Bhagavad Gītā · Chapter 1, Verse 20
अथ व्यवस्थितान् दृष्ट्वा धार्तराष्ट्रान्कपिध्वजः।
प्रवृत्ते शस्त्रसंपाते धनुरुद्यम्य पाण्डवः।।
प्रवृत्ते शस्त्रसंपाते धनुरुद्यम्य पाण्डवः।।
atha vyavasthitān dṛṣṭvā dhārtarāṣṭrān kapi-dhwajaḥ
pravṛtte śastra-sampāte dhanurudyamya pāṇḍavaḥ
also searched as "atha vyavasthitan drishtva dhartarashtran kapidhwajah"
Translation
Then Arjuna, whose banner crest was Hanuman, on beholding the sons of Dhrtarastra arrayed, took up his bow, while missiles were beginning to fly.
Vāṇi's rendering
Then Arjuna, his banner bearing Hanuman, saw the Kauravas arrayed, raised his bow — and spoke.
Word by word
| Sanskrit & transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|
| अथatha | then, at that moment |
| व्यवस्थितान्vyavasthitān | standing arrayed, drawn up in position |
| दृष्ट्वाdṛṣṭvā | having seen |
| धार्तराष्ट्रान्dhārtarāṣṭrān | the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the Kauravas |
| कपिध्वजःkapi-dhvajaḥ | he whose banner bears the monkey — Hanuman on Arjuna's flag |
| प्रवृत्तेpravṛtte | when it had begun, as it was setting in |
| शस्त्रसंपातेśastra-sampāte | the falling of weapons, the first flight of missiles |
| धनुःdhanuḥ | the bow (joined by sandhi to the next word) |
| उद्यम्यudyamya | having raised, lifting up |
| पाण्डवःpāṇḍavaḥ | the son of Pāṇḍu, Arjuna |
| हृषीकेशम्hṛṣīkeśam | to Krishna, lord of the senses |
| तदाtadā | then, at that time |
| वाक्यम्vākyam | speech, these words |
| इदम्idam | this |
| आहāha | said, spoke |
| महीपतेmahī-pate | O lord of the earth — Sanjaya addressing Dhṛtarāṣṭra |
Frequently asked
What does Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1 Verse 20 mean?
Arjuna, his chariot flying the banner of Hanuman, sees the Kaurava army drawn up as the first weapons begin to fall. He lifts his bow — and then turns to Krishna to speak. The verse catches him at the peak of his readiness, one breath before the question that will occupy seven hundred verses.
What does atha vyavasthitan drishtva dhartarashtran kapidhwajah mean?
"Then, seeing the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra arrayed, he whose banner bears the monkey..." Sanjaya names Arjuna not by name but by his flag. Hanuman rides above him — strength placed wholly in service of another. The description is a hint about what kind of courage is about to be tested.
Why is Hanuman on Arjuna's banner important here?
Hanuman crossed an ocean because he loved Rāma, not because he wanted the far shore. That figure sits above Arjuna's head as he raises his bow. Power in someone else's service is the whole teaching of the Gītā, announced silently on a flag before Krishna says a single word.
Was Arjuna afraid when he raised his bow in this verse?
No. Weapons were already flying and he lifted his bow to fight. Nothing here trembles. The grief arrives afterward, and it arrives in a man fully prepared — which is why it cannot be dismissed as cowardice. Preparedness is often exactly when the real question finds you.
Read every verse this way, held — inside Vāṇi.
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Commentary
He raises the bow before he lowers it. Arrows have already begun to fly; the banner above him carries Hanuman, who once crossed an ocean out of devotion. This is a warrior at full height, weapon lifted, side chosen — and it is from that height that he speaks. Remember it when the collapse comes eight verses later. The Gītā's great question is not asked by a coward looking for an exit. It is asked by the most capable man on the field, at the exact moment he is most ready to act. Your hardest doubts will arrive the same way — not in weakness, but in readiness.