Bhagavad Gita · Arjuna Vishada Yoga — The Yoga of Arjuna's Dejection
Chapter 1, Verse 47
सञ्जय उवाच। एवमुक्त्वार्जुनः सङ्ख्ये रथोपस्थ उपाविशत्। विसृज्य सशरं चापं शोकसंविग्नमानसः॥
sañjaya uvāca evam uktvārjunaḥ saṅkhye rathopastha upāviśat visṛjya sa-śaraṁ cāpaṁ śoka-saṁvigna-mānasaḥ
Meaning
Sanjaya said: Having spoken thus on the battlefield, Arjuna cast aside his bow and arrows and sank down onto the seat of his chariot, his mind overwhelmed with grief.
संजय ने कहा: युद्धभूमि में ऐसा कहकर अर्जुन धनुष और बाणों को त्यागकर, शोक से व्याकुल मन के साथ, रथ के आसन पर बैठ गए।
Explanation
This is the closing verse of Chapter 1, and it marks the emotional low point that the entire rest of the Gita responds to. Arjuna, moments earlier a confident warrior ready for battle, is now so overcome by grief and moral confusion — at the prospect of fighting his own relatives, teachers, and friends arrayed on the opposing side — that he physically collapses, setting down his weapons entirely. Everything that follows in Chapters 2 through 18 is Krishna's response to this exact moment of collapse. Without this verse, the philosophical teaching that makes up the rest of the text would have no dramatic or emotional grounding.
Life Lesson
This verse is a reminder that profound teaching often begins not from confidence or clarity, but from genuine crisis — the willingness to admit "I don't know what to do" is frequently what opens the door to real guidance, rather than something to be ashamed of or rushed past.
Context
The final verse of Chapter 1, narrated by Sanjaya to the blind king Dhritarashtra. It closes the chapter that began with [Chapter 1, Verse 1](/bhagavad-gita/chapter-1/verse-1/) and directly sets up Krishna's teaching, which begins in [Chapter 2](/bhagavad-gita/chapter-2/).
Why this verse matters
This verse is the hinge of the entire text — the moment of complete breakdown that the Gita’s eighteen chapters of teaching exist to address. Reading it alongside 1.1 gives the full arc of Chapter 1: from a king’s anxious question to his warrior-son’s total collapse.
Related verses
Directly followed by Krishna’s response beginning in Chapter 2, which opens with Krishna questioning Arjuna’s despair before offering the philosophical teaching that follows.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Bhagavad Gita 1.47 mean?
Sanjaya said: Having spoken thus on the battlefield, Arjuna cast aside his bow and arrows and sank down onto the seat of his chariot, his mind overwhelmed with grief.
What is the life lesson of this verse?
This verse is a reminder that profound teaching often begins not from confidence or clarity, but from genuine crisis — the willingness to admit "I don't know what to do" is frequently what opens the door to real guidance, rather than something to be ashamed of or rushed past.
What is the context of this verse?
The final verse of Chapter 1, narrated by Sanjaya to the blind king Dhritarashtra. It closes the chapter that began with [Chapter 1, Verse 1](/bhagavad-gita/chapter-1/verse-1/) and directly sets up Krishna's teaching, which begins in [Chapter 2](/bhagavad-gita/chapter-2/).