भीष्मद्रोणप्रमुखतः सर्वेषां च महीक्षिताम् ।उवाच पार्थ पश्यैतान्समवेतान्कुरूनिति ॥
bhīṣmadroṇapramukhataḥ sarveṣāṃ ca mahīkṣitām |uvāca pārtha paśyaitān samavetān kurūn iti ||
- भीष्मद्रोणप्रमुखतः · bhīṣmadroṇapramukhataḥ
- in front of Bhishma, Drona, and the rest
- सर्वेषाम् · sarveṣām
- of all
- च · ca
- and
- महीक्षिताम् · mahīkṣitām
- of the kings, rulers of earth
- उवाच · uvāca
- said
- पार्थ · pārtha
- O Partha (son of Pritha/Kunti — Arjuna)
- पश्य · paśya
- behold
- एतान् · etān
- these
- समवेतान् · samavetān
- assembled
- कुरून् · kurūn
- the Kurus (kinsmen)
- इति · iti
- thus, so saying
“…facing Bhishma, Drona, and all the kings, and said: Behold, O Partha, these Kurus assembled here.”
— Original plain-language translation
Krishna's only words in Chapter 1 — and he pointedly says 'Kurus', kinsmen, not 'enemies'. Whether by design or innocence, the word lands where Arjuna is weakest. The chariot halts facing the two men Arjuna reveres most.
— Reader's notes (original)