Dhritarashtra knows which two sides are fighting in the battle. He’s not hesitant in showing on whose side he is. But, his question to Sanjaya exhibits his true inner state- fear as a result of attachment.

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca
dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre
samavetā yuyutsavaḥ
māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva
kim akurvata sañjaya

Dhrtarastra said: Sañjaya, gathered on the holy land of Kurukshetra, eager to fight, what did my sons and the sons of Pandu do?
(BG 1.1)

A straightforward question one might say. Dhritarashtra inquires about the battlefield and what happened to his sons. It seems like a logical question. But, then there are so many layers to this question and thus this is one of the many significant verses in Gita.

A few things we see in Dhritarashtra are that first, he is partial to his sons.

Second, he’s uncertain about the future and the way of his questions Sanjaya shows his fear and insecurities.

Last, he has an unrealistic expection that his sons will emerge victorious even though he knows Krishna is on the side of Pandavas.

Like the blind king, Dhritarashtra, we all exhibit these traits in our day-to-day life.

• We’re all blind to our own fears and insecurities

• Our attachments to our family, friends and things cause us anxiety, fear and suffering

• Unrealistic expectations lead to unhappiness and yet we do nothing about it

Living the Verse

Which attachments are causing you anxiety, fear, and suffering?

In closing,

It’s a common saying that Gita opens up for those who approach it with humbleness and surrender, just like Arjuna’s inner state at the beginning of the battle.

But the first verse becomes a mirror for us and takes us through our inner situation before we can truly surrender.

---

Until the next letter, next akshara. Shri Krishnaarpanamastu.