Bhagavad Gita – Chapter 1, Shloka 1 with Sri Bhagavad Ramanujacharya's Commentary

 Bhagavad Gita – Chapter 1, Shloka 1 with Sri Bhagavad Ramanujacharya's Commentary

Sanskrit:

धृतराष्ट्र उवाच |
धर्मक्षेत्रे कुरुक्षेत्रे समवेता युयुत्सवः |
मामकाः पाण्डवाश्चैव किमकुर्वत सञ्जय ॥ १॥

Transliteration:

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca |
dharmakṣetre kurukṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ |
māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva kim akurvata sañjaya || 1 ||

English Meaning:

"Dhritarashtra said: O Sanjaya! Assembled in the holy land of Kurukshetra, eager to fight, what did my sons and the sons of Pandu do?"

Introduction:
"The Bhagavad Gita begins with King Dhritarashtra, the blind ruler, asking his advisor Sanjaya about the battle of Kurukshetra."

Word-by-Word Meaning

धृतराष्ट्र उवाच (dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca) – Dhritarashtra said

धर्मक्षेत्रे (dharmakṣetre) – In the holy land of Dharma

कुरुक्षेत्रे (kurukṣetre) – In Kurukshetra

समवेता (samavetā) – Assembled together

युयुत्सवः (yuyutsavaḥ) – Desiring to fight

मामकाः (māmakāḥ) – My sons (the Kauravas)

पाण्डवाः च (pāṇḍavāḥ ca) – And the sons of Pandu

किम् अकुर्वत (kim akurvata) – What did they do?

सञ्जय (sañjaya) – O Sanjaya! 

Explanation with Sri Ramanuja’s Commentary

"Dhritarashtra’s question is not just curiosity—it reveals his fear. The battlefield is called Dharmakshetra, meaning 'the land of Dharma.' This implies that righteousness will prevail, which makes Dhritarashtra anxious about his sons’ fate.

Sri Ramanujacharya, in his Visishtadvaita interpretation, explains that Dhritarashtra’s attachment to his sons blinds him both physically and spiritually. Instead of asking about the battle’s progress, he asks what ‘his sons’ and ‘the sons of Pandu’ did—showing a clear division in his heart. This verse sets the stage for the Gita’s deeper lessons on dharma, karma, and detachment."