FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 2.6

న చైతద్విద్మః కతరన్నో గరీయో యద్వా జయేమ యది వా నో జయేయుః । యానేవ హత్వా న జిజీవిషామ- స్తేఽవస్థితాః ప్రముఖే ధార్తరాష్ట్రాః ॥ ౬ ॥
na caitad vidmaḥ kataran no garīyo
[na chaitad vidmah kataran no gareeyo]
yad vā jayema yadi vā no jayeyuḥ
[yad vaa jayema yadi vaa no jayeyuh]
yān eva hatvā na jijīviṣāmas
[yaan eva hatvaa na jijeevishaamas]
te ’vasthitāḥ pramukhe dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ
[te ’vasthitaah pramukhe dhaartaraashtraah]
Word-for-word
na — nor ca — also etat — this vidmaḥ — do we know katarat — which naḥ — for us garīyaḥ — better yat vā — whether jayema — we may conquer yadi — if vā — or naḥ — us jayeyuḥ — they conquer yān — those who eva — certainly hatvā — by killing na — never jijīviṣāmaḥ — we would want to live te — all of them avasthitāḥ — are situated pramukhe — in the front dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ — the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
na caitad vidmaḥ kataran no garīyo
na
nor
ca
also
etat
this
vidmaḥ
do we know
katarat
which
yad vā jayema yadi vā no jayeyuḥ
yān eva hatvā na jijīviṣāmas
naḥ
for us
garīyaḥ
better
yat vā
whether
jayema
we may conquer
yadi
if
te ’vasthitāḥ pramukhe dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ
vā
or
naḥ
us
jayeyuḥ
they conquer
yān
those who
eva
certainly
hatvā
by killing
na
never
jijīviṣāmaḥ
we would want to live
te
all of them
avasthitāḥ
are situated
pramukhe
in the front
dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ
the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra .
Important Words
  • garīyaḥ — better, weightier
    Comparative of guru — heavier, more important. Arjuna admits he cannot weigh his options. The whole problem of chapter 1 condensed into one word: which side of the balance is heavier?
  • jayema — we may conquer
    Optative — *might* conquer. Arjuna no longer speaks with the certainty of a warrior; he speaks in the mood of doubt. The grammar itself confesses his collapse.
  • jijīviṣāmaḥ — we wish to live
    Desiderative of √jīv — to wish to live. Arjuna says that even victory will leave him without the wish to go on living. The verse names the heart of war's grief: triumph that tastes like death.
  • dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ — the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra
    Named patronymically. They are reduced to their lineage — sons of a blind father, the very seed of adharma. The choice of name is itself an indictment of their side.
Nor do we know which is better – conquering them or being conquered by them. If we killed the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, we should not care to live. Yet they are now standing before us on the battlefield.
Purport

Arjuna did not know whether he should fight and risk unnecessary violence, although fighting is the duty of the kṣatriyas, or whether he should refrain and live by begging. If he did not conquer the enemy, begging would be his only means of subsistence. Nor was there certainty of victory, because either side might emerge victorious. Even if victory awaited them (and their cause was justified), still, if the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra died in battle, it would be very difficult to live in their absence. Under the circumstances, that would be another kind of defeat for them. All these considerations by Arjuna definitely proved that not only was he a great devotee of the Lord but he was also highly enlightened and had complete control over his mind and senses. His desire to live by begging, although he was born in the royal household, is another sign of detachment. He was truly virtuous, as these qualities, combined with his faith in the words of instruction of Śrī Kṛṣṇa (his spiritual master), indicate. It is concluded that Arjuna was quite fit for liberation. Unless the senses are controlled, there is no chance of elevation to the platform of knowledge, and without knowledge and devotion there is no chance of liberation. Arjuna was competent in all these attributes, over and above his enormous attributes in his material relationships.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
6. We do not know which is better—whether we should conquer them or whether they should conquer us. These sons of Dhṛtarāṣtra, by killing whom we do not wish to live, are situated facing us.
Commentary

Moreover I do not know if I shall be victorious or defeated even if I am prepared to kill them. And I do not know which will be better, victory or defeat: if I conquer them or they conquer me. And even if I am victorious, that also is defeat, for I will not want to live.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
6. We do not know which is better—whether we should conquer them or whether they should conquer us. These sons of Dhṛtarāṣtra, by killing whom we do not wish to live, are standing before us.
Commentary

“Even though you know that eating by begging is censured for the kṣatriya, and that your own duty is to fight, you criticize fighting.” “No, I do not know which is better for me—fighting or begging. I do not know if it is better to give up violence and live by begging, or if it is better to fight according to my duty. And I do not know whether I will be victorious over Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons or they will be victorious over me in the battle once it has started.” “But there will certainly be victory for you, situated firmly in dharma and having great prowess in fighting.” “I will not desire to live, having killed all of them (yān)—the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra and elders like Bhīṣma, what to speak of enjoying the fruits of victory. Though we will be victorious, we will certainly be defeated in terms of the results (with no desire to live or enjoy the result of victory). Thus, the superiority of fighting over begging has not been established.” Thus, such a verse as this shows Arjuna’s qualification for jṣāna, which is well known in the śruti: tasmād evaṁ vic chānta-dānta uparatas titikṣuḥ śraddhānvito bhūtvātmany evātmānaṁ paśyet One who thus has knowledge, who has control of the mind and senses, who is indifferent to the world, and who is tolerant and filled with faith, should see the supreme self in the self alone. Bṛhad Āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 4.4.23 In verse 32 of the first chapter he shows control of senses and mind (śama and dama) by saying “What is the use of kingdom, enjoyment and living?” He shows indifference (uparati) to the enjoyment of this life and the next life in verse 35 of the first chapter with the statement “I do not desire to kill them even if I have sovereignty over the three worlds.” When he says in this verse that it is better to live by begging, he shows his tolerance of dualities of nature (titikṣa). His deep faith in the words of the guru (śraddhā) will be shown in the next verse. One does not have qualification for receiving knowledge if one is devoid of these traits, just as lame person is not qualified for actions.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

Arjuna have been putting foward many strong arguments. But what is the ultimate result of all his arguments and strong words?

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

Arjuna’s fifth argument – INDECISION

THEME: “Indecision” – Arjuna is confused whether to fight or not to fight

Arjuna is confused and indecisive based on the following aspects
If he fights:
He may win – Still he will not be able to enjoy without his relatives (1.31 – 1.35)
He may not emerge victorious in spite of so much bloodshed – No enjoyment guaranteed
If he does not fight:
Begging will be his only means of subsistence – For a ksatriya it is difficult and therefore no enjoyment
Focus of Learning

(a) Dharma-sastra vs Artha-sastra – Although Artha-sastra (Rules of politics and sociology)

recommends killing of such aggressors, Arjuna gives more weight to Dharma-sastra (religious

principles) which promotes forgiveness

(b) Scriptural codes’ recommendation on killing such teachers and relatives (As given in the purport)

A teacher is fit to be abandoned if he:
Engages in abominable action
Has lost his sense of discrimination – e.g. Bhisma and Drona taking the side of Dhuyodhana because of his financial assistance
But Arjuna still prefers forgiveness – Because of the unique kind of aggressors i.e seniors and relatives (teachers, grandfathers etc)

These are some of the arguments in Arjuna’s mind while speaking these verses:

(a) Superiors are always respectable – Should never be fought back even if they attack

Respectable superiors should never be fought back
They are always worshipable
Srila Prabhupada says in the purport “It is the general etiquette that superiors are not to be offered a verbal fight even if sometimes they are harsh in behavior”

(b) Arjuna in a mood of challenging Krishna

Would Krishna counter-attack Urgasena (His own grandfather) or Sandipani Muni (His own teacher)

FIRST FOUR ARGUMENTS COVERED IN CHAPTER ONE:

Arjuna’s first four arguments are covered in Texts 1.28 – 1.43

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 2.6 & 2.7:

Perplexed yet eager for enlightenment, Arjuna recites the following verse

Texts 2.7* – 2.9*

COMMON THEME: Arjuna’s surrender – “Krishna’s role as friend turns into guru”

This theme develops in the following verses:

Krishna chastises Arjuna for misplaced compassion in Texts 2.2 – 2.3
Calls him Non-Aryan / Impotent / Weak-hearted
Arjuna expresses need to surrender (2.7)
Confusion about duty
Lost all composure because of miserly weakness
Reconfirms complete dependence and faith (2.8)
No other means to drive away grief
Any sastra or person cannot help
Even victory or opulence cannot dispel Arjuna’s lamentation
Arjuna’s decision not to fight (2.9)
Declared by Sanjaya to Dhrtarashtra
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
2.6 Sri Sankaracharya did not comment on this sloka. The commentary starts from 2.10.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
2.6 - 2.8 If you say, 'After beginning the war, if we withdraw from the battle, the sons of Dhrtarastra will slay us all forcibly', be it so. I think that even to be killed by them, who do not know the difference between righteousness and unrighteousness, is better for us than gaining unrighteous victory by killing them. After saying so, Arjuna surrendered himself at the feet of the Lord, overcome with dejection, saying. 'Teach me, your disciple, who has taken refuge in you, what is good for me.'
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
2.4-6 Katham etc. upto Dhartarastrah. By the portion Bhisma and Drona in war' etc., and by the portion 'I would [not] enjoy the objects of pleasure', the Sage indicates that in Arjuna's objection, the intention for a particular act and the intention for a particular result are the points deserving rejection. By the portion 'We do not know this' etc., he speaks of the intention for a particular action. For, without intention no action is possible. Certainly one does not proceed on a war with an intention of getting defeated. '[In the present war] even our victory would be surely our misfortune.' This he says by the portion 'It is good even to go about begging without killing the elders'. It is also impossible to conclude 'Whether we desire victory or defeat'; for even in the case of our victory our relatives would perish totally.'
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
2.6 I can hardly tell which will be better, that we should coner them or that they should coner us. Even the sons of Dhritarashtra, after slaying whom we do not wish to live, stand facing us.
Commentary

2.6 न not? च and? एतत् this? विद्मः (we) know? कतरत् which? नः for us? गरीयः better? यत् that? वा or? जयेम we should coner? यदि if? वा or? नः us? जयेयुः they should coner? यान् whom? एव even? हत्वा having slain? न not? जिजीविषामः we wish to live? ते those? अवस्थिताः (are) standing? प्रमुखे in face? धार्तराष्ट्राः sons of Dhritarashtra.No commentary.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
2.6 We do not know this as well as to which is the better for us, (and) whether we shall win, or whether they shall coner us. Those very sons of Dhrtarastra, by killing whom we do not wish to live, stand in confrontation.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
2.6 Nor can I say whether it were better that they conquer me or for me to conquer them, since would no longer care to live if I killed these sons of Dhritarashtra, now preparing for fight.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Arjava (Simplicity / Straightforwardness)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 1.31 BG 2.7 BG 18.59 SB 1.13.27 SB 3.7.7 SB 11.23.58 CC Madhya 20.118 CC Madhya 22.31 CC Antya 5.85 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.7BRS 1.2.78
Concepts
Dharma
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Genuine confusion about what is right is itself a sign of seriousness — the bewildered soul is closer to truth than the smug one.
Practical Applications
  • Treat your honest 'I don't know' as a doorway to inquiry, not a failure.
  • Avoid premature certainty; sit with confusion until clarity emerges from above.
  • Bring your 'I do not know what is best' directly to Krishna and a senior devotee.
Reflection Questions
  • Where is my honest uncertainty more truthful than my confident answers?
  • Which decision am I about to force when I should be inquiring further?
Analogy

A man stands at a crossroads at night with no lamp. Both paths look dark; either choice may be ruin. This is exactly Arjuna's confusion. Kṛṣṇa, the inner guide, is the lamp — buddhi-yoga will be lit in the verses that follow.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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