Arjuna’s lament now moves from a state of mind to a full-body experience. The twenty-ninth verse, known as the Sidanti Mama Gatrani verse, is a raw and honest confession of the physical symptoms that his profound grief has unleashed. The Sidanti Mama Gatrani verse shows us that even the world’s greatest warrior is subject to the overwhelming power of the mind-body connection.
Sanskrit Verse
सीदन्ति मम गात्राणि मुखं च परिशुष्यति ।
वेपथुश्च शरीरे मे रोमहर्षश्च जायते ॥ २९ ॥Transliteration
sīdanti mama gātrāṇi mukhaṁ ca pariśuṣyati |
vepathuśca śarīre me romaharṣaśca jāyate || 29 ||Word for Word Translation
sīdanti – are quivering; mama – my; gātrāṇi – limbs; mukham – mouth; ca – also; pariśuṣyati – is drying up; vepathuḥ – trembling; ca – also; śarīre – on the body; me – my; roma-harṣaḥ – standing of hair on end; ca – also; jāyate – is taking place.
English Translation
My whole body is quivering, my limbs are giving way, my mouth is drying up, and my hair is standing on end.
Explanation
Each Bhagavad Gita verse whispers ancient truths, let’s listen closely with Vedic Stories…
The Sidanti Mama Gatrani verse is a textbook description of a body in the grip of extreme anxiety and sorrow. The hero, Arjuna, is experiencing a complete psycho-somatic breakdown. He lists the symptoms one by one:
- Sīdanti mama gātrāṇi: “My limbs are failing me.” The strength for which he is famous is draining away.
- Mukhaṁ ca pariśuṣyati: “My mouth is drying up.” A classic physical symptom of fear and nervous system arousal.
- Vepathuśca śarīre me: “My body is trembling.” The inner turmoil is so great that it manifests as uncontrollable shaking.
- Romaharṣaśca jāyate: “My hair is standing on end.” This phenomenon, also known as horripilation, is an involuntary reaction to intense emotional states like fear, awe, or grief.
This is not a metaphor. The Sidanti Mama Gatrani verse is a literal description of a panic attack. The man who has conquered countless enemies finds himself conquered by his own compassion. His body is physically refusing to participate in the act of killing his own kin. The Kurukshetra War has become an impossible situation for him, and his body is screaming “no” even before his mind has fully articulated it.
Conclusion
The Sidanti Mama Gatrani verse provides a deeply humanizing portrait of Arjuna. It teaches us that emotional pain is not just an abstract concept; it has real, tangible, and often overwhelming physical consequences. The body keeps the score of our mental and emotional suffering. Arjuna’s breakdown shows that his compassion is not a philosophical idea but a force of nature so powerful it can bring a hero to his knees.
This verse is a powerful validation of the mind-body connection, an ancient truth that modern science continues to explore. It reminds us to have compassion for ourselves and others in times of great distress, recognizing that a trembling hand or a faltering voice is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of a heart that is feeling deeply.
Read Next: Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1 – Verse 30 – Gandivam Sramsate Hastat
