3.1–2
Chapter 3, Verses 1–2
अर्जुन उवाच ज्यायसी चेत्कर्मणस्ते मता बुद्धिर्जनार्दन। तत्किं कर्मणि घोरे मां नियोजयसि केशव৷৷ व्यामिश्रेणेव वाक्येन बुद्धिं मोहयसीव मे। तदेकं वद निश्िचत्य येन श्रेयोऽहमाप्नुयाम्৷৷
arjuna uvāca jyāyasī cētkarmaṇastē matā buddhirjanārdana. tatkiṅ karmaṇi ghōrē māṅ niyōjayasi kēśava৷৷ vyāmiśrēṇēva vākyēna buddhiṅ mōhayasīva mē. tadēkaṅ vada niśicatya yēna śrēyō.hamāpnuyām৷৷
Translation
Verse 1
"Arjuna questioned: My Lord! If Wisdom is above action, why dost Thou advise me to engage in this terrible fight?
Verse 2
Thy language perplexes me and confuses my reason. Therefore please tell me the only way by which I may, without doubt, secure my spiritual welfare.
Translation — Purohit Swami
Commentary
Verse 1
ज्यायसी superior, चेत् if, कर्मणः than action, ते by Thee, मता thought, बुद्धिः knowledge, जनार्दन O Janardana, तत् then, किम् why, कर्मणि in action, घोरे terrible, माम् me, नियोजयसि Thou engagest, केशव O Kesava. Commentary: In verses 49, 50 and 51 of chapter II, Lord Krsihna has spoken very highly about Buddhi Yoga. He again asks Arjuna to fight. That is the reason why Arjuna is perplexed now.
Verse 2
व्यामिश्रेण perplexing, इव as it were, वाक्येन with speech, बुद्धिम् understanding, मोहयसि (Thou) confusest, इव as it were, मे my, तत् that, एकम् one, वद tell, निश्चित्य for certain, येन by which, श्रेयः bliss (the good or the highest), अहम् I, आप्नुयाम् may attain. Commentary: Arjuna says to Lord Krishna, Tecah me one of the two, knowledge or action, by which I may attain to the highest good or bliss or Moksha. (Cf.V.I).
Commentary — Swami Sivananda
Sanskrit and transliteration of the Bhagavad Gita. Corpus compiled from the vedabase and the IIT Kanpur Gita Supersite.