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Bhagavad Gita · 2.6 · Transcendental Knowledge·6 of 72

न चैतद्विद्मः कतरन्नो गरीयो यद्वा जयेम यदि वा नो जयेयुःयानेव हत्वा न जिजीविषाम स्तेऽवस्थिताः प्रमुखे धार्तराष्ट्राः

na chaitadvidmaḥ kataranno garīyo yadvā jayema yadi vā no jayeyuḥ

yāneva hatvā na jijīviṣhāmas te ’vasthitāḥ pramukhe dhārtarāṣhṭrāḥ

Sanskrit recitation

Krishna turns to face him · 2.1–2.10 · Scene

Translation

I can hardly tell which would be better, that we should conquer them or that they should conquer us. Even the sons of Dhritarashtra, whom we do not wish to slay, stand facing us.

Meaning

Arjuna did not know whether he should fight and risk unnecessary violence, although fighting is the duty of the kṣatriyas, or whether he should refrain and live by begging. If he did not conquer the enemy, begging would be his only means of subsistence. Nor was there certainty of victory, because either side might emerge victorious. Even if victory awaited them (and their cause was justified), still, if the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra died in battle, it would be very difficult to live in their absence. Under the circumstances, that would be another kind of defeat for them. All these considerations by Arjuna definitely proved that not only was he a great devotee of the Lord but he was also highly enlightened and had complete control over his mind and senses. His desire to live by begging, although he was born in the royal household, is another sign of detachment. He was truly virtuous, as these qualities, combined with his faith in the words of instruction of Śrī Kṛṣṇa (his spiritual master), indicate. It is concluded that Arjuna was quite fit for liberation. Unless the senses are controlled, there is no chance of elevation to the platform of knowledge, and without knowledge and devotion there is no chance of liberation. Arjuna was competent in all these attributes, over and above his enormous attributes in his material relationships.

After Swami Sivananda

Krishna turns to face him· 2.1–2.10

Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.

Word-by-word
na
not
te
they
cha
and
eva
certainly
or
etat
this
yadi
if
yān
whom
naḥ
us
hatvā
after killing
jayema
we may conquer
katarat
which
yat vā
whether
pramukhe
before us
vidmaḥ
we know
jayeyuḥ
they may conquer
garīyaḥ
is preferable
avasthitāḥ
are standing
jijīviṣhāmaḥ
we desire to live
dhārtarāṣhṭrāḥ
the sons of Dhritarashtra

Related verses

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