arjunaviṣādayogaḥ · 1.27
Seeing all those relatives standing there in both armies — fathers-in-law and well-wishers also — Kaunteya looked upon them as his own kith and kin.
श्वशुरान्सुहृदश्चैव सेनयोरुभयोरेपि ।
तान्समीक्ष्य स कौन्तेयः(स्) सर्वान्बन्धूनवस्थितान् ॥१.२७॥
śvaśurānsuhṛdaścaiva senayorubhayorepi ।
tānsamīkṣya sa kaunteyaḥ(s) sarvānbandhūnavasthitān ॥
🎧 Listen to the shloka
💡 How to understand this
In this shloka, Arjuna continues looking at the people on the battlefield.
He sees fathers-in-law and well-wishers also. He sees people connected to him in many ways. They are standing in both armies.
Then the shloka uses the word bandhūn. This means relatives, kith and kin, people who feel like “my own.”
This is important. Arjuna is no longer seeing only warriors. He is seeing people close to his heart.
The lesson is that our mind can become very emotional when people close to us are involved. We may know what is right, but when “my people” are involved, it can become harder.
So we should love our family and friends, but we should also remember dharma. Love should not make us forget what is right.
📖 A story to remember — In a school, two teams were playing a game. The teacher had made a rule: if the ball crosses the line, it is out.
Anika was chosen to be the line judge. At first, she thought, “This is easy. I only have to say whether the ball is in or out.”
The game began. For the first few turns, Anika called everything clearly. Then her cousin Meera hit the ball. The ball crossed the line just a little.
Anika saw it clearly. But suddenly her mind became confused. This was not just any player. This was Meera, her cousin, who visited her house, played with her, and shared snacks with her. Anika did not want Meera’s team to lose the point.
For a moment, Anika felt like saying, “It is in.” But she remembered the teacher’s rule. She took a breath and said, “Out.”
Meera looked disappointed at first, but after the game she said, “You were fair.”
Anika learned that it is easy to follow rules when strangers are involved. It becomes harder when “my people” are involved. But fairness and dharma should still be protected.
🤔 Think about it
◈Is it harder to be fair when your friend or cousin is involved?
◈Can you love someone and still tell the truth?
⭐ Remember this
Seeing all those relatives standing there in both armies — fathers-in-law and well-wishers also — Kaunteya looked upon them as his own kith and kin.
🎯 Challenge!
Can you explain this shloka to a friend in your own words? Try telling the story to someone in your family!