Before the war Vyasa Deva came, who was grandfather of Kaurava and Pandavas.

Dhritarashtra told Vyasa Deva, he doesn’t want war, and at the same time he cannot control his
son. Vyasa deva proposed to bless him with the vision to see. But Dhritarashtra denied. He said,
“I have not seen my sons and now I don’t want to see them dying.” So Sanjay, his secretary, got
the vision. So the vision conferred upon Sanjaya, enabled him to see not just one part of the
battlefield, but he could see everything and everywhere in the battlefield which is a remarkable
aspect of his vision.

Dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca, dhṛtarāṣṭra speaks, what does he says?

The Gita begins with Dhritarashtra not just for narrative purposes, but also for instructive
purposes:-

1. not an isolated philosophical discussion; it is an integral part of the massive epic Mahabharata.

2. to illustrate the mentality that can make us unreceptive to its message

dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre at the place of dharma

Dharma is something which is transcendental which is our very eternal nature. As Dharma of fire is heat
and light, and of water is liquidity, it is a set of activities which takes us to our spiritual nature. Since we
as souls are transcendental; our dharma is also transcendental. So Dharma is not religion, dharma is our
essential nature which is to love and serve (GOD – Krishna). It remains the same; even if we are Hindus,
Muslims, Christians or non-believers.

So knowledge of Dharma that was about to manifest at Kuru-ksetra and the place of delivery will
gain far greater fame, now with respect to its past fame because knowledge of Dharma will be
spoken over there. Kshetra is a place for cultivation like rice, wheat etc. Similarly Dharma
Khetra is a place or field where Dharma is cultivated. In a rice field, rice is cultivated, and if
other things grow it will be weeded out. Similarly in Dharma Kshetra what will be cultivated is
Dharma and Adharmic is like the weeds which in due course will be uprooted and thrown away.

which was the sacred place? Kuru-kṣetre, it is the place where battle was going to take
place.

Kurukshetra is referred in many scriptures as a dharma kshetra

Great sages performed austerities there.

Kings performed sacrifices there in the past.

So knowledge of Dharma that was about to manifest at Kuru-ksetra and the place of delivery will
gain far greater fame, now with respect to its past fame because knowledge of Dharma will be
spoken over there.
samavetā yuyutsavaḥ, samavetā – assembled, yuyutsavaḥ – to fight

With the troops assembled for fighting

māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva, māmakāḥ – my sons and pāṇḍavas.

 Biased view
 more undesirable: unworthy of a person who is in the king’s position
 excessive bodily attachment that too when Pandavas were so much respectful towards him and
on the other hand Duryodhana was always manipulating him.

 he failed to see all descendants of Kuru dynasty as one family.

kim akurvata sañjaya

“what happened? Sanjaya?”

So this verse essentially states:

“At the holy place Kuruksetra with the troops assembled for fighting mine and pandavas
son what did they do, Sanjaya?”

Dhritarashtra asked, Kim Akurvat BG 1.1 what happened, after both the sides assembled for
fighting? It is logical that, when everyone sat for prasadam what would have happened. it is
obvious everyone would have honored the prasadam. But, Dritharasthra was doubtful. Because
Kurukshetra was a dharma kshetra and its effect could have caused different results. Ex: the
atmosphere of the temple has an effect on its visitors. Visitors may not be attracted towards
deity, but they feel there is some mystic power which is calming, healing, energizing. Ultimately,
it is the presence of God directly or invoked by great sages, that engenders veneration for the
divine in their hearts. So certain areas in this world, where the Lord’s presence is invoked or His
direct presence is there, are considered to be holy places. So they have gone for eating, but there
are factors over there which may change the expected course of action. So Dhritarashtra is
suspecting a similar sabotage of the action and that sabotaging can happen because the battlefield
is on dharma –ksetra. If the personal presence of the person who makes all places holy that is
Krishna, that person’s personal presence and persuasion didn’t change Duryodhana’s heart, then
it was very likely for the change of his heart, just going to a holy place like Kurukshetra. ,
Arjuna’s consciousness was affected,not Duryodhana’s. Overwhelmed by emotions Arjuna
refused to fight. As a result, Bhagavad Gita was spoken.

Denying the inevitable –Pandavas will win Desiring the impossible-Kauravas should win
Influence of Dharmakshetra Kauravas had much more forces on their side,
than the pandavas
Son’s being sinful will be destroyed somehow the Kauravas will win, and he will
remain as the king.
 He had the desire, “though, I could not become
the king, at least my son become the king.”

Dhritarashtra’s blindness

 Physical
 his greed for the kingdom and envy toward the Pandavas blinded him
 couldn’t see any good in the Pandavas or even any good in Krishna, the all-benevolent Divine
 stayed blind to his own self-interest when Krishna personally came to him, offering peace on
the most accommodating of terms
 he couldn’t see that the Krishna factor would decisively disrupt all his elaborate material
calculations

Attachment towards impious son:-Externally Dhritarashtra was saying, “I don’t want the
war,but at the same time I can’t convince my son.” Politically: Dhritarashtra was the king and
if he would have wanted he could have stopped Duryodhana. Because they have power but
when they are attached to someone or something they cannot make right decisions. They just
cannot figure out what is right and what is wrong. And whatever they are attached to, whatever
is pleasing to that person, they will be attached to that.

Attachment towards throne:- Dhritarashtra externally pretends his helpless state to stop
Duryodhana, and at the same time internally he had the desire, “though, I could not become
the king, at least my son become the king.”

LESSONS LEARNT

ATTACHMENT CAN MAKE POWERFUL POWERLESS