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Chapter 1
arjuna uvaca
senayorubhayormadhye ratham sthapaya me'cyuta
yavadetannirikse'ham yoddhukamanavasthitan
kairmaya saha yoddhavyamasminranasamudyame
Arjuna said:
O Acyuta, (Acyuta means one who does not deviate from his divine glory) place my chariot between the two armies and hold it there, till I have carefully observed the war-minded warriors, with whom, I most wage this war. 21-22
Comment:
Acyuta senayorubhayormadhye ratham sthapaya-The two armies were stationed at such a distance, from each other from where they could shoot arrows etc., at each other. Arjuna asked Lord Krsna to place the chariot in the middle. It was middle in two ways (i) The middle of the breadth of the armies. (ii) The middle of the two armies viz., equidistant from the two armies should be the same. His purpose was to see the two armies, easily.
'Senayorubhayormadhye' has been used in the Gita three times—here (in 1/21), in the twenty-fourth verse of this chapter and in the tenth verse of the second chapter. He uses this phrase three times, because the first time he asks Krsna to place the chariot between the two armies (1/21), then Lord Krsna placing the chariot between the two armies, tells Arjuna to behold the Kauravas (1/24) and afterwards, preaches the gospel to despondent Arjuna, right there (2/10). To begin with, Arjuna was valiant, but when he saw his kith and kin in battle array, he developed an attitude of disinterest being overtaken by attachment. Finally, Lord Krsna preached the gospel of the Gita, which dispelled his attachment. It means, that a man in whatever circumstances he is, by making proper use of circumstances, can be free from desires and can realize God, because God (Paramatma), always remains uniform in all circumstances.
Yavadetsnnirrkye'ham ranasamudyame—How long should the chariot be placed between the two armies? Arjuna says, "Hold the chariot there, till I have carefully observed those war-minded kings with their armies, who are stationed in the army of Kauravas and with whom I have to wage war. Let me see the heroes, I have to encounter. Let me, also see which of them are inferior, superior and equal to me, in heroism."
Here, by the phrase 'Yoddhukaman, Arjuna means to say, that they sent a proposal of conciliation, but the Kauravas did not accept it, as they had a keen desire to wage war. So, he wants to observe the warriors and their bravery, which makes them so confident to wage war.
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