Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 3 · Karma Yoga
Bhagavad Gita 3.2 व्यामिश्रेणेव वाक्येन बुद्धिं मोहयसीव मे
श्लोक 3.2
व्यामिश्रेणेव वाक्येन बुद्धिं मोहयसीव मे ।
तदेकं वद निश्चित्य येन श्रेयोऽहमाप्नुयाम् ॥
vyāmiśreṇeva vākyena buddhiṃ mohayasīva me |
tadekaṃ vada niścitya yena śreyo'hamāpnuyām ||
हिन्दी अर्थ
आपके मिले-जुले से वचनों से मेरी बुद्धि भ्रमित-सी हो रही है। इसलिए निश्चय करके मुझे वह एक बात बताइए, जिससे मेरा कल्याण हो।
Meaning in English
Your words seem mixed and contradictory, and they appear to confuse my mind. Please tell me, decisively, the one path by which I may reach the highest good.
Bhagavad Gita 3.2 — word by word
| Word | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| व्यामिश्रेण | vyāmiśreṇa | mixed, seemingly contradictory |
| इव | iva | as if |
| वाक्येन | vākyena | by speech |
| बुद्धिम् | buddhim | understanding |
| मोहयसि | mohayasi | you confuse |
| इव | iva | as it were |
| मे | me | my |
| तत् | tat | therefore |
| एकम् | ekam | one thing |
| वद | vada | tell |
| निश्चित्य | niścitya | having decided |
| येन | yena | by which |
| श्रेयः | śreyaḥ | the highest good |
| अहम् | aham | I |
| आप्नुयाम् | āpnuyām | may attain |
Explanation
With words that seem mixed, you are, as it were, confusing my mind. So tell me one thing, decided for certain, by which I may reach the highest good.
The double 'iva' (as if, as it were) is polite: Arjuna does not accuse Krishna of confusing him on purpose, only of seeming to. He wants a single clear path, either knowledge or action. Commentators note that Krishna does not simply pick one; the rest of the chapter shows how action done without attachment leads towards the same goal as knowledge. Shankara reads Arjuna's request as natural for one not yet ready for renunciation.
भावार्थ
आप मिले-जुले से वचनों से मानो मेरी बुद्धि को मोहित कर रहे हैं। इसलिए निश्चय करके वह एक बात कहिए जिससे मैं कल्याण को प्राप्त हो सकूँ।
Living it today
When you are torn between options, ask your mentor or yourself for the one next step that serves your deeper good, not a list of everything.
Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of Bhagavad Gita 3.2?
With words that seem mixed, you are, as it were, confusing my mind. So tell me one thing, decided for certain, by which I may reach the highest good.
Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 3.2?
Arjuna speaks this verse, in Chapter 3 (Karma Yoga) of the Bhagavad Gita.
How can I apply Bhagavad Gita 3.2 in daily life?
When you are torn between options, ask your mentor or yourself for the one next step that serves your deeper good, not a list of everything.
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