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Bhagavad-gītā 2.9

सञ्जय उवाच एवमुक्त्वा हृषीकेशं गुडाकेशः परन्तपः । न योत्स्य इति गोविन्दामुक्त्वा तूष्णीं बभूव ह ॥ ९ ॥
sañjaya uvāca
[sanjaya uvaacha]
evam uktvā hṛṣīkeśaṁ
[evam uktvaa hrisheekesham]
guḍākeśaḥ paran-tapaḥ
[gudaakeshah paran-tapah]
na yotsya iti govindam
[na yotsya iti govindam]
uktvā tūṣṇīṁ babhūva ha
[uktvaa tooshneem babhoova ha]
Word-for-word
sañjayaḥ uvāca — Sañjaya said evam — thus uktvā — speaking hṛṣīkeśam — unto Kṛṣṇa, the master of the senses guḍākeśaḥ — Arjuna, the master of curbing ignorance param - tapaḥ — the chastiser of the enemies na yotsye — I shall not fight iti — thus govindam — unto Kṛṣṇa, the giver of pleasure to the senses uktvā — saying tūṣṇīm — silent babhūva — became ha — certainly .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sañjaya uvāca
sañjayaḥ uvāca
Sañjaya said
evam uktvā hṛṣīkeśaṁ
evam
thus
uktvā
speaking
hṛṣīkeśam
unto Kṛṣṇa, the master of the senses
guḍākeśaḥ paran-tapaḥ
guḍākeśaḥ
Arjuna, the master of curbing ignorance
param - tapaḥ
the chastiser of the enemies
na yotsya iti govindam
na yotsye
I shall not fight
iti
thus
govindam
unto Kṛṣṇa, the giver of pleasure to the senses
uktvā tūṣṇīṁ babhūva ha
uktvā
saying
tūṣṇīm
silent
babhūva
became
ha
certainly .
Important Words
  • guḍākeśaḥ — the conqueror of sleep
    Guḍākā is sleep; īśa is master. Arjuna who once conquered sleep itself is now defeated by śoka. The name is chosen with care: the unsleeping one has been put to sleep by grief.
  • param - tapaḥ — chastiser of the enemy
    Used again — the very titles Arjuna deserves are placed beside his refusal. The contrast names the fall: the chastiser of enemies is now retreating before them.
  • hṛṣīkeśam — master of the senses
    Kṛṣṇa is called hṛṣīkeśa precisely while Arjuna's senses are drying up (verse 8). The name is medicinal — the senses' true master is at his side; the cure is already in the chariot.
  • na yotsye — I shall not fight
    First person future of √yudh, with negation. Three words, but they are the antithesis of every word that follows in the Gītā. The text exists to overturn this sentence.
  • tūṣṇīm — silent
    Arjuna falls silent. The Gauḍīya commentaries note: silence after surrender is the disciple's right posture. Speech now belongs to the guru.
Sañjaya said: Having spoken thus, Arjuna, chastiser of enemies, told Kṛṣṇa, “Govinda, I shall not fight,” and fell silent.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Sañjaya marks the climax of Arjuna's collapse: the great archer, conqueror of sleep, scorcher of foes — these epithets sharpen the irony — declares 'I will not fight' and falls into silence. The teaching now must begin.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Three of Kṛṣṇa's most evocative names cluster in two lines (Hṛṣīkeśa, Govinda, in opposition to Arjuna's Guḍākeśa, Parantapa) — names that highlight each warrior's contradiction. Arjuna's silence is the dramatic pivot: the rest of Chapter 2 is essentially Kṛṣṇa's response to this silence.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
परन्तपः गुडाकेशः हृषीकेशम् एवम् उक्त्वा, गोविन्दम् 'न योत्स्ये' इति उक्त्वा, तूष्णीम् बभूव ह ।
parantapaḥ guḍākeśaḥ hṛṣīkeśam evam uktvā, govindam 'na yotsye' iti uktvā, tūṣṇīm babhūva ha |
Having thus spoken to Hṛṣīkeśa, Guḍākeśa, the scorcher of foes, said to Govinda, 'I shall not fight,' and fell silent.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
सञ्जयः उवाच
sañjayaḥ uvāca
एवम् उक्त्वा हृषीकेशम् गुडाकेशः परन्तपः । न योत्स्ये इति गोविन्दम् उक्त्वा तूष्णीम् बभूव ह ॥
evam uktvā hṛṣīkeśam guḍākeśaḥ parantapaḥ | na yotsye iti govindam uktvā tūṣṇīm babhūva ha ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
एवम् evam ind. (indeclinable), adv. thus
उक्त्वा uktvā √वच् abs. (absolutive) having spoken
हृषीकेशम् hṛṣīkeśam हृषीकेश (m.) acc.sg. (accusative singular), 'lord of the senses' to Hṛṣīkeśa
गुडाकेशः guḍākeśaḥ गुडाकेश (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular), 'thick-haired' / 'conqueror of sleep' Guḍākeśa (Arjuna)
परन्तपः parantapaḥ परन्तप (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular), 'scorcher of foes', tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) scorcher of enemies
न योत्स्ये na yotsye √युध् fut. (future) 1sg.ātm. (ātmanepada / middle voice), with न I shall not fight
इति iti ind. (indeclinable), quotation marker thus (closing direct speech)
गोविन्दम् govindam गोविन्द (m.) acc.sg. (accusative singular) to Govinda
उक्त्वा uktvā √वच् abs. (absolutive) having said
तूष्णीम् tūṣṇīm ind. (indeclinable), adv. silently
बभूव babhūva √भू perf. (perfect) 3sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) became
ह ha ind. (indeclinable), emphatic particle (lit. 'indeed') indeed
Purport

Dhṛtarāṣṭra must have been very glad to understand that Arjuna was not going to fight and was instead leaving the battlefield for the begging profession. But Sañjaya disappointed him again in relating that Arjuna was competent to kill his enemies ( paran-tapaḥ ). Although Arjuna was, for the time being, overwhelmed with false grief due to family affection, he surrendered unto Kṛṣṇa, the supreme spiritual master, as a disciple. This indicated that he would soon be free from the false lamentation resulting from family affection and would be enlightened with perfect knowledge of self-realization, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and would then surely fight. Thus Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s joy would be frustrated, since Arjuna would be enlightened by Kṛṣṇa and would fight to the end.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
9. Sañjaya said: Having thus spoken to Hṛṣīkeśa, Guḍākeśa, afflicter of enemies, telling Govinda “I will not fight,” became silent.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
9. Sañjaya said: Having thus spoken to Hṛṣikeśa, Guḍakeśa, afflicter of enemies, saying ‘I will not fight,’ to Govinda, remained silent.
Commentary

“What did Arjuna then do?” Sañjaya replies with this verse. Arjuna, the conqueror of sleep, first said to Hṛṣikeśa, the controller of the senses, “I do not see how I will drive away this lamentation through fighting.” Arjuna, the afflicter of enemies, then said to Govinda, the knower of all the Vedas, “I will not fight.” Sañjaya, by mentioning the name Hṛṣikeśa, controller of the senses, indicates that the Lord will make Arjuna manifest intelligence to engage in the battle. By using the word Govinda, the knower of all the Vedas, he suggests that the Lord will make Arjuna accept his dharma to fight. In this way Sañjaya extinguished the hope which rose in Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s heart of gaining the kingdom for his own sons.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

Arjuna is calling Krna Hrisikesha which means "the master of the senses". By this naming is to be understood that Arjuna is saying: "You are the Master of my senses and You want me to fight so I am going to fight! But in any case for the time being I am not going to fight! Even though I know, by Your order, I will fight! You are my Master!" Krsna, in the next verse does something very interesting:

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

Arjuna refuses to fight – Sanjaya reports that Arjuna honestly expresses his mind to his spiritual

master (Krishna) “I shall not fight”

Focus of Learning

(a) Purpose of using the word “Parantapa” – ‘Chastiser of Enemy’

Sanjaya disappoints Dhrtarashtra by declaring Arjuna as competent to kill the enemies
Sanjaya informs Dhrtarashtra that Arjuna was temporarily overwhelmed but has now surrendered unto Krishna and would soon fight.
3 effects of surrender which manifest in Arjuna: 1. Enlightenment 2. Freedom from false lamentation 3. Reinstatement in his own duty – e.g. Arjuna would surely fight

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF TEXT 2.9

Only way to curb lamentation for good – take shelter of Krishna like Arjuna
That is the way of Krishna Consciousness

(a) Academic knowledge, scholarship & position are useless in solving material perplexities or

problems of life (as we see that Arjuna’s argument based on unlimited knowledge of religious

principles and moral codes failed to help him)

(b) Only Krishna or His representative as spiritual master can help

(c) Who is a bona-fide spiritual master? Definition and 2 references:

Definition:
One who is one-hundred percent Krishna conscious
One who can solve all problems of life
Supporting References:
Ref. CC – “Kiba Vipra...” – One who is the master of the science of Krishna is a real spiritual master and not one decided by birth or social order
Ref. Padma Purana – Only a Vaishnava can become a bona-fide spiritual master

(d) Temporary nature of economic development and worldly supremacy – Economic development

cannot solve the problems of material existence

Many opulent countries fail to get peace and cannot solve real problems of birth and death
This is shown by Arjuna’s example
Who proclaims that even an unrivalled kingdom on earth or supremacy like demigods cannot help him
Also economical development and worldly supremacy can be finished at any time. E.g. Many politicians fall down (Ref. Bg. 9.21 – “Ksine punye...”)

(e) Only way to real happiness – Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam (Consult Krishna through His

representative)

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
2.9 Sri Sankaracharya did not comment on this sloka. The commentary starts from 2.10.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
2.9 - 2.10 Sanjaya said Thus, the Lord, the Supreme Person, introduced the Sastra regarding the self for the sake of Arjuna - whose natural courage was lost due to love and compassion in a misplaced situation, who thought war to be unrighteous even though it was the highest duty for warriors (Ksatriyas), and who took refuge in Sri Krsna to know what his right duty was -, thinking that Arjuna's delusion would not come to an end except by the knowledge of the real nature of the self, and that war was an ordained duty here which, when freed from attachment to fruits, is a means for self-knowledge. Thus, has it been said by Sri Yamunacarya: 'The introduction to the Sastra was begun for the sake of Arjuna, whose mind was agitated by misplaced love and compassion and by the delusion that righteousness was unrighteousness, and who took refuge in Sri Krsna.' The Supreme Person spoke these words as if smiling, and looking at Arjuna, who was thus overcome by grief resulting from ignorance about the real nature of the body and the self, but was nevertheless speaking about duty as if he had an understanding that the self is distinct from the body, and while he (Arjuna), torn between contradictory ideas, had suddenly become inactive standing between the two armies that were getting ready to fight. Sri Krsna said, as if in ridicule, to Arjuna the words beginning with, 'There never was a time when I did not exist' (II. 12), and ending with 'I will release you from all sins; grieve not!' (XVIII. 66) - which have for their contents the real nature of the self, of the Supreme Self, and of the paths of work (Karma), knowledge (Jnana) and devotion (Bhakti) which constitute the means for attaining the highest spiritual fulfilment.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
2.9 See Comment under 2.10
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
2.9 Sanjaya said Having spoken thus to Hrishikesha (the Lord of the senses), Arjuna (the coneror of sleep), the destroyer of foes, said to Krishna, "I will not fight" and became silent.
Commentary

2.9 एवम् thus? उक्त्वा having spoken? हृषीकेशम् to Hrishikesha? गुडाकेशः Arjuna (the coneror of sleep)? परन्तप destroyer of foes? न योत्स्ये I will not fight? इति thus? गोविन्दम् to Govinda? उक्त्वा having said? तूष्णीम् silent? बभूव ह became.No commentary.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
2.9 Sanjaya said Having spoken thus to Hrsikesa (Krsna), Gudakesa (Arjuna), the afflictor of foes, verily became silent, telling Govinda, 'I shall not fight.' fight.'
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
2.9 Sanjaya continued: "Arjuna, the conqueror of all enemies, then told the Lord of All-Hearts that he would no fight, and became silent, O King!
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 1.46 BG 2.1 BG 18.59 SB 1.8.20 SB 3.1.7 SB 11.23.1 CC Madhya 10.181 CC Madhya 20.99 CC Antya 3.247 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.21BRS 1.2.103
Concepts
Dharma
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Even the great warrior falls silent before truth — knowing when to stop talking is itself a step toward wisdom.
Practical Applications
  • Practice silence before someone wiser; let yourself fully receive without rebutting.
  • When you have stated your case, let it rest; trust your guide to respond in time.
  • Cultivate the discipline of saying 'na yotsya iti' — 'I will not act on my own' — and waiting for instruction.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I filling space with words that I should be filling with listening?
  • What action am I refusing to commit to until I receive Krishna's clear word?
Analogy

A traveler at the city gate, having walked all day, sets down his pack and says: I will not enter. The silence is heavier than the speech that preceded it. Arjuna's na yotsye is the floor — the lowest point — from which the whole Gītā must lift him.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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