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Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 2.1
सञ्जय उवाच
तं तथा कृपयाविष्टमश्रुपूर्णाकुलेक्षणम् ।
विषीदन्तमिदं वाक्यमुवाच मधुसूदनः ॥ १ ॥
sañjaya uvāca
taṁ tathā kṛpayāviṣṭam
aśru-pūrṇākulekṣaṇam
viṣīdantam idaṁ vākyam
uvāca madhusūdanaḥ
Sañjaya said: Seeing Arjuna full of compassion, his mind depressed, his eyes full of tears, Madhusūdana, Kṛṣṇa, spoke the following words.
Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.ioWhat this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.
3 study points
Seeing Arjuna full of compassion, depressed and tearful, Kṛṣṇa began to speak.
Prabhupāda explains that material compassion and tears show ignorance of the real self. Compassion for the eternal soul is self-realization.
Arjuna wanted Kṛṣṇa to remove his misunderstanding. Kṛṣṇa spoke the Bhagavad-gītā to remove sorrow caused by ignorance.
Sanjaya describes that Krishna sees Arjuna lamenting like an ignorant man and responds
Signs of ignorance of real self — Material compassion, lamentation and tears
Definition of ‘sudra’ — To lament for outward dress (gross body) or one who laments unnecessarily
Analogy: Compassion for the ‘dress of a drowning man’ is senseless
Similarly, a man fallen into the ocean of nescience cannot be saved simply by rescuing his gross body
‘Ignorance’ vs ‘Self-realisation’ — Compassion for the eternal soul is self-realisation
Krishna as addressed as ‘Madhusudana’
Killer of Madhu demon
Arjuna requested Krishna to kill the demon of misunderstanding that had overtaken him in the discharge of his duty
Why Bhagavad-gita was spoken — To dissipate the lamentation of the ignorant man
Role of Chapter 2 in self-realization
Teaches Jnana – Analytical study of material body and spirit soul by Supreme authority, Lord Sri Krishna
Teaches Buddhi-yoga (path of activity) – “As the path of realisation” which involves:
To work without attachment to fruitive results
Fixed in the conception of the real self
Arjuna’s further reasons for not fighting
Surrenders to Krishna
Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.
The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.
Key ideas: saṁśaya, viṣāda.
Take one thing from this verse into your day.
What does BG 2.1 establish in Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport, and how does it connect to questions & crisis?
Write down the real question behind your current dilemma.
Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.
Study notes are editorial summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport.