Ready For War

Just as the Great battle of Mahabharata was about to begin, the mighty warrior Arjuna refused to fight. His hesitance stemmed from the fact that the opposing army arrayed before him in magnificent splendor was composed of none other than his beloved relatives, kinsmen, elders, companions, and friends. Horrified at the prospect of having to slay them, he declared to Krishna "I desire not victory, nor kingdom, nor pleasures, if these were are to be won at the cost of so much bloodshed". And so, on the great battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna the great warrior, slumped in dejection and put his bow and arrow down, overcome by sorrow and anguish.

It is with this dramatic portrayal that the Bhagvad Gita, a text of pivotal importance in the Hindu view of life, begins. The Bhagvad Gita constitutes the counsel that Lord Krishna offered to Arjuna in his moment of crisis, and which prompted Arjuna on to the path of karma, or righteous action which performs its duties without any expectation from the fruits resulting thereof.

The Bhagvad Gita is made up of 700 verses. On the completion of this discourse, Arjuna, his mental equilibrium restored and his sense of futility removed, picked up his bow and arrow and boldly entered the fight. He signaled this entry by withdrawing an arrow from his quiver to string it on to his mighty bow known as the 'Gandiva', while Krishna did so by blowing on his conch 'Panchajanaya', which let out a terrifying roar, sending shivers down the enemy ranks. It is this moment that has been captured by the artist. Arjuna, standing on his great chariot yoked to milk-white stallions, and Krishna his friend, philosopher, guide, and charioteer, both poised for battle.