BG 1.7 — Arjuna-Viṣāda-Yoga

Bhagavad Gītā 1.7Chapter 1 · Arjuna-Viṣāda-Yoga · Arjuna → Krishna · anuṣṭubh

अस्माकं तु विशिष्टा ये तान् निबोध द्विजोत्तम ।

नायका मम सैन्यस्य संज्ञार्थं तान् ब्रवीमि ते ॥

asmākaṃ tu viśiṣṭā ye tān nibodha dvijottama

nāyakā mama sainyasya saṃjñārthaṃ tān bravīmi te

spokensingle-voice recital; rendered via IndicF5 conditioned on a Sanskrit reference clip

meaning

Know them well, O best among the twice-born: I name the outstanding commanders of my army so you have a clear picture of our forces.

ekras · bhāṣya

Duryodhana shifts. He has been pointing at the Pandava side; now he turns to his own. "Know them well, best of the twice-born — I name the leaders of my army for the sake of orientation." The verb changes. In verse 3 he said pashya — look. Here he says nibodha — know, understand. The reason is geometry: the Pandava army is in front of Drona, and the Kaurava army is behind him. Drona has his back to his own side. Duryodhana cannot ask Drona to see; he has to ask him to remember. Then the framing. Samjnartham — for the sake of orientation, just to draw your attention. Duryodhana is saying: I am only naming our commanders to remind you. You know them all already. The Pandavas, I had to walk you through. Ours, just one quick mention.

Ramsukhdas Maharaj reads the move as face-saving. After six verses listing the Pandava strength, the imbalance has been exposed. The "you already know our side" framing is the way a man hides what was just shown.

Context

where

Chapter 1 · Arjuna-Viṣāda-Yoga · meter anuṣṭubh

who speaks

Arjuna → Krishna

preceded by — BG 1.6

Yudhāmanyu the brave, Uttamaujā the mighty, Abhimanyu son of Subhadrā, and the five sons of Draupadī, every one of them a warrior who could hold ten thousand archers at bay.

What's going on

Know them well, O best among the twice-born: I name the outstanding commanders of my army so you have a clear picture of our forces.

Sūtras through this verse (99)

ĀnandagiriclassicalA

The two-niṣṭhā axisbetween

1.1Means and end set out as one paired axis.───→here1.7───→2.39Wisdom closes, action opens. Same axis.

MadhvaclassicalT1

Hari is supreme — the running reading-ruleapproach

───→here1.7───→2.12Every soul named here is a real distinct self.

RamsukhdasclassicalA

What binds you (and how to let go)approach

───→here1.7───→2.47Hold no mine-ness on body or on fruit.

show all 99

Madhvaclassicalmadhva_pratibimba

Madhva Pratibimbaapproach · other

───→here1.7───→2.18Image perishes, source endures

MadhvaclassicalT2

Soul depends on Lord — the gap that does not closeapproach

───→here1.7───→2.18The mirror breaks but the sun is unhurt.

MadhvaclassicalT3

Ranking is real — and it never collapsesapproach

───→here1.7───→2.23Even great gods are unequal in their glory.

MadhvaclassicalT4

Liberation is bliss in body — not absorptionapproach

───→here1.7───→2.50Release is embodied, blissful, never merging.

MadhvaclassicalT5

Mirror-and-image — how seeming-action worksapproach

───→here1.7───→2.18The image perishes, but the source endures.

MadhvaclassicalT6

Citation is the spine — texts carry the loadapproach

───→here1.7───→2.23Nāradīya names what reason cannot prove.

MadhvaclassicalT7

Action and knowledge — never rivalsapproach

───→here1.7───→2.39The two paths name one practice, one fruit.

MadhvaclassicalT8

Direct vision — the only proximate causeapproach

───→here1.7───→2.46Scripture is a small well when the flood arrives.

MadhvaclassicalT9

Devotion and grace — what knowledge cannot do aloneapproach

───→here1.7───→2.23Without worship of Hari no one ever crosses.

MadhvaclassicalT11

Only revealed scripture decides — reason alone cannotapproach

───→here1.7───→2.13Self-survival is settled by śruti, not by reason.

MadhvaclassicalT12

Closure by gloss — the small repertoireapproach

───→here1.7───→2.55'Self' here means mind — a single word redirects.

Ramsukhdasclassical

Sādhaka Sañjīvanī commentary at this versebetween

───→here1.7───→

RamsukhdasclassicalB

This human birth — your one chance to actapproach

───→here1.7───→2.47Only a human body can do new action.

RamsukhdasclassicalC

Desire is the root — not actionapproach

───→here1.7───→2.55Drop desire, and the sense of doing falls.

RamsukhdasclassicalD

The three modes (sattva, rajas, tamas) at workapproach

───→here1.7───→2.45Rise above the modes, said in chapter two.

RamsukhdasclassicalE

Your own work as worshipapproach

───→here1.7───→2.31A warrior's own duty is the war he faces.

RamsukhdasclassicalF

Surrender — the single shelterapproach

───→here1.7───→2.41A one-pointed mind is the seeker's mark.

RamsukhdasclassicalG

Equanimity in everythingapproach

───→here1.7───→2.14Bear pleasure and pain as a passing season.

RamsukhdasclassicalH

All paths arrive at the same roomapproach

───→here1.7───→2.55Each path names its sage in its own words.

RamsukhdasclassicalJ

Divine vs demonic patternsapproach

───→here1.7───→3.37The enemy is desire turning into anger.

RamsukhdasclassicalK

The body is not yoursapproach

───→here1.7───→3.27The modes act, but ego claims the deed.

ĀnandagiriclassicalE

Pūrvapakṣa via nanu / āśaṅkyabetween

1.1Dialectical chain present from line one.───→here1.7───→2.39Nanu… tatrāha: one pair, named.

ĀnandagiriclassicalL

Akṣarayojanā — word-fit firstbetween

1.2Same form repeats on the next verse.───→here1.7───→2.10Word-fit holds even at the dialogue's pivot.

Ekrasmodernkarma_yoga

Karma yoga — the apprentice pathapproach · v2

───→here1.7───→2.47Right to action

Ekrasmodernend_of_life

End of life — the threshold tourapproach · v2

───→here1.7───→2.13Bodies pass, the dehī does not

Ekrasmodernstress

Stress — panic to shelterapproach · v2

───→here1.7───→1.29The body fails

Ekrasmodernvairagya

Vairāgya — dispassion as instrumentapproach · v2

───→here1.7───→2.55Sthitaprajna defined

Ekrasmodernleadership

Leadership — svadharma in actionapproach · v2

───→here1.7───→3.20Janaka, lokasangraha

Ekrasmoderntrigunametry

Trigunametry — guṇas as embodied statesapproach · v2

───→here1.7───→2.41Single-pointed buddhi

Ekrasmodernparadox_of_doership

Paradox of doership — kartṛtvaapproach · v2

───→here1.7───→3.27Modes act, ego claims

Ekrasmodernanger_management

Anger Managementapproach · other

───→here1.7───→2.62Brooding breeds attachment

Ekrasmodernfamily_conflict

Family Conflictapproach · other

───→here1.7───→1.31Bad omens

Śaṅkaraclassicalshankara_jnana_nishtha

Shankara Jnana Nishthaapproach · other

───→here1.7───→2.10Thesis flat

ŚaṅkaraclassicalA

Sorrow and delusion are the diseaseapproach

───→here1.7───→2.10Sorrow and delusion are the seed of saṁsāra.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalB

Knowledge alone, with all action laid downapproach

───→here1.7───→2.10First lay down all action, then knowledge frees.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalC

Knowledge plus action will not save youapproach

───→here1.7───→2.10Some say: combine knowledge with rites.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalD

The fit student vs the unfit studentapproach

───→here1.7───→2.39So far for the seeker of the real; now hear yoga.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalE

Ignorance is the only enemyapproach

───→here1.7───→2.69Wisdom rises; ignorance fades like dawn-darkness.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalG

After knowing, act only to hold the worldapproach

───→here1.7───→3.20Janaka acted only to hold the world together.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalJ

Scripture stands behind every claimapproach

───→here1.7───→2.10Pāṇḍitya is knowing the Self — Bṛhadāraṇyaka.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalK

Liberation while still embodiedapproach

───→here1.7───→2.72Standing in this state, one reaches Brahman..

ĀnandagiriclassicalB

Three hexads = tat tvam asiapproach

───→here1.7───→2.1First hexad opens, tvam-pada implicit.

ĀnandagiriclassicalC

Adhikāra: seeker vs. fulfilledapproach

───→here1.7───→2.47Primary fitness needs ripened conditions.

ĀnandagiriclassicalD

Praśna-bīja chapter openingsapproach

───→here1.7───→3.1Buddhi-vyākulatva named the seed.

ĀnandagiriclassicalF

Which karma? — fourfold typologyapproach

───→here1.7───→2.47No-fruit ≠ no-karma: kāmya-tyāga ≠ nitya-tyāga.

ĀnandagiriclassicalG

Anūdyate, na vidhīyateapproach

───→here1.7───→2.55A description, not a command. Anchor.

ĀnandagiriclassicalH

Phala-saṃkalpa is the only upādhiapproach

───→here1.7───→2.47Action stays; the wish for fruit goes.

ĀnandagiriclassicalK

Upasaṃhāra — recap as instrumentapproach

───→here1.7───→2.39Wisdom section wound up here.

JayatīrthaclassicalA

Body and embodied — the inference runs on the dehī sideapproach

───→here1.7───→2.13Same I as a child is now in this body.

JayatīrthaclassicalB

Pañcabheda — the five distinctions enforced verse by verseapproach

───→here1.7───→2.12Plurals block monistic absorption.

JayatīrthaclassicalC

Refuting Śaṅkara-style readings, named or unnamedapproach

───→here1.7───→2.13One-self-many-bodies runs out of grammar.

JayatīrthaclassicalD

Saṅgati declared at the head of every adhyāyaapproach

───→here1.7───→2.39Wrap prior section, then announce next.

JayatīrthaclassicalE

Vishnu-sarvottamatva read into apparently neutral wordsapproach

───→here1.7───→3.15Brahmodbhavam — born of parabrahman.

JayatīrthaclassicalG

Citation as proof — śruti, smṛti, MB, Aṣṭādhyāyī, Pañcarātraapproach

───→here1.7───→2.13Pratyabhijñā backed by śruti citation.

JayatīrthaclassicalH

Pūrva-pakṣa explicit — nanu / iti cet / ity ata āhaapproach

───→here1.7───→2.13Two objections, three pādas glossed.

JayatīrthaclassicalI

Lakṣaṇā-control — literal preferred when availableapproach

───→here1.7───→2.13Recognition is literal across bodies.

JayatīrthaclassicalJ

Reading the silence — iti śeṣaḥ and iti bhāvaḥapproach

───→here1.7───→2.11Madhva first speaks, Jayatīrtha supplies.

MadhusūdanaclassicalK

Arjuna's grief has two roots, not onebetween

1.1Discrimination overrun by grief and confusion.───→here1.7───→2.1Pity and despair treated as guests, not host.

Madhusūdanaclassicalmadhusudan_bhagavad_arpana

Madhusudan Bhagavad Arpanaapproach · other

───→here1.7───→2.47Fruit-free action cannot bind

Gauravmoderncivilizational_air_conditioning

Civilizational Air Conditioningapproach

───→here1.7───→2.62'Dhyayato vishayan pumsah sangas teshupajayate, sangat sanjayate kamah.' The out

Gauravmoderneminem_dsm_arjuna

Eminem Dsm Arjunaapproach

───→here1.7───→1.28Arjuna at the edge: 'Drishtvemam svajanam Krishna yuyutsum samupasthitam, sidant

Gauravmodernheart_leadership

Heart Leadershipapproach

───→here1.7───→2.48'Yoga-sthah kuru karmani sangam tyaktva Dhananjaya, siddhy-asiddhyoh samo bhutva

Gauravmodernkarma_yoga_hand

Karma Yoga Handapproach

───→here1.7───→2.47Middle finger. Nishkama karma plus the failure-gym. 'Karmany evadhikaras te, ma

Gauravmodernmemorial_pastoral

Memorial Pastoralapproach

───→here1.7───→2.13The memorial-register anchor. 'Dehino'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara, ta

Gauravmodernsanatana_dharma_101

Sanatana Dharma 101approach

───→here1.7───→2.13Reincarnation pillar. 'Dehino'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara, tatha deha

Gauravmodernthree_yogas_braid

Three Yogas Braidapproach

───→here1.7───→3.3'Loke'smin dvi-vidha nishtha pura prokta mayanagha, jnana-yogena samkhyanam karm

Gauravmodernwitness_self_neti_neti

Witness Self Neti Netiapproach

───→here1.7───→2.13Body changes. 'Dehino'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara.' Gaurav opens the

MadhusūdanaclassicalA

Three groups of six: you, the Lord, the joiningapproach

───→here1.7───→3.1The whole map laid out at chapter three's door.

MadhusūdanaclassicalB

Different students need different teachingsapproach

───→here1.7───→2.39Two minds, two paths, never one rule for all.

MadhusūdanaclassicalC

Action purifies before knowing can landapproach

───→here1.7───→2.39Pure mind for knowing, impure mind for acting.

MadhusūdanaclassicalD

Offer the act to the Lord and it stops bindingapproach

───→here1.7───→2.47Action offered, fruit-free, cannot bear bondage.

MadhusūdanaclassicalG

Knowing and acting cannot run togetherapproach

───→here1.7───→2.39Like light and dark, they cannot share a place.

MadhusūdanaclassicalI

Liberation while alive — the body finishes its runapproach

───→here1.7───→3.1The architecture ends in living-liberation, then bodily.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalJ

Sañjaya's frame — evidentiary, not ornamentalbetween

1.2Dṛṣṭvā tu — Sañjaya speaks to be heard later.───→here1.7───→11.50Sañjaya names the viśva-rūpa as witness.

VallabhaclassicalJ

Strategic silence — pointers, not absencesbetween

1.1See Viṭṭhaleśa's hand for chapter one's gloss.───→here1.7───→1.31The despondency catalogue goes to Viṭṭhaleśa.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalA

The carama-śloka as retroactive bracketapproach

───→here1.7───→2.10The teaching opens at the carama-bracket.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalC

Antaryāmin — the indweller as standing referentapproach

───→here1.7───→3.30'Mayi sarvāṇi karmāṇi': read as antaryāmin.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalE

Pūrva-pakṣa — name the rival, close the doorapproach

───→here1.7───→2.12Plurals refute the unitary-self read.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalF

Saṅgati — anticipation-and-resolutionapproach

───→here1.7───→2.39What chapter 3 will resolve, named here.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalG

Three yogas — three angles on one configurationapproach

───→here1.7───→2.39Sāṅkhya and yoga: not two roads.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalH

Mā śucaḥ — the inclusio of evolving griefapproach

───→here1.7───→2.10Krishna smiles before the first mā-śucaḥ.

VallabhaclassicalC

Drop the doer, not the deedapproach

───→here1.7───→3.1Drop something inside the act, not the act.

VallabhaclassicalD

Chapter-opening preludesapproach

───→here1.7───→2.1Six-verse prelude lays out the whole map.

VallabhaclassicalE

Three paths, one teaching orderapproach

───→here1.7───→2.39The yoga-mind is just the sāṅkhya-mind, retold.

VallabhaclassicalF

Soul as part of the highest Personapproach

───→here1.7───→2.12The eternal among the eternal, conscious among the conscious.

VallabhaclassicalH

Stilling the mind — into the Lordapproach

───→here1.7───→2.48Yoga itself is just sameness of mind.

VallabhaclassicalI

A closed three-source citation gridapproach

───→here1.7───→2.11Vallabha quotes his own Nibandha at verse two.

ŚrīdharaclassicalA

The Gītā as raft across griefbetween

1.1A raft of teaching crosses the grief-sea.───→here1.7───→2.7I am sunk in pity; ask, do not order.

ŚrīdharaclassicalB

The Lord descends out of compassionbetween

1.1The first epithet: supremely compassionate.───→here1.7───→4.7When right wanes, I take a body.

ŚrīdharaclassicalE

Inner cleansing reconciles work and knowingapproach

───→here1.7───→2.39Work polishes the inner instrument first.

ŚrīdharaclassicalF

The Lord inside as inner rulerapproach

───→here1.7───→3.30Lay every act in Me; I move within.

AbhinavaguptaclassicalA

Knowing and acting are one powerapproach

───→here1.7───→2.24The self is one unbroken awareness.

AbhinavaguptaclassicalF

Three guṇas: contractions of one consciousnessapproach

───→here1.7───→2.45Exit the modes — not better modes are the goal.

AbhinavaguptaclassicalG

Saṃvit: one referent under many namesapproach

───→here1.7───→2.20Cit alone — the self cannot be destroyed.

RāmānujaclassicalB

The śāstra is one bracket (2.12 → 18.66)approach

───→here1.7───→2.10Bracket opens here.

RāmānujaclassicalD

Karma-yoga as kainkarya (worship)approach

───→here1.7───→2.47Act, but not for the fruit of acting.

Śabda · lemmas (13 unique · 15 occurrences)

निबोध ni-√budh — (ni- + budh: to wake) · present imperative 2nd person singular verb · also at 18.13, 18.50
सैन्यस्य sainya — army (from senā) · genitive neuter singular noun
ब्रवीमि √brū — to speak, say (verbal root) · present indicative 1st person singular verb

show all 13

अस्माकम्·मम mad ×2 — I, me (1st person pronoun stem); also: to rejoice (verbal root) · genitive plural noun / genitive singular noun
तान् tad ×2 — that (distal demonstrative); also 3rd-person pronoun · accusative masculine plural noun
तु tu — but, on the other hand (particle)
विशिष्टाः vi-√śiṣ — to distinguish, mark out (vi- + √śiṣ) · nominative masculine plural participle noun
ये yad — which, who (relative pronoun) · nominative masculine plural noun
द्विजोत्तम dvijottama — best of the twice-born, brāhmaṇa (dvija + uttama) · vocative masculine singular noun
नायकाः nāyaka — leader, chief (from √nī) · nominative masculine plural noun
संज्ञा saṃjñā — name, designation, consciousness (sam- + √jñā) · compound
अर्थम् artha — meaning, purpose, wealth, goal · accusative masculine singular noun
ते tvad — you (2nd person pronoun stem) · dative singular noun

Praśna · so what (7)

01Duryodhana opens his catalogue with 'on our side' (asmākam tu) — what does the structure of self/other enumeration at the moment of battle reveal about how leaders construct identity and justify war?
02Madhusūdana shows tu masking inner fear with outward bravado; how often does confident strategic enumeration serve as a psychological defense against acknowledged weakness, and what does recognising this reveal about decision-making under pressure?

show all 7

03Śrīdhara's gloss saṃjñārtham = samyagjñānārtham ('complete, accurate knowledge') sets a high bar for situational briefing; when does a leader's intelligence summary actually constitute samyagjñāna rather than selective framing?
04Duryodhana addresses Droṇa as dvijottama ('best of twice-borns') — Madhusūdana reads it as flattery with an embedded slight; how does the practice of honoring someone's identity category while instrumentalizing their expertise play out in contemporary professional and institutional contexts?
05Rāmānuja embeds this verse in a continuous arc of despondency-then-action (viṣāda before the teachers, then Bhīṣma's roar, then Arjuna's request); does the sequence suggest that authentic action must pass through acknowledged anxiety, not suppress it?
06Madhva insists each named warrior is an irreducibly distinct jīva; what is lost — practically and ethically — when commanders or team members are treated as interchangeable units rather than distinct persons in specific relationships?
07Vallabha frames the entire catalogue as Kṛṣṇa's līlā; what shifts in a leader's relationship to planning and outcome if the act of naming, counting, and preparing is itself understood as participation in a drama whose resolution is already held by a larger intelligence?

Vyavahāra · try it in your life

Advaita

Notice the next time you compile a 'our team vs. their team' inventory before a negotiation or performance review. Advaita asks: who is doing the counting, and what is being defended? Before you enumerate your side's strengths, sit for one minute with the question of whether the 'our side' (asmākam) boundary is as fixed as it feels. The practice is not to abandon strategy but to hold it lightly, recognising the one who catalogues as a temporary role rather than a permanent self.

Viśiṣṭādvaita

Rāmānuja sees every named warrior as a mode of Bhagavān's body. In your own team or household, practice recognising each person not merely by their function (nāyaka — leader, executor) but as a node of the divine whole. When you brief a colleague on 'who's who' in a project — your own saṃjñārtham moment — include what is irreplaceable about each person, not only their role. The Viśiṣṭādvaita discipline is: accountability to the whole through scrupulous attention to each part.

show all 6

Dvaita

Madhva insists on genuine, permanent distinction among jīvas. The practical corollary: when leading a team, resist the managerial habit of treating people as fungible. Each person on your 'roster' has a svarūpa — an essential nature and a particular relationship to the organisation's mission — that is not transferable. Duryodhana names specific warriors; the Dvaita discipline is to know why each specific person is indispensable, not just that you have the headcount.

Śuddhādvaita

Vallabha reads even Duryodhana's anxious mustering as part of Kṛṣṇa's drama. When you find yourself in a stressful briefing — listing resources, identifying gaps, naming who can be counted on — experiment with holding the entire scene as prasāda (grace in motion): the anxiety is real, the preparation is real, and yet the outcome is held by something beyond your catalogue. This is not passivity; it is the difference between planning as grasping and planning as offering.

Bhakti

Śrīdhara's gloss is a precision instrument: nibodha = budhyasva means 'genuinely attend, hold it as known.' Before your next important communication — a briefing, a handoff, a conversation about roles — ask: am I creating samyagjñāna (complete, accurate knowledge) or a partial picture? Śrīdhara's standard is that the listener should come away with an unambiguous map, not a strategic impression. Draft your key points, then test: could a smart outsider reconstruct the full situation from what I said?

Advaita-Bhakti

Madhusūdana reads Duryodhana's bold catalogue as concealment of fear (antarotpannam api bhayam tirodhānam). The practice he implies: when you catch yourself performing confidence in a briefing or presentation, stop and ask whether the bravado is serving clarity or suppressing an important signal. The healthier move — which Duryodhana could not make but Arjuna eventually does — is to name the fear explicitly to the right person (your Droṇa, your trusted advisor), rather than encoding it as flattery and strategic numbering.

Adhiṣṭhāna · substrate signature

substratev2.6-frozen

parserByT5-Sanskrit-multitask (Nehrdich/Hellwig/Keutzer EMNLP 2024)

mūlaBelvalkar critical edition (BORI 1947), via Ambuda multi-witness

show all metadata

weightsa=1 · b=0.01 · e_v=0.005 · z=0.2 · h=0 · th=0.01

anchorfit on Ramsukhdas's Sādhak Sañjīvanī (1980), frozen across the eight-commentator panel; cross-validated R@4 = 71.6% on Śaṅkara

extracted2026-04-21

methodPaper 1, Section II.B

↓ view raw per-verse object (JSON)↗ per-verse-object schema ↗ substrate code (MIT) + data (CC-BY 4.0)

The schema generalizes to any bounded-polysemy corpus with discrete primary text units, attested witness traditions, identifiable schools, and formal substrate. Port the per-verse object; refit weights on a domain-appropriate Layer-3 anchor; ship.

Bhagavad Gītā Chapter 1, Verse 7: Arjuna to Krishna — Arjuna-Viṣāda-Yoga