When you put down the bow, the preparation to receive teachings begins.

In the final part of Chapter 1, Arjuna throws away his bow and arrow and sits deep within the chariot. What he left behind was not just a weapon, but Gandiva, which symbolized him as the strongest warrior. It was as if he had relinquished himself, the very act of fighting.

The destruction of a family, the guilt that arises from it, and its terrifying consequences repeat themselves in my mind, casting a heavy shadow on my face, and filling my eyes with sadness. The reason why Chapter 1 is called "Arjuna's Yoga of Lamentation" becomes clear here. This chapter does not offer answers but depicts the process by which a person breaks down until they are ready to be taught. And it is because that person has broken down that Krishna's words begin in Chapter 2.

Japanese Translation from the Gita Press Edition - Chapter 1, Section 47: "Arjuna throws away his bow and arrows and sits down."

Sañjaya said: After saying these words, Arjuna entered the chariot. He cast aside his bow and arrows, overwhelmed with grief.

|| 47 ||

Vocabulary

"sañjaya uvāca" means "San Jaya said."

"evam uktvā" means "having said so."

arjunaḥ is "Arjuna".

saṅkhye means "on the battlefield."

rathopasthe upāviśat means "sank into the rear of the tank."

visṛjya means "having thrown away."

"saśaraṁ cāpam" means "a bow with arrows."

"śoka-saṁvigna-mānasaḥ" means "the mind is agitated by sorrow."

Translation

Sanjaya said.

"Arjuna, whose heart was stirred by grief on the battlefield, said something like this: He threw away his bow and arrows, and sank into the back of the chariot."

Annotative Translation

In this section, Sanjaya describes how Arjuna, deeply disheartened, spoke the words mentioned above and then placed his famous Gandiva bow and quiver aside. He sat down in the chariot as if sinking into it, quietly descending into a chain of miserable feelings.

A terrifying scene of a family's destruction, the terrible crime that accompanied it, and the terrible consequences of that crime, began to play out in his mind.

A heavy depression cast a shadow on his face, and his eyes were filled with deep sadness.

In this way, the Upanishad of the Bhagavad Gita, the knowledge of Brahman, the scripture of Yoga, the first chapter, which is named "The Yoga of Arjuna's Grief," ends in the dialogue between Shri Krishna and Arjuna.