Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1, Verse 1 (BG 1.1) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

This is the only verse in the entire Bhagavad Gita spoken by the blind and aged King Dhritarashtra. All the remaining verses are spoken by Sanjaya, who was narrating to Dhritarashtra the events that preceded the war. The blind and aged King Dhritarashtra was certainly fully aware of the grave injustice he had perpetrated against his cousins, the Pandavas. He was acquainted with the comparative strengths of both armies. He had complete confidence in the might of his son's vast forces. Yet, despite all this, his heart was burdened by the weight of guilt for his own misdeeds, and he harbored doubt concerning the ultimate outcome of the war. He questions Sanjaya about what transpired at Kurukshetra. The great sage Vyasa had granted Sanjaya a divine vision through which he could perceive and hear all the events unfolding across the entire battlefield.