Bhagavad Gita BG 1.29
Chapter 1, Verse 29 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
सीदन्ति मम गात्राणि मुखं च परिशुष्यति । वेपथुश्च शरीरे मे रोमहर्षश्च जायते ॥ २९ ॥
sīdanti mama gātrāṇi mukhaṃ ca pariśuṣyati vepathuś ca śarīre me roma-harṣaś ca jāyate
Meaning
My limbs fail and my mouth dries up; my body quivers and my hair stands on end.
Understanding
Arjuna describes four physical symptoms of his emotional crisis: limbs failing (gātrāṇi sīdanti), mouth drying (mukhaṃ pariśuṣyati), body trembling (vepathuḥ), and hair standing on end (roma-harṣaḥ). These are classic descriptions of acute grief and shock in Sanskrit literature. The body, which had been ready for war moments ago, is now in revolt against the idea of battle. The warrior's training cannot override the human heart.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| गात्राणि | gātrāṇi | limbs / body parts |
| सीदन्ति | sīdanti | are failing / sinking / giving way |
| परिशुष्यति | pariśuṣyati | is drying up (mouth) |
| वेपथुः | vepathuḥ | trembling / quivering |
| रोमहर्षः | roma-harṣaḥ | hair standing on end |
| मम | mama | my |
| मुखम् | mukham | mouth / face |
| च | ca | and (conjunction) |
| शरीरे | śarīre | in the body |
| मे | me | my / in me |
| जायते | jāyate | arises / comes about / is born |