Here, in the twenty-third verse, Arjuna completes his thought, giving Lord Krishna the explicit reason for his request. Known as the Yotsyamanan Avekshe Ham verse, it contains the final words of the confident, battle-ready hero. The judgment expressed in the Yotsyamanan Avekshe Ham verse is the high-water mark of his certainty before the flood of doubt consumes him.
Sanskrit Verse
योत्स्यमानानवेक्षेऽहं य एतेऽत्र समागताः ।
धार्तराष्ट्रस्य दुर्बुद्धेर्युद्धे प्रियचिकीर्षवः ॥ २३ ॥Transliteration
yotsyamānānavekṣe'haṁ ya ete'tra samāgatāḥ |
dhārtarāṣṭrasya durbuddheryuddhe priyacikīrṣavaḥ || 23 ||Word for Word Translation
yotsyamānān – those who are about to fight; avekṣe – I wish to see; aham – I; ye – who; ete – those; atra – here; samāgatāḥ – assembled; dhārtarāṣṭrasya – of the son of Dhritarashtra; durbuddheḥ – evil-minded; yuddhe – in the fight; priya-cikīrṣavaḥ – wishing to please.
English Translation
Let me see those who have come here to fight, wishing to please the evil-minded son of Dhritarashtra.
Explanation
Each Bhagavad Gita verse whispers ancient truths, let’s listen closely with Vedic Stories…
The Yotsyamanan Avekshe Ham verse is dripping with righteous contempt. Arjuna’s words are sharp and clear. He is not just looking at soldiers; he is looking at men who have made a specific moral choice. The two key phrases reveal his entire mindset:
- Dhārtarāṣṭrasya durbuddheḥ: “Of the evil-minded son of Dhritarashtra.” Arjuna doesn’t even use Duryodhana’s name. He identifies him by his parentage and, most importantly, by his character. “Durbuddheh” means one whose intelligence is corrupt, who is wicked or foolish in matters of Dharma. Arjuna has already passed judgment. For him, this is a clear-cut case of good versus evil.
- Priya-cikīrṣavaḥ: “Wishing to please.” This is a profound psychological insight. Arjuna sees the warriors on the other side not as men fighting for their own convictions, but as sycophants who have gathered simply to flatter a corrupt leader. He sees them as having abandoned their own moral compass for the sake of pleasing Duryodhana.
The Yotsyamanan Avekshe Ham verse is the ultimate expression of Arjuna’s conviction. He is ready to fight because he sees the enemy not as people, but as an abstract concept: “the allies of the evil one.”
Conclusion
The Yotsyamanan Avekshe Ham verse teaches a crucial lesson about the nature of conflict and judgment. It is often easiest to stand firm in our convictions when we can view our opponents as a faceless, monolithic group defined by a single negative trait. Arjuna has objectified his enemy, making them easier to fight. He is about to learn the most painful lesson of his life: that this group of “evil-pleasers” has familiar faces—the faces of his own beloved grandfather, his revered teacher, and his cousins.
This verse is a powerful metaphor for the moment before our abstract beliefs are tested by personal reality. We may hold strong opinions about “those people” on the other side of an issue, but what happens when we discover our own loved ones are among them? The Yotsyamanan Avekshe Ham verse captures the final, fragile moments of a certainty that is about to be shattered by the devastating power of love and relationships.
Read Next: Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1 – Verse 24 – Evam Ukto Hrishikesho
