FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 2.7

కార్పణ్యదోషోపహతస్వభావః పృచ్ఛామి త్వాం ధర్మసమ్మూఢచేతాః । యచ్ఛ్రేయః స్యాన్నిశ్‍చితం బ్రూహి తన్మే శిష్యస్తేఽహం శాధి మాం త్వాం ప్రపన్నమ్ ॥ ౭ ॥
kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ
[kaarpanya-doshopahata-svabhaavah]
pṛcchāmi tvāṁ dharma-sammūḍha-cetāḥ
[prichchaami tvaam dharma-sammoodha-chetaah]
yac chreyaḥ syān niścitaṁ brūhi tan me
[yach chreyah syaan nishchitam broohi tan me]
śiṣyas te ’haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam
[shishyas te ’ham shaadhi maam tvaam prapannam]
Word-for-word
kārpaṇya — of miserliness doṣa — by the weakness upahata — being afflicted svabhāvaḥ — characteristics pṛcchāmi — I am asking tvām — unto You dharma — religion sammūḍha — bewildered cetāḥ — in heart yat — what śreyaḥ — all-good syāt — may be niścitam — confidently brūhi — tell tat — that me — unto me śiṣyaḥ — disciple te — Your aham — I am śādhi — just instruct mām — me tvām — unto You prapannam — surrendered .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ
kārpaṇya
of miserliness
doṣa
by the weakness
upahata
being afflicted
svabhāvaḥ
characteristics
pṛcchāmi tvāṁ dharma-sammūḍha-cetāḥ
pṛcchāmi
I am asking
tvām
unto You
dharma
religion
sammūḍha
bewildered
cetāḥ
in heart
yac chreyaḥ syān niścitaṁ brūhi tan me
yat
what
śreyaḥ
all-good
syāt
may be
niścitam
confidently
brūhi
tell
tat
that
me
unto me
śiṣyas te ’haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam
śiṣyaḥ
disciple
te
Your
aham
I am
śādhi
just instruct
mām
me
tvām
unto You
prapannam
surrendered .
Important Words
  • kārpaṇya — miserliness
    From kṛpaṇa — miser. Not greed for money but miserliness of soul: clutching the body, the relations, the small self. The Gītā will name kṛpaṇa again at 2.49 as one who clings to the fruits.
  • sammūḍha — thoroughly bewildered
    Sam + mūḍha — completely deluded, not just confused. Arjuna admits to total breakdown of discrimination, not a mere doubt. Such full admission is itself a qualification for the teaching.
  • śiṣyaḥ — disciple
    The word that begins the formal teacher-student relationship. Until this verse Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa have been friends, cousins, charioteer-and-warrior. With śiṣyaḥ te 'ham, a new bond is forged — and only after this can the Gītā be spoken.
  • prapannam — surrendered
    Past participle of pra-√pad — to fall forward, to take refuge. The same root gives prapatti, the surrender that Gauḍīya ācāryas call the doorway to bhakti. Arjuna stands at that doorway here.
  • śādhi — instruct, command
    Imperative of √śās — to govern, to teach. Arjuna asks not for advice but for command. The disciple gives up the right to choose; the guru gains the right to direct.
Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of miserly weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me for certain what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.
Purport

By nature’s own way the complete system of material activities is a source of perplexity for everyone. In every step there is perplexity, and therefore it behooves one to approach a bona fide spiritual master who can give one proper guidance for executing the purpose of life. All Vedic literatures advise us to approach a bona fide spiritual master to get free from the perplexities of life, which happen without our desire. They are like a forest fire that somehow blazes without being set by anyone. Similarly, the world situation is such that perplexities of life automatically appear, without our wanting such confusion. No one wants fire, and yet it takes place, and we become perplexed. The Vedic wisdom therefore advises that in order to solve the perplexities of life and to understand the science of the solution, one must approach a spiritual master who is in the disciplic succession. A person with a bona fide spiritual master is supposed to know everything. One should not, therefore, remain in material perplexities but should approach a spiritual master. This is the purport of this verse. Who is the man in material perplexities? It is he who does not understand the problems of life. In the Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad (3.8.10) the perplexed man is described as follows: yo vā etad akṣaraṁ gārgy aviditvāsmāḻ lokāt praiti sa kṛpaṇaḥ. “He is a miserly man who does not solve the problems of life as a human and who thus quits this world like the cats and dogs, without understanding the science of self-realization.” This human form of life is a most valuable asset for the living entity, who can utilize it for solving the problems of life; therefore, one who does not utilize this opportunity properly is a miser. On the other hand, there is the brāhmaṇa, or he who is intelligent enough to utilize this body to solve all the problems of life. Ya etad akṣaraṁ gārgi viditvāsmāl lokāt praiti sa brāhmaṇaḥ. The kṛpaṇas, or miserly persons, waste their time in being overly affectionate for family, society, country, etc., in the material conception of life. One is often attached to family life, namely to wife, children and other members, on the basis of “skin disease.” The kṛpaṇa thinks that he is able to protect his family members from death; or the kṛpaṇa thinks that his family or society can save him from the verge of death. Such family attachment can be found even in the lower animals, who take care of children also. Being intelligent, Arjuna could understand that his affection for family members and his wish to protect them from death were the causes of his perplexities. Although he could understand that his duty to fight was awaiting him, still, on account of miserly weakness, he could not discharge the duties. He is therefore asking Lord Kṛṣṇa, the supreme spiritual master, to make a definite solution. He offers himself to Kṛṣṇa as a disciple. He wants to stop friendly talks. Talks between the master and the disciple are serious, and now Arjuna wants to talk very seriously before the recognized spiritual master. Kṛṣṇa is therefore the original spiritual master of the science of Bhagavad-gītā, and Arjuna is the first disciple for understanding the Gītā. How Arjuna understands the Bhagavad-gītā is stated in the Gītā itself. And yet foolish mundane scholars explain that one need not submit to Kṛṣṇa as a person, but to “the unborn within Kṛṣṇa.” There is no difference between Kṛṣṇa’s within and without. And one who has no sense of this understanding is the greatest fool in trying to understand Bhagavad-gītā.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
7. My nature has been overcome by weakness. My mind is bewildered about dharma. I ask You what is best. Please tell me with certainty. I am Your student. Please instruct me, who have surrendered to You.
Commentary

“Indeed, while speaking the meaning of scripture to bring out a conclusion, though you are a kṣatriya, you have decided to become a beggar! What is the use of My speaking?” “Giving up my natural courage as kṣatriya is my weakness (kārpaṇyam). My intelligence has become bewildered in trying to understand the implementation of dharma, as the path of dharma is very subtle: dharmasya sūkṣmā gatiḥ. (Mahābhārata 3.198.2, 1.188.11) Therefore it is better that You decide and tell me.” “But if you defeat My words by posing yourself as learned, how can I speak?” “I am Your student, and will no longer uselessly oppose You.”

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
7. My nature of fighting has been overcome by lack of understanding brahman. My mind is bewildered about dharma. I therefore ask you what is best for me. Please tell me with certainty. I am your student. Please instruct me, who have surrendered to you.
Commentary

This verse illustrates the principle of acceptance and service to guru, as proven by the śruti statements: tad vijṣānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham Holding firewood in ones hand (with attitude of service), one should certainly approach the guru who had knowledge of the Vedas and is fixed in Brahman, for gaining knowledge of the Lord. Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.11 ācāryavān puruṣo veda The person who has a guru knows the Lord. Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.14.2 The word karpaṇya indicates a person with no knowledge of brahman, as seen from the śruti statement yo vā etad akṣaram gārgy aviditvā asmāl lokāt praiti sa kṛpaṇa: O Gargi, he who leaves this world without knowing the Brahman is called kṛpaṇa. (Bṛhad Āranyaka Upaniṣad 3.8.10) “I have developed weakness of my nature, of my duty of having a desire for battle (upahata sva bhāvaḥ), caused by the fault of possessiveness of family members (doṣa), shown by the previous verse (killing them I will have no desire to live), which in turn is caused by lack of knowledge of Brahman (kārpaṇya). My mind is bewildered about my duty (dharma sammūḍha cetaḥ), having doubt whether my duty is the kṣatriya dharma of fighting or giving that up and wandering around begging. Because I am in that state, I now ask you. Tell me what is the conclusion (niścitam)— that which will inevitably bring results from practice (aikāntikam), and which will be indestructible, continuing without change after being established (ātyanikam)—which will bring about the most benefit for me (śreyaḥ).” “The śruti speaks of surrender for obtaining the teachings, in such statements as the following: tad vijṣānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet… (This was just quoted above.) Therefore how can I teach you who are my friend?” “I am now your student. Please teach me (sādhi).”

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

Arjuna despite all his good arguments, is simply confused and intelligently he takes shelter of Krsna and requests Him to instruct him. He requests Krsna to accept him as His disciple. Srila Prabhupada says in his Purport: "By nature's own way the complete system of material activities is a source of perplexity for everyone. In every step there is perplexity, and therefore it behooves one to approach a bona fide spiritual master who can give one proper guidance for executing the purpose of life. All Vedic literatures advise us to approach a bona fide spiritual master to get free from the perplexities of life, which happen without our desire. They are like a forest fire that somehow blazes without being set by anyone. Similarly, the world situation is such' that perplexities of automatically appear, without our wanting such confusion. No one wants fire, and yet it takes place, and we become perplexed. The Vedic wisdom therefore advises that in order to solve the perplexities of life and to understand the science of the solution, one must approach a spiritual master who is in the disciplic succession. A person with a bona fide spiritual master is supposed to know everything. One should not, therefore, remain in material perplexities but should approach a spiritual master. This is the purport of this verse."

But in the next verse Krsna doesn't start instructing Arjuna. Rather is Arjuna still speaking. The acaryas explain the reason of this: Krsna replies to Arjuna : "You need a guru! I am your friend, why surrender to Me? But anyway, actually you might not need a guru to solve your problems. All you need to do is to fight! And if you win, you win your kingdom and the all problems will be solved. You don't need a guru! Just fight and take back your kingdom, be successful!" Arjuna replies to that testing Krsna:

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

Arjuna expresses need to surrender

Confused about duty
Lost all composure because of miserly weakness

Focus of Learning

(a) Considerations by Arjuna prove Arjuna’s following virtuous qualities:

He was a great devotee of the Lord
Highly enlightened
Complete control of mind and senses
Desire to live by begging – a sign of detachment
Also strong faith in Krishna’s instruction (His spiritual master)
Conclusion: These qualities make him quite fit for liberation

(b) Qualifications for liberation – Controlled senses, knowledge and devotion

Unless senses are controlled – no chance of elevation to the platform of knowledge
Without knowledge and devotion, no chance of liberation

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF TEXTS 2.4 – 2.6

Arjuna’s condition illustrates the result of selfish consciousness –

Frustration and inability to reach sound conclusions

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
2.7 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
2.7 See Comment under 2.10
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
2.7 My heart is overpowered by the taint of pity; my mind is confused as to duty. I ask Thee: Tell me decisively what is good for me. I am Thy disciple. Instruct me who has taken refuge in Thee.
Commentary

2.7 कार्पण्यदोषोपहतस्वभावः with nature overpowered by the taint of pity? पृच्छामि I ask? त्वाम् Thee? धर्मसंमूढचेताः with a mind in confusion about duty? यत् which? श्रेयः good? स्यात् may be? निश्चितम् decisively? ब्रूहि say? तत् that? मे for me? शिष्यः disciple? ते Thy? अहम् I? शाधि teach? माम् me? त्वाम् to Thee? प्रपन्नम् taken refuge.No commentary.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
2.7 With my nature overpowered by weak commiseration, with a mind bewildered about duty, I supplicate You. Telll me for certain that which is better; I am Your disciple. Instruct me who have taken refuge in You.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
2.7 My heart is oppressed with pity; and my mind confused as to what my duty is. Therefore, my Lord, tell me what is best for my spiritual welfare, for I am Thy disciple. Please direct me, I pray.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)
Related verses
BG 2.32 BG 4.34 BG 18.66 SB 1.7.10 SB 3.7.36 SB 11.3.21 CC Ādi 1.35 CC Madhya 8.128 CC Madhya 22.65 Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.12BRS 1.2.92
Concepts
BhavaDharma
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Surrender — śiṣyas te 'ham — is the central act of the Gītā; the moment Arjuna takes formal shelter, the teaching begins in earnest.
Practical Applications
  • Each morning, formally request Krishna or your guide for the day's instruction; do not assume yesterday's surrender suffices.
  • When you feel paralyzed by a problem, write down the words 'I am Your disciple, please instruct me' and proceed from that posture.
  • Build one daily ritual that explicitly enacts surrender — pranāma, prayer, japa with intention.
Reflection Questions
  • Where in my life have I claimed independence that I should hand back?
  • What am I refusing to be a śiṣya about because my pride wants to figure it out alone?
Analogy

A traveler lost in a forest, who till now trusted his own compass, throws it down and says: lead me. This surrender — not the directionless wandering before it — is what begins the journey. Arjuna's śiṣyas te 'haṁ is the first true sentence of his discipleship.

Stories
Naciketas before Yama

When Naciketas was given to Yama, the boy did not bargain or boast. He asked for three boons, the third of which was knowledge of the self after death. Yama tried three times to distract him with wealth, sons, long life — Naciketas refused each.

In the Kaṭha Upaniṣad, the boy speaks to the Lord of Death with the same purity Arjuna now offers Kṛṣṇa: 'I am your disciple, instruct me.' The teaching of the eternal soul that follows in BG 2 echoes that of Yama to Naciketas — both are the same śiṣya-bhāva drawing the same medicine out of the same kind of teacher.

Rūpa Gosvāmī falls at Caitanya's feet

Meeting Mahāprabhu at Prayāga, Rūpa offered prostrated obeisances and verses of utter surrender. Mahāprabhu lifted him, embraced him, and over ten days at the Daśāśvamedha-ghāṭa taught him the science of rasa.

When the disciple's offering of self is total, the master's outpouring of knowledge is total. Arjuna's prapanna here opens the floodgates of Bhagavad-gītā; Rūpa's at Prayāga opened the floodgates of Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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