Bhagavad Gita 1.20

Sanskrit

अथ व्यवस्थितान्दृष्ट्वा धार्तराष्ट्रान् कपिध्वजः । प्रवृत्ते शस्त्रसम्पाते धनुरुद्यम्य पाण्डवः ॥1.20॥

Transliteration

atha vyavasthitāndṛṣṭvā dhārtarāṣṭrān kapidhvajaḥ | pravṛtte śastrasampāte dhanurudyamya pāṇḍavaḥ ‖1.20‖

Meaning

“Then, seeing Dhritarashtra's men arrayed and the clash of weapons about to begin, Arjuna, whose banner bore Hanuman, raised his bow and spoke these words to Krishna.”

Key learning

At the very edge of battle, bow raised, Arjuna stops to speak. This is the turning point of the whole book, readiness becomes questioning. The pause before a step you can't take back is precious; it's where your conscience gets one last clear word.

How to apply this today

Honor the pause before anything you can't undo. Before sending the resignation, the angry email, or the final word in a fight, stop and let your conscience speak once more. Before signing a big contract, build in a deliberate wait. Most regret is born in the moment we rushed past this pause.

Theme: The Yoga of Arjuna's Despair

This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1: Arjuna Vishada Yoga , read all verses in this chapter.

Read the full Bhagavad Gita

Teachmysoul gives you all 700 Gita verses with Sanskrit, plain-English meaning, a key learning and a practical application for daily life, a calm two-minute habit on web, iOS and Android.