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Bhagavad Gita 1.1 — Dharma-kshetre Kuru-kshetre

Bhagavad Gita 1.1 — Dharma-kshetre Kuru-kshetre in English · English

🕉️ hindu·📿 1× repetitions·🕐 At the start of Bhagavad Gita study or recitation, in the early morning during daily worship·📜 Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1, Verse 1

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀEnglishසිංහල 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

✦ Meaning

This is the very first verse of the Bhagavad Gita, spoken by the blind king Dhritarashtra to his charioteer-minister Sanjaya. He asks what his own sons (the Kauravas) and the sons of Pandu (the Pandavas) did after assembling, eager for war, on the sacred battlefield of Kurukshetra. The opening words 'dharma-kshetre kuru-kshetre' set the stage for the entire dialogue, framing the war as a struggle on the field of righteousness.

Origin & Story

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1, Verse 1 · Sage Veda Vyasa (Mahabharata, Bhishma Parva) · Ancient (text compiled c. 5th–2nd century BCE)

The Bhagavad Gita opens in the first chapter, Arjuna Vishada Yoga. As the great war is about to begin, the blind king Dhritarashtra, unable to see the battlefield himself, asks his charioteer Sanjaya — gifted with clairvoyant vision by Vyasa — to narrate the events at Kurukshetra. His very first words become the opening of the entire Gita.

✦ As told in scripture

Tradition holds that the Gita begins and ends on the field of dharma, and that even uttering its first verse with devotion at the start of a recitation purifies the listener and invites the grace of the whole scripture into one's life.

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The Mantra

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dhṛitarāśhtra uvācha dharma-kṣhetre kuru-kṣhetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāśhchaiva kimakurvata sañjaya

Meaning:Dhritarashtra said: O Sanjaya, what did my sons and the sons of Pandu do when, eager to fight, they had assembled together on the holy field of Kurukshetra, the field of dharma?

Word-by-Word Meaning

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dhṛitarāśhtraḥ uvācha🔊Dhritarashtra said

dharma-kṣhetre🔊the land of dharma

kuru-kṣhetre🔊at Kurukshetra

samavetāḥ🔊having gathered

yuyutsavaḥ🔊desiring to fight

māmakāḥ🔊my sons

pāṇḍavāḥ🔊the sons of Pandu

cha🔊and

eva🔊certainly

kim🔊what

akurvata🔊did they do

sañjaya🔊O Sanjaya

Benefits of Chanting Bhagavad Gita 1.1 — Dharma-kshetre Kuru-kshetre

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Marks the auspicious beginning of the Bhagavad Gita — reciting it invokes the whole scripture

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Reminds the seeker that life itself is a 'field of dharma' where choices must be made

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Sets a contemplative mood for studying or chanting the entire Gita

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Traditionally recited at the start of Gita Parayana (complete recitation)

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Cultivates reverence for the timeless dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna

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Encourages reflection on duty, righteousness and the battles within the human heart

How to Chant Bhagavad Gita 1.1 — Dharma-kshetre Kuru-kshetre

Repetitions1times

Best TimeAt the start of Bhagavad Gita study or recitation, in the early morning during daily worship

This verse is most often recited as the opening of a Gita Parayana or daily Gita study. Begin with the Gita Dhyanam if you wish, then chant this first verse with reverence, visualising the battlefield of Kurukshetra as the field of dharma. Reflect on how every day presents its own 'Kurukshetra' of choices, and let this verse settle the mind before continuing with the chapter.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete Bhagavad Gita 1.1 — Dharma-kshetre Kuru-kshetre written in the English script — the same Sanskrit/Hindi verses, transliterated character-by-character so you can read and chant comfortably. Tap any line (or the ▶ button) to hear it recited aloud.

Yes — only the script changes; the words and their meaning are the original. The verse-by-verse meaning, benefits and how-to-chant guidance on this page apply exactly the same.

The blind king Dhritarashtra speaks the opening verse. He asks his minister Sanjaya, who has been granted divine sight by Veda Vyasa, to describe what is happening on the battlefield of Kurukshetra between his sons (the Kauravas) and the Pandavas.

Kurukshetra is called the 'field of dharma' because it was a sacred land of pilgrimage and because the battle fought there was, at its heart, a struggle for righteousness. Commentators also note that being on holy ground would naturally awaken dharma even in those inclined to adharma.

Beginning with Dhritarashtra's anxious question immediately reveals his attachment to his own sons ('my sons' versus 'the sons of Pandu'). This subtle partiality frames the moral tension of the epic and draws the listener into the unfolding dialogue that becomes the Gita.

Yes. As the opening verse, it sets the entire scene and is traditionally recited at the beginning of any complete reading of the Gita. It establishes the setting of Kurukshetra and the relationship between the speakers before Krishna's teaching begins.