Devanagari
अर्जुन उवाच
सेनयोरुभयोर्मध्ये रथं स्थापय मेऽच्युत ।
यावदेतान्निरीक्षेऽहं योद्धुकामानवस्थितान् ॥ २१ ॥
कैर्मया सह योद्धव्यमस्मिन्रणसमुद्यमे ॥ २२ ॥
Verse text
arjuna uvāca
senayor ubhayor madhye
rathaṁ sthāpaya me ’cyuta
yāvad etān nirīkṣe ’haṁ
yoddhu-kāmān avasthitān
kair mayā saha yoddhavyam
asmin raṇa-samudyame
Synonyms
arjunaḥ uvāca
—
Arjuna said
;
senayoḥ
—
of the armies
;
ubhayoḥ
—
both
;
madhye
—
between
;
ratham
—
the chariot
;
sthāpaya
—
please keep
;
me
—
my
;
acyuta
—
O infallible one
;
yāvat
—
as long as
;
etān
—
all these
;
nirīkṣe
—
may look upon
;
aham
—
I
;
yoddhu-kāmān
—
desiring to fight
;
avasthitān
—
arrayed on the battlefield
;
kaiḥ
—
with whom
;
mayā
—
by me
;
saha
—
together
;
yoddhavyam
—
have to fight
;
asmin
—
in this
;
raṇa
—
strife
;
samudyame
—
in the attempt.
Translation
Arjuna said: O infallible one, please draw my chariot between the two armies so that I may see those present here, who desire to fight, and with whom I must contend in this great trial of arms.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
20-23. O King, then, as the armies prepared to fight, Arjuna with Hanumān’s insignia on his flag, seeing the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra standing there, taking his bow in hand, spoke to Hṛṣīkeśa: O Acyuta please station my chariot between the two armies, so I can view at the commencement of the war those situated with a desire to fight, and those with whom I should fight. I see that those who have gathered here, desiring to please the foolish sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, are intent on fighting.
Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
20-23. O King, then, as the armies prepared to fight, Arjuna with Hanuman insignia on his flag, seeing the sons of Dhṛtrāṣṭra standing there, taking his bow in hand, spoke to Hṛṣīkeśa: O Acyuta, please station my chariot between the two armies, so I can view at the commencement of the war those standing desirous of fighting, and those with whom I should fight. I believe that those who have gathered here, desiring to please the foolish sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, are intent on fighting.
Translation (Bhurijana Dasa)
Arjuna said: O infallible one, please draw my chariot between the two armies so that I may see those present here, who desire to fight, and with whom I must contend in this great trial of arms.
(cn/DS) This is a sign that something wrong is going to happen. And this verse is the first time when our attention is drawn to Lord Krsna ‑ the Supreme Personality of Godhead, so intimate with His devotee that even takes the subordinate position.
Purport
Although Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, out of His causeless mercy He was engaged in the service of His friend. He never fails in His affection for His devotees, and thus He is addressed herein as infallible. As charioteer, He had to carry out the orders of Arjuna, and since He did not hesitate to do so, He is addressed as infallible. Although He had accepted the position of a charioteer for His devotee, His supreme position was not challenged. In all circumstances, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hṛṣīkeśa, the Lord of the total senses. The relationship between the Lord and His servitor is very sweet and transcendental. The servitor is always ready to render service to the Lord, and, similarly, the Lord is always seeking an opportunity to render some service to the devotee. He takes greater pleasure in His pure devotee’s assuming the advantageous position of ordering Him than He does in being the giver of orders. Since He is master, everyone is under His orders, and no one is above Him to order Him. But when He finds that a pure devotee is ordering Him, He obtains transcendental pleasure, although He is the infallible master in all circumstances.
As a pure devotee of the Lord, Arjuna had no desire to fight with his cousins and brothers, but he was forced to come onto the battlefield by the obstinacy of Duryodhana, who was never agreeable to any peaceful negotiation. Therefore, he was very anxious to see who the leading persons present on the battlefield were. Although there was no question of a peacemaking endeavor on the battlefield, he wanted to see them again, and to see how much they were bent upon demanding an unwanted war.
Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
Mahīpate means “O Dhṛtarāstra.”
Arjuna then spoke.
“O Acyuta, you do not deviate from your innate nature—from your affection for your devotee, or from your supreme power. Controlled by this quality, without fear, place my chariot according my words, the words of your devotee.” He then speaks of the purpose of doing so. ‘Place the chariot so that I can see who are situated firmly, not trembling in fear (avasthitān), who are desirous of fighting (yoddu kamān), with no desire for compromise.”
“But you are fighter, not a spectator. What will be accomplished by viewing this?”
“I wish to see at the beginning of the battle those friends and relatives in whose company I will fight, and those friends and relatives against whom I will fight. For that purpose, place my chariot between the two armies. ”
“Out of friendship they will make peace.”
“No, there will be no conciliation between the two sides. I believe (avekṣe) that they are intent on fighting (yotsyamānām). They are intent on fighting, desiring to please the son of Dhṛtarāstra who is unintelligent (durbuddheḥ), ignorant of means for his own survival (ignorant that he is going to die), even in face of this war, which does not sober his intelligence. Therefore my viewing the rival party in war has been justified. ”