Bhagavad-gītā 1.20
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
-
kapi - dhvajaḥ
—
he whose flag was marked with Hanumān
*Kapi* (monkey) + *dhvaja* (flag-pole, banner). Hanumān himself rides on Arjuna's banner — a literal continuation of Rāmāyaṇa-Vaiṣṇavism into the Mahābhārata. Where the Lord descends, His perfect servant remains close. The flag is no symbol; it is the servant in residence.
-
pravṛtte
—
while about to engage
Locative absolute of *pra-vṛt* — to set in motion, to begin. The same root as *pravṛtti* (engagement in action), which the Gītā will later contrast with *nivṛtti* (withdrawal). The verb names the very turning-point the Gītā addresses: the moment of *being about to act*.
-
dhanuḥ
—
bow
The kṣatriya emblem. Same word as in the Upaniṣadic image of the *praṇava-dhanuḥ* ("OM is the bow," Muṇḍaka 2.2.4). Arjuna's bow is also a metaphor: lifted, in this verse; dropped, in verse 47; lifted again only after the Gītā has taught him what to aim at.
-
udyamya
—
taking up
Absolutive of *ud-yam* — to lift up, to raise. The same root as *udyama* (effort, exertion). Arjuna's first movement of the Gītā is *udyama* — exertion. The whole text is a question about how *udyama* should be directed.
-
hṛṣīkeśam
—
unto Lord Kṛṣṇa
Accusative of *Hṛṣīkeśa* — the Lord of the senses. Arjuna addresses Kṛṣṇa, in his first speech, as *lord of the senses*. Before he says anything else, the soul has acknowledged the right hierarchy: the senses' lord is being asked to drive the chariot of the senses' agent.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
| Sanskrit | IAST | Grammar | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| अथ | atha | ind. (indeclinable) | then |
| व्यवस्थितान् | vyavasthitān | वि+अव+√स्था p.p.p. (past passive participle) acc.pl. (accusative plural)m. | arrayed, drawn up |
| दृष्ट्वा | dṛṣṭvā | √दृश् abs. (absolutive) | having seen |
| धार्तराष्ट्रान् | dhārtarāṣṭrān | धार्तराष्ट्र (m.) acc.pl. (accusative plural) | sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra |
| कपि-ध्वजः | kapi-dhvajaḥ | कपि (m.) + ध्वज (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m., bahuvrīhi cpd. (compound) | having the monkey (Hanumān) as his banner |
| प्रवृत्ते | pravṛtte | प्र+√वृत् p.p.p. (past passive participle) loc.sg. (locative singular)m., "begun" (loc. abs. (absolutive)) | |
| शस्त्र-सम्पाते | śastra-sampāte | शस्त्र (n.) + सम्पात (m.) loc.sg. (locative singular), tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound), "in the clash of weapons" (loc. abs. (absolutive)) | |
| धनुः | dhanuḥ | धनुस् (n.) acc.sg. (accusative singular) | bow |
| उद्यम्य | udyamya | उद्+√यम् abs. (absolutive) | having raised |
| पाण्डवः | pāṇḍavaḥ | पाण्डव (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) | son of Pāṇḍu (Arjuna) |
| हृषीकेशम् | hṛṣīkeśam | हृषीकेश (m.) acc.sg. (accusative singular) | Hṛṣīkeśa (Kṛṣṇa) |
| तदा | tadā | ind. (indeclinable) | then |
| वाक्यम् | vākyam | वाक्य (n.) acc.sg. (accusative singular) | speech |
| इदम् | idam | इदम् dem. (demonstrative) pron. (pronoun) acc.sg. (accusative singular)n. | this |
| आह | āha | √ब्रू/आह perf. (perfect) 3sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) | he said |
| मही-पते | mahī-pate | मही (f.) + पति (m.) voc.sg. (vocative singular), tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) | O Lord of the earth |
The battle was just about to begin. It is understood from the above statement that the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra were more or less disheartened by the unexpected arrangement of military force by the Pāṇḍavas, who were guided by the direct instructions of Lord Kṛṣṇa on the battlefield. The emblem of Hanumān on the flag of Arjuna is another sign of victory because Hanumān cooperated with Lord Rāma in the battle between Rāma and Rāvaṇa, and Lord Rāma emerged victorious. Now both Rāma and Hanumān were present on the chariot of Arjuna to help him. Lord Kṛṣṇa is Rāma Himself, and wherever Lord Rāma is, His eternal servitor Hanumān and His eternal consort Sītā, the goddess of fortune, are present. Therefore, Arjuna had no cause to fear any enemies whatsoever. And above all, the Lord of the senses, Lord Kṛṣṇa, was personally present to give him direction. Thus, all good counsel was available to Arjuna in the matter of executing the battle. In such auspicious conditions, arranged by the Lord for His eternal devotee, lay the signs of assured victory.
Mahīpate means “O Dhṛtarāstra.” Arjuna then spoke. “O Acyuta, you do not deviate from your innate nature—from your affection for your devotee, or from your supreme power. Controlled by this quality, without fear, place my chariot according my words, the words of your devotee.” He then speaks of the purpose of doing so. ‘Place the chariot so that I can see who are situated firmly, not trembling in fear (avasthitān), who are desirous of fighting (yoddu kamān), with no desire for compromise.” “But you are fighter, not a spectator. What will be accomplished by viewing this?” “I wish to see at the beginning of the battle those friends and relatives in whose company I will fight, and those friends and relatives against whom I will fight. For that purpose, place my chariot between the two armies. ” “Out of friendship they will make peace.” “No, there will be no conciliation between the two sides. I believe (avekṣe) that they are intent on fighting (yotsyamānām). They are intent on fighting, desiring to please the son of Dhṛtarāstra who is unintelligent (durbuddheḥ), ignorant of means for his own survival (ignorant that he is going to die), even in face of this war, which does not sober his intelligence. Therefore my viewing the rival party in war has been justified. ”
The atmosphere was surcharged. The world’s most powerful kṣatriyas had gathered to fight and
were filled with the spirit of battle. This war differed from the situation Śrīla Prabhupāda criticized in
the 1960s, when the United States drafted students, not kṣatriyas, and forced them into battle.
These men were fighting men. Fighting was in their blood. Just as devotees come to Vṛndāvana or
Māyāpur from all around the world, these kṣatriyas came from all over the world to fight. They had
faith that dying on the battlefield would gain them entrance into the heavenly planets.
Bhagavad Gita Notes
The two armies were in formation. Conchshells blew. The hair of warriors stood on end in anticipa-
tion. Kṛṣṇa was with Arjuna on his chariot.
Hanumān, decorating the chariot’s flag, was ready to shout his war cries to help Bhīma terrify the
enemy. Earlier, the Mahābhārata had described a meeting between Hanumān and Bhīma. Once,
while Arjuna was seeking celestial weapons, the remaining Pāṇḥavas wandered to Badarikāśrama,
high in the Himālayas. Suddenly, the Ālakananda River carried to Draupadī a beautiful and fragrant
thousand-petaled lotus flower. Draupadī was captivated by its beauty and scent. “Bhīma, this lotus
flower is so beautiful. I should offer it to Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja. Could you get me a few more? We
could take some back to our hermitage in Kāmyaka.”
Bhīma grabbed his club and charged up the hill where no mortals were permitted. As he ran, he
bellowed and frightened elephants and lions. He uprooted trees as he pushed them aside. Not car-
ing for the ferocious beasts of the jungle, he climbed a steep mountain until his progress was
blocked by a huge monkey lying across the path.
“Why are you making so much noise and scaring all the animals?” the monkey said. “Just sit down
and eat some fruit.”
“Move aside,” ordered Bhīma, for etiquette forbade him to step over the monkey. The monkey’s
reply?
“I am too old to move. Jump over me.”
Bhīma, becoming angry, repeated his order, but the monkey, again pleading the weakness of old
age, requested Bhīma to simply move his tail aside. Unlimitedly powerful Bhīma grabbed the tail and
tried, but failed. Amazed, he respectfully inquired as to the monkey’s identity and was overjoyed to
learn that he had met his brother Hanumān, for both Bhīma and Hanumān were sons of Vāyu. Ha-
numān first embraced Bhīma and showed him the huge form in which he had leaped to Laìkā. He
then offered Bhīma the following blessings.
“I shall remain present on the flag of your brother Arjuna. When you roar like a lion on the battle-
field, my voice will join with yours to strike terror into the hearts of your enemies. You will be victo-
rious and regain your kingdom.”
Now Arjuna, his chariot driven by Kṛṣṇa and marked with the flag of Hanumān, picked up his bow.
The horses and elephants moved excitedly. The opening arrows of the long-awaited battle were
now to be released. Arjuna, just on the brink of battle, spoke the following words.
1.20 अथ now? व्यवस्थितान् standing arrayed? दृष्ट्वा seeing? धार्तराष्ट्रान् Dhritarashtras party? कपिध्वजः monkeyensigned? प्रवृत्ते about to begin? शस्त्रसंपाते discharge of weapons? धनुः bow? उद्यम्य having taken up? पाण्डवः the son of Pandu? हृषीकेशम् to Hrishikesha? तदा then? वाक्यम् word? इदम् this? आह said? महीपते O Lord of the earth.No Commentary.
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- Identify one duty you have been avoiding; commit to acting on it within the week.
- Stop waiting for perfect circumstances — Kṛṣṇa wants you to begin from where you stand.
- Pick up your tools (japa beads, books, service materials) the moment the call sounds.
- What duty have I been quietly postponing?
- What 'bow' have I left unstrung that Kṛṣṇa is asking me to take up?
Arjuna lifts his bow not yet to shoot, but to inquire. The *bow being raised* is the body's question. The mind cannot yet ask what the hands are already asking: *show me what I am about to do*.
When Arjuna was returning from his pilgrimage with Subhadrā, he passed through Rāmeśvaram. There he met Hanumān — the eternal servant of Rāma — who, hearing of the coming war, agreed to ride on Arjuna's banner until the war ended. The *kapi-dhvaja* — "the flag bearing the monkey" — is therefore not decoration but a literal presence: Hanumān himself riding above Arjuna's chariot.
So on this chariot Kṛṣṇa holds the reins, Hanumān rides the flagstaff, and Arjuna sits between them. The same chariot was earlier set on fire by Aśvatthāmā's astras — and only after the war's end, when Kṛṣṇa stepped down and Hanumān flew away, did the wood collapse into ash. The chariot held because of who rode on it, not because of itself. Arjuna's lifting of the bow takes place inside this guarded geometry.
My note
Source: vedabase.io