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Chapter 2 · Contents of the Gītā Summarized · 72 verses

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Questions & crisisChapter 2 · Contents of the Gītā Summarized
2.82.10

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 2.9

Grief, confusion, and Arjuna accepting discipleship

सञ्जय उवाच

एवमुक्त्वा हृषीकेशं गुडाकेशः परन्तपः ।

न योत्स्य इति गोविन्दामुक्त्वा तूष्णीं बभूव ह ॥ ९ ॥

sañjaya uvāca

evam uktvā hṛṣīkeśaṁ

guḍākeśaḥ paran-tapaḥ

na yotsya iti govindam

uktvā tūṣṇīṁ babhūva ha

Translation

Sañjaya said: Having spoken thus, Arjuna, chastiser of enemies, told Kṛṣṇa, “Govinda, I shall not fight,” and fell silent.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
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Understand it

What this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.

Arjuna Refuses to Fight

  1. 1Arjuna told Kṛṣṇa, “Govinda, I shall not fight,” and fell silent.
  2. 2Though overcome by false grief from family affection, Arjuna surrendered as a disciple to Kṛṣṇa, the supreme spiritual master.
  3. 3Kṛṣṇa would free Arjuna from false grief through knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Arjuna would then fight, ending Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s joy.

Where we are

In the story

Chapter 2, Contents of the Gītā Summarized: grief, confusion, and arjuna accepting discipleship.

What it teaches

Theme summary

Honest questions open the way to wisdom.

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Key ideas in this verse

The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.

Key ideas: saṁśaya, viṣāda.

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Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does BG 2.9 establish in Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport, and how does it connect to questions & crisis?

Practice

Write down the real question behind your current dilemma.

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Related verses

Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.

BG 2.1Grief, confusion, and Arjuna accepting discipleshipBG 2.2Grief, confusion, and Arjuna accepting discipleshipBG 1.28Compassion entangled with attachmentBG 1.46The bow falls

Study notes are editorial summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport.

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Back to step 3The key ideasNext · Step 5 of 7 · 5 minLive the teachingsBring it into your day with a practice and a question, straight from Prabhupāda's purports.