Chapter 2 of 18
साङ्ख्ययोग Sāṅkhya Yoga The Eternal
72 verses
The first answer is that Arjuna is not the body he is afraid of losing, and that grief for what cannot die is grief misplaced.
Chapter 2 begins by refusing to be gentle. Krishna's first move is an accusation of unmanliness and an order to stand up, delivered to a man the text has just described as brimming-eyed and sunk in grief. Modern readers flinch, and it is worth staying with rather than explaining away.
Then Arjuna says the word the whole book turns on — I am your pupil — and Krishna answers, the text says, as if smiling.
What follows is not one argument but four, and the Gita does not rank them. Nothing real can be destroyed. Even if it could, death was never avoidable. Also: this is your job, and people will say you ran. Also: you win either way. Then, at 2.38, all of that is set aside and the real answer starts — be even about outcomes, and act.
The second half is where the book's most quoted lines live, and its most misread. Your right is to the action alone — and, in the half usually dropped, do not be attached to inaction either. Yoga is evenness of mind. Yoga is skill in action. No effort on this path is wasted and no step is lost.
And it ends on the sharpest observation in the chapter and the gentlest image. For the one who merely abstains, the objects fall away but the taste for them remains. And: as rivers enter the ocean, which is filled and yet unmoved at its foundation.
तं तथा कृपयाऽविष्टमश्रुपूर्णाकुलेक्षणम्
विषीदन्तमिदं वाक्यमुवाच मधुसूदनः
taṁ tathā kṛipayāviṣhṭamaśhru pūrṇākulekṣhaṇam
viṣhīdantamidaṁ vākyam uvācha madhusūdanaḥ
To him in that state — overcome with pity, his eyes brimming and troubled, sunk in grief — Krishna spoke these words.
Krishna sees exactly what state he is in.
Overcome with pity, eyes brimming and troubled, sunk in grief. The text catalogues it before anyone speaks.
What follows has to be read against this description. Krishna is not misreading Arjuna; the harshness of the next two verses is chosen with full sight of the condition.
Word by wordsañjayaḥ uvācha — Sanjay said · tam — to him (Arjun) · tathā — thus · kṛipayā — with pity · āviṣhṭam — overwhelmed · aśhru-pūrṇa — full of tears · ākula — distressed · īkṣhaṇam — eyes · viṣhīdantam — grief-stricken · idam — these · vākyam — words · uvācha — said · madhusūdanaḥ — Shree Krishn, slayer of the Madhu demon
Chapter 2 · The Eternal · ← → to move, d for depth
All 72 verses
The Blessed One said
Arjuna said
- 2.4 कथं भीष्ममहं संख्ये द्रोणं च मधुसूदन They deserve my reverence
- 2.5 गुरूनहत्वा हि महानुभावान् श्रेयो भोक्तुं भैक्ष्यमपीह लोके Better to live on alms
- 2.6 न चैतद्विद्मः कतरन्नो गरीयो यद्वा जयेम यदि वा नो जयेयुः I do not know which is better
- 2.7 कार्पण्यदोषोपहतस्वभावः पृच्छामि त्वां धर्मसंमूढचेताः I am your pupil
- 2.8 न हि प्रपश्यामि ममापनुद्या द्यच्छोकमुच्छोषणमिन्द्रियाणाम् Not even a kingdom would help
Sanjaya said
The Blessed One said
- 2.11 अशोच्यानन्वशोचस्त्वं प्रज्ञावादांश्च भाषसे You speak like a wise man
- 2.12 न त्वेवाहं जातु नासं न त्वं नेमे जनाधिपाः There was never a time
- 2.13 देहिनोऽस्मिन्यथा देहे कौमारं यौवनं जरा Childhood to youth to age
- 2.14 मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदुःखदाः They come and they go
- 2.15 यं हि न व्यथयन्त्येते पुरुषं पुरुषर्षभ Fit for what does not die
- 2.16 नासतो विद्यते भावो नाभावो विद्यते सतः What is, never ceases
- 2.17 अविनाशि तु तद्विद्धि येन सर्वमिदं ततम् Know that indestructible
- 2.18 अन्तवन्त इमे देहा नित्यस्योक्ताः शरीरिणः Therefore fight
- 2.19 य एनं वेत्ति हन्तारं यश्चैनं मन्यते हतम् Neither slayer nor slain
- 2.20 न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचि न्नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः The body is killed; that is not
- 2.21 वेदाविनाशिनं नित्यं य एनमजमव्ययम् How could such a person kill?
- 2.22 वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय नवानि गृह्णाति नरोऽपराणि Worn-out clothes
- 2.23 नैनं छिन्दन्ति शस्त्राणि नैनं दहति पावकः Weapons do not cut it
- 2.24 अच्छेद्योऽयमदाह्योऽयमक्लेद्योऽशोष्य एव च The four negations again
- 2.25 अव्यक्तोऽयमचिन्त्योऽयमविकार्योऽयमुच्यते Knowing this, do not grieve
- 2.26 अथ चैनं नित्यजातं नित्यं वा मन्यसे मृतम् And even if you believe otherwise
- 2.27 जातस्य हि ध्रुवो मृत्युर्ध्रुवं जन्म मृतस्य च What cannot be avoided
- 2.28 अव्यक्तादीनि भूतानि व्यक्तमध्यानि भारत Unmanifest, manifest, unmanifest
- 2.29 आश्चर्यवत्पश्यति कश्चिदेन माश्चर्यवद्वदति तथैव चान्यः No one truly knows it
- 2.30 देही नित्यमवध्योऽयं देहे सर्वस्य भारत Do not grieve for any creature
- 2.31 स्वधर्ममपि चावेक्ष्य न विकम्पितुमर्हसि Considering your own duty
- 2.32 यदृच्छया चोपपन्नं स्वर्गद्वारमपावृतम् An open door
- 2.33 अथ चैत्त्वमिमं धर्म्यं संग्रामं न करिष्यसि You take on the wrong instead
- 2.34 अकीर्तिं चापि भूतानि कथयिष्यन्ति तेऽव्ययाम् Dishonour is worse than dying
- 2.35 भयाद्रणादुपरतं मंस्यन्ते त्वां महारथाः They will say you were afraid
- 2.36 अवाच्यवादांश्च बहून् वदिष्यन्ति तवाहिताः What could be more painful?
- 2.37 हतो वा प्राप्स्यसि स्वर्गं जित्वा वा भोक्ष्यसे महीम् Killed or victorious
- 2.38 सुखदुःखे समे कृत्वा लाभालाभौ जयाजयौ Then you take on no wrong
- 2.39 एषा तेऽभिहिता सांख्ये बुद्धिर्योगे त्विमां श्रृणु Now hear it as practice
- 2.40 नेहाभिक्रमनाशोऽस्ति प्रत्यवायो न विद्यते No effort is wasted
- 2.41 व्यवसायात्मिका बुद्धिरेकेह कुरुनन्दन The resolute mind is single
- 2.42 यामिमां पुष्पितां वाचं प्रवदन्त्यविपश्चितः Flowery words
- 2.43 कामात्मानः स्वर्गपरा जन्मकर्मफलप्रदाम् Elaborate rites for enjoyment
- 2.44 भोगैश्वर्यप्रसक्तानां तयापहृतचेतसाम् No stillness settles
- 2.45 त्रैगुण्यविषया वेदा निस्त्रैगुण्यो भवार्जुन Rise above the three
- 2.46 यावानर्थ उदपाने सर्वतः संप्लुतोदके A pool and a lake
- 2.47 कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन Your right is to the action
- 2.48 योगस्थः कुरु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा धनञ्जय Evenness is what yoga means
- 2.49 दूरेण ह्यवरं कर्म बुद्धियोगाद्धनञ्जय Take refuge in understanding
- 2.50 बुद्धियुक्तो जहातीह उभे सुकृतदुष्कृते Skill in action
- 2.51 कर्मजं बुद्धियुक्ता हि फलं त्यक्त्वा मनीषिणः A state beyond harm
- 2.52 यदा ते मोहकलिलं बुद्धिर्व्यतितरिष्यति Across the swamp of confusion
- 2.53 श्रुतिविप्रतिपन्ना ते यदा स्थास्यति निश्चला No longer pulled about
The Blessed One said
- 2.55 प्रजहाति यदा कामान् सर्वान् पार्थ मनोगतान् Content within by the self
- 2.56 दुःखेष्वनुद्विग्नमनाः सुखेषु विगतस्पृहः Unshaken in sorrow
- 2.57 यः सर्वत्रानभिस्नेहस्तत्तत्प्राप्य शुभाशुभम् Neither delighting nor recoiling
- 2.58 यदा संहरते चायं कूर्मोऽङ्गानीव सर्वशः Like a tortoise
- 2.59 विषया विनिवर्तन्ते निराहारस्य देहिनः The taste remains
- 2.60 यततो ह्यपि कौन्तेय पुरुषस्य विपश्चितः Carried away by force
- 2.61 तानि सर्वाणि संयम्य युक्त आसीत मत्परः Sit joined, intent on me
- 2.62 ध्यायतो विषयान्पुंसः सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते Dwelling on things
- 2.63 क्रोधाद्भवति संमोहः संमोहात्स्मृतिविभ्रमः And then a person is lost
- 2.64 रागद्वेषवियुक्तैस्तु विषयानिन्द्रियैश्चरन् Moving among them, free
- 2.65 प्रसादे सर्वदुःखानां हानिरस्योपजायते All sorrows destroyed
- 2.66 नास्ति बुद्धिरयुक्तस्य न चायुक्तस्य भावना Where is happiness?
- 2.67 इन्द्रियाणां हि चरतां यन्मनोऽनुविधीयते A boat blown off course
- 2.68 तस्माद्यस्य महाबाहो निगृहीतानि सर्वशः Therefore, restrained
- 2.69 या निशा सर्वभूतानां तस्यां जागर्ति संयमी Night for all beings
- 2.70 आपूर्यमाणमचलप्रतिष्ठं समुद्रमापः प्रविशन्ति यद्वत् As rivers enter the ocean
- 2.71 विहाय कामान्यः सर्वान्पुमांश्चरति निःस्पृहः Without mine and without I
- 2.72 एषा ब्राह्मी स्थितिः पार्थ नैनां प्राप्य विमुह्यति Even at the hour of death
Where this sits
Chapter 2 against the whole of it: who is speaking, verse by verse, and how much of the book this chapter is.
The argument so far
- Chapter 1 Arjuna's nerve fails on the field, and the question that opens the book is not a spiritual one but a practical one he cannot answer.