Bhagavad Gita 3.2
Chapter 3, verse 2
Meaning
Your words seem to point two ways at once, and they confuse me. Settle it and tell me one clear thing: the way that leads to what is truly good for me.
Text note: The BORI critical edition reads vyāmiśreṇaiva, “with mixed words indeed”; the traditional text shown here reads vyāmiśreṇeva, “with words that seem mixed”, which keeps Arjuna polite: Krishna only appears to contradict himself.
The Sanskrit
व्यामिश्रेणेव वाक्येन बुद्धिं मोहयसीव मे ।
तदेकं वद निश्चित्य येन श्रेयोऽहमाप्नुयाम् ॥ २ ॥
vyāmiśreṇeva vākyena buddhiṃ mohayasīva me
tad ekaṃ vada niścitya yena śreyo 'ham āpnuyām
Say it
vyaa-mi-shray-nay-vuh vaak-yay-nuh bud-dhim mo-huh-yuh-see-vuh may
tuh-day-kum vuh-duh nish-chit-yuh yay-nuh shray-yo-hum aap-noo-yaam
Word by word
- vyāmiśreṇa iva vākyena
- with words that seem mixed, contradictory
- buddhim mohayasi iva me
- you seem to confuse my mind
- tat ekam vada
- so tell me one thing
- niścitya
- having settled it, decisively
- yena śreyaḥ aham āpnuyām
- by which I may reach what is truly good
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 3.2 on holy-bhagavad-gita.org.
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