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← Chapter 1: The Yoga of Arjuna's Dejection

Verse 1.24

Speaker: Sanjaya

Sanskrit

सञ्जय उवाच | एवमुक्तो हृषीकेशो गुडाकेशेन भारत | सेनयोरुभयोर्मध्ये स्थापयित्वा रथोत्तमम् ||२४||

Transliteration (IAST)

sañjaya uvāca | evamukto hṛṣīkeśo guḍākeśena bhārata | senayorubhayormadhye sthāpayitvā rathottamam ||24||

Word-by-Word Meanings

हृषीकेशः-Krishna (lord of the senses)
गुडाकेशेन-by Arjuna (conqueror of sleep)
सेनयोः-of the armies
उभयोः-both
मध्ये-in the middle
रथोत्तमम्-the finest chariot

Translation

Sanjaya said: O Bharata (Dhritarashtra), thus addressed by Arjuna, Krishna drew the finest chariot between the two armies.

Commentary

Krishna is called 'Hṛṣīkeśa' (master of the senses) and Arjuna 'Guḍākeśa' (conqueror of sleep/ignorance). These epithets foreshadow their roles - Krishna as the teacher who masters all, and Arjuna as the student who has conquered lethargy but must now conquer delusion.

Themes

dharmabhakti