Bhagavad Gita · 2.9 · Transcendental Knowledge·9 of 72
सञ्जय उवाच एवमुक्त्वा हृषीकेशं गुडाकेशः परन्तप।न योत्स्य इति गोविन्दमुक्त्वा तूष्णीं बभूव ह ॥
sañjaya uvācha evam-uktvā hṛiṣhīkeśhaṁ guḍākeśhaḥ
parantapa na yotsya iti govindam uktvā tūṣhṇīṁ babhūva ha
Sanskrit recitation
Krishna turns to face him · 2.1–2.10 · Scene
Translation
Sanjaya said: Having spoken thus to Hrishikesha, the Lord of the senses, Arjuna, the conqueror of sleep and destroyer of foes, said, "I will not fight," and became silent.
Meaning
Dhṛtarāṣṭra must have been very glad to understand that Arjuna was not going to fight and was instead leaving the battlefield for the begging profession. But Sañjaya disappointed him again in relating that Arjuna was competent to kill his enemies ( paran-tapaḥ ). Although Arjuna was, for the time being, overwhelmed with false grief due to family affection, he surrendered unto Kṛṣṇa, the supreme spiritual master, as a disciple. This indicated that he would soon be free from the false lamentation resulting from family affection and would be enlightened with perfect knowledge of self-realization, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and would then surely fight. Thus Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s joy would be frustrated, since Arjuna would be enlightened by Kṛṣṇa and would fight to the end.
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.
- 2.1Sanjaya said: To him, who was thus overcome with pity, despondent, with eyes full of tears and agitated, Madhusudana (the destroyer of Madhu) or Krishna spoke these words.
- 2.2The Blessed Lord said, "From whence has this perilous strait come upon you, this dejection which is unworthy of you, disgraceful, and which will close the gates of heaven upon you, O Arjuna?"
- 2.3Do not yield to impotence, O Arjuna, son of Pritha. It does not befit you. Cast off this mean weakness of the heart! Stand up, O conqueror of foes!
- 2.4Arjuna said, "O Madhusudana, how can I fight in battle with arrows against Bhishma and Drona, who are worthy of being worshipped, O destroyer of enemies?"
- 2.5Better it is, indeed, in this world to accept alms than to slay the most noble teachers. But if I were to kill them, even in this world, all my enjoyments of wealth and fulfilled desires would be stained with their blood.
- 2.6I 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.
- 2.7My heart is overpowered by the taint of pity; my mind is confused as to my duty. I ask Thee: Tell me decisively what is good for me. I am Thy disciple; instruct me, who has taken refuge in Thee.
- 2.8I do not see that this sorrow that burns up my senses would be removed, even if I were to attain prosperous and unrivaled dominion on earth or lordship over the gods.
2.9Sanjaya said: Having spoken thus to Hrishikesha, the Lord of the senses, Arjuna, the conqueror of sleep and destroyer of foes, said, "I will not fight," and became silent.
- 2.10To him who was despondent in the midst of the two armies, Krishna, smiling, O Bharata, spoke these words.
Word-by-word→
- iti
- thus
- evam
- thus
- uktvā
- having addressed
- babhūva
- became ha
- govindam
- Krishna, the giver of pleasure to the senses
- na yotsye
- I shall not fight
- parantapaḥ
- Arjun, the chastiser of the enemies
- tūṣhṇīm
- silent
- guḍākeśhaḥ
- Arjun, the conquerer of sleep
- hṛiṣhīkeśham
- to Shree Krishna, the master of the mind and senses
- sañjayaḥ uvācha
- Sanjay said
Related verses
- 2.2The Blessed Lord said, "From whence has this perilous strait come upon you, this dejection…
- 2.11The Blessed Lord said, "You have grieved for those who should not be grieved for; yet, you…
- 2.12Nor, at any time, was I not, nor thou, nor these rulers of men; nor, verily, shall we ever…
- 2.48Perform action, O Arjuna, being steadfast in Yoga, abandoning attachment and balanced in…