This shloka continues Arjuna’s sorrow-born reasoning.

In the previous shloka, Arjuna said that he did not desire victory, kingdom, pleasures, or even life. Now he gives the reason. He says, “Those for whose sake we desired kingdom, enjoyments, and pleasures are standing here in battle, having given up life and wealth.”

The phrase yeṣām arthe means “for whose sake.” Arjuna is saying that the kingdom, enjoyments, and pleasures were desired for the sake of these very people — Bhīṣma, Droṇa, and the others. According to him, if these people are destroyed, then the very purpose of kingdom and pleasure is gone.

The phrase kāṅkṣitaṁ naḥ rājyaṁ bhogāḥ sukhāni ca means “kingdom, enjoyments, and pleasures desired by us.” Rājyaṁ is kingdom. Bhogāḥ are objects of enjoyment or enjoyments. Sukhāni are pleasures or comforts arising from them.

On the surface, Arjuna’s words sound affectionate and noble: “What is the use of kingdom and enjoyment if the people for whom we wanted them are gone?” But this is not clear wisdom. This is his mind becoming clouded.

The original purpose of the Mahābhārata war was not to win a kingdom and hand pleasure to Bhīṣma and Droṇa. The purpose was the correction of adharma. Duryodhana had taken the kingdom unjustly. The Pāṇḍavas had tried peaceful methods first. War had become the last resort for dharma-saṃsthāpanam — re-establishing dharma.

Arjuna had understood this earlier. His buddhi had been clear. The war was not a personal pleasure-project. It was a painful dharmic duty.

But now he turns the whole issue upside down. He says, “For these people alone we wanted kingdom, enjoyments, and pleasures.” This is the sign of a clouded mind. The real purpose is forgotten, and a new emotional explanation is created.

Then he says, ta ime avasthitā yuddhe — “these very people are standing here in battle.” They are not sitting at home waiting to enjoy the kingdom. They are standing in the battlefield, ready to fight.

The phrase prāṇān tyaktvā dhanāni ca means “having given up life and wealth.” They have come prepared to sacrifice their lives and wealth. Arjuna sees this and feels that the whole goal has collapsed.

This is the next step in Arjuna’s inner fall. First, he saw “my people.” Then attachment arose. Attachment produced sorrow. Sorrow made the body tremble and the mind reel. Then sorrow made him see bad omens and no good. Now sorrow is making him rewrite the purpose of the war itself.

This is how moha begins. Moha means delusion or confused understanding. The facts are not gone, but the meaning of the facts is twisted. Dharma-yuddha begins to look like a useless fight for pleasure. Adharma is no longer central in his thinking. Relationship and emotional loss have become central.

The teaching is very practical. When the mind is clouded by attachment and sorrow, it may not simply feel sad. It may begin to rewrite the whole story. It may say, “This duty was never really important,” or “This responsibility was only for that person,” or “If that person is not there, nothing matters.” That is not always wisdom. Sometimes it is sorrow changing the meaning of things.