A story moment · grounding in mood · easy to enter
“Grief can make even a warrior lay down his weapons.”
Sanjaya said: Saying this, Arjuna sat down on the chariot seat in the midst of the battlefield, casting aside his bow and arrows, his mind overwhelmed by grief.
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Tap a word to focus on it.
Read literallySanjaya said · thus · having spoken · Arjuna · in battle · on the chariot seat · sat down · casting aside · with arrows · bow · mind agitated by grief
Arjuna gives up his bow and sits down in the chariot, overwhelmed by grief.
Sanjaya speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Arjuna Vishada Yoga" (The Yoga of Arjuna's Despair).
Verse 47 sits in Chapter 1 of the Bhagavad Gita — Arjuna Vishada Yoga, "The Yoga of Arjuna's Despair". The chapter has 47 verses in total.
After the bank refuses the loan for the shop you have planned for years, you may just sit down on the steps outside. Arjuna sits down like that, his bow and arrows put aside.
Did you like this verse?
Sanjaya ends the first chapter with Arjuna seated in the chariot, bow and arrows cast aside, grief-stricken.
What this verse means
Arjuna gives up his bow and sits down in the chariot, overwhelmed by grief.
Context & commentary
Arjuna has just voiced his despair. Sanjaya watches him drop his bow and arrows and sink down on the chariot seat. The war is about to begin, but Arjuna is already broken.
What it looks like today
After the bank refuses the loan for the shop you have planned for years, you may just sit down on the steps outside. Arjuna sits down like that, his bow and arrows put aside.
“Sometimes the body stops before the heart can bear one more step.”
Explore related themes: kurukshetra (95 verses), arjuna (52 verses), battlefield (20 verses)