Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1, Verse 29

सीदन्ति मम गात्राणि मुखं च परिशुष्यति | वेपथुश्च शरीरे मे रोमहर्षश्च जायते ||

sīdanti mama gātrāṇi mukhaṁ ca pariśuṣyati vepathuś ca śarīre me romaharṣaś ca jāyate

My limbs fail, my mouth is parched, my body trembles and my hair stands on end.

Arjuna's crisis becomes viscerally physical: 'sīdanti mama gātrāṇi'—limbs quivering, 'mukhaṁ pariśuṣyati'—mouth completely drying ('pari-' means thoroughly), 'vepathuḥ'—trembling, 'romaharṣaḥ'—hair standing on end. His body revolts before his mind can rationalize. Modern neuroscience confirms this: when asked to violate core values, your autonomic nervous system responds first. Arjuna's symptoms aren't weakness—they're embodied wisdom screaming that killing kinsmen is profoundly wrong. The teaching: your body's reaction can be wiser than your strategic mind. Shaking limbs and standing hair aren't cowardice—they're your whole being recognizing moral crisis.