As the armies stood poised for battle on the sacred field of Kurukshetra, Duryodhana, the prince of the Kauravas, addressed his warriors with urgency. He commanded them, “All of you, stationed in your respective divisions, must support Bhishma alone.” At his words, the mighty grandsire Bhishma, the revered patriarch of the Kurus, sought to uplift Duryodhana’s spirits. Bhishma let out a resounding roar, like a lion, and blew his conch shell with tremendous force. Instantly, the air was filled with the tumultuous sounds of war. Conches, kettledrums, tabors, drums, and horns were sounded throughout the Kaurava ranks, creating a deafening cacophony that reverberated across the battlefield. On the other side, standing in their grand chariot drawn by white horses, Madhava—Krishna—and Arjuna, the son of Pandu, prepared themselves for battle. They too blew their divine conches. Krishna, known as Hrishikesha, sounded the Panchajanya; Arjuna, called Dhananjaya, blew the Devadatta; and Bhima, famed for his mighty deeds, blew the great conch Paundra. King Yudhishthira, the eldest son of Kunti, blew the Anantavijaya, while his brothers Nakula and Sahadeva sounded the Sughosha and Manipushpaka, respectively. Surrounding them were noble allies: the King of Kashi, a supreme archer; the mighty Shikhandi; Dhrishtadyumna; Virata; and Satyaki, the unconquered. Drupada, the sons of Draupadi, and the powerful son of Subhadra each blew their conches as well. The combined sound of all these conches and instruments was overwhelming, echoing through the sky and earth. It struck fear into the hearts of the sons of Dhritarashtra, the Kauravas. As the clash of weapons was about to begin, Arjuna, whose banner bore the image of Hanuman, observed the armies arrayed for battle. He raised his bow and spoke to Krishna, his charioteer: “O Achyuta, place my chariot between the two armies, so that I may observe those gathered here who are eager to fight. I wish to see with whom I must do battle in this great contest, those who seek to please the evil-minded son of Dhritarashtra.” Krishna, addressed thus by Arjuna—known as Gudakesha—drove the splendid chariot to the space between both armies. Before Bhishma, Drona, and all the rulers of the earth, Krishna said, “O Partha, behold these Kurus assembled here.” Arjuna gazed upon the battlefield and saw, on both sides, fathers, grandfathers, teachers, maternal uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons, friends, fathers-in-law, and well-wishers. Overwhelmed by deep compassion, Arjuna spoke in sorrow to Krishna. “Seeing my own people, O Krishna, gathered here and eager for battle, my limbs falter, my mouth dries up, my body trembles, and my hair stands on end. Gandiva slips from my hand, my skin burns, I cannot stand, and my mind seems to whirl. I see omens of misfortune, O Keshava; I foresee no good in killing my own people in battle. I do not desire victory, Krishna, nor kingdom nor pleasures. What is the use of a kingdom, O Govinda, or enjoyment, or even life? Those for whose sake we desire kingdom, enjoyment, and happiness—teachers, fathers, sons, grandfathers, maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law, and other relatives—are here, standing in battle, ready to give up their lives and wealth. I do not wish to kill them, O Madhusudana, even if they attack me, not even for the sovereignty of the three worlds, let alone for the sake of this earth. By killing the sons of Dhritarashtra, what joy would be ours, O Janardana? Only sin would befall us if we slay these aggressors. Therefore, we ought not to kill the sons of Dhritarashtra, our own kinsmen; for, O Madhava, how could we be happy after killing our own people? Even if these, whose minds are overpowered by greed, do not see the wrong in destroying the family or the sin in betraying friends, why should we not, O Janardana, who clearly see the evil in destroying a family, turn away from this sin? When a family is destroyed, its ancient duties perish; with the loss of duty, lawlessness overwhelms the entire family. With the rise of lawlessness, O Krishna, the women of the family become corrupted; when women are corrupted, O descendant of Vrishni, there arises confusion of castes. Such confusion leads only to hell for the destroyers of the family and the family itself; their ancestors fall, deprived of the offerings of food and water. By these faults of the destroyers of the family, causing confusion of castes, the eternal duties of caste and family are uprooted. For those men whose family duties are lost, O Janardana, we have heard that their dwelling in hell is unending. Alas, what a great sin we are resolved to commit, driven by the greed for the pleasure of a kingdom, as we prepare to kill our own people. If the sons of Dhritarashtra, armed with weapons, should kill me in battle while I am unresisting and unarmed, that would be better for me.” Having spoken thus in the midst of the battlefield, Arjuna sat down on the seat of his chariot, casting aside his bow and arrows, his mind overwhelmed by sorrow. Sanjaya, the narrator, then described Arjuna’s state to King Dhritarashtra: Arjuna was overcome by compassion, his eyes filled with tears and troubled, and he was despondent. Seeing Arjuna thus, Madhusudana—Krishna—spoke these words to him: “From where has this dejection come upon you in this crisis, Arjuna? It is unworthy of the noble, leads not to heaven, and brings infamy. Yield not to impotence, O Partha; it does not befit you. Cast off this petty weakness of heart and arise, O scorcher of foes.