Bhagavad Geeta 2.8–9

Verse 2.8 (Chapter 2, Sloka 8) न हि प्रपश्यामि ममापनुद्याद् यच्छोकमुच्छोषणमिन्द्रियाणाम् । अवाप्य भूमावसपत्नमृद्धं राज्यं सुराणामपि चाधिपत्यम् ॥

Transliteration: Na hi prapaśyāmi mamāpanudyād Yac-chokam ucchoṣaṇam-indriyāṇām | Avāpya bhūmāv-asapatnam-r̥ddhaṁ Rājyaṁ surāṇām-api cādhipatyam ||

Translation: I see no means to drive away this sorrow that is drying up my senses. Even if I were to gain an unrivaled and prosperous kingdom on Earth, or even the sovereignty of the gods, it would not dispel my grief.

Verse 2.9 (Chapter 2, Sloka 9) सञ्जय उवाच । एवमुक्त्वा हृषीकेशं गुडाकेशः परन्तप । न योत्स्य इति गोविन्दमुक्त्वा तूष्णीं बभूव ह ॥

Transliteration: Saṁjaya uvāca | Evam-uktvā hr̥ṣīkeśaṁ guḍākeśaḥ parantapa | Na yotsya iti govindam-uktvā tūṣṇīṁ babhūva ha ||

Translation: Sanjaya said: Having spoken thus to Hrishikesha (Krishna), Gudakesha (Arjuna), the scorcher of enemies, declared, “I will not fight,” and became silent.

These verses capture the emotional turmoil Arjuna is experiencing on the battlefield, expressing his despair and inability to find solace even in the grandest achievements. Verse 2.9 also marks Arjuna’s moment of despondence, setting the stage for Krishna’s teachings to begin in earnest.