1 · Learn3 of 6 · 5 min
Study a Verse
Pick any verse to see what it means and how to use it in your life.
Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 2.10
तमुवाच हृषीकेशः प्रहसन्निव भारत ।
सेनयोरूभयोर्मध्ये विषीदन्तमिदं वचः ॥ १० ॥
tam uvāca hṛṣīkeśaḥ
prahasann iva bhārata
senayor ubhayor madhye
viṣīdantam idaṁ vacaḥ
O descendant of Bharata, at that time Kṛṣṇa, smiling, in the midst of both the armies, spoke the following words to the grief-stricken Arjuna.
Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.ioWhat this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.
3 study points
Between the two armies, Kṛṣṇa smiled and spoke to the grief-stricken Arjuna.
Kṛṣṇa smiled because His friend had chosen to become His disciple. As Lord of all, He then spoke seriously as Arjuna’s master.
Their talk was open for everyone’s benefit. Bhagavad-gītā is for all, and friends and enemies alike may hear it.
Krishna starts speaking — Sanjaya reports that Krishna smiling in the midst of both armies began to speak
Krishna accepts role as per devotees desire — friend or guru, etc.; He always maintains supremacy
‘Krishna was smiling’ – Because a friend had chosen to become a disciple
The Bhagavad-gita is openly discussed between the two armies — Therefore this knowledge is not for any particular person, community or society, but for everyone
Friends and enemies are equally entitled to hear this message
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 2.10 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.