तमुवाच हृषीकेशः प्रहसन्निव भारत। सेनयोरुभयोर्मध्ये विषीदन्तमिदं वचः॥
tam uvāca hṛṣīkeśaḥ prahasann iva bhārata / senayoḥ ubhayor madhye viṣīdantam idaṃ vacaḥ
Into the silence, between two armies — Krishna smiles and begins to speak.
Word by word (5)
- tam uvāca hṛṣīkeśaḥ
- — to him spoke Hrishikesha (Krishna, master of the senses)
- prahasann iva
- — smiling as if / as though smiling · 'Prahasann iva' — smiling, or as if smiling. The 'iva' (as if) is interesting: Sanjaya is seeing something on Krishna's face that he can only approximate. The smile is not amusement. It is the recognition of a teacher who sees the student's confusion from a perspective of compassion and wisdom.
- bhārata
- — O Bharata — Dhritarashtra (descendent of Bharata)
- senayoḥ ubhayoḥ madhye
- — in the middle of both armies
- viṣīdantam
- — to the despondent one / to the one sinking in grief
Sanjaya said: 'And to that despondent one — in the middle of both armies — Hrishikesha spoke, smiling, these words, O Bharata.'
A modern analogy
The great teacher who, when their student is at the lowest point, does not panic, does not condescend, does not force — but smiles. The smile of one who has already seen how this ends. Not dismissal of the pain, but confidence that the teaching is adequate to it.
Take with you
- Krishna smiles — not because the situation is not serious, but because he knows the teaching will be sufficient.
- The setting: in the middle of both armies. The most public, most extreme context. The teaching is given precisely here, not in a quiet space.
- The smile before speaking is the teacher's signal: I am not afraid of your confusion. I have something that can meet it.
'Prahasann iva' — smiling as if. This detail has generated extensive commentary. Shankaracharya reads it as the smile of one who perceives the source of Arjuna's grief as trivial from the perspective of the Atman — not trivial emotionally, but trivial in the sense that the teaching will resolve it completely. The setting — 'in the middle of both armies' (senayoḥ ubhayor madhye) — is repeated three times in the Gita (1.21, 1.24, 2.10). Each time, it emphasizes that this is not a private philosophical seminar. This teaching is given in the most extreme possible situation. Its adequacy is tested by precisely that context.
Public-domain translations (3) compare all →
To him who was thus despondent in the middle of the two armies, O Bharata, Hrishikesha, as if smiling, spoke these words. [4]
Then, in the midst of the two armied hosts, Krishna, the Prince of Holiness, with a smile, Turned on the weeping Arjuna, and spake. [7]
To him who was thus despondent in the midst of both armies, Hrishikesha, with a slight smile, O Bharata, spoke these words. [9]
This verse speaks to
Where this thread continues
You grieve for those who should not be grieved for — and call it wisdom.
Your body changed from childhood to age without 'you' dying — changing bodies is no different.
The wisdom-yoked person rises above good and bad karma alike. Yoga is supreme skill in action.
Arjuna asks: what does the truly wise person look like? How do they speak, sit, and move?
Steady wisdom begins here: when all desires fall away and the Self finds fullness in itself alone.
I taught this imperishable yoga to the sun-god at the dawn of time — it has been passed down through kings ever since.