Gita 01.25 What Catches Our Attention Is Determined By What Is Prominent In Our External Situation
bhīṣma-droṇa-pramukhataḥ
sarveṣāṁ ca mahī-kṣitām
uvāca pārtha paśyaitān
samavetān kurūn iti
Word-for-word:
bhīṣma — Grandfather Bhīṣma; droṇa — the teacher Droṇa; pramukhataḥ — in front of; sarveṣām — all; ca — also; mahī-kṣitām — chiefs of the world; uvāca — said; pārtha — O son of Pṛthā; paśya — just behold; etān — all of them; samavetān — assembled; kurūn — the members of the Kuru dynasty; iti — thus.
Translation:
In the presence of Bhīṣma, Droṇa and all the other chieftains of the world, the Lord said, “Just behold, Pārtha, all the Kurus assembled here.”
Explanation:
This verse describes what Kṛṣṇa did. As per Arjuna’s request, Kṛṣṇa placed the chariot between the two armies. From that strategic position, Arjuna beheld both armies.
“Bhīṣma-droṇa-pramukhataḥ”: Arjuna saw Bhīṣma and Droṇa primarily among the opposing warriors—they were chief.
“Sarveṣāṁ ca mahī-kṣitām”: All of them were rulers of the earth—kings.
“Uvāca pārtha paśyaitān”: Kṛṣṇa spoke these alliterative words, both beginning and ending with “pa” and “a” (pārtha paśyaitān). “O Pārtha (Arjuna), see all these warriors.”
“Samavetān kurūn iti”: “Here are all the Kurus assembled.”
Arjuna had said, “I want to see who all are assembled on this battlefield to fight against me.” In response, Kṛṣṇa takes Arjuna to the middle and points out, “Here they are!”
When Kṛṣṇa says “Bhīṣma-droṇa-pramukhataḥ,” it’s clear that Arjuna wasn’t seeking to discover new faces on the battlefield. Rather, his purpose was simply to review those he already knew were present and to assess the level of bellicosity and hostility among them.
Our vision is often directed by our disposition, whether it stems from affection or aversion. In a crowd, if there is someone we are averse to or angry with, we will notice them immediately. Even if we act as though we haven’t seen them and turn away, our consciousness will be dominated by thoughts of that person. Conversely, if there is someone we are affectionate toward, our eyes will instinctively seek them out.
For example, when we step out of an airport and have a loved one waiting for us, though there may be scores of people around, our gaze will go straight to the person we’re eager to see. That’s the person our eyes will naturally gravitate toward. Similarly, here, Arjuna’s eyes naturally focused chiefly on Bhīṣma and Droṇa. He saw that they were the most prominent among the opponents.
Arjuna had no great aversion towards Duryodhana. While there was no love lost between the two sets of cousins—and Duryodhana had treated them unfairly for so long—the Pāṇḍavas had very little affection left for him. But whatever negative feelings they had towards Duryodhana were not as strong as the positive feelings they had for Bhīṣma and Droṇa.
For Arjuna, in particular, both Bhīṣma and Droṇa had trained him in archery. Bhīṣma had instructed him in warfare in his early years—and Droṇa, especially, had made Arjuna his favorite student, revealing all his secrets to him. Arjuna too had developed a special affection for his teacher.
Thus, Arjuna’s vision naturally went to Bhīṣma and Droṇa. He saw them prominently placed among the opponents’ ranks because they were indeed the most significant leaders. They were the commanders of the Kaurava army for more than one-fifth of the war—Bhīṣma for ten days and Droṇa for five days.
Thus, Bhīṣma and Droṇa held a prominent position not only in the Kaurava army but also in Arjuna’s mind, due to his affection for them. In this sense, their prominence was double-fold. When Kṛṣṇa placed the chariot between the two armies, he did so with care. Given the vast distance over which the armies were arrayed, Kṛṣṇa ensured that the chariot was positioned where everyone, especially Bhīṣma and Droṇa, could be seen. This arrangement by Kṛṣṇa set the stage for Arjuna’s impending bewilderment.
In general, the overall principle we can learn here is that our vision reflects not only what is prominent in the external situation but also what is prominent in our inner disposition. Sometimes both align, but even when only one is present, the cumulative effect is noticeable. As previously stated, if we are attached to or averse to someone, they will appear prominent in our vision. Sometimes, a person may be so visibly prominent that it’s almost impossible to miss them. When both internal disposition and external prominence align, our vision locks onto that person, and they become the sole focus of our attention. This is exactly what happened to Arjuna.
Thank you.
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