Arjuna's state of extreme despondency is well known through the first chapter of the Bhagvad Gita. But if you read the events of the Mahabharata just before the Gitopadesha, you will be surprised to find that Yudhisthir was the first to lose hope on seeing the array of the enemy army. To pep him up, Arjuna tells him that victory is not decided by numbers alone; pure and truthful purpose are also harbingers of victory. Besides, Sri Krishna being with the pandavas, victory was assured for Yudishthir. Thus saying Arjuna was able to bring out his brother from a cloud of fear and despondency.
Shortly thereafter, Arjuna seeks the blessings of Devi. His eulogy to the Devi is reproduced below. At the end of his worship, Devi appeared and said that Nara and Narayana can never lose. Arjuna is Nara and Sri Krishna is Narayana.
Yet, with all his confidence after this, he is deeply despondent when he sees his near and dear ones in the battlefield.
We have deliberately pointed to the events preceding the Gitopadesh because it goes largely unnoticed by people. The shining star of the Mahabharata is the Bhagavad Gita and the events immediately before and after tend to dull in its vast glory.
अर्जुन उवाच
नमस्ते सिद्धसेनानि आर्ये मन्दरवासिनि ।
कुमारि कालि कापालि कपिले कृष्णपिङ्गले ॥
भद्रकालि नमस्तुभ्यं महाकालि नमोऽस्तु ते ।
चण्डि चण्डे नमस्तुभ्यं तारिणि वरवर्णिनि ॥
कात्यायनि महाभागे करालि विजये जये ।
शिखिपिच्छध्वजधरे नानाभरणभूषिते ॥
अट्टशूलप्रहरणे खङ्ग्खेटकधारिणि ।
गोपेन्द्रस्यानुजे ज्येष्ठे नन्दगोपकुलोद्भवे ॥
महिषासृक्प्रिये नित्यं कौशिकि पीतवासिनि ।
अट्टहासे कोकमुखे नमस्तेऽस्तु रणप्रिये ॥
उमे शाकम्भरि श्वेते कृष्णे कैटभनाशिनि ।
हिरण्याक्षि विरूपाक्षि सुधूम्राक्षि नमोऽस्तु ते॥
वेदश्रुति महापुण्ये ब्रह्मण्ये जातवेदसि ।
जम्बूकटकचैत्येषु नित्यं सन्निहितालये ॥
त्वं ब्रह्मविद्या विद्यानां महानिद्रा च देहिनाम्।
स्कन्दमातर्भगवति दुर्गे कान्तारवासिनि ॥
स्वाहाकारः स्वधा चैव कला काष्ठा सरस्वती ।
सावित्रि वेदमाता च तथा वेदान्त उच्यते ॥
स्तुतासि त्वं महादेवि विशुद्धेनान्तरात्मना ।
जयो भवतु मे नित्यं त्वत्प्रसादाद् रणाजिरे ॥
कान्तारभयदुर्गेषु भक्तानां चालयेषु च ।
नित्यं वससि पाताले युद्धे जयसि दानवान् ॥
त्वं जम्भनी मोहिनी च माया ह्रीः श्रिस्तथैव च ।
सन्ध्या प्रभावति चैव सावित्री जननी तथा ॥
तुष्टिः पृष्टिर्धृतिर्दीप्तिश्चन्द्रादित्यविवर्धिनी ।
भूतिर्भूतिमतां सङ्खये वीक्ष्यसे सिद्धचारणैः ॥