Bhagavad Gita 3.2व्यामिश्रेणेव वाक्येन बुद्धिं मोहयसीव मे।तदेकं वद निश्िचत्य येन श्रेयोऽहमाप्नुयाम् ॥
vyāmiśhreṇeva vākyena buddhiṁ mohayasīva me
tad ekaṁ vada niśhchitya yena śhreyo ’ham āpnuyām
Sanskrit recitation
Why act at all · 3.1–3.9 · Teaching
Translation
With this seemingly perplexing speech, you seem to be confusing my understanding; therefore, tell me one certain way by which I may attain bliss.
Hindi translation
।।3.1 -- 3.2।। अर्जुन बोले -- हे जनार्दन! अगर आप कर्मसे बुद्धि- (ज्ञान-) को श्रेष्ठ मानते हैं, तो फिर हे केशव! मुझे घोर कर्ममें क्यों लगाते हैं ? आप अपने मिले हुए-से वचनोंसे मेरी बुद्धिको मोहित-सी कर रहे हैं। अतः आप निश्चय करके एक बात को कहिये, जिससे मैं कल्याणको प्राप्त हो जाऊँ।
Meaning
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).
After Swami Sivananda
Why act at all· 3.1–3.9→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 3.1Arjuna said: If Thou thinkest that knowledge is superior to action, O Krishna, why then, O…
3.2With this seemingly perplexing speech, you seem to be confusing my understanding;…
- 3.3The Blessed Lord said, "In this world, there is a twofold path, as I said before, O…
- 3.4Man does not reach actionlessness by not performing actions; nor does he attain perfection…
- 3.5Verily, no one can remain for even a moment without performing action; for everyone is…
- 3.6He who, restraining the organs of action, sits thinking of the sense-objects in his mind,…
- 3.7But whoever, controlling the senses by the mind, O Arjuna, engages himself in Karma Yoga…
- 3.8Perform your bounden duty, for action is superior to inaction, and even the maintenance of…
- 3.9The world is bound by actions other than those performed for the sake of sacrifice; do…
Word-by-word→
- me
- my
- iva
- as it were
- tat
- therefore
- aham
- I
- ekam
- one
- vada
- please tell
- yena
- by which
- buddhim
- intellect
- mohayasi
- I am getting bewildered
- vākyena
- words
- āpnuyām
- may attain
- śhreyaḥ
- the highest good
- niśhchitya
- decisively
- vyāmiśhreṇa iva
- by your apparently ambiguous
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- 12.14Ever content, steady in meditation, self-controlled, possessing firm conviction, with the…
- 3.41Therefore, O best of the Bharatas, control your senses first and then kill this sinful…