|| 1.24 ||
संजय उवाच एवमुक्तो हृषीकेशो गुडाकेशेन भारत। सेनयोरुभयोर्मध्ये स्थापयित्वा रथोत्तमम्।।
sañjaya uvāca evam ukto hṛṣīkeśo guḍākeśena bhārata senayor ubhayor madhye sthāpayitvā rathottamam
Word by Word
sañjayaḥ (Sañjaya) uvāca (said) evam (thus) uktaḥ (addressed) hṛṣīkeśaḥ (Lord Kṛṣṇa) guḍākeśena (by Arjuna) bhārata (O descendant of Bharata) senayoḥ (of the armies) ubhayoḥ (of both) madhye (in the midst) sthāpayitvā (placing) ratha-uttamam (the finest chariot)
Translation
Sañjaya said: O descendant of Bhārata, having thus been addressed by Arjuna, Lord Kṛṣṇa drew up the fine chariot in the midst of the armies of both parties.
Meaning
Sañjaya resumes his narration, addressing the blind king. He says that Lord Kṛṣṇa, the master of the senses, having heard Arjuna’s request, steered the magnificent chariot and placed it exactly in the midst of the two armies.
The name ‘Hṛṣīkeśa’ is significant because it implies that Kṛṣṇa knows Arjuna’s mind and senses better than Arjuna does himself. He knows that Arjuna is about to fall into illusion, and He orchestrates the situation to allow the Bhagavad-gītā to be spoken.
Kṛṣṇa does not place the chariot in a random spot. He parks it in the most strategic location for maximum emotional impact. He is setting the stage for Arjuna’s transformation, acting as the divine guide who knows exactly when to intervene and how to teach his disciple.