Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1 Verse 23 (1.23)
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1 Verse 23 (1.23)
योत्स्यमानानवेक्षेऽहं य एतेऽत्र समागताः । धार्तराष्ट्रस्य दुर्बुद्धेर्युद्धे प्रियचिकीर्षवः ॥ २३ ॥
yotsyamānānavekṣhe’haṁ ya ete’tra samāgatāḥ dhārtarāṣhṭrasya durbuddheryuddhe priyachikīrṣhavaḥ
Word-by-word guide:
Line 1:
- ओयमन
(Yotsyamanan)— ओयमन(those about to fight) - अएए
(avekse)— देखो(I wish to see) - अहम्
(aham)— मैं(I) - यः
(yah)— जो(who) - एते
(ete)— ये(these) - अत्र
(atra)— यहां(here) - समगत
(samagatah)— यहां(gathered)
Line 2:
- धार्तराष्ट्रस्य
(Dhartarashtrasya)— धृतराष्ट्र पुत्र का(of Dhritarashtra's son) - उउए
(durbuddheh)— उउए(of wrong understanding) - उए
(yuddhe)— युद्ध(in battle) - इय-इइशव
(priya-chikirshavah)— इय-इइशव(wishing to please)
English: I wish to see those assembled here to fight, eager to please the misguided son of Dhritarashtra.
Learnings from Shloka 23:
- Motives matter: People may act to please a leader, not only because they believe in the cause.
- Loyalty can mislead: Support for a person can pull others into wrong action.
- Understanding context helps: Arjuna wants to see the human network behind the battle.
Gita/Sanskrit Language Quiz
Practice this shloka vocabularyMatch Sanskrit words from shloka 1.23 with their Hindi and English meanings.
Practice vocabulary
Arjuna says he wants to see those who have assembled to please Duryodhana. His words show that he understands the political and personal loyalties behind the war.
This verse reminds us that people may join harmful situations for many reasons: loyalty, pressure, ambition, or attachment. Seeing those motives helps us understand the conflict more deeply.