Interpretation

The first word of the Gita — 'dharma-kshetra' (field of righteousness) — carries profound significance. Kurukshetra is described not merely as a battlefield but as a sacred field of dharma, suggesting that what unfolds here is not mere warfare but a cosmic confrontation between righteousness and unrighteousness. Dhritarashtra, blind from birth and sitting in Hastinapura with his advisor Sanjaya (who has been granted divine vision by Vyasa), reveals his anxiety. The distinction he makes — 'my sons' vs 'sons of Pandu' — shows the division in his heart, unable to see all the warriors as equally his own.