ധര്മ്മക്ഷേത്രേ കുരുക്ഷേത്രേ സമവേതാ യുയുത്സവഃ മാമകാഃ പാണ്ഡവാശ്ചൈവ കിമകുര്വ്വത സഞ്ജയ
dhṛtarāśhtra uvācha dharma-kṣhetre kuru-kṣhetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāśh chaiva kim akurvata sañjaya
English Translation
Dhritarashtra said: O Sanjaya, assembled on the holy field of Kurukshetra and desiring to fight, what did my sons and the sons of Pandu do?
Explanation · English
The Gita opens with the blind king Dhritarashtra asking his secretary Sanjaya about the battle. The word "dharma-kṣhetre" (field of dharma) is significant — Kurukshetra is not just a battlefield but a place of righteousness. By calling it "dharma-kshetra," the text foreshadows that the outcome will favor dharma. The king's anxiety is revealed by "māmakāḥ" (my sons) vs "pāṇḍavāḥ" (sons of Pandu) — he separates them, showing his bias.