Gita Verse 3.1

Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 3, Verse 1

Sanskrit Verse

अर्जुन उवाच

ज्यायसी चेत्कर्मणस्ते मता बुद्धिर्जनार्दन।

तत्किं कर्मणि घोरे मां नियोजयसि केशव।।3.1।।

Transliteration

arjuna uvācha

jyāyasī chet karmaṇas te matā buddhir janārdana

tat kiṁ karmaṇi ghore māṁ niyojayasi keśhava

Word meanings

arjunaḥ uvācha—Arjun said; jyāyasī—superior; chet—if; karmaṇaḥ—than fruitive action; te—by you; matā—is considered; buddhiḥ—intellect; janārdana—he who looks after the public, Krishna; tat—then; kim—why; karmaṇi—action; ghore—terrible; mām—me; niyojayasi—do you engage; keśhava—Krishna, the killer of the demon named Keshi;

Swami Sivananda's translation

Arjuna said: If Thou thinkest that knowledge is superior to action, O Krishna, why then, O Kesava, doest Thou ask me to engage in this terrible action?

Chapter link: Gita Chapter 3