Sanjaya or Sanjay (Sanskrit: सञ्जय, meaning "victory") or Sanjaya Gavalgana is an advisor from the ancient Indian Hindu war epic Mahābhārata. In Mahabharata—An ancient story of a war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas—the blind king Dhritarashtra is the father of the principals of the Kaurava side. Sanjaya, son of charioteer Gavalgana, is Dhritarashtra's advisor and also his charioteer. Sanjaya was a disciple of sage Krishna Dwaipayana Veda Vyasa and was immensely devoted to his master, King Dhritarashtra. Sanjaya — who has the gift of seeing events at a distance or divya drishti (), right in front of him, granted by the sage Vyasa — narrates to Dhritarashtra the action in the climactic battle of Kurukshetra, which includes the Bhagavad Gita. Role in the Mahabharata As a messenger Before this great war broke out, Sanjaya had gone to Yudhishtira as the Ambassador of Kauravas to negotiate on behalf of them. Gift of Divine Vision Having a divine vision is completely different than just a subtle sight (“Sanjaya’s Gift”). One who possesses a subtle sight sees image of things invisible in his mind, whereas in divine vision, instead of it being in the mind, it is like seeing it in person. Also, the sounds are heard with the physical ear and not as a current of thought. As the describer of the Mahabharata war While Sanjaya was still in Hastinapur, the series of events that happened on the battlefield of Kurukshetra was very clear to him (“Sanjaya’s Gift”). He saw with his eyes as if he was on the battlefield. Sanjaya saw: partisans of Dhritarashtra and the Pandavas gathered there, heard with his ears the words of Duryodhana, the fierce battle-cry of grandfather Bhishma, the mighty sound of Panchajanya proclaiming the destruction of the Kurus, and the dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna bringing out the import of the Gita (“Sanjaya’s Gift”). Sanjaya clearly has an advantage over an average person because he could hear things that would even frighten the average person. He was described to be gifted as he could see “events at a distance granted by the Rishi Vyasa” (“Sanjaya, Charioteer”). On the eve of the Mahabharata War, the Gita was spoken, “we find in the very first verse of the Gita, King Dhritarashtra seeking information about the War from Sanjaya who had received the gift of divine vision”(“Sanjaya’s Gift”). As Dhritarashtra's advisor, Sanjaya's job was not as hard.