Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 1/Verse 32

Chapter 1/Verse 32

न काङ्क्षे विजयं कृष्ण न च राज्यं सुखानि च ।

किं नो राज्येन गोविन्द किं भोगैर्जीवितेन वा ॥१-३२॥

na kāṅkṣe vijayaṃ kṛṣṇa na ca rājyaṃ sukhāni ca ।

kiṃ no rājyena govinda kiṃ bhogairjīvitena vā ॥1-32॥

O Krishna, I don't want victory, nor sovereignty, nor pleasures. O Govinda, what use is royalty for us? What use are pleasures or life?

na (negation particle) (indeclinable) = not

kāṅkṣe (verb root: kāṅkṣ) (present tense, 1st person, singular) = I want

vijayaṃ (stem form: vijaya) (masculine, accusative, singular) = victory

kṛṣṇa (stem form: kṛṣṇa) (masculine, vocative, singular) =

O Krishna

na (negation particle) (indeclinable) = not

ca (conjunction) (indeclinable) = and

rājyam (stem form: rājya) (neuter, accusative, singular) = sovereignty  

sukhāni (stem form: sukha) (neuter, accusative, plural) = pleasures

ca (conjunction) (indeclinable) = and

kim (interrogative particle) = what?

nas (pronoun, 1st person, dative, plural) = for us

rājyena (stem form: rājya) (neuter, instrumental, singular) = with royalty

govinda (stem form: govinda) (masculine, vocative, singular) = O Govinda

kim (interrogative particle) = what?

bhogais (stem form: bhoga) (masculine, instrumental, plural) = with enjoyments

jīvitena (stem form: jīvita) (neuter, instrumental, singular) = with life

vā (conjunction) (indeclinable) = or

Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 1/Verse 31

Chapter 1/Verse 31

निमित्तानि च पश्यामि विपरीतानि केशव ।

न च श्रेयोऽनुपश्यामि हत्वा स्वजनमाहवे ॥१-३१॥

nimittāni ca paśyāmi viparītāni keśava ।

na ca śreyo'nupaśyāmi hatvā svajanamāhave ॥1-31॥

And I see adverse omens, O’ Keśava. And slaying a kinsman in battle, I foresee no good fortune.

nimittāni (stem form: nimitta) (neuter, nominative, plural) = omens

ca (conjunction) (indeclinable) = and

paśyāmi (verb root: paś) (present indicative, 10th gana, parasmaipada, 1st person, singular) = I see

viparītāni (stem form: viparīta) (neuter, accusative, plural) = adverse

keśava (stem form: keśava) (masculine, vocative, singular) = O’ Keśava (epithet of Krishna)

na (adverb) (indeclinable) = not

ca (conjunction) (indeclinable) = and

śreyas (stem form: śreyas) (neuter, accusative, singular) = good fortune

anupaśyāmi (verb root: paś) (anu + paśyāmi) (present indicative, 10th gana, parasmaipada, 1st person, singular) = I foresee

hatvā (verb root: han) (gerund) (indeclinable) = slaying

svajanam (stem form: svajana) (masculine, accusative, singular) = a kinsman

āhave (verb root:hve) (ā + have) (masculine, locative, singular) = in battle

Once again, most translations interpret "svajanam" as a plural number direct object, but the case ending is in the singular number. Overall then, most translations interpret the latter phrase as, "I can foresee no good in slaying my kinsmen." But the grammar does not support this interpretation. I believe Arjuna is personalizing his anguish, but personalizing a past killing of a kinsman in battle by his hands. The grammar supports my interpretation.

Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 1/Verse 30

Chapter 1/Verse 30

गाण्डीवं स्रंसते हस्तात्त्वक्चैव परिदह्यते ।

न च शक्नोम्यवस्थातुं भ्रमतीव च मे मनः ॥१-३०॥

gāṇḍīvaṃ sraṃsate hastāttvakcaiva paridahyate ।

na ca śaknomyavasthātuṃ bhramatīva ca me manaḥ

॥1-30॥

Gāṇḍīva slips from my hand and verily my skin is afire and I am not able to stand and my mind seems to wander.

gāṇḍīvam (stem form: gāṇḍīva) (neuter, nominative, singular) = Gāṇḍīva (the name of Arjuna's bow)

sraṃsate (verb root: sraṃs) (present tense, ātmanepada, 3rd person, singular) = it slips

hastāt (stem form: hasta) (masculine, ablative, singular) = from hand

tvac (stem form: tvac) (feminine, nominative, singular) = skin

ca (conjunction) (indeclinable) = and

eva (indeclinable) =  verily (emphatic particle, emphasizes preceding word)

paridahyate (verb root: dah) (pari + dahyate) (present tense, ātmanepada, 3rd person, singular) = it completely burns (is afire)

na (adverb) (indeclinable) = not

ca (conjunction) (indeclinable) = and

śaknomi (verb root: śak) (present tense, parasmaipada, 1st person, singular) = I am able

avasthātum (verb root: sthā) (ava + sthātum) (infinitive) (indeclinable) = to stand

bhramati (present tense, parasmaipada, 3rd person, singular) = it wanders

iva (indeclinable) =  seems to

ca (conjunction) (indeclinable) = and

me (pronoun, 1st person, genitive, singular) = my

manas (stem form: manas) (neuter, nominative, singular) = mind

One particular point that struck me is the part of the verse detailing that Arjuna's "skin is afire". From my real life experiences when I felt deep anxiety or elation, I felt more like I got a mini-hot flash. I feel that the translators have avoided using the word "hot flash" given it is typically used to describe a symptom of menopause, a female condition.  And "skin is afire" is more poetic than the contemporary sounding "hot flash".

Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 1/Verse 29

Chapter 1/Verse 29

सीदन्ति मम गात्राणि मुखं च परिशुष्यति ।

वेपथुश्च शरीरे मे रोमहर्षश्च जायते ॥१-२९॥

sīdanti mama gātrāṇi mukhaṃ ca pariśuṣyati ।

vepathuśca śarīre me romaharṣaśca jāyate ॥1-29॥

My limbs are weary and my mouth dries up and trembling in my body and causes my hair to stand on end.   

sīdanti (verb root: sad) (present tense,  parasmaipada, 3rd person, plural) = they are weary

mama (pronoun, 1st person, genitive, singular) = my

gātrāṇi (stem form: gātra) (neuter, nominative, plural) = limbs

mukham (stem form: mukha) (neuter, nominative, singular) = mouth

ca (conjunction) (indeclinable) = and

pariśuṣyati (verb root: śuṣ) (pari + śuṣyati) (present tense,  parasmaipada, 3rd person, singular) = it dries up

vepathus (verb root: vip) (masculine, nominative, singular) = trembling

ca (conjunction) (indeclinable) = and

śarīre (stem form: śarīra) (masculine, locative, singular) = in the body

me (pronoun, 1st person, genitive, singular) = my

romaharṣas (stem form: romaharṣa) (roma + harṣas) (tatpurūṣa compound, masculine, nominative, singular) = hair standing on end

ca (conjunction) (indeclinable) = and

jāyate (verb root: jan) (present tense, ātmanepada, 3rd person, singular) = it is born (causes)

Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 1/Verse 28

Chapter 1/Verse 28

कृपया परयाविष्टो विषीदन्निदमब्रवीत् ।

दृष्ट्वेमं स्वजनं कृष्ण युयुत्सुं समुपस्थितम् ॥१-२८॥

kṛpayā parayāviṣṭo viṣīdannidamabravīt ।

dṛṣṭvemaṃ svajanaṃ kṛṣṇa yuyutsuṃ samupasthitam

॥1-28॥

Despondent filled with extreme compassion he said this, O’ Krishna, seeing a kinsman wishing to commence fighting,  

kṛpayā (stem form: kṛpā) (feminine, instrumental, singular) = with compassion

parayā (stem form: parā) (feminine, instrumental, singular) = extreme

āviṣṭas (verb root: viś) (past passive participle, masculine, nominative, singular) = was filled

viṣīdan (verb root: sad) (vi + ṣīdan) (present participle, masculine/neuter, nominative, singular) = despondent

idam (neuter, accusative, singular) = this

abravīt (irregular 1st class verb root: brū) (imperfect, parasmaipada, 3rd person, singular) = he said

dṛṣṭvā (verb root: dṛś) (gerund) (indeclinable) = having seen

imam (pronoun, accusative, singular) = this

svajanam (stem form: svajana) (masculine, accusative, singular) = kinsman

kṛṣṇa (stem form: kṛṣṇa) (masculine, vocative, singular) = O Krishna

yuyutsum (verb root: yudh) (desiderative adjective, masculine, accusative, singular) = wishing to fight

samupasthitam (verb root: sthā) (past passive participle, masculine, accusative, singular) = commence

The first part of the verse is easy. Arjuna feels deep compassion for both armies before him, but there are some major grammar and manuscript issues in the latter part of the verse with how previous translations interpret this verse to the point that there are different versions of the original Sanskrit script.

The latter part of the verse has three words:

"svajanam" meaning "a kinsman"

"yuyutsum" meaning "wishing to fight"

"samupasthitam" meaning "standing here before me"

These three words are all singular words and not plural words, but most of the translations interpret these words as if they are all plural to the point of changing the case endings of these words to be plural case endings in the Sanskrit text. Older Sanskrit manuscripts use the singular endings, but a recent Sanskrit manuscript has the plural endings. I prefer to use the older manuscripts and side with the singular case endings. I also go against most other translations and create a singular case ending interpretation for the latter part of this verse. Overall, these disagreements in translation do not change the story, but it is important to point it out.

Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 1/Verse 27

Chapter 1/Verse 27

श्वशुरान्सुहृदश्चैव सेनयोरुभयोरपि ।

तान्समीक्ष्य स कौन्तेयः सर्वान्बन्धूनवस्थितान् ॥१-२७॥

śvaśurānsuhṛdaścaiva senayorubhayorapi ।

tānsamīkṣya sa kaunteyaḥ sarvānbandhūnavasthitān

॥1-27॥

Also, fathers-in-law, and verily, well-wishers of both armies. Him, the son of Kuntī, having full knowledge of all them relatives standing in array,...

śvaśurān (stem form: śvaśura) (masculine, accusative, plural) = fathers-in-law

suhṛdas (stem form: suhṛda) (masculine, accusative, plural) = well-wishers

ca (indeclinable) = and

eva (indeclinable) = verily (emphatic particle, emphasizes preceding word)

senayos (stem form: senā) (feminine, genitive, dual) = of two armies

ubhayos (stem form: ubhā) (feminine, genitive, dual) = of both

api (adverb) (indeclinable) = also

tān (pronoun, 3rd person, masculine, accusative, plural) = them

samīkṣya (verb root: īkṣ) (sam + īkṣya) (gerund) (indeclinable) = having full knowledge

sas (pronoun, 3rd person, masculine, nominative, singular) = him

kaunteyas (masculine, nominative, singular with nominal derivative) = son of Kuntī (epithet of Arjuna)

sarvān (stem form: sarva) (masculine, accusative, plural) = all them

bandhūn (stem form: bandhu) (masculine, accusative, plural) = relatives

avasthitān (verb root: sthitā) (ava + sthitān) (past passive participle, masculine, accusative, plural) = standing in array