Bhagavad Gita 1.23

Sanskrit

योत्स्यमानानवेक्षेऽहं य एतेऽत्र समागताः । धार्तराष्ट्रस्य दुर्बुद्धेर्युद्धे प्रियचिकीर्षवः ॥1.23॥

Transliteration

yotsyamānānavekṣe'haṃ ya ete'tra samāgatāḥ | dhārtarāṣṭrasya durbuddheryuddhe priyacikīrṣavaḥ ‖1.23‖

Meaning

“Let me see those assembled here, ready to fight, wishing to please the evil-minded son of Dhritarashtra in battle.”

Key learning

Arjuna notices that many gathered simply "to please" Duryodhana. It's a sobering point: plenty of capable people line up on the wrong side just to stay close to someone powerful. Nearness to power, not principle, gathers many a crowd.

How to apply this today

Check whose approval is quietly shaping your choices. Are you on a certain "side" at work because it's right, or because it pleases the person who controls your promotion? Do you echo opinions to keep the dominant person happy? Sometimes the honorable spot is the lonelier one, away from the crowd.

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.

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