यावदेतान्निरीक्षेऽहं योद्धुकामानवस्थितान् ।कैर्मया सह योद्धव्यमस्मिन्रणसमुद्यमे ॥
yāvad etān nirīkṣe 'haṃ yoddhukāmān avasthitān |kair mayā saha yoddhavyam asmin raṇasamudyame ||
- यावत् · yāvat
- while, until
- एतान् · etān
- these
- निरीक्षे · nirīkṣe
- I may observe, look upon
- अहम् · aham
- I
- योद्धुकामान् · yoddhukāmān
- eager to fight
- अवस्थितान् · avasthitān
- standing, arrayed
- कैः · kaiḥ
- with whom
- मया · mayā
- by me
- सह · saha
- together, with
- योद्धव्यम् · yoddhavyam
- must be fought
- अस्मिन् · asmin
- in this
- रणसमुद्यमे · raṇasamudyame
- in this undertaking of war
“So that I may observe these men arrayed and eager to fight — to see with whom I must do battle in this undertaking of war.”
— Original plain-language translation
Arjuna still speaks as a commander taking stock. He wants a good look at the enemy — but the looking is what undoes him. The Gita's central irony: clear sight, demanded as tactics, becomes spiritual crisis.
— Reader's notes (original)