Godsong

Session 1

Arjuna Despairs

King Dhritarashtra, the father of the cousins (the Kauravas) opposing Krishna and Arjuna, asks his visionary advisor, Sanjaya, what is happening on the battlefield. Sanjaya, who has the power to witness events without being physically present for them, narrates the action.

The action takes place on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. The two armies are in formation, facing off, ready to make war. Duryodhan, the leader of the Kauravas, addresses his military mentor, cataloguing the warriors on both sides.

Arjuna asks his friend and charioteer, Krishna, to park his chariot between the two armies. Surveying his extended family, he is overcome with panic and despair. He tells Krishna how he feels and how he has a horror of fighting his own relatives. Arjuna throws aside his weapons and sits down.

Dhritarashtra said,

On that field of dharma, Kurukshetra,

My sons and Pandu s

Mustered, wanting war.

What did they do, Sanjaya?{1}

Sanjaya said,

Seeing the Pandava formation s

Vanguard, Duryodhan

Advanced ­toward his Master.

The words . . . the King is speaking. . . .{2}

Take a look at that army. How grand!

The sons of Pandu, Master, mustered

Under Drupada s son,

Your ­sharp-­witted student.{3}

The heroes ­here ­great bowslingers!

Matches in a clash for Bhima and Arjuna,

For Yuyudhana and Virata

And Drupada in his great chariot.{4}

Dhrishtaketu, Cekitana,

Kashi s heroic king,

Purujit, and Kuntibhoja,

And ­bull-­necked Shaibhya,{5}

Yudhamanyu with his spirited stride,

And courageous Uttamaujas,

Subhadra s sons and Draupadi s,

All in great chariots . . .{6}

Ours are excellent, ­too ­better

Believe it, best of Brahmins!

Just so you can get a sense, I ll name

The marshals of my army:{7}

Your Lordship, Bhishma, Karna,

Battle-­winning Kripa,

Asvatthama, Vikarna,

And Somadatta s son as well,{8}

And many other heroes

Who give their lives

AMIT MAJMUDAR is a diagnostic nuclear radiologist who lives in Westerville, Ohio, with his wife and three children. He is the author of three volumes of poetry, most recently Dothead. His first collection, 0°, 0°, was a finalist for the Poetry Society of America's Norma Farber First Book Award; his second, Heaven and Earth, was selected for the 2011 Donald Justice Prize. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Best of the Best American Poetry, and many other places, including the eleventh edition of The Norton Introduction to Literature. He blogs for the Kenyon Review and is also a critically acclaimed novelist.

Ravishing and faithful, marked by what Nabokov once called the precision of a poet and the imagination of a scientist. Majmudar has a gift for imagery . . . Godsong reveals how beautifully this 2,000-year-old book lends itself to the careful, loving work of translation. Parul Sehgal, The New York Times

A well-crafted and exceptional translation of a spiritual and cultural masterpiece. Dave Pugl, Library Journal (starred review)

Praise from India:

[Majmudar s] commentaries, about karma and maya, the ethics of friendship and the changing nature of the self, and about the place of violence in our lives have made me think about myself in a new way. Sumana Roy, Hindustan Times ( Life-changing reads of 2018 )

Remarkable . . . A new translation of a much-translated classic must bring something new to readers. Godsong does just that. Sayali Palekar, Scroll.In
 
The philosophic text is made anew in the poet s startling, fresh idiom. C. R. Sasikumar, The Indian Express
 
Reaches for the text s beauty as well as its spiritual meaning . . . [Majmudar s] summaries are succinct, pointed, and useful [and] his translation resonates with much that has come before him, absorbing and reflecting the long and rich tradition of Gita translations. Arshia Sattar, India Today