FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 18.73

నష్టో మోహ: స్మృతిర్లబ్ధా త్వత్ప్రసాదాన్మయాచ్యుత । స్థితోఽస్మి గతసన్దేహ: కరిష్యే వచనం తవ ॥ ౭౩ ॥
arjuna uvāca
[arjuna uvaacha]
naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā
[nashto mohah smritir labdhaa]
tvat-prasādān mayācyuta
[tvat-prasaadaan mayaachyuta]
sthito ’smi gata-sandehaḥ
[sthito ’smi gata-sandehah]
kariṣye vacanaṁ tava
[karishye vachanam tava]
Word-for-word
arjunaḥ uvāca — Arjuna said naṣṭaḥ — dispelled mohaḥ — illusion smṛtiḥ — memory labdhā — regained tvat - prasādāt — by Your mercy mayā — by me acyuta — O infallible Kṛṣṇa sthitaḥ — situated asmi — I am gata — removed sandehaḥ — all doubts kariṣye — I shall execute vacanam — order tava — Your .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
arjuna uvāca
arjunaḥ uvāca
Arjuna said
naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā
naṣṭaḥ
dispelled
mohaḥ
illusion
smṛtiḥ
memory
labdhā
regained
tvat-prasādān mayācyuta
tvat - prasādāt
by Your mercy
mayā
by me
acyuta
O infallible Kṛṣṇa
sthito ’smi gata-sandehaḥ
sthitaḥ
situated
asmi
I am
gata
removed
sandehaḥ
all doubts
kariṣye vacanaṁ tava
kariṣye
I shall execute
vacanam
order
tava
Your .
Important Words
  • naṣṭaḥ — dispelled
    Past participle of naś — to be destroyed. With mohaḥ: illusion dispelled. The literal echo of Kṛṣṇa's question. Moha — same word that opened Arjuna's complaint in chapter 1 — is now *naṣṭa*.
  • smṛtiḥ — memory
    With labdhā: memory regained. Not merely 'I now understand' but *I remember*. The Gauḍīya reading: smṛti is the soul's remembrance of its own eternal nature and its relationship with Kṛṣṇa.
  • tvat - prasādāt — by Your mercy
    Compound ablative. Arjuna assigns credit precisely — *by Your grace*, not by my study. The verse models the surrendered disciple's response: the awakening is the teacher's gift.
  • sandehaḥ — all doubts
    From sam-dih — to plaster over, confuse. With gata: doubts *gone*. Arjuna's specific opening complaint (2.6: 'I do not know what is best') has been answered. The chapter pattern of chinna-saṁśaya (verse 10) becomes his condition.
  • kariṣye — I shall execute
    Future tense. With vacanam tava: I shall execute Your word. The whole Gītā has been aiming at this sentence. *I shall act*. The teaching's success is verified not in claims of understanding but in the disciple's resumed action.
Arjuna said: My dear Kṛṣṇa, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by Your mercy. I am now firm and free from doubt and am prepared to act according to Your instructions.
Purport

The constitutional position of a living entity, represented by Arjuna, is that he has to act according to the order of the Supreme Lord. He is meant for self-discipline. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that the actual position of the living entity is that of eternal servant of the Supreme Lord. Forgetting this principle, the living entity becomes conditioned by material nature, but in serving the Supreme Lord he becomes the liberated servant of God. The living entity’s constitutional position is to be a servitor; he has to serve either the illusory māyā or the Supreme Lord. If he serves the Supreme Lord he is in his normal condition, but if he prefers to serve the illusory, external energy, then certainly he will be in bondage. In illusion the living entity is serving in this material world. He is bound by his lust and desires, yet he thinks of himself as the master of the world. This is called illusion. When a person is liberated, his illusion is over, and he voluntarily surrenders unto the Supreme to act according to His desires. The last illusion, the last snare of māyā to trap the living entity, is the proposition that he is God. The living entity thinks that he is no longer a conditioned soul, but God. He is so unintelligent that he does not think that if he were God, then how could he be in doubt? That he does not consider. So that is the last snare of illusion. Actually to become free from the illusory energy is to understand Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and agree to act according to His order. The word moha is very important in this verse. Moha refers to that which is opposed to knowledge. Actually real knowledge is the understanding that every living being is eternally a servitor of the Lord, but instead of thinking oneself in that position, the living entity thinks that he is not a servant, that he is the master of this material world, for he wants to lord it over the material nature. That is his illusion. This illusion can be overcome by the mercy of the Lord or by the mercy of a pure devotee. When that illusion is over, one agrees to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is acting according to Kṛṣṇa’s order. A conditioned soul, illusioned by the external energy of matter, does not know that the Supreme Lord is the master who is full of knowledge and who is the proprietor of everything. Whatever He desires He can bestow upon His devotees; He is the friend of everyone, and He is especially inclined to His devotee. He is the controller of this material nature and of all living entities. He is also the controller of inexhaustible time, and He is full of all opulences and all potencies. The Supreme Personality of Godhead can even give Himself to the devotee. One who does not know Him is under the spell of illusion; he does not become a devotee, but a servitor of māyā. Arjuna, however, after hearing Bhagavad-gītā from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, became free from all illusion. He could understand that Kṛṣṇa was not only his friend but the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And he understood Kṛṣṇa factually. So to study Bhagavad-gītā is to understand Kṛṣṇa factually. When a person is in full knowledge, he naturally surrenders to Kṛṣṇa. When Arjuna understood that it was Kṛṣṇa’s plan to reduce the unnecessary increase of population, he agreed to fight according to Kṛṣṇa’s desire. He again took up his weapons – his arrows and bow – to fight under the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
73. Arjuna said: My delusion has been destroyed, and my memory has been restored by Your mercy, O Acyuta. I remain without doubts, and will follow Your instructions.
Commentary

“What else can I ask? Having given up all duties, surrendering to You completely, without worries, I now completely trust You.” Thus he speaks this verse. “I am ready to follow You, who are worthy of surrender. That is the duty of me, who have surrendered to You. I have no use for following my varṇa and āśrama, nor jṣāna-yoga or other processes. Starting today, I have given them all up.” “Oh My dear friend Arjuna, I have some remaining work to do in relieving the burden of the earth. I want you to do that work.” When the Lord said this, Arjuna, with Gāṇḍīva bow in hand, rose to fight.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
73. Arjuna said: My delusion has been destroyed, and my correct vision has been restored by Your mercy, O Acyuta. I remain without doubts, and will follow Your instructions.
Commentary

Being asked by Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna answers that he has understood, by reciting the results. Ignorance (mohaḥ), the opposite of knowledge, has disappeared, by Your mercy alone. I have understood correctly the nature of things (smṛtiḥ labdhā). I have had all my doubts now cleared. I will follow your instructions. What he has said is this. All the living entities such as devas and men have the conception of being their bodies, and being independent in their actions. Men worship the devas, and the devas bestow on men what they desire. But who is the real Lord? I previously had the illusion, the opposite of knowledge, that prakṛti is the cause of the world. In contrast to that, I thought the Lord was without qualities and form, and was indifferent to men’s affairs. That illusion has been destroyed by the teachings acquired from You. I have now true knowledge of that Lord who is the famous possessor of form and powers, a form of knowledge and bliss; who is an ocean of good qualities such as omniscience, omnipotence, and satya saṅkalpa; who is the friend of His devotees, though the Lord of all; who creates the variegated bodies in the universe according to the karmas of the jīvas just by His will, through His energies of jīva, time and prakṛti; who treasures the selfless devotee to whom He gives even Himself. And I understand that the Lord is You, the son of Vasudeva, situated as my friend. Therefore I surrender to ou. You will never abandon me. This doubt has been destroyed. If You have Your goals to achieve of ridding the earth of its burden, and You want me who have surrendered to You to do it, then I will obey Your words. Thus Arjuna rose with bow in hand.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

After surrendering to Krsna and hearing from Him then Arjuna was prepared to fight according to Krsna's instructions in proper consciousness, Krsna consciousness.

[K. SANJAYA'S PREDICTIONS (18. 74‑78) Sanjaya ecstatically thinks of the wondrous form of Krsna and predicts victory for Arjuna, the supreme archer, and Krsna, the master of all mystics. ]

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

Arjuna’s realisations (4 points):

1. My illusion is now gone

2. Regained my memory by Your mercy

3. I am now firm and free from doubt

4. Prepared to act according to Your instructions

Focus of Learning

(a) Why Krishna asks this question as spiritual master

As spiritual master it was His duty to know, if Arjuna understood Bhagavad-gita in proper perspective

(b) Expected result of hearing (As per Krishna’s expectations)

Ignorance and illusion dispelled

(c) Bhagavad-gita is not an ordinary book – So what is expected

Any person fortunate to hear from a bona-fide representative is sure to become liberated and get out of the darkness of ignorance

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF SECTION X

The result of hearing Bhagavad-gita properly is full surrender to Lord Krishna
In the context of Bhagavad-gita, Arjuna represents all living entities that are faced with the Supreme decision of whether to serve Krishna or to turn away
By properly hearing the science of Bhagvad-gita from Krishna or His representative, one understands fully his constitutional position as Krishna’s servant, and he thus serves Krishna in full conviction, free from misgivings
Thus, Arjuna, fixed in knowledge is fully prepared to fight for Krishna
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
18.73 O Acyuta, (my) mohah, born of ignorance and the cause of all evil in the form of mundane existence, and difficult to cross like an ocean;l nastah has been destroyed. And smrtih, memory, regarding the reality of the Self-on the acisition of which follows the loosening of all the bonds; labdha, has been regained, tvat-prasadat, through Your grace maya, by me, who am dependent on Your grace. By this estion about the destruction of delusion and the answer to it, it becomes conclusively revealed that the fruit derived from understanding the import of the entire Scripture is this much alone-which is the destruction of delusion arising from ignorance and the regaining of the memory about the Self. And similarly, in the Upanisadic text beginning with 'I grieve because I am not a knower of the Self' (Ch. 7.1.3), it is shown that all bonds become destroyed when the Self is realized. There are also the words of the Upanisadic verses, 'The knot of the heart gets untied' (Mu. 2.2.8); 'at that time (or to that Self) what delusion and what sorrow can there be for that seer of oneness?' (Is.7). Now then, sthitah, asmi, I stand under Your ?nd; gata-sandehah, with (my) doubts removed. Karisye, I shall follow; tava, Your; vacanam, instruction. By Your grace I have achieved the goal of life. The idea is, there is no duty, as such, for me. The teaching of the Scripture is concluded. There-after, now in order to show the connection (of this) with the (main) narrative-.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
18.73 Arjuna said 'Delusion' or misapprehension is perverted knowledge. By Your grace it has been destroyed. 'Smrti' or memory is the knowledge of things as they really are. I have acired that. Misapprehension here is the misconception that the self is the Prakrti (body-mind) which is the non-self in reality. It consists in one not apprehending that all intelligent and non-intelligent entities, by reason of their forming the body of the Supreme Being, have Him as their Atman and are thus ensouled by Him. The misapprehension also consists in the lack of knowledge that actions, obligatory and occasional, do not cause bondage but actually form a means for the propitiation of the Supreme Being. All such misapprehensions are now destroyed. The various phases of knowledge that cleared the misunderstanding may be catalogued as follows: (1) The self is different from Prakrti and is therefore devoid of the alities of Prakrti. Its nature is that of the knower of Prakrti. (2) The self is a Sesa (sub-ordinate and servant) of the Supreme Person and is ruled by Him. The true knowledge about the Supreme Person is that He is what is signified by the expression Supreme Brahman. (3) He is the great ocean of all auspicious, excellent attributes such as knowledge, strength, glory, valour, power, brilliance etc., which are unbounded and natural. His essence consists solely of auspiciousness. He is antagonistic to all that is evil without exception. The origin, sustentation and dissolution of the entire universe are His sport. (4) You (Sri Krsna) are Vasudeva, the Supreme Person, known from the Vedanta, and who can be reached only by worship, which has taken the form of Bhakti. (5) Bhakti can be achieved by the control of the senses and the mind, the abandonment of prohibited acts and the performance of occasional and obligatory acts as solely intended for the goal of the satisfaction of the Supreme Person. Bhakti has to be developed day after day through the regular practice of the discriminatory knowledge of the higher and lower truths. All this has been attained by me (Arjuna). Therefore I stand steadfast, freed from the doubts and devoid of the depression rooted in perverted knowledge nourished by compassion and love for relatives. Now I shall fulfil Your words, concerned with fighting etc., which ought to be done by me. I shall fight as instructed by You. Such is the meaning. Sanjaya now relates to Dhrtarastra who had estioned him earlier as to what his sons and the Pandavas were doing in the battle:
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
18.73 Nastah etc. By the passage '[My] delusion is destroyed etc', it is indicated that [after hearing the Lord's instruction], only an inclination to fight has risen in Arjuna, but the perfect realisation of the Brahman is not yet born in him. While indicating so, [the sage Vyasa] provides a scope for the would-be subject matter for the Anugita.
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
18.73 Arjuna said Destroyed is my delusion as I have gained my knowledge (memory) through Thy grace, O Krishna. I remain freed from doubts. I will act according to Thy word.
Commentary

18.73 नष्टः is destroyed? मोहः delusion? स्मृतिः memory (knowledge)? लब्धा has been gained? त्वत्प्रसादात् through Thy grace? मया by me? अच्युत O Krishna? स्थितः अस्मि I remain? गतसन्देहः freed from doubts? करिष्ये (I) will do? वचनम् word? तव Thy.Commentary Moha Delusion This is the strongest weapon of Maya to take the Jivas in Her clutch. It is born of ignorance. It is the cause of the whole evil of Samsara. It is as hard to cross as the ocean.Smritih I have attained knowledge of the true nature of the Self. The whole aim of Sadhana or spiritual practice and the study of scriptures is the annihilation of delusion and the attainment of the knowledge of the Self. When one gets it? the three knots or ties of ignorance? viz.? ignorance? delusion (desire) and action are destroyed? all the doubts are cleared? and all the Karmas are destroyed.To him who beholds the Self in all beings? what delusion is there? what grief (Isavasya Upanishad? 7)I shall do Thy word Arjuna means to say? I am firm in Thy ?nd. Through Thy grace I have achieved the end of life. I have nothing more to do.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
18.73 Arjuna said O Acyuta, (my) delusion has been destroyed and memory has been regained by me through Your grace. I stand with my doubt removed; I shall follow Your instruction.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
18.73 Arjuna replied: My Lord! O Immutable One! My delusion has fled. By Thy Grace, O Changeless One, the light has dawned. My doubts are gone, and I stand before Thee ready to do Thy will."
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)
Related verses
BG 11.1 BG 2.7 BG 11.45 SB 11.29.41 SB 1.7.8 SB 11.23.61 CC Madhya 24.350 CC Madhya 8.286 CC Antya 4.192 Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.2.9Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.3.17
Concepts
Maya
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Arjuna says: My illusion is gone; by Your grace, I have regained my memory; my doubts are dispelled; I am now firm and free; I will act according to Your word.
Practical Applications
  • Use Arjuna's response as a model.
  • Speak it back when you've heard well.
  • Act on what's clarified.
Reflection Questions
  • What of Arjuna's response can I genuinely speak as my own?
  • What partial speaking is honest?
Analogy

The lamp the wind had blown out is relit. The bow that had slipped from the hand is taken up again. Arjuna's reply is the small voice of restored memory — not boasting, not theatrical, just clear: I see again, I will act.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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