Sanskrit
श्वशुरान्सुहृदश्चैव सेनयोरुभयोरपि । तान्समीक्ष्य स कौन्तेयः सर्वान्बन्धूनवस्थितान् ॥
śvaśurān suhṛdaś caiva senayor ubhayor api tān samīkṣya sa kaunteyaḥ sarvān bandhūn avasthitān
Translation
Fathers-in-law and benefactors also in both armies; seeing all these kinsmen thus standing arrayed, Kaunteya,
Annie Besant · The Bhagavad-Gita, translated by Annie Besant (4th ed., 1922) — Wikisource · Public Domain
Explanation
The crucial detail closing out verse 26’s list: these relationships exist “in both armies” — this isn’t Arjuna’s family on one side and strangers on the other, it’s one extended family standing on opposite sides of the same field. That fact is what verse 28’s reaction responds to.
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Word by word
- śvaśurānश्वशुरान्
- fathers-in-law
- suhṛdaś caivaसुहृदश् चैव
- and well-wishers
- senayor ubhayor apiसेनयोः उभयोः अपि
- in both armies alike
- tān samīkṣyaतान् समीक्ष्य
- seeing them
- sa kaunteyaḥस कौन्तेयः
- he, Kuntī's son
- sarvān bandhūnसर्वान् बन्धून्
- all these kinsmen
- avasthitānअवस्थितान्
- standing there
Commentary
Site Commentary
Three verses in, and Arjuna still hasn’t said a word — verses 26 and 27 are pure seeing, accumulating relatives with no reaction expressed yet. The poem holds him in silent recognition before verse 28 lets him speak, as if the weight has to fully register before language can even begin.
Original commentary written for this site · © Amit Singh — original commentary
Concepts
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Lessons
Personal
- When something difficult is becoming clear to you, let yourself take in the full picture before you react to it — recognition doesn't have to produce an immediate response, and rushing past that gap can mean reacting to only part of what you actually saw.
Professional
- Before responding to bad news at work, give yourself a beat to fully absorb the scope of it — the instinct to react immediately often means you're responding to your first impression, not the complete picture.
Family & Social
- When you realize a family conflict is bigger than you first thought, resist the urge to say something right away — sit with the full recognition for a moment first, the way this verse holds Arjuna in silence before he speaks.
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