Under the BanyanOld stories, illustrated and annotated

Bhagavad Gita 1.46

Chapter 1, verse 46

Meaning

“If the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, weapons in hand, were to cut me down in battle while I stood unarmed and did not fight back, that would be better for me.” He would rather be the victim than the one who acts.

The Sanskrit

यदि मामप्रतीकारमशस्त्रं शस्त्रपाणयः ।
धार्तराष्ट्रा रणे हन्युस्तन्मे क्षेमतरं भवेत् ॥ ४६ ॥

yadi mām apratīkāram aśastraṃ śastrapāṇayaḥ
dhārtarāṣṭrā raṇe hanyus tan me kṣemataraṃ bhavet

Say it

yuh-di maam uh-pruh-tee-kaa-rum uh-shus-trum shus-truh-paa-nuh-yuh
dhaar-tuh-raash-traa ruh-nay hun-yoos tun may kshay-muh-tuh-rum bhuh-vayt

Word by word

yadi
if
mām
me
apratīkāram
offering no resistance
aśastram
unarmed
śastra-pāṇayaḥ
with weapons in hand
dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ
the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra
raṇe
in battle
hanyuḥ
were to kill
tat me
that, for me
kṣemataram bhavet
would be the better outcome
Read it in context: verses 1.45–47The bow is set downWith the story so far, commentary, and today's lesson: When the argument ends in sitting down

Another translation and audio recitation: verse 1.46 on holy-bhagavad-gita.org.