Bhagavad Gita BG 1.28
Chapter 1, Verse 28 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
कृपया परयाऽऽविष्टो विषीदन्निदमब्रवीत् । अर्जुन उवाच दृष्ट्वेमं स्वजनं कृष्ण युयुत्सुं समुपस्थितम् ॥ २८ ॥
kṛpayā parayāviṣṭo viṣīdann idam abravīt arjuna uvāca dṛṣṭvemaṃ svajanaṃ kṛṣṇa yuyutsuṃ samupasthitam
Meaning
Overcome by profound compassion, Arjuna spoke in sorrow: O Krishna, seeing my own people standing here eager to fight,
Understanding
The great warrior is 'overcome by profound compassion' (kṛpayā parayā āviṣṭaḥ). This is the beginning of what the chapter calls 'Arjuna Vishada Yoga' — the yoga of Arjuna's despondency. He calls his opponents 'svajanaṃ' — my own people, my own kin. This is not mere weakness; it is the natural human response to the prospect of killing those you love. The Gita's entire teaching arises from this very human moment.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| कृपया | kṛpayā | with compassion / with pity |
| परया | parayā | profound / extreme / the highest |
| आविष्टः | āviṣṭaḥ | overcome / seized / possessed |
| विषीदन् | viṣīdan | in sorrow / desponding |
| स्वजनम् | svajanaṃ | my own people / my own kin |
| इदम् | idam | this / the following (words) |
| अब्रवीत् | abravīt | spoke / said |
| अर्जुन उवाच | arjuna uvāca | Arjuna said (speaker attribution) |
| दृष्ट्वा | dṛṣṭvā | having seen / upon seeing |
| इमम् | imam | these / this (army of kinsmen) |
| कृष्ण | kṛṣṇa | O Krishna |
| युयुत्सुम् | yuyutsum | eager to fight / desiring battle |
| समुपस्थितम् | samupasthitam | assembled / gathered together |