Bhagavad-Gita: Chapter 2 (English translation)

Tazio Philippi /
  • Created on 2025-04-10 16:54:44
  • Modified on 2025-04-18 05:33:35
  • Translated by Laurie L. Patton
  • Aligned by Tazio Philippi
Sanskrit
English
saṃjaya uvāca
taṃ tathā kṛpayā āviṣṭam aśru pūrṇa akula ikṣaṇam
viṣīdantam idaṃ vākyam uvāca madhu sūdanaḥ

śrī bhagavān uvāca
kutas tvā kaśmalam idaṃ viṣame samupasthitam
anārya juṣṭam asvargyam akīrti-karam arjuna

klaibyaṃ mā sma gamaḥ pārtha na etat tvayi upapadyate
kṣudraṃ hṛdaya daurbalyaṃ tyaktvā uttiṣṭha paraṃ tapa

arjuna uvāca
kathaṃ bhīṣmam ahaṃ saṃkhye droṇaṃ ca madhu sūdana
iṣubhiḥ pratiyotsyāmi pūjārhāv arisūdana

gurūn ahatvā hi mahā anubhāvāñ śreyo bhoktuṃ bhaikṣam api iha loke
hatvā artha kāmān tu gurūn iha eva bhuñjīya bhogān rudhira pradigdhān

na ca etat vidmaḥ kataran no garīyo yad vā jayema yadi vā no jayeyuḥ
yān eva hatvā na jijīviṣāmas te ‘vasthitāḥ pramukhe dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ

kārpaṇya doṣa upahata svabhāva pṛcchāmi tvā dharma saṃmūḍha cetāḥ
yac chreyaḥ syān niścitaṃ brūhi tan me śiṣyas te ‘haṃ śādhi māṃ tvāṃ prapannam

na hi prapaśyāmi mama apanudyāt yac chokam ucchoṣaṇam indriyāṇām
avāpya bhūmāv asapatnam ṛddhaṃ rājyaṃ surāṇām api ca ādhipatyam

saṃjaya uvāca
evam uktvā hṛṣīkeśaṃ guḍākeśaḥ paraṃ tapa
na yotsya iti govindam uktvā tūṣṇīṃ babhūva ha

tam uvāca hṛṣīkeśaḥ prahasann iva bhārata
senayor ubhayor madhye viṣīdantam idaṃ vacaḥ

śrī bhagavān uvāca
aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṃ prajñā vādāṃś ca bhāṣase
gata asūn agata asūṃś ca na anuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ

na tv eva ahaṃ jātu na asaṃ na tvaṃ na ime janā dhipāḥ
na ca eva na bhaviṣyāmaḥ sarve vayam ataḥ param

dehino ‘smin yathā dehe kaumāraṃ yauvanaṃ jarā
tathā deha antara prāpti dhīras tatra na muhyati

mātrā sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa sukha duḥkha dāḥ
āgama apāyino ‘nityās tāṃs titikṣasva bhārata

yaṃ hi na vyathayanty ete puruṣaṃ puruṣa rṣabha
sama duḥkha sukhaṃ dhīraṃ so ‘mṛtatvāya kalpate

na asato vidyate bhāvo na abhāvo vidyate sataḥ
ubhayor api dṛṣṭo ‘ntas tv anayos tattva darśibhiḥ

avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṃ tatam
vināśam avyayasya asya na kaś-cit kartum arhati

antavanta ime dehā nityasya uktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ
anāśino ‘prameyasya tasmād yudhyasva bhārata

ya enaṃ vetti hantāraṃ yaś ca enaṃ manyate hatam
ubhau tau na vijānīto na ayaṃ hanti na hanyate

na jāyate mriyate vā kadā-cin na ayaṃ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato ‘yaṃ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre

veda avināśinaṃ nityaṃ ya enam ajam avyayam
kathaṃ sa puruṣaḥ pārtha kaṃ ghātayati hanti kam

vāsāṃsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya navāni gṛhṇāti naro ‘parāṇi
tathā śarīrāṇi vihāya jīrṇāny anyāni saṃyāti navāni dehī

na enaṃ chindanti śastrāṇi na enaṃ dahati pāvakaḥ
na ca enaṃ kledayanty āpo na śoṣayati mārutaḥ

acchedyo ‘yam adāhyo ‘yam akledyo ‘śoṣya eva ca
nityaḥ sarva gataḥ sthāṇur acalo ‘yaṃ sanātanaḥ

avyakto ‘yam acintyo ‘yam avikāryo ‘yam ucyate
tasmād evaṃ viditvā enam na anuśocitum arhasi

atha ca enaṃ nitya jātaṃ nityaṃ vā manyase mṛtam
tathā api tvaṃ mahā bāho na enaṃ śocitum arhasi

jātasya hi dhruvo mṛtyur dhruvaṃ janma mṛtasya ca
tasmād aparihārye ‘rthe na tvaṃ śocitum arhasi

avyaktādīni bhūtāni vyakta madhyāni bhārata
avyakta nidhanāny eva tatra kā paridevanā

āścarya-vat paśyati kaś-cid enam āścarya-vad vadati tatha eva ca anyaḥ
āścarya-vac ca enam anyaḥ śṛṇoti śrutvā api enaṃ veda na ca eva kaś-cit

dehī nityam avadhyo ‘yaṃ dehe sarvasya bhārata
tasmāt sarvāṇi bhūtāni na tvaṃ śocitum arhasi

sva dharmam api ca avekṣya na vikampitum arhasi
dharmyād dhi yuddhāc chreyo ‘nyat kṣatriyasya na vidyate

yadṛcchayā ca upapannaṃ svarga dvāram apāvṛtam
sukhinaḥ kṣatriyāḥ pārtha labhante yuddham īdṛśam

atha cet tvam imaṃ dharmyaṃ saṃgrāmaṃ na kariṣyasi
tataḥ sva-dharmaṃ kīrtiṃ ca hitvā pāpam avāpsyasi

akīrtiṃ ca api bhūtāni kathayiṣyanti te ‘vyayām
saṃbhāvitasya ca akīrtir maraṇād atiricyate

bhayād raṇād uparataṃ maṃsyante tvāṃ mahā rathāḥ
yeṣāṃ ca tvaṃ bahu mato bhūtvā yāsyasi lāghavam

avācya vādāṃś ca bahūn vadiṣyanti tava ahitāḥ
nindantas tava sāmarthyaṃ tato duḥkha taraṃ nu kim

hato vā prāpsyasi svargaṃ jitvā vā bhokṣyase mahīm
tasmād uttiṣṭha kaunteya yuddhāya kṛta niścayaḥ

sukha duḥkhe same kṛtvā lābha a lābhau jaya a jayau
tato yuddhāya yujyasva na evaṃ pāpam avāpsyasi

eṣā te ‘bhihitā sāṃkhye buddhir yoge tv imāṃ śṛṇu
buddhyā yukto yayā pārtha karma bandhaṃ prahāsyasi

na iha abhikrama nāśo ‘sti pratyavāyo na vidyate
svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt

vyavasāya atmikā buddhir eka iha kuru nandana
bahu śākhā hy an antāś ca buddhayo ‘vyavasāyinām

yām imāṃ puṣpitāṃ vācaṃ pravadanty avipaścitaḥ
veda vāda ratāḥ pārtha na anyad asti iti vādinaḥ
kāma atmānaḥ svarga parā janma karma phala pradām
kriyā viśeṣa bahulāṃ bhoga aiśvarya gatiṃ prati
bhoga aiśvarya prasaktānāṃ taya apahṛta cetasām
vyavasāya atmikā buddhiḥ samādhau na vidhīyate

trai guṇya viṣayā vedā nis trai guṇyo bhava arjuna
nir dvaṃdvo nitya sattva stho niryoga kṣema ātmavān

yāvān artha udapāne sarvataḥ saṃpluta udake
tāvān sarveṣu vedeṣu brāhmaṇasya vijānataḥ

karmaṇy eva adhikāras te mā phaleṣu kada acana
mā karma phala hetur bhūr mā te saṅgo ‘stv akarmaṇi

yoga sthaḥ kuru karmāṇi saṅgaṃ tyaktvā dhanaṃ jaya
siddhy asiddhyoḥ samo bhūtvā samatvaṃ yoga ucyate

dūreṇa hy avaraṃ karma buddhi yogād dhanaṃ jaya
buddhau śaraṇam anviccha kṛpaṇāḥ phala hetavaḥ

buddhi yukto jahāti iha ubhe sukṛta duṣkṛte
tasmād yogāya yujyasva yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam

karma jaṃ buddhi yuktā hi phalaṃ tyaktvā manīṣiṇaḥ
janma bandha vinirmuktāḥ padaṃ gacchanty anāmayam

yadā te moha kalilaṃ buddhir vyatitariṣyati
tadā gantāsi nirvedaṃ śrotavyasya śrutasya ca

śruti viprati pannā te yadā sthāsyati niścalā
samādhāv acalā buddhis tadā yogam avāpsyasi

arjuna uvāca
sthita prajñasya kā bhāṣā samādhi sthasya keśava
sthita dhīḥ kiṃ prabhāṣeta kim āsīta vrajeta kim

śrī bhagavān uvāca
prajahāti yadā kāmān sarvān pārtha mano gatān
ātmany eva atmanā tuṣṭaḥ sthita prajñas tada ucyate

duḥkheṣv anudvigna manāḥ sukheṣu vigata spṛhaḥ
vīta rāga bhaya krodhaḥ sthita dhīr munir ucyate

yaḥ sarvatra anabhisnehas tat tat prāpya śubha aśubham
na abhinandati na dveṣṭi tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā

yadā saṃharate ca ayaṃ kūrmo ‘ṅgāni iva sarvaśaḥ
indriyāṇi indriya arthebhyas tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā

viṣayā vinivartante nirāhārasya dehinaḥ
rasa varjaṃ raso ‘py asya paraṃ dṛṣṭvā nivartate

yatato hy api kaunteya puruṣasya vipaścitaḥ
indriyāṇi pramāthīni haranti prasabhaṃ manaḥ

tāni sarvāṇi saṃyamya yukta āsīta mat paraḥ
vaśe hi yasya indriyāṇi tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā

dhyāyato viṣayān puṃsaḥ saṅgas teṣu upajāyate
saṅgāt saṃjāyate kāmaḥ kāmāt krodho ‘bhijāyate

krodhād bhavati saṃmohaḥ saṃmohāt smṛti vibhramaḥ
smṛti bhraṃśād buddhi nāśo buddhi nāśāt praṇaśyati

rāga dveṣa viyuktais tu viṣayān indriyaiś caran
ātma vaśyair vidheya ātmā prasādam adhigacchati

prasāde sarva duḥkhānāṃ hānir asya upajāyate
prasanna cetaso hy āśu buddhiḥ paryavatiṣṭhate

na asti buddhir ayuktasya na ca ayuktasya bhāvanā
na ca abhāvayataḥ śāntir aśāntasya kutaḥ sukham

indriyāṇāṃ hi caratāṃ yan mano ‘nuvidhīyate
tad asya harati prajñāṃ vāyur nāvam iva ambhasi

tasmād yasya mahā bāho nigṛhītāni sarvaśaḥ
indriyāṇi indriya arthebhyas tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā

yā niśā sarva bhūtānāṃ tasyāṃ jāgarti saṃyamī
yasyāṃ jāgrati bhūtāni sā niśā paśyato muneḥ

āpūryamāṇam acala pratiṣṭhaṃ samudram āpaḥ praviśanti yadvat
tadvat kāmā yaṃ praviśanti sarve sa śāntim āpnoti na kāma kāmī

vihāya kāmān yaḥ sarvān pumāṃś carati niḥspṛhaḥ
nirmamo nirahaṃkāraḥ sa śāntim adhigacchati

eṣā brāhmī sthitiḥ pārtha na enāṃ prāpya vimuhyati
sthitvā asyām anta-kāle ‘pi brahma nirvāṇam ṛcchati





Sanjaya said
Krishna Killer of Madhu spoke these words to the despairing one whose eyes were filled with tears
and who was overcome with pity

The Blessed One said
How does this faint heart come to you in time of difficulty
This is not suitable for a noble one it is not heavenly and brings on disgrace

Do not become a cowardly eunuch Son of Pritha this is not fitting for you
Let go of this lowly weakness of the heart and stand up Scorcher of the Enemy

Arjuna said
Killer of Madhu how will I fight Drona and Bhishma
with arrows in battle How will I fight these honourable men Killer of the Enemy

Better to eat beggar’s food than to kill these great-souled teachers here on earth
for if I killed these teachers striving after their goals here on earth I would eat food covered in blood

Facing the sons of Dhritarashtra we do not know which has more weight for us should we conquer them or should they conquer us
Even after we’ve killed them we would not want to live

My own nature is struck by pity and a sense of wrong and my mind is clouded as to dharma
I ask you which is best tell me I am your student Correct me who lies fallen before your feet

I don’t ever see what would take away my grief that grief which dries up the senses
even though I might gain opulent and unrivalled kingship here on earth or even lordship of the gods

Sanjaya said
Scorcher of the Enemy after speaking to bristling-haired Krishna thick-haired Arjuna
said ‘I will not fight’ He spoke this way to Krishna the cow finder and then became quiet

Son of Bharata ,
bristling-haired Krishna seemed to begin to laugh
and in between both armies spoke these words to the despairing one

The Blessed One said
You speak as if with words of wisdom but you have mourned that which is not to be mourned
Wise men mourn neither those whose life-breath is gone nor those whose breath remains

I have never not existed nor have you nor have these lords of men
Nor will we cease to exist all of us from now onwards

Just as childhood youth and age exist in the body of the embodied self
in this way one takes on another body Those who see clearly are not confused by this

Son of Kunti the touches of the senses bringing pain and pleasure heat and cold
they come and go and they don’t last for ever You must try to endure them son of Bharata

Bull among Men the one whom these touches do not make tremble
the one for whom pain and pleasure are alike that one is ready for immortality

Being is not found in that which does not exist Non-being is not found in that which exists
The limit of both being and non-being is perceived by those who see the truth

Know this that with which all this world is woven is not to be destroyed
No one is able to effect the destruction of the imperishable

These bodies have an end but they are said to belong to the eternal embodied self
that which is never lost and cannot be measured So fight Son of Bharata

The one who perceives the self as a killer and the one who perceives the self as killed
neither of them know that this self does not kill nor is it killed

The self is not born nor does it ever die Once it has been this self will never cease to be again
Unborn eternal continuing from the old the self is not killed when the body is killed

The one who knows the eternal and the indestructible that which is unborn and imperishable
how does he cause to die Son of Pritha and whom How does he kill and whom

Just as one throws out old clothes and then takes on other new ones
so the embodied self casts out old bodies as it gets other new ones

Weapons do not cut the self nor does fire burn it
nor do waters drench it nor does wind dry it

The self is not to be pierced nor burned nor drenched nor dried
it is eternal all-pervading and fixed unmoving from the beginning

The self is not readily seen by sight or mind it is said to be formless and unchanging
so when you have known this you should not mourn

And even if you think the self is eternally born or eternally dead
still you should not mourn it Strong-Armed One

Death is fixed for those who are born and birth is fixed for those who die
since such an end is certain you should not grieve

Son of Bharata beings have beginnings which are formless and middle states which do have form
and deaths which again are formless why would one grieve over this

It is a wonder that anyone sees this and a wonder that anyone else speaks it
and a wonder that yet another hears it Yet even when they’ve heard it no one knows it at all

Son of Bharata the embodied self which exists in the body of everyone is eternally free from harm
so you should not grieve for any living beings

And as you discern your own dharma you should not waver
For the warrior there can be found nothing greater than battle for the sake of dharma

And if the open door of heaven is reached by happy accident
then warriors take pleasure when they find such a battle Son of Pritha

If you will not engage this fight for the sake of dharma
you will have shunned your own dharma and good name and shall cause harm

And people will tell stories of your own eternal disgrace
and for those who are esteemed disgrace surpasses death

The warriors in their great chariots will think you shrank from the joys of battle because of fear
and where they once thought of you highly they will now think you unworthy

And those who are hostile to you will speak many unspeakable words
ridiculing your power What greater pain is there

If you are killed you shall reach heaven or if you triumph you shall enjoy the earth
so stand up Son of Kunti firm in your resolve to fight

When you have made pleasure and pain the same also gain and loss and victory and defeat
then join yourself to battle and in this way you will not cause harm

Son of Pritha this insight has been spoken to you in terms of samkhya now hear it in terms of yoga
joined to this insight you will avoid the bonds of action

In this yoga no effort goes to waste and no momentum is lost
even a little of this dharma rescues one from great fear

Joy of the Kurus this insight here is firm in nature and singular
but the insights of those who waver are endless with many branches

The ones who do not see proclaim this overblown speech ;
passionate in the world of Veda they declare ‘There is nothing else ! ’

Their nature is desire with heaven as their object they turn to different rituals whose aim is power and consumption
but whose fruit of action is really rebirth

To those clinging to consumption and power whose thoughts are stolen by this
that insight whose nature is firm is not given in meditation

Arjuna the Vedas belong to the three gunas and you must be free of the three gunas
free from opposites eternally dwelling in truth neither acquiring nor keeping self-possessed

For a brahmin who discerns there is as much value in all the Vedas
as there is in a well when water overflows on every side

Your authority is in action alone and never in its fruits
motive should never be in the fruits of action nor should you cling to inaction

Abiding in yoga engage in actions Let go of clinging
and let fulfilment and frustration be the same for it is said yoga is equanimity

Winner of Wealth action is far inferior to the yoga of insight
Look for refuge in insight for those who are motivated by fruits are to be pitied

The one who is joined to insight casts off both good and evil acts
So join yourself to yoga yoga is ease in action

The wise ones joined to insight and who have let go of the fruit
freed from the bonds of birth they go to that place which is without pain

When your insight crosses well beyond the tangle of confusion
then you will become disillusioned with those revelations which had been heard and may be heard again

When your insight is in deep focus and when it stands motionless
ignoring the revelation which had been heard then you will reach yoga

Arjuna said Lovely-Haired One what language is there for a person whose wisdom is firm and meditation steady
How would the one whose thoughts are firm speak Or sit Or move about

The Blessed One said
Son of Pritha when a person renounces all the desires in the mind
that one is said to be content in the self by the self and firm in wisdom

The person whose mind is free from anxiety about sorrows and free from greed for pleasures
with rage passion and fear gone whose thoughts are firm that one is said to be a sage

The person who has no longing anywhere coming across this and that pure and impure
who neither loves nor hates that one’s wisdom stands firm

When a person draws in the senses from the sense-objects in every sphere
like a tortoise pulls in its limbs that one’s wisdom stands firm

These spheres of sense fall away from the embodied self who continues to fast
all except taste and then taste too falls away from the one who has seen the highest

Son of Kunti the senses tear apart and violently seize the mind
even for one who makes great effort and who knows the tremor of reality

The person who has practised yoga restraining all these senses should sit with me as a pinnacle
the one whose senses are in control that one’s wisdom stands firm

Clinging is born to someone who dwells on the spheres of the senses desire is born
from clinging and anger is born from desire

Confusion arises from anger and from confusion memory strays
from the fall of memory comes the loss of insight and one is lost when one’s insight is lost

One not joined to passion and hatred always moving in the spheres of the senses by the senses
the one who thus restrains the self and who governs the self attains peace

In calmness there occurs the withdrawal of all pain
for that person whose thought is placid insight becomes steady right away

There is no insight for one who has not practised yoga
there is no peace for the one who does not concentrate and from where does pleasure come for the one who has no peace ?

When the mind is led by the roving senses
then it steals one’s wisdom like the wind steals a ship on the water

Strong-Armed One the wisdom of the person who has drawn in the senses
from their objects in every sphere that one’s wisdom stands firm

The restrained one is watchful during the night of all beings
and in the time when beings are watchful that is the night of the sage who sees

As the ocean becomes full yet is steady and unmoved as the waters enter it
so the one whom all desires enter in this way gains peace yet this is not so for the one who desires desire

The person who casts away all desires who moves away from clinging
who has no idea of mine and who has no idea of I that one comes to peace

Son of Pritha this is the state of Brahman if one has not reached this one is confused
But firm in this even at the time of ending one reaches Brahman the bliss of cessation

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