na hi prapaśyāmi mamāpanudyād yac chokam ucchoṣaṇam indriyāṇām avāpya bhūmāv asapatnam ṛddhaṁ rājyaṁ surāṇām api cādhipatyam
"I see nothing that can remove this sorrow that is drying up my senses—not even if I win an unrivaled kingdom on earth or lordship over the gods themselves."
What This Means:
Arjuna says: 'Nothing can fix how I feel right now. Even if I won everything—the whole kingdom, even if I became king of heaven—this grief wouldn't go away.' He's hit rock bottom emotionally.
Going Deeper:
The phrase 'ucchoṣaṇam indriyāṇām' (drying up the senses) describes what we'd now call depression—the loss of ability to feel pleasure. Arjuna recognizes that external success can't cure internal suffering. This insight prepares him for Krishna's spiritual solution.
How To Apply This:
Material success doesn't cure spiritual emptiness. You can win every external battle and still feel hollow inside. When you notice that achievement isn't bringing fulfillment, that's a signal to look inward. The problem—and the solution—is internal.
Key Sanskrit Terms: