कृपया परयाविष्टो विषीदन्निदमब्रवीत् ।अर्जुन उवाच ।दृष्ट्वेमं स्वजनं कृष्ण युयुत्सुं समुपस्थितम् ॥
kṛpayā parayāviṣṭo viṣīdann idam abravīt |arjuna uvāca |dṛṣṭvemaṃ svajanaṃ kṛṣṇa yuyutsuṃ samupasthitam ||
- कृपया · kṛpayā
- with pity, compassion
- परया · parayā
- with supreme, deep
- आविष्टः · āviṣṭaḥ
- seized, overcome
- विषीदन् · viṣīdan
- despondent, sinking
- इदम् · idam
- this
- अब्रवीत् · abravīt
- said
- अर्जुन · arjuna
- Arjuna
- उवाच · uvāca
- said
- दृष्ट्वा · dṛṣṭvā
- having seen
- इमम् · imam
- this
- स्वजनम् · svajanam
- own people, kinsmen
- कृष्ण · kṛṣṇa
- O Krishna
- युयुत्सुम् · yuyutsum
- eager to fight
- समुपस्थितम् · samupasthitam
- standing before (me), present
“…overcome with deep pity, despondent, spoke these words. Arjuna said: Seeing my own people standing before me, eager to fight, O Krishna…”
— Original plain-language translation
IN SHORT Even strong people freeze when conflict hits close to home, and that is human.
The chapter's title-word arrives: viṣīdan, despondency — Arjuna-viṣāda. His pity (kṛpā) is real and noble, yet Krishna will later call it out of place: compassion for the body while forgetting the self. The Gita begins where sentiment overwhelms duty. Like a surgeon freezing at the sight of a loved one on the operating table, forgetting years of training.
— Reader's notes (original)