Knowledge - 02 - 01¶

The Shloka¶

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सञ्जय उवाच।

तं तथा कृपयाविष्टमश्रुपूर्णाकुलेक्षणम् ।

विषीदन्तमिदं वाक्यमुवाच मधुसूदनः ॥

———

Sañjaya uvāca.

Taṁ tathā kṛpayāviṣṭamaśrupūrṇākulekṣaṇam.

Viṣīdantamidaṁ vākyamuvāca Madhusūdanaḥ.

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Meaning / Summary¶

This verse is a pivotal moment as it marks the beginning of Lord Krishna’s direct instructions to Arjuna, which constitute the core of the Bhagavad Gita. It highlights Arjuna’s extremely emotional and despondent state—overwhelmed by sorrow, with tearful eyes, and deeply dejected. This state of profound crisis and confusion is often the precursor to receiving profound spiritual wisdom. The use of ‘Madhusudana’ (the slayer of the demon Madhu) for Krishna is significant, subtly indicating that just as Krishna destroyed the demon Madhu, He is now poised to dispel Arjuna’s illusion, ignorance, and grief, which are likened to inner demons.

Sanjaya said: To him (Arjuna), who was thus overwhelmed with pity, with eyes full of tears and agitated, and who was despondent, Madhusudana (Krishna) spoke these words.

Sanjaya, reporting to King Dhritarashtra, describes Arjuna’s state after his emotional surrender in the first chapter. Arjuna is depicted as being completely overcome by compassion and sorrow, his eyes filled with tears and trembling, and utterly dejected. Seeing Arjuna in this condition, Lord Krishna, referred to as Madhusudana, then began to speak to him.

Sentence - 1¶

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सञ्जय उवाच।

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Meaning¶

Sanjaya said.

Meaning of Words¶

सञ्जय	Sañjaya
Sanjaya was the charioteer of King Dhritarashtra and also served as his minister and secretary. He was granted divine vision by Vyasadeva, enabling him to see and report all the events of the Kurukshetra War to Dhritarashtra, who was blind. He is the narrator of the Bhagavad Gita, recounting the dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna to the blind king.
उवाच	uvāca
said Spoke, uttered, declared. It is the past tense form of the verb ‘vac’, meaning ‘to speak’.

Sentence - 2¶

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तं तथा कृपयाविष्टमश्रुपूर्णाकुलेक्षणम् ।

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Meaning¶

To him (Arjuna), who was thus overwhelmed with pity, with eyes full of tears and agitated.

Meaning of Words¶

तं	tam
to him Refers to Arjuna, the mighty Pandava warrior, who is the primary listener of Lord Krishna’s divine discourse.
तथा	tathā	thus
कृपया	kṛpayā
by compassion/pity Kṛpā refers to compassion, pity, or mercy. Here, it denotes Arjuna’s intense feeling of sorrow and empathy for his kinsmen and teachers, whose demise he foresaw in the impending battle, making him reluctant to fight.
आविष्टम्	āviṣṭam
overwhelmed/engulfed Possessed, entered into, overcome by. It describes Arjuna being completely overtaken and enveloped by the feeling of pity or compassion, to the point of incapacitation.
अश्रुपूर्णाकुलेक्षणम्	aśrupūrṇākulekṣaṇam
with eyes full of tears and agitated This is a compound word formed from ‘aśru’ (tears), ‘pūrṇa’ (full), ‘ākula’ (agitated, disturbed, restless), and ‘īkṣaṇam’ (eyes). It vividly portrays Arjuna’s emotional distress, with his eyes brimming with tears and appearing agitated due to his profound sorrow and internal conflict.

Sentence - 3¶

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विषयीदन्तमिदं वाक्यमुवाच मधुसूदनः ॥

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Meaning¶

and who was despondent, Madhusudana (Krishna) spoke these words.

Meaning of Words¶

विषयीदन्तम्	viṣīdantam
despondent/lamenting Feeling deep sorrow, dejected, depressed, disheartened, or grieving. This further emphasizes Arjuna’s state of profound despair and mental anguish before the battle.
इदं	idaṁ
This or these, referring to the subsequent words that Lord Krishna is about to speak to Arjuna.
वाक्यम्	vākyam
words/speech A statement, utterance, or discourse. It refers to the divine message, the Bhagavad Gita, that Lord Krishna is about to impart.
मधुसूदनः	Madhusūdanaḥ
A prominent name for Lord Krishna. It literally means ‘the slayer of the demon Madhu’. Madhu was a powerful demon who, along with Kaitabha, emerged from the earwax of Vishnu at the beginning of creation and tried to attack Brahma. Lord Vishnu, in His Yogic slumber, awoke and slew these demons. This name signifies Krishna’s supreme power to destroy evil, illusion, ignorance, and the suffering they cause. In this context, it hints that Krishna, as Madhusudana, is about to destroy Arjuna’s illusion, grief, and despondency.