Bhagavad Gita 1.28 — Kripaya Paraya Avishto
श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता १.२८ — कृपया परयाऽऽविष्टो
Also known as: kripaya parayavishto · drishtvemam svajanam krishna · bhagavad gita 1.28 · gita 1 28 · arjuna overcome with compassion · vishidann idam abravit
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✦ Meaning
This verse introduces Arjuna's lament. Filled with profound compassion and overcome by sorrow at the sight of his own kinsmen assembled, eager for war, Arjuna begins to speak to Krishna. It opens the long outpouring of grief in which Arjuna voices his anguish at the prospect of fighting his relatives — the despondency that becomes the occasion for the entire teaching of the Gita.
Origin & Story
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1, Verse 28 · Sage Veda Vyasa (Mahabharata, Bhishma Parva) · Ancient (text compiled c. 5th–2nd century BCE)
In the first chapter, Arjuna Vishada Yoga, after surveying both armies and recognising his kinsmen, Arjuna is overwhelmed with compassion and grief. Sanjaya narrates to Dhritarashtra how Arjuna, sorrowing, began to address Krishna — the start of the lament that prompts the Lord's teaching of the Bhagavad Gita.
✦ As told in scripture
Sages observe that the Lord chose to reveal the Gita to Arjuna precisely because his heart was so full of compassion, teaching that divine wisdom flows most readily into a heart softened by love, once that love is joined to right understanding.
The Mantra
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अर्जुन उवाच कृपया परयाऽऽविष्टो विषीदन्निदमब्रवीत्। दृष्ट्वेमं स्वजनं कृष्ण युयुत्सुं समुपस्थितम्॥
arjuna uvācha dṛiṣhṭvemaṁ sva-janaṁ kṛiṣhṇa yuyutsuṁ samupasthitam
Meaning:Sanjaya said: Overcome with deep compassion and sorrowing, Arjuna spoke these words: O Krishna, seeing my own kinsmen present here, eager to fight...
Word-by-Word Meaning
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Benefits of Chanting Bhagavad Gita 1.28 — Kripaya Paraya Avishto
Reveals Arjuna's tender, compassionate heart that makes him fit for the teaching
Reminds the seeker that compassion, though noble, must be guided by wisdom
Marks the beginning of Arjuna's heartfelt appeal to the Lord
Illustrates how sorrow can arise from attachment to one's own people
Sets the stage for Krishna's response that transforms grief into knowledge
Encourages bringing one's anguish honestly before the Divine
How to Chant Bhagavad Gita 1.28 — Kripaya Paraya Avishto
Recite this verse while studying Chapter 1, sensing the compassion and sorrow that overwhelm Arjuna as he begins to speak to Krishna. Reflect on how genuine tenderness of heart, when not yet illumined by wisdom, can become confusion. Let it lead you into the verses that follow and ultimately into Chapter 2, where the Lord answers Arjuna's grief with liberating knowledge.
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