Gita Verse 2.5

Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 2, Verse 5

Sanskrit Verse

गुरूनहत्वा हि महानुभावान्

श्रेयो भोक्तुं भैक्ष्यमपीह लोके।

हत्वार्थकामांस्तु गुरूनिहैव

भुञ्जीय भोगान् रुधिरप्रदिग्धान्।।2.5।।

Transliteration

gurūnahatvā hi mahānubhāvān

śhreyo bhoktuṁ bhaikṣhyamapīha loke

hatvārtha-kāmāṁstu gurūnihaiva

bhuñjīya bhogān rudhira-pradigdhān

Word meanings

gurūn—teachers; ahatvā—not killing; hi—certainly; mahā-anubhāvān—noble elders; śhreyaḥ—better; bhoktum—to enjoy life; bhaikṣhyam—by begging; api—even; iha loke—in this world; hatvā—killing; artha—gain; kāmān—desiring; tu—but; gurūn—noble elders; iha—in this world; eva—certainly; bhuñjīya—enjoy; bhogān—pleasures; rudhira—blood; pradigdhān—tainted with

Swami Sivananda's translation

Better it is, indeed, in this world to accept alms than to slay the most noble teachers. But if I were to kill them, even in this world, all my enjoyments of wealth and fulfilled desires would be stained with their blood.

Chapter link: Gita Chapter 2