Bhagavad Gita 3.1
Chapter 3, verse 1 · arjuna uvāca
Meaning
Arjuna asks: Krishna, if you hold that understanding is better than action, why are you pushing me into this dreadful deed?
The Sanskrit
ज्यायसी चेत्कर्मणस्ते मता बुद्धिर्जनार्दन ।
तत्किं कर्मणि घोरे मां नियोजयसि केशव ॥ १ ॥
jyāyasī cet karmaṇas te matā buddhir janārdana
tat kiṃ karmaṇi ghore māṃ niyojayasi keśava
Say it
jyaa-yuh-see chet kur-muh-nus-tay muh-taa bud-dhir juh-naar-duh-nuh
tut kim kur-muh-ni gho-ray maam ni-yo-juh-yuh-si kay-shuh-vuh
Word by word
- jyāyasī
- better, superior
- cet karmaṇaḥ
- if, than action
- te matā buddhiḥ
- understanding is held by you
- janārdana
- O Janārdana (Krishna)
- tat kim
- then why
- karmaṇi ghore
- in a terrible deed
- mām niyojayasi
- do you engage me, push me
- keśava
- O Keśava (Krishna)
Read it in context: verses 3.1–4Then why push me into this?With the story so far, commentary, and today's lesson: Stepping back is not the same as being free
Another translation and audio recitation: verse 3.1 on holy-bhagavad-gita.org.
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