1.27

Verse (Bhagavad Gita 1.27)

Sanskrit:

तान्समीक्ष्य स कौन्तेयः सर्वान्बन्धूनवस्थितान्।

कृपया परयाविष्टो विषीदन्निदमब्रवीत्॥ २७ ॥

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Literal Translation:

"Seeing all his kinsmen standing before him, the son of Kunti (Arjuna), overwhelmed with deep compassion, spoke these sorrowful words."

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Samkhya Perspective and Interpretation:

This verse signifies the moment when Arjuna's emotions overpower his intellect. His ego (Ahamkara), shaped by deep-seated samskaras (mental impressions and past conditioning), gets entangled in attachment (Moha). His sense of self, once rooted in Dharma (duty), begins to falter under the weight of emotional bonds.

Word-by-Word Breakdown (Samkhya Perspective):

तान् समीक्ष्य (Tān Samīkṣya – Seeing them before him)

→ Arjuna directly perceives his attachments—not just as family but as aspects of his conditioned self.

→ This is the awakening of inner conflict between wisdom (Jnana) and past conditioning (Samskaras).

स कौन्तेयः (Sa Kaunteyaḥ – The son of Kunti)

→ "Kaunteya" highlights his maternal lineage, emphasizing his nurturing, emotional side over his warrior self.

→ It symbolizes how past relationships influence present choices.

सर्वान् बन्धून् अवस्थिता (Sarvān Bandhūn Avasthitān – All his kinsmen standing there)

→ Bandhūn (kinsmen) = The deeply ingrained identities that bind an individual to the material world.

→ These aren't just external people but representations of his own conditioned identity (Samskaras).

कृपया परया आविष्टः (Kṛpayā Parayā Āviṣṭaḥ – Overcome with deep compassion)

→ Kṛpā (Compassion) here is not true detachment but misplaced attachment (Moha).

→ Parayā (Intensely) = His emotional response is so overwhelming that it clouds his discrimination (Viveka).

→ Instead of seeing the war as a conflict between Dharma (Truth) and Adharma (Falsehood), he sees it through personal sorrow.

विषीदन् (Viṣīdan – In deep sorrow, dejection)

→ Arjuna falls into despair because his ego-mind (Ahamkara) resists the dissolution of attachments.

→ His self-identity is deeply entangled with his relationships, making him fearful of change.

इदम् अब्रवीत् (Idam Abravīt – Spoke these words)

→ His verbal expression marks the shift from clarity to confusion.

→ His intellect (Buddhi) starts getting clouded by emotions.

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Final Samkhya-based Translation:

"As the seeker (Arjuna) gazed upon the deeply ingrained attachments that shaped his identity, the weight of past conditioning (samskaras) overwhelmed him. His mind, clouded by misplaced compassion (moha), resisted the call for higher wisdom (Jnana). With a heart torn between duty and emotion, he fell into sorrow, struggling to reconcile his conditioned self with the path of truth."

This verse represents the psychological conflict between emotional attachment and wisdom. Arjuna must first confront his inner turmoil before he can transcend it. His ego-driven identity (Ahamkara) is resisting the truth, setting the stage for Krishna's teachings on self-realization (Atma-Jnana) and liberation (Moksha).