Chapter 2

सञ्जय उवाच |...

2.1 Sanjaya said To him who was thus overcome with pity and who was despondent, with eyes full of t...

श्रीभगवानुवाच |...

2.2 The Blessed Lord said Whence is this perilous strait come upon thee, this dejection which is un...

क्लैब्यं मा स्म गमः पार्थ नैतत्त्वय्युपपद्यते |...

2.3 Yield not to impotence, O Arjuna, son of Pritha. It does not befit thee. Cast off this mean weak...

अर्जुन उवाच |...

2.4 Arjuna said How, O Madhusudana, shall I fight in battle with arrows against Bhishma and Drona, ...

गुरूनहत्वा हि महानुभावान्...

2.5 Better it is, indeed, in this world to accept alms than to slay the most noble teachers. But if ...

न चैतद्विद्मः कतरन्नो गरीयो...

2.6 I can hardly tell which will be better, that we should coner them or that they should coner us....

कार्पण्यदोषोपहतस्वभावः...

2.7 My heart is overpowered by the taint of pity; my mind is confused as to duty. I ask Thee: Tell m...

न हि प्रपश्यामि ममापनुद्याद्...

2.8 I do not see that it would remove this sorrow that burns up my senses, even if I should attain p...

सञ्जय उवाच |...

2.9 Sanjaya said Having spoken thus to Hrishikesha (the Lord of the senses), Arjuna (the coneror of...

तमुवाच हृषीकेशः प्रहसन्निव भारत |...

2.10 To him who was despondent in the midst of the two armies, Krishna, as if smiling, O Bharata, sp...

श्रीभगवानुवाच |...

2.11 The Blessed Lord said Thou hast grieved for those that should not be grieved for, yet thou spe...

न त्वेवाहं जातु नासं न त्वं नेमे जनाधिपाः |...

2.12 Nor at any time indeed was I not, nor thou, nor these rulers of men, nor verily shall we ever c...

देहिनोऽस्मिन्यथा देहे कौमारं यौवनं जरा |...

2.13 Just as in this body the embodied (soul) passes into childhood, youth and old age, so also does...

मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदुःखदाः |...

2.14 The contacts of the senses with the objects, O son of Kunti, which cause heat and cold, pleasur...

यं हि न व्यथयन्त्येते पुरुषं पुरुषर्षभ |...

2.15 That firm man whom, surely, these afflict not, O chief among men, to whom pleasure and pain are...

नासतो विद्यते भावो नाभावो विद्यते सतः |...

2.16 The unreal hath no being; there is non-being of the real; the truth about both has been seen by...

अविनाशि तु तद्विद्धि येन सर्वमिदं ततम् |...

2.17 Know that to be indestructible, by Which all this is pervaded. None can cause the destruction o...

अन्तवन्त इमे देहा नित्यस्योक्ताः शरीरिणः |...

2.18 These bodies of the embodied Self, Which is eternal, indestructible and immeasurable, are said ...

य एनं वेत्ति हन्तारं यश्चैनं मन्यते हतम् |...

2.19 He who takes the Self to be the slayer and he who thinks It is slain, neither of them ï1knowsï1...

न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्...

2.20 It is not born, nor does It ever die; after having been, It again ceases not to be; unborn, ete...

वेदाविनाशिनं नित्यं य एनमजमव्ययम् |...

2.21 Whosoever knows It to be indestructible, eternal, unborn and inexhaustible, how can that man sl...

वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय...

2.22 Just as a man casts off worn-out clothes and puts on new ones, so also the embodied Self casts ...

नैनं छिन्दन्ति शस्त्राणि नैनं दहति पावकः |...

2.23 Weapons cut It not, fire burns It not, water wets It not, wind dries It not....

अच्छेद्योऽयमदाह्योऽयमक्लेद्योऽशोष्य एव च |...

2.24 This Self cannot be cut, burnt, wetted, nor dried up. It is eternal, all-pervading, stable, imm...

अव्यक्तोऽयमचिन्त्योऽयमविकार्योऽयमुच्यते |...

2.25 This (Self) is said to be unmanifested, unthinkable and unchangeable. Therefore, knowing This t...

अथ चैनं नित्यजातं नित्यं वा मन्यसे मृतम् |...

2.26 But even if thou thinkest of It as being constantly born and constantly dying, even then, O mig...

जातस्य हि ध्रुवो मृत्युर्ध्रुवं जन्म मृतस्य च |...

2.27 For certain is death for the born, and certain is birth for the dead; therefore, over the inevi...

अव्यक्तादीनि भूतानि व्यक्तमध्यानि भारत |...

2.28 Beings are unmanifested in their beginning, manifested in their middle state, O Arjuna, and unm...

आश्चर्यवत्पश्यति कश्चिदेन-...

2.29 One sees This (the Self) as a wonder; another speaks of It as a wonder; another hears of It as ...

देही नित्यमवध्योऽयं देहे सर्वस्य भारत |...

2.30 This, the Indweller in the body of everyone, is ever indestructible, O Arjuna; therefore, thou ...

स्वधर्ममपि चावेक्ष्य न विकम्पितुमर्हसि |...

2.31 Further, having regard to thy duty, shouldst not waver, for there is nothing higher for a Kshat...

यदृच्छया चोपपन्नं स्वर्गद्वारमपावृतम् |...

2.32 Happy are the Kshatriyas, O Arjuna! who are called upon to fight in such a battle that comes of...

अथ चेत्त्वमिमं धर्म्यं संग्रामं न करिष्यसि |...

2.33 But if thou wilt not fight this righteous war, then having abandoned thine own duty and fame, t...

अकीर्तिं चापि भूतानि कथयिष्यन्ति तेऽव्ययाम् |...

2.34 People, too, will recount thy everlasting dishonour; and to one who has been honoured, dishonou...

भयाद्रणादुपरतं मंस्यन्ते त्वां महारथाः |...

2.35 The great car-warriors will think that thou hast withdrawn from the battle through fear; and th...

अवाच्यवादांश्च बहून्वदिष्यन्ति तवाहिताः |...

2.36 Thy enemies also, cavilling at thy power, will speak many abusive words. What is more painful t...

हतो वा प्राप्स्यसि स्वर्गं जित्वा वा भोक्ष्यसे महीम् |...

2.37 Slain, thou wilt obtain heaven; victorious, thou wilt enjoy the earth; therefore, stand up, O s...

सुखदुःखे समे कृत्वा लाभालाभौ जयाजयौ |...

2.38 Having made pleasure and pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat the same, engage thou in battl...

एषा तेऽभिहिता साङ्ख्ये बुद्धिर्योगे त्विमां शृणु |...

2.39 This, which has been taught to thee, is wisdon concerning Sankhya. Now listen to wisdom concern...

नेहाभिक्रमनाशोऽस्ति प्रत्यवायो न विद्यते |...

2.40 In this there is no loss of effort, nor is there any harm (production of contrary results or tr...

व्यवसायात्मिका बुद्धिरेकेह कुरुनन्दन |...

2.41 Here, O joy of the Kurus, there is but a single one-pointed determination; many-branched and en...

यामिमां पुष्पितां वाचं प्रवदन्त्यविपश्चितः |...

2.42 Flowery speech is uttered by the unwise, taking pleasure in the eulogising words of the Vedas, ...

कामात्मानः स्वर्गपरा जन्मकर्मफलप्रदाम् |...

2.43 Full of desires, having heaven as their goal, (they utter speech which is directed to ends) lea...

भोगैश्वर्यप्रसक्तानां तयापहृतचेतसाम् |...

2.44 For those who are attached to pleasure and power, whose minds are drawn away by such teaching, ...

त्रैगुण्यविषया वेदा निस्त्रैगुण्यो भवार्जुन |...

2.45 The Vedas deal with the three attributes (of Nature); be thou above these three attributes. O A...

यावानर्थ उदपाने सर्वतः सम्प्लुतोदके |...

2.46 To the Brahmana who has known the Self, all the Vedas are of as much use as is a reservoir of w...

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन |...

2.47 Thy right is to work only, but never with its fruits; let not the fruits of action be thy motiv...

योगस्थः कुरु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा धनञ्जय |...

2.48 Perform action, O Arjuna, being steadfast in Yoga, abandoning attachment and balanced in succes...

दूरेण ह्यवरं कर्म बुद्धियोगाद्धनञ्जय |...

2.49 Far lower than the Yoga of wisdon is action, O Arjuna. Seek thou refuge in wisdom; wretched are...

बुद्धियुक्तो जहातीह उभे सुकृतदुष्कृते |...

2.50 Endowed with wisdom (evenness of mind), one casts off in this life both good and evil deeds; th...

कर्मजं बुद्धियुक्ता हि फलं त्यक्त्वा मनीषिणः |...

2.51 The wise, possessed of knowledge, having abandoned the fruits of their actions, and being freed...

यदा ते मोहकलिलं बुद्धिर्व्यतितरिष्यति |...

2.52 When thy intellect crosses beyond the mire of delusion, then thou shalt attain to indifference ...

श्रुतिविप्रतिपन्ना ते यदा स्थास्यति निश्चला |...

2.53 When thy intellect, which is perplexed by the Veda text, which thou hast read, shall stand immo...

अर्जुन उवाच |...

2.54 Arjuna said What, O Krishna, is the description of him who has steady wisdom, and is merged in...

श्रीभगवानुवाच |...

2.55 The Blessed Lord said When a man completely casts off, O Arjuna, all the desires of the mind a...

दुःखेष्वनुद्विग्नमनाः सुखेषु विगतस्पृहः |...

2.56 He whose mind is not shaken by adversity, who does not hanker after pleasures, and is free from...

यः सर्वत्रानभिस्नेहस्तत्तत्प्राप्य शुभाशुभम् |...

2.57 He who is everywhere without attachment, on meeting with anything good or bad, who neither rejo...

यदा संहरते चायं कूर्मोऽङ्गानीव सर्वशः |...

2.58 When, like the tortoise which withdraws on all sides its limbs, he withdraws his senses from th...

विषया विनिवर्तन्ते निराहारस्य देहिनः |...

2.59 The objects of the senses turn away from the abstinent man leaving the longing (behind); but hi...

यततो ह्यपि कौन्तेय पुरुषस्य विपश्चितः |...

2.60 The turbulent senses, O Arjuna, do violently carry away the mind of a wise man though he be str...

तानि सर्वाणि संयम्य युक्त आसीत मत्परः |...

2.61 Having restrained them all he should sit steadfast, intent on Me; his wisdom is steady whose se...

ध्यायतो विषयान्पुंसः सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते |...

2.62 When a man thinks of the objects, attachment for them arises; from attachment desire is born; f...

क्रोधाद्भवति सम्मोहः सम्मोहात्स्मृतिविभ्रमः |...

2.63 From anger comes delusion; from delusion loss of memory; from loss of memory the destruction of...

रागद्वेषविमुक्तैस्तु विषयानिन्द्रियैश्चरन् | (or वियुक्तैस्तु)...

2.64 But the self-controlled man, moving among the objects with the senses under restraint and free ...

प्रसादे सर्वदुःखानां हानिरस्योपजायते |...

2.65 In that peace all pains are destroyed; for the intellect of the tranil-minded soon becomes stea...

नास्ति बुद्धिरयुक्तस्य न चायुक्तस्य भावना |...

2.66 There is no knowledge of the Self to the unsteady and to the unsteady no meditation is possible...

इन्द्रियाणां हि चरतां यन्मनोऽनुविधीयते |...

2.67 For the mind, which follows in the wake of the wandering senses, carries away his discriminatio...

तस्माद्यस्य महाबाहो निगृहीतानि सर्वशः |...

2.68 Therefore, O mighty-armed Arjuna, his knowledge is steady whose senses are completely restraine...

या निशा सर्वभूतानां तस्यां जागर्ति संयमी |...

2.69 That which is night to all beings, in that the self-controlled man is awake; when all beings ar...

आपूर्यमाणमचलप्रतिष्ठं...

2.70 He attains peace into whom all desires enter as waters enter the ocean which, filled from all s...

विहाय कामान्यः सर्वान्पुमांश्चरति निःस्पृहः |...

2.71 That man attains peace who, abandoning all desires, moves about without longing, without the se...

एषा ब्राह्मी स्थितिः पार्थ नैनां प्राप्य विमुह्यति |...

2.72 This is the Brahmic seat (eternal state), O son of Pritha. Attaining to this, none is deluded. ...