Mūla — the verse
Gita Press numberingअर्जुन उवाच
ज्यायसी चेत्कर्मणस्ते मता बुद्धिर्जनार्दन।
तत्किं कर्मणि घोरे मां नियोजयसि केशव
arjuna uvācha
jyāyasī chet karmaṇas te matā buddhir janārdana
tat kiṁ karmaṇi ghore māṁ niyojayasi keśhava
Anuṣṭubh
Translation
Swami Gambhīrānanda · follows Śaṅkara-bhāṣyaArjuna said, "O Janardana (Krishna), if it is Your opinion that wisdom is superior to action, why do You urge me to take such horrible action, O Kesava?"
हिन्दी अनुवाद — Swami Tejomayānanda
हे जनार्दन यदि आपको यह मान्य है कि कर्म से ज्ञान श्रेष्ठ है तो फिर हे केशव आप मुझे इस भयंकर कर्म में क्यों प्रवृत्त करते हैं
Pronunciation — Vaamshii
from Vaamshiiअ उ
ज्यायसी चेत् कर्मणस् ते
मता बुद्धिर् ज नार्दन
तत् किङ् कर्मणि घोरे माम्
नियोज यसि केशव
॥ १ ॥
Read each split group as one breath-unit; hyphens join pādas kept whole for the meter or a compound word. Symbols: # upadhmānīya (visarga before p/ph), % jihvāmūlīya (visarga before k/kh), ऽ avagraha (an elided a). Full method →
Word by word
padārthaarjunaḥ uvāchaArjun said
jyāyasīsuperior
chetif
karmaṇaḥthan fruitive action
teby you
matāis considered
buddhiḥintellect
janārdanahe who looks after the public, Krishna
tatthen
kimwhy
karmaṇiaction
ghoreterrible
māmme
niyojayasido you engage
keśhavaKrishna, the killer of the demon named Keshi
Themes
from The Thematic Companion to the Bhagavad GītāMeaning — Questions & Solutions
from Q&A with KnA3.1If knowledge outranks action, why — asks Arjuna — push me into this terrible deed?
Arjuna said, "O Janardana (Krishna), if it is Your opinion that wisdom is superior to action, why do You urge me to take such horrible action, O Kesava?"
The verse itself, in Swami Gambhīrānanda's rendering, is the answer. For reasoned solutions to knotty verses, browse the Q&A index.