Although all the shlokas or verses are virtuous, some of them, I believe, are the most prominent and significant.
1. The 1st shloka
Dharmakshetre Kurukshetre samaveta yuyutsavah
Maamakah Pandavashcaiva kimkurvata Sanjaya.
Meaning :
Dhritarashtra said: O Sanjay, after gathering on the holy field of Kurukshetra (Dharmakshetre Kurukshetre), and eager to fight, what did my sons (Maamakah) and the sons of Pandu (Pandava) do?
Importance:
The first chapter of Gita begins with a dialogue between the blind King Dhritarashtra and his minister Sanjay about the happenings on the battlefield.
In my opinion, there are three main points due to which this shloka is most prominent.
- Holy Battlefield (Dharmakshetre Kurukshetre) -
How can a battlefield be termed a holy site?
According to Vedas, In Kurukshetra, the deities once performed a grand yajna. King Kuru also did penance here. This is why it has been regarded not only as a battlefield but also as the sacred land that nourished dharma and pilgrimage.
Secondly, Pandavas were pious & religious persons by nature. Lord Krishna himself was with him as Arjuna's charioteer. That's why it is regarded as a holy place chosen for the war.
Dhritarashtra never kept equanimity between his sons and the Pandavas. He was partial. He had attachment and fondness towards his sons only. He did not consider the Pandavas as his own. He had grabbed the kingdom of Hastinapur from the legal heirs- the Pandavas, sons of his elder brother, Pandu. Due to this ill-will, Duryodhana had to suffer the loss of his grand family.
This teaches us the lesson that in our homes, villages, provinces, countries, sects, etc., we should never keep the ominous feeling that it is our own, it is another. This leads to discord and unrest.
According to Vedas, In Kurukshetra, the deities once performed a grand yajna. King Kuru also did penance here. This is why it has been regarded not only as a battlefield but also as the sacred land that nourished dharma and pilgrimage.
Secondly, Pandavas were pious & religious persons by nature. Lord Krishna himself was with him as Arjuna's charioteer. That's why it is regarded as a holy place chosen for the war.
- My sons (Maamakah) and the sons of Pandu (Pandava)
Dhritarashtra never kept equanimity between his sons and the Pandavas. He was partial. He had attachment and fondness towards his sons only. He did not consider the Pandavas as his own. He had grabbed the kingdom of Hastinapur from the legal heirs- the Pandavas, sons of his elder brother, Pandu. Due to this ill-will, Duryodhana had to suffer the loss of his grand family.
This teaches us the lesson that in our homes, villages, provinces, countries, sects, etc., we should never keep the ominous feeling that it is our own, it is another. This leads to discord and unrest.
- Eager to fight:
Pandavas never believed in any battle. They never wanted any war. Only visionless Dhritarashtra deliberately thought so. On the contrary, they were pious. They tried hard to convince Duryodhana, braved his atrocities and wrongdoings for as long as 13 years. Despite frequent incitements of Duryodhana, they wanted a peaceful settlement, so that the war could be averted. In the end, after Draupadi's chirharan, they were forced to fight on the orders of mother Kunti.
Tatah shvetairhayairyukte mahati syandane sthitau
Maadhavah paandavashchaiva divyau shankhau pradadhmatuḥ
Meaning:
Then, from amidst the Pandava army, seated in a glorious chariot drawn by white horses, Madhav and Arjun blew their Divine conch shells.
Importance:
A glorious chariot drawn by white horses:
In those days, the wars had been fought on chariots, horses, elephants, and foot. Here, Arjuna’s chariot has been glorious, wonderful, and unique which no one could have matched. No one else could have even imagined having such a miraculous chariot.
Gandharva Chitraratha had gifted one hundred white divine horses to Arjuna. Their specialty was that no matter how many horses died in any war, they always lived one hundred in number, were never been less. Four of these well-trained horses were plowing Arjuna's chariot.
Once Agni dev presented this huge chariot to Arjuna. This had the capacity of carrying as many weapons and missiles that could be stocked in nine bullock carts. It was plated with gold and was shining. Its wheels were very strong and huge. Its flag sparkled and shone like lightning. This flag was hoisted for one yojana (8 miles). Even after being so tall and huge, this was very light in weight, neither did it stop anywhere, nor did it get stuck in the tree, etc. Lord Hanuman was always seated on this flag.
On the whole, due to the presence of Lord Shri Krishna and his beloved devotee Arjuna on that chariot, the beauty and brilliance of that chariot had increased a lot.
kula-kshaye pranashyanti kula-dharmaah sanatanah
dharme nashte kulam kritsnam adharmo bhibhavatyuta
Adharmabhibhavaat krishna pradushyanti kula-striyaḥ
strishu dushtaasu vaarshneya jaayate varna-sankarah
Meaning:
When a dynasty is demolished, its ethnicities get trounced resulting in the rest of the entire family involving in irreligion.
With the dominance of iniquity, the women of the family become immoral; and from the immorality of women, unwanted progenies are born.
Importance:
Whenever there has been a war, the clan (lineage) is smashed. Then the age-old sacred traditions, customs, ideals, and noble values of the clan also succumb. Then not following dharma and doing things contrary to dharma like unrighteousness suppress the moral values and religious propriety not only in the families but also in the society as a whole. Mischievousness prevails in the entire community.
Women have always been occupying a very high status in our society. For families to be religious and societies to be moral, their women must be virtuous.
2. The 14th Shloka
Tatah shvetairhayairyukte mahati syandane sthitau
Maadhavah paandavashchaiva divyau shankhau pradadhmatuḥ
Meaning:
Then, from amidst the Pandava army, seated in a glorious chariot drawn by white horses, Madhav and Arjun blew their Divine conch shells.
Importance:
A glorious chariot drawn by white horses:
In those days, the wars had been fought on chariots, horses, elephants, and foot. Here, Arjuna’s chariot has been glorious, wonderful, and unique which no one could have matched. No one else could have even imagined having such a miraculous chariot.
Gandharva Chitraratha had gifted one hundred white divine horses to Arjuna. Their specialty was that no matter how many horses died in any war, they always lived one hundred in number, were never been less. Four of these well-trained horses were plowing Arjuna's chariot.
Once Agni dev presented this huge chariot to Arjuna. This had the capacity of carrying as many weapons and missiles that could be stocked in nine bullock carts. It was plated with gold and was shining. Its wheels were very strong and huge. Its flag sparkled and shone like lightning. This flag was hoisted for one yojana (8 miles). Even after being so tall and huge, this was very light in weight, neither did it stop anywhere, nor did it get stuck in the tree, etc. Lord Hanuman was always seated on this flag.
On the whole, due to the presence of Lord Shri Krishna and his beloved devotee Arjuna on that chariot, the beauty and brilliance of that chariot had increased a lot.
3. The 40th and 41st Shlokas
kula-kshaye pranashyanti kula-dharmaah sanatanah
dharme nashte kulam kritsnam adharmo bhibhavatyuta
Adharmabhibhavaat krishna pradushyanti kula-striyaḥ
strishu dushtaasu vaarshneya jaayate varna-sankarah
Meaning:
When a dynasty is demolished, its ethnicities get trounced resulting in the rest of the entire family involving in irreligion.
With the dominance of iniquity, the women of the family become immoral; and from the immorality of women, unwanted progenies are born.
Importance:
Whenever there has been a war, the clan (lineage) is smashed. Then the age-old sacred traditions, customs, ideals, and noble values of the clan also succumb. Then not following dharma and doing things contrary to dharma like unrighteousness suppress the moral values and religious propriety not only in the families but also in the society as a whole. Mischievousness prevails in the entire community.
Women have always been occupying a very high status in our society. For families to be religious and societies to be moral, their women must be virtuous.
According to the Manu Smriti:
yatra naaryas tu pujyante ramante tatra devataah (3.56)
“Societies where women are worshiped, for they are chaste and virtuous, the celestial gods are joyous.”
The reason is that when the knowledgeable and experienced men of weapons and artillery, scriptures, traditions, etc. expire in the war, then there is no one left behind to provide worthy guidance and governance to the people left behind (children and women). Due to a lack of knowledge of dignity, traditions, they start behaving arbitrarily and sway away from the virtuous path hence unrighteousness spreads in them.
Due to which the conscience becomes impure and the intellect becomes tamasic. Man starts to consider non-duty as duty and duty as non-duty. Due to this opposite intellect, the women of the family may get misled and they become corrupt. Varnashankars or illegitimate children are born due to the adulteration of women.
This would not only destroy the peace and happiness of future generations but also deprive the ancestors of their Vedic rites.
The reason is that when the knowledgeable and experienced men of weapons and artillery, scriptures, traditions, etc. expire in the war, then there is no one left behind to provide worthy guidance and governance to the people left behind (children and women). Due to a lack of knowledge of dignity, traditions, they start behaving arbitrarily and sway away from the virtuous path hence unrighteousness spreads in them.
Due to which the conscience becomes impure and the intellect becomes tamasic. Man starts to consider non-duty as duty and duty as non-duty. Due to this opposite intellect, the women of the family may get misled and they become corrupt. Varnashankars or illegitimate children are born due to the adulteration of women.
This would not only destroy the peace and happiness of future generations but also deprive the ancestors of their Vedic rites.
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