The two armies had gathered on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, well prepared to fight a

war that was inevitable. Still, in this verse, King Dhritarashtra asked Sanjay, what his sons
and his brother Pandu’s sons were doing on the battlefield? It was apparent that they
would fight, then why did he ask such a question?

The blind King Dhritarashtra’s fondness for his own sons had clouded his spiritual wisdom
and deviated him from the path of virtue. He had usurped the kingdom of Hastinapur from
the rightful heirs; the Pandavas, sons of his brother Pandu. Feeling guilty of the injustice
he had done towards his nephews, his conscience worried him about the outcome of this
battle.

The words dharma kṣhetre, the land of dharma (virtuous conduct) used by Dhritarashtra
depict the dilemma he was experiencing. Kurukshetra is described as kurukṣhetraṁ deva
yajanam in the Shatapath Brahman, the Vedic textbook detailing rituals. It means
“Kurukshetra is the sacrificial arena of the celestial gods.” Hence, it was regarded as the
sacred land that nourished dharma.
Dhritarashtra feared that the holy land might influence the minds of his sons. If it aroused
the faculty of discrimination, they might turn away from killing their cousins and negotiate
a truce. A peaceful settlement meant that the Pandavas would continue being a hindrance
for them. He felt great displeasure at these possibilities, instead preferred that this war
transpires. He was uncertain of the consequences of the war, yet desired to determine the
fate of his sons. Therefore, he asked Sanjay about the activities of the two armies on the
battleground.