2-10

तमुवाच हृषीकेशः प्रहसन्निव भारत ।
सेनयोरुभयोर्मध्ये सीदमानमिदम् वचः ॥ १० ॥

tamuvAca hRSIkezaH prahasanniva bhArata |
senayorubhayormadhye sIdamAnamidam vacaH || 10 ||

भारत [bhArata] O Dhritarashtra, हृषीकेशः [hRSIkezaH] Krishna इदम् वचः उवाच [idam vacaH uvAca] spoke the following words प्रहसन्निव [prahasanniva] teasingly तम् [tam] to Arjuna सीदमानम् [sIdamAnam] who was overcome with grief, उभयोः सेनयोः मध्ये [ubhayoH senayoH madhye] situated in the midst of the two armies.

Krishna addresses Arjuna in the next Shloka. Arjuna had sunk under sorrow and contradictory feelings. Such contradictions come into play when we do not know that the body and the Self are distinct.

Krishna opens his conversation in a manner meant to tease Arjuna. He starts with the statement ‘There was never a point in time, when I was not present’ two Shlokas hence (2-12). He finishes in the final chapter (18-66) saying ‘I will free you of all sins. Do not grieve’.

In between, He describes the real nature of the Self and the Lord along with the means to realize them: Karmayoga, Jnanayoga and Bhaktiyoga.