwhelmed a kind devotee like Arjuna. Although it is not mentioned here, still one can easily imagine that not only were Arjuna's bodily limbs quivering and his mouth drying up, but that he was also crying out of compassion. Such symptoms in Arjuna were not due to weakness but to his softheartedness, a characteristic of a pure devotee of the Lord. It is said therefore:


"One who has unflinching devotion for the Personality of Godhead has all the good qualities of the demigods. But one who is not a devotee of the Lord has only material qualifications that are of little value. This is because he is hovering on the mental plane and is certain to be attracted by the glaring material energy." 


There are two kinds of trembling of the body, and two kinds of standings of the hair on end. Such phenomena occur either in great spiritual ecstasy or out of great fear under material conditions. There is no fear in transcendental realization. Arjuna's symptoms in this situation are out of material fear—namely, loss of life. 

Vepathuh means trembling, romaharsah means horripilation, the Gandiva bow slipping from his hand shows impatience and paridahyate which is burning of the skin is a burning of the heart also. 

Moreover my body which is trembling with horripilation, with a bristling of hairs; slips, falls down and is burning, feeling scorched all over. 

Here Arjuna is vividly illustrating how the shock and horror of the upcoming war is starting to affect him. His physical body is being attacked by weakness of limbs, parchness of throat, horripilation and hair standing on end. Even his famous Gandiva bow slipping from his hand. 


What Kaunteya who is Arjuna the son of Kunti had started speaking is being expressed by the words beginning with drstveman. Although the word svajanam is in the singular tense it actually refers to the members of Arjunas dynasty. As per the Amarkosa the Sanskrit lexicon the word svajanam means relative, friend, comrade, kinsmen by marriage, etc. Thus Arjuna by seeing them all, his hands, legs and other bodily limbs became numb and by the use of the word parisusyati which means drying up. It is said that the drying up of the mouth is much more excruciating than exertions of hard labour. 


Anticipating a question, what did Arjuna say next? This verse and all the verses until the end of chapter one will describe what he said. O Krsna, seeing these relatives directly in front of me ready to fight, my limbs meaning hands, arms, legs and feet fail me and my mouth is completely parched. 


Arjuna exclaims to Lord Krishna his reasoning in this lokamwith the words drstva iman svajanam after seeing all these kinsman and ends with me. 

To be continued ...

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