Under the BanyanOld stories, illustrated and annotated

Bhagavad Gita 1.21

Chapter 1, verse 21

Meaning

Then, O lord of the earth, Arjuna spoke these words to Hṛṣīkeśa: “O Acyuta, place my chariot between the two armies.

The Sanskrit

हृषीकेशं तदा वाक्यमिदमाह महीपते ।
सेनयोरुभयोर्मध्ये रथं स्थापय मेऽच्युत ॥ २१ ॥

hṛṣīkeśaṃ tadā vākyam idam āha mahīpate
senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṃ sthāpaya me 'cyuta

Say it

hrish-ee-kay-shum tuh-daa vaak-yum i-dum aa-huh muh-hee-puh-tay
say-nuh-yor oo-bhuh-yor mudh-yay ruh-thum sthaa-puh-yuh may chyu-tuh

Word by word

hṛṣīkeśam
to Hṛṣīkeśa (Krishna, “lord of the senses”)
tadā
then, at that moment
vākyam idam āha
spoke these words
mahīpate
O lord of the earth (addressing the king)
senayoḥ ubhayoḥ madhye
in the middle of the two armies
ratham sthāpaya
place / station the chariot
me
for me, of mine
acyuta
O Acyuta (Krishna, “the unfallen / never-failing one”)
Read it in context: verses 1.21–24Place my chariot between themWith the story so far, commentary, and today's lesson: Look before you commit

Another translation and audio recitation: verse 1.21 on holy-bhagavad-gita.org.