Bhagavad Gita Chapter 11, Verse 35 (BG 11.35) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

# BG 11.35 As a dramatist, Vyasa, through his natural and inherent artistic skill, transports the scene from the battlefield to the peaceful and silent royal palace, where Sanjaya was recounting the events of the battlefield to the blind Dhritarashtra. In this very chapter, three times Vyasa draws the reader away from the terrifying atmosphere of Kurukshetra, and not only does he accelerate the compelling momentum of these scenes, but he also grants the reader's mind the necessary rest—for the mind grows tense from the continuous contemplation of terrible beauty. One must never forget that in the Gita, Sanjaya is our special correspondent, one who holds complete sympathy with the righteous cause of the Pandavas. It is natural, therefore, that as soon as he recounts through the Lord's words the destruction of Bhishma, Drona, and others, he wishes to awaken that blind and aged man to the impending terrible devastation. As we have seen before, only Dhritarashtra could have stopped the war even at this moment, and Sanjaya is most eager to see the war halted in some way. Thus, from the very language employed in this verse, Sanjaya's intention becomes clear. Suddenly here, Sanjaya calls Arjuna "Kiritin"—the crowned one. This is perhaps a bold prophecy, through which Sanjaya expects that Dhritarashtra will perceive the futility of this destructive war. But a blind man can never see, and if delusion has also veiled his intellect, then the question of seeing does not even arise. If the king's sound judgment cannot be awakened due to excessive attachment to his sons, then Sanjaya wishes to attempt a psychological remedy. If a detailed description is given of how all people tremble with fear upon witnessing a scene, then certainly terror spreads even in the hearts of ordinarily brave men. If even Krishna's intimate friend Arjuna trembles with fear and speaks to the Lord with a choked voice, then through this description Sanjaya expects that any discerning person will recognize the terror of the impending war and the dreadful consequences that await those on the defeated side. Yet even these words of Sanjaya had no effect on Dhritarashtra's heart, for he had become completely blind to all else except his deluded love for his sons. Arjuna, addressing the Lord of universal form, speaks: