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Bhagavad-gītā 1.25

भीष्मद्रोणप्रमुखतः सर्वेषां च महीक्षिताम् । उवाच पार्थ पश्यैतान्समवेतान्कुरुनिति ॥ २५ ॥
bhīṣma-droṇa-pramukhataḥ
[bheeshma-drona-pramukhatah]
sarveṣāṁ ca mahī-kṣitām
[sarveshaam cha mahee-kshitaam]
uvāca pārtha paśyaitān
[uvaacha paartha pashyaitaan]
samavetān kurūn iti
[samavetaan kuroon iti]
Word-for-word
bhīṣma — Grandfather Bhīṣma droṇa — the teacher Droṇa pramukhataḥ — in front of sarveṣām — all ca — also mahī - kṣitām — chiefs of the world uvāca — said pārtha — O son of Pṛthā paśya — just behold etān — all of them samavetān — assembled kurūn — the members of the Kuru dynasty iti — thus .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
bhīṣma-droṇa-pramukhataḥ
bhīṣma
Grandfather Bhīṣma
droṇa
the teacher Droṇa
pramukhataḥ
in front of
sarveṣāṁ ca mahī-kṣitām
sarveṣām
all
ca
also
mahī - kṣitām
chiefs of the world
uvāca pārtha paśyaitān
uvāca
said
pārtha
O son of Pṛthā
paśya
just behold
samavetān kurūn iti
etān
all of them
samavetān
assembled
kurūn
the members of the Kuru dynasty
iti
thus .
Important Words
  • pramukhataḥ — in front of
    *Pra-mukha* — "face-forward." Adverbial: *facing*. Kṛṣṇa positions Arjuna *face-to-face* with the elders. Not at a distance, not at an angle — *face-forward*. The Lord does not let the devotee approach hard truth obliquely.
  • mahī - kṣitām — chiefs of the world
    *Mahī* (earth) + *kṣit* (one who rules, *kṣatra*). "Earth-rulers" — kṣatriyas in their cosmic function. The whole *kṣatriya* order is gathered here. The Gītā will, in chapter 4, name dharma as something originally spoken to the *rājarṣis*; this verse silently sets the stage for that disclosure.
  • pārtha — O son of Pṛthā
    Arjuna's matronymic — *Pṛthā's son*. Pṛthā is Kuntī. Kṛṣṇa here addresses Arjuna by his mother's name (not Pāṇḍu's). Kuntī is Kṛṣṇa's own father's sister — Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa are cousins through Pṛthā. The vocative is intimate: *son of my own aunt*, calling on the family bond before the family-killing begins.
  • paśya — just behold
    Imperative of *paś* — to see. Same word Duryodhana commanded Droṇa with in v.3 (*paśya*). Kṛṣṇa now uses the same imperative to Arjuna. Duryodhana said *paśya* to incite anxiety; Kṛṣṇa says *paśya* to invite recognition. Same word, opposite dharma.
In the presence of Bhīṣma, Droṇa and all the other chieftains of the world, the Lord said, “Just behold, Pārtha, all the Kurus assembled here.”
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Kṛṣṇa positions the chariot precisely before Bhīṣma and Droṇa — the two whose presence will most disturb Arjuna — and says simply, "Pārtha, behold the assembled Kurus." The address 'Pārtha' (son of Pṛthā) gently invokes kinship, anticipating the very crisis it will trigger.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Kṛṣṇa's terseness is deliberate: he says only 'paśya' — 'see.' He lets the sight do the work. By stopping in front of Bhīṣma and Droṇa, Kṛṣṇa orchestrates the conditions for Arjuna's despondency. From a teaching standpoint, this is upāya-kauśalya — skillful means: the crisis must arise before the cure can be administered. The vocative 'Pārtha' (matronymic) is significant — relational, not martial — preparing the ground for what comes next.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
भीष्म-द्रोण-प्रमुखतः सर्वेषां मही-क्षितां च (पुरतः) उवाच — "हे पार्थ! एतान् समवेतान् कुरून् पश्य" इति ।
bhīṣma-droṇa-pramukhataḥ sarveṣāṃ mahī-kṣitāṃ ca (purataḥ) uvāca — "he pārtha! etān samavetān kurūn paśya" iti |
In front of Bhīṣma, Droṇa, and all the kings, he said: 'Pārtha, behold these Kurus assembled.'
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
भीष्म-द्रोण-प्रमुखतः सर्वेषां च मही-क्षिताम् । उवाच पार्थ पश्य एतान् समवेतान् कुरून् इति ॥
bhīṣma-droṇa-pramukhataḥ sarveṣāṃ ca mahī-kṣitām | uvāca pārtha paśya etān samavetān kurūn iti ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
भीष्म-द्रोण-प्रमुखतः bhīṣma-droṇa-pramukhataḥ भीष्म + द्रोण + प्रमुख (m.) abl.-adv. in -तस्, dvandva + tatpuruṣa in front of Bhīṣma and Droṇa (as the foremost)
सर्वेषाम् sarveṣām सर्व adj. gen.pl. (genitive plural)m. of all
च ca ind. (indeclinable) and
मही-क्षिताम् mahī-kṣitām मही (f.) + क्षित् (agent of √क्षि) gen.pl. (genitive plural)m., upapada-tatpuruṣa of the rulers of the earth
उवाच uvāca √वच् perf. (perfect) 3sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) he said
पार्थ pārtha पार्थ (m.) voc.sg. (vocative singular) O Pārtha (son of Pṛthā / Kuntī)
पश्य paśya √दृश् impv. 2sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) behold
एतान् etān एतद् dem. (demonstrative) pron. (pronoun) acc.pl. (accusative plural)m. these
समवेतान् samavetān सम्+आ+√इ p.p.p. (past passive participle) acc.pl. (accusative plural)m. assembled
कुरून् kurūn कुरु (m.) acc.pl. (accusative plural) Kurus
इति iti ind. (indeclinable), quotative particle, marks end of speech
Purport

As the Supersoul of all living entities, Lord Kṛṣṇa could understand what was going on in the mind of Arjuna. The use of the word Hṛṣīkeśa in this connection indicates that He knew everything. And the word Pārtha, meaning “the son of Pṛthā, or Kuntī,” is also similarly significant in reference to Arjuna. As a friend, He wanted to inform Arjuna that because Arjuna was the son of Pṛthā, the sister of His own father Vasudeva, He had agreed to be the charioteer of Arjuna. Now what did Kṛṣṇa mean when He told Arjuna to “behold the Kurus”? Did Arjuna want to stop there and not fight? Kṛṣṇa never expected such things from the son of His aunt Pṛthā. The mind of Arjuna was thus predicted by the Lord in friendly joking.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
24-25. When Arjuna spoke to him thus, Hṛṣīkeśa, stationing the best of chariots between the two armies, in front of Bhīṣma, Droṇa and all the princes, spoke: See these Kurus gathered here.
Commentary

The Lord, Hṛṣīkeśa, though Himself the controller of everyone’s senses, was thus ordered by Arjuna, controlled just by his words. See how the Lord is controlled by prema! This is the implication of calling the Lord Hṛṣīkeśa. Here is the significance of the word Guḍākeśa. Ākeśa means Viṣṇu (ā), Brahmā (ka) and Śiva (īśa). Guḍākeśa means Arjuna who gives them (ākeśa) the experience of the sweetness of the Lord’s affection just as sugar (guḍā) gives the experience of sweetness. [Note: Literally the word would mean “He who is the sugar for Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva.”] Therefore, Guḍākeśa refers to he who, by bringing Kṛṣṇa under his control, gave Viṣṇu, Brahmā, and Śiva the opportunity to experience Kṛṣṇa’s sweetness. Where the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, the crown jewel, source of all avatāras, being controlled by prema, followed the orders of His servant Arjuna, how could Viṣṇu, Brahmā and Śiva, His mere expansions as guṇa avatāras, show off any of their powers? Instead, they felt they had reached the pinnacle of perfection by manifesting affectionate feelings for the Lord themselves (inspired by Arjuna). The lord of the spiritual sky (Mahāviṣṇu) said:

dvijātmamajā me yuvayor didṛkṣuṇā I brought the brāhmaṇa’s sons here because I wanted to see the two of you.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
24-25. When Arjuna, Guḍakeśa, spoke to him thus, Hṛṣīkeśa, stationing the best of chariots between the two armies, in front of Bīṣma, Droṇa and all the princes, spoke: See these Kurus gathered here.
Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Translation
In the presence of Bhisma, Drona and all the other chieftains of the world, the Lord said, Just behold, Partha, all the Kurus assembled here. (cn/DS) Krsna predicted that Arjuna would be in distress now, and in fact He wanted Arjuna to be in distress so the Bhagavad‑gita could be spoken. Obeying the order of Arjuna to drive the chariot amidst both armies, Krsna brought the chariot right in front of Bhisma and Drona (Bhisma‑drona‑pramukhatah. 'Pramukhatah' means 'right in the face'.), his grandfather and his guru. Krsna put Arjuna in front of those to whom he was the most attached.
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

Hundreds of millions of warriors were in the Kuru armies, yet Kṛṣṇa drove Arjuna’s chariot directly

before Bhīṣma and Droṇa (bhīṣma-droṇa-pramukhataù). In that way Kṛṣṇa forced Arjuna to see that

both his grandfather and his guru were determined to oppose him in battle. Kṛṣṇa thus drew out

Arjuna’s familial attachment so that He could speak Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa was teasing Arjuna: “It is

only Kurus—on both sides—who are assembled.”

Bhagavad Gita Notes

Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa adds this explanation of Kṛṣṇa ’s words: “‘Because you are the son of

My father’s sister, I am going to serve as your chariot driver. But now you are about to abandon

your desire to fight.’ Thus Kṛṣṇa jokingly implied, ‘What’s the use of looking at the enemy’s army?’”

In this way Kṛṣṇa affirmed the thoughts in Arjuna’s mind. Sañjaya describes this scene to

Dhṛtarāṣṭra and then goes on to name the other family members Arjuna sees before him.

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
1.25 Sri Sankaracharya did not comment on this sloka. The commentary starts from 2.10.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
1.20 - 1.25 Arjuna said - Sanjaya said Thus, directed by him, Sri Krsna did immediately as He had been directed, while Bhisma, Drona and others and all the kings were looking on. Such is the prospect of victory for your men.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
1.12 1.29 Sri Abhinavgupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
1.25. In front of Bhishma and Drona, and all the rulers of the earth, said: "O Arjuna (son of Pritha), behold these Kurus gathered together."
Commentary

1.25 भीष्मद्रोणप्रमुखतः in front of Bhishma and Drona? सर्वेषाम् of all? च and? महीक्षिताम् rulers of the earth? उवाच said? पार्थ O Partha? पश्य behold? एतान् these? समवेतान् gathered? कुरून् Kurus? इति thus.No Commentary.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
1.24 1.25 Sanjay said O scion of the line of Bharata (Dhrtararastra), Hrsikesa, being told so by Gudakesa (Arjuna), placed the excellent chariot between the two armies, in front of Bhisma and Drona as also all the rulers of the earth, and said, 'O Partha (Arjuna), see these assempled people of the Kuru dynasty.'
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
1.25 Whither Bheeshma and Drona had led all the rulers of the earth, and spoke thus: O Arjuna! Behold these members of the family of Kuru assembled.
Related values & verses
Related values
Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Shanti (Peace / Tranquility)Satya (Truthfulness)Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)
Related verses
BG 1.26 BG 11.26 BG 15.15 SB 1.13.49 SB 10.7.35 SB 11.29.25 CC Madhya 22.25 CC Madhya 25.261 CC Antya 1.92 Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.1.1Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Kṛṣṇa positions the devotee precisely where he must see — sometimes between Bhīṣma and Droṇa, in the hardest place.
Practical Applications
  • Stop praying only for relief; begin praying for the courage to see what Kṛṣṇa places before you.
  • Trust that the difficult position you are in is intentional — there is something you are meant to learn there.
  • Take notes after a hard conversation about what you actually saw, not what you wanted to see.
Reflection Questions
  • Where has Kṛṣṇa positioned me precisely so that I must finally face something?
  • What am I being shown that I have been postponing for years?
Analogy

Kṛṣṇa positions the chariot in front of Bhīṣma and Droṇa — the two men Arjuna loves most, the two he will most need to fight. He does not station the chariot opposite Duryodhana, where the heart's blow would be easier. The Lord places the devotee exactly where it will hurt.

Stories
Bhīṣma and Droṇa, the two beloved enemies

Bhīṣma had cradled Arjuna as a child after Pāṇḍu's death. Droṇa had been his archery teacher — had taught him the *Brahmāstra* itself. There were no two men in the world for whom Arjuna had more love or owed more debt. And Kṛṣṇa drives the chariot to halt directly before them.

The Lord's positioning is precise. He could have stopped anywhere along the line. He stopped *here*. The verse names *Bhīṣma-droṇa-pramukhataḥ* — in front of the grandfather and the teacher. The Mahābhārata records that this is the moment Arjuna's heart broke. Kṛṣṇa engineered the break. The Gītā is the Lord's medicine, but the wound is also His prescription.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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