|| 1.22 ||
यावदेतान्निरीक्षेऽहं योद्धुकामानवस्थितान्। कैर्मया सह योद्धव्यमस्मिन्रणसमुद्यमे।।
yāvad etān nirīkṣe ’haṁ yoddhu-kāmān avasthitān kair mayā saha yoddhavyam asmin raṇa-samudyame
Word by Word
yāvat (as long as) etān (all these) nirīkṣe (may look at) aham (I) yoddhu-kāmān (desiring to fight) avasthitān (arrayed on the battlefield) kaiḥ (with whom) mayā (by me) saha (together) yoddhavyam (must fight) asmin (in this) raṇa (strife) samudyame (in the attempt)
Translation
So that I may see those present here, who desire to fight, and with whom I must contend in this great trial of arms.
Meaning
Arjuna explains his reason for moving the chariot: he wants to see those who desire to fight. He wants to observe exactly with whom he must contend in this great trial of arms. This is a moment of professional assessment by a seasoned general.
Arjuna needs to know the caliber of his opposition. However, there is a subtle undercurrent here. He is not just looking at faceless soldiers; he is looking at people he knows. He uses the word ‘nirīkṣe’, which implies a careful and close observation.
He is pausing the momentum of the battle to take a mental inventory. This pause is the fateful moment where his warrior instinct will collide with his emotional attachment. He is looking for enemies, but he will soon see only family members.