Who is who in the Gita
Arjuna
Pandava prince, warrior, student of Drona, beloved companion of Krishna.
Arjuna is one of the four who actually speak in the Gita. How many verses, and where they turn →
Who is Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita?
Pandava prince, warrior, student of Drona, beloved companion of Krishna. He is the human centre of the Gita. His movement is from confident readiness, to seeing relationships, to collapse, to questioning, to discipleship, to direct vision, and finally to restored clarity and chosen action.
Hansi Gita Bhawan Trust · The Gita for Life
Family and formation
Third Pandava, son of Kunti in the epic genealogy, brother of Yudhishthira, Bhima, Nakula and Sahadeva; husband of Subhadra and father of Abhimanyu. He is Drona’s celebrated pupil and an accomplished warrior long before the Gita begins.
Why the crisis is serious
Arjuna is not discovering that war is unpleasant. He has come prepared to fight. His crisis begins when the opposing army ceases to appear as a military formation and becomes a field of grandfathers, teachers, cousins, friends and descendants. Chapter 1 therefore changes what he sees before Chapter 2 changes how he understands.
Transformation arc
1.20–27: asks to see. 1.28–47: collapses under the consequences he foresees. 2.7: becomes a disciple. Chapters 3–17: repeatedly questions, objects and asks for clarification. Chapter 11: asks to see the cosmic form. 18.63: is given room to reflect. 18.73: says his delusion has gone and his memory/understanding is restored.