偈颂 1.221.11.21.31.41.51.61.71.81.91.101.111.121.131.141.151.161.171.181.191.201.211.221.231.241.251.261.271.281.291.301.311.321.331.341.351.361.371.381.391.401.411.421.431.441.451.461.47

Arjuna said In the middle between the two armies, place my chariot, O krishna, so that I may behold those who stand here desirous to fight, and know with whom I must fight, when the battle is about to commence.

so that I may look at these men standing here eager for battle, and see with whom I must fight in this coming conflict.

Arjuna explains why he wants to be placed between the armies. He wishes to see clearly the men he will face, to know with whom he must fight. The intention is that of a commander surveying the field before battle. Yet the act of looking closely is what undoes him. The Gita often turns on seeing, and here seeing the faces of the enemy is the first step toward Arjuna's realisation that they are his own people. His purpose is martial, but its result will be moral and personal.