Bhagavad-gītā 1.1 – Study Guide

1. Purport Metrics & Overview

Purport Metrics	Details
No. of times cited by Śrīla Prabhupāda	82
Total No. of Words in Purport	599
No. of Paragraphs in Purport	4
Purport Paragraph Titles	1. Why and How to Read Bhagavad-gītā? 2. Prelude to Bhagavad-gītā 3. Envy, Anxiety, and Fear Due to Material Attachment 4. Real Significance of Dharma-kṣetra Kurukṣetra

High-Level Flow of the Purport

Importance of studying Bhagavad-gītā under a bona fide devotee to avoid misinterpretation.
Setting the stage for the Bhagavad-gītā, where dharma and adharma are being tested.
Material attachment causes anxiety, fear, and spiritual blindness, exemplified by Dhṛtarāṣṭra.
Kurukṣetra’s spiritual influence ensures that dharma will ultimately prevail.

2. Verse & Translation

Sanskrit:
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca
dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre
samavetā yuyutsavaḥ
māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva
kim akurvata sañjaya

Translation:
“Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: O Sañjaya, after assembling in the place of pilgrimage at Kurukṣetra, desiring to fight, what did my sons and the sons of Pāṇḍu do?”

3. Sambandha, Abhidheya, or Prayojana?

Category: Sambandha-tattva (Understanding our relationship with Krishna and the material world)

Sambandha-tattva defines our connection with Krishna, including the nature of the jīva, īśvara, prakṛti, kāla, and karma.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s attachment to his sons blinds him from reality—a condition of the materially conditioned soul.
His fear of dharma’s influence represents how the conditioned soul resists surrendering to Krishna due to material desires and envy.
His separation of the Pāṇḍavas from his own dynasty mirrors how the jīva separates itself from Krishna due to envy.

Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Purport Citation:
“He deliberately claimed only his sons as Kurus, and he separated the sons of Pāṇḍu from the family heritage.”

✅ This verse is purely Sambandha-tattva because it describes:

The distorted vision of the conditioned soul (Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s attachment and bias).
The real nature of dharma (which he is afraid of).
The influence of Krishna, even indirectly, as the controller of dharma.

4. Analysis of Key Terms

Dharma-kṣetra (Field of Dharma)

Kurukṣetra is not just a battlefield; it is a sacred land where dharma has always been upheld.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra fears that the holiness of this place will favor the Pāṇḍavas, as righteousness naturally prevails in such an environment.Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Purport Citation:
“Because the battle was arranged to be fought at Kurukṣetra, which is mentioned elsewhere in the Vedas as a place of worship—even for the denizens of heaven—Dhṛtarāṣṭra became very fearful about the influence of the holy place on the outcome of the battle.”

Māmakāḥ (My Sons) vs. Pāṇḍavāḥ (Sons of Pāṇḍu)

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s bias and attachment are exposed in his words.
He does not refer to the Pāṇḍavas as his own family but only as “sons of Pāṇḍu,” distancing them from the Kuru lineage.Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Purport Citation:
“One can thus understand the specific position of Dhṛtarāṣṭra in his relationship with his nephews, the sons of Pāṇḍu.”

5. Connection to the Five Topics of Bhagavad-gītā

Topic	Connection in Verse 1.1
Īśvara (Supreme Lord)	Krishna is indirectly present as the guiding force of dharma at Kurukṣetra.
Jīva (Living entity)	Dhṛtarāṣṭra represents the conditioned soul, blinded by material attachments.
Prakṛti (Material nature)	Kurukṣetra, though part of the material world, is spiritually potent.
Kāla (Time)	The war represents the force of time, ensuring karma’s results unfold.
Karma (Actions & Results)	Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s past misdeeds now manifest as unavoidable consequences.

6. Practical Lessons

Material Attachment Leads to Spiritual Blindness
- Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s attachment to his sons distorts his sense of dharma, just as material attachments cloud our decisions.
Envy Separates Us from Krishna
- Just as Dhṛtarāṣṭra envied the Pāṇḍavas, the conditioned soul envies Krishna and remains in illusion.
Dharma Always Prevails in the End
- Kurukṣetra symbolizes how righteousness ultimately triumphs over material ambition.
Spiritual Vision Comes from a Guru
- Like Sañjaya receiving vision from Vyāsa, we need a spiritual master to understand the Gītā.

7. Keyword Index for Study and Reference

Dharma-kṣetra – The field of righteousness
Kuru-kṣetra – Battlefield of Kurus
Māmakāḥ – Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons
Pāṇḍavāḥ – Sons of Pāṇḍu
Yuyutsavaḥ – Desiring to fight
Envy – Root cause of material bondage
Spiritual Blindness – Conditioned soul’s ignorance
Divine Vision – Only possible by mercy of a Guru
Law of Karma – Actions determining destiny

8. Preaching Relevance & Application

Preaching Topic	How This Verse is Relevant
Material Attachment & Family Bonds	Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s blind love for his sons kept him in illusion, just as excessive attachment pulls us away from Krishna.
The Power of Holy Places	Kurukṣetra influences the war; similarly, pilgrimages purify consciousness.

9. Conclusion

Bhagavad-gītā 1.1 is more than just an introduction to a battle—it symbolizes the conditioned soul’s illusion. Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s attachment and envy mirror our own material struggles. Krishna’s presence at Kurukṣetra assures us that dharma will always triumph.