Verse 1.27
Speaker: Sanjaya
Sanskrit
श्वशुरान्सुहृदश्चैव सेनयोरुभयोरपि | तान्समीक्ष्य स कौन्तेयः सर्वान्बन्धूनवस्थितान् ||२७||
Transliteration (IAST)
śvaśurānsuhṛdaścaiva senayorubhayorapi | tānsamīkṣya sa kaunteyaḥ sarvānbandhūnavasthitān ||27||
Word-by-Word Meanings
श्वशुरान्-fathers-in-law
सुहृदः-well-wishers
उभयोः-on both sides
समीक्ष्य-seeing
कौन्तेयः-the son of Kunti (Arjuna)
बन्धून्-relatives
Translation
He saw fathers-in-law and well-wishers in both armies. Seeing all these relatives arrayed, Arjuna, the son of Kunti, was overcome with deep compassion.
Commentary
The word 'bandhūn' (relatives/bonds) is key - Arjuna sees bonds of kinship everywhere. His compassion (kṛpā) arises from attachment, which Krishna will later distinguish from true spiritual compassion. This emotional response, while humanly noble, is rooted in identification with the body rather than the Self.
Themes
dharmadutysurrender