Chapter 1 Verse 23
Arjun Viṣhād Yog
योत्स्यमानानवेक्षेऽहं य एतेऽत्र समागताः। धार्तराष्ट्रस्य दुर्बुद्धेर्युद्धे प्रियचिकीर्षवः।।1.23।।
yotsyamānān avekṣhe ’haṁ ya ete ’tra samāgatāḥ dhārtarāṣhṭrasya durbuddher yuddhe priya-chikīrṣhavaḥ
Word Meanings
| yotsyamānān | those who have come to fight |
| avekṣhe aham | I desire to see |
| ye | who |
| ete | those |
| atra | here |
| samāgatāḥ | assembled |
| dhārtarāṣhṭrasya | of Dhritarashtra’s son |
| durbuddheḥ | evil-minded |
| yuddhe | in the fight |
| priya-chikīrṣhavaḥ | wishing to please |
Translation
For I desire to observe those who are assembled here to fight, wishing to please in battle the evil-minded Duryodhana—the son of Dhritarashtra.
Philosophical Significance
Core Meaning
Arjuna looks at the warriors assembled and notes their true motive: they want to fight to please Duryodhana, who is grasping and unrighteous. He is not yet ready to act; first he sees the situation and the hearts involved.
Philosophically, the verse teaches that actions are shaped by motives. When people act to win the favor of a wrong leader or to please ambition and ego, their deeds lose moral clarity and bring harm.
Spiritually, this is a call to inner seeing — to notice why you or others are drawn into conflict. Right action comes from discernment and conscience, not from seeking approval from those who lack integrity.
Life Application
- Pause before committing to a cause; ask whose approval you are seeking and whether that person or goal is truly good.
- Don’t let the desire to please powerful or popular people push you into choices that violate your values.
- Cultivate the habit of witnessing motives: observe your own and others’ intentions before joining any heated situation.
Reflection Question
Whose approval am I chasing, and does that person truly deserve my trust?