CharacterCourt of Hastinapura
Sanjaya: FAQ & Sources
संजयCharioteer-minister of Dhritarashtra; narrator of the Bhagavad Gita. Also called Gavalgani, Suta.
Sanjaya is the charioteer-minister of Dhritarashtra who, with divine sight from Vyasa, narrates the Kurukshetra war and the Bhagavad Gita to the blind king. He closes the Gita with the words that victory and fortune lie where Krishna and Arjuna are.
RoleCharioteer-minister of Dhritarashtra; narrator of the Bhagavad Gita
AllegianceHastinapura
GroupCourt of Hastinapura
KingdomHastinapura
First appearsMahabharata, Bhishma Parva
Speaks in the GitaChapters 1, 2, 11 and 18
Frequently asked questions
Who was Sanjaya in the Mahabharata?
The charioteer-minister of King Dhritarashtra, who narrated the Kurukshetra war to the blind king through divine sight given by Vyasa.
Why did Sanjaya narrate the Bhagavad Gita?
Dhritarashtra asked him what happened on the battlefield, and Sanjaya reported the dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna as he saw and heard it.
Who gave Sanjaya divine sight?
The sage Vyasa, after Dhritarashtra declined to see the war himself.
What does Sanjaya say at the end of the Gita?
That wherever Krishna and Arjuna are, there will be fortune, victory and right conduct (18.78).
Did Sanjaya survive the war?
Yes. He was one of the few who did, and he later went to the Himalayas after Dhritarashtra's death.
Sources and further reading
- Mahabharata, Bhishma Parva (Jambukhanda-vinirmana and Bhagavad Gita)
- Mahabharata, Shalya Parva and Ashramavasika Parva
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