यदहङ्कारमाश्रित्य न योत्स्य इति मन्यसे । मिथ्यैष व्यवसायस्ते प्रकृतिस्त्वां नियोक्ष्यति
If, relying on ego, you think 'I will not fight', this resolve of yours is mistaken; your nature will compel you.
स्वभावजेन कौन्तेय निबद्धः स्वेन कर्मणा । कर्तुं नेच्छसि यन्मोहात्करिष्यस्यवशोपि तत्
Bound by your own nature, O son of Kunti, you are compelled by your own action; even though you do not wish to act out of delusion, you will act helplessly.
ईश्वरः सर्वभूतानां हृद्देशेऽर्जुन तिष्ठति। भ्रामयन्सर्वभूतानि यन्त्रारूढानि मायया
The Lord dwells in the heart of all beings, O Arjuna, causing all beings to revolve, mounted on the machine of illusion.
तमेव शरणं गच्छ सर्वभावेन भारत। तत्प्रसादात्परां शान्तिं स्थानं प्राप्स्यसि शाश्वतं
Take refuge in Him alone with all your being, O Bharata; by His grace you will attain supreme peace and the eternal abode.
इति ते ज्ञानमाख्यातं गुह्याद्गुह्यतरं मया । विमृश्यैतदशेषेण यथेच्छसि तथा कुरु
Thus I have declared to you the knowledge most secret of all secrets; reflect on this fully, and act as you wish.
सर्वगुह्यतमं भूयः श्रृणु मे परमं वचः । इष्टेऽसि मे दृढमिति ततो वक्ष्यामि ते हितम्
Hear again My supreme word, the most secret of all; you are dear to Me, therefore I will speak what is beneficial to you.
मन्मना भव मद्भक्तो मद्याजी मां नमस्कुरु । मामेवैष्यसि सत्यं ते प्रतिजाने प्रियोऽसि मे
Fix your mind on Me, become My devotee, worship Me, bow to Me; you will surely come to Me. I promise you truly, for you are dear to Me.
सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज । अहं त्वा सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः
Abandoning all duties, take refuge in Me alone; I will liberate you from all sins, do not grieve.
इदं ते नातपस्काय नाभक्ताय कदाचन। न चाशुश्रूषवे वाच्यं न च मां योऽभ्यसूयति
This should never be spoken to one who is without austerity, nor to one who is not devoted, nor to one who does not serve, nor to one who is envious of Me.
य इदं परमं गुह्यं मद्भक्तेष्वभिधास्यति। भक्तिं मयि परां कृत्वा मामेवैष्यत्यसंशयः
Whoever declares this supreme secret among My devotees, having established supreme devotion to Me, will surely come to Me.
न च तस्मान्मनुष्येषु कश्चिन्मे प्रियकृत्तमः । भविता न च मे तस्मादन्यः प्रियतरो भुवि
Among men, none will be dearer to me than he; nor will there be anyone on earth more beloved by me than him.
अध्येष्यते च य इमं धर्म्यं संवादमावयोः । ज्ञानयज्ञेन तेनाहमिष्टः स्यामिति मे मतिः
He who studies this righteous dialogue between us, by the sacrifice of knowledge, I consider myself worshipped by him—such is my conviction.
श्रद्धावाननसूयश्च श्रृणुयादपि यो नरः। सोपि मुक्तः शुभाँल्लोकान्प्राप्नुयात्पुण्यकर्मणां
And even the man who hears it with faith and without envy, he too, being virtuous, attains the auspicious worlds and is liberated.
कच्चिदेतच्छ्रुतं पार्थ त्वयैकाग्रेण चेतसा । कच्चिदज्ञानसंमोहः प्रनष्टस्ते धनंजय
O Partha, have you listened to this with a focused mind? Has your confusion born of ignorance been destroyed, O Dhananjaya?
नष्टो मोहः स्मृतिर्लब्धा त्वत्प्रसादान्मयाऽच्युत । स्थितोऽस्मि गतसंदेहः करिष्ये वचनं तव
My delusion is gone, memory has been restored, by your grace, O Achyuta. I stand firm, free from doubt; I will act according to your word.
इत्यहं वासुदेवस्य पार्थस्य च महात्मनः। संवादमिममश्रौषमद्भुतं रोमहर्षणम्
Thus I heard this wondrous, hair-raising dialogue between Vasudeva and the great-hearted Partha.
व्यासप्रसादाच्छ्रुतवानेतद्गुह्यमहं परम्। योगं योगेश्वरात्कृष्णात्साक्षात्कथयतः स्वयम्
By Vyasa’s favor, I have heard this supreme and secret yoga directly from Krishna, the Lord of Yoga, as he himself spoke it.
राजन्संस्मृत्य संस्मृत्य संवादमिममद्भुतम् । केशवार्जुवयोः पुण्यं हृष्यामि च मुहुर्मुहुः
O King, recalling again and again this wondrous and holy conversation between Keshava and Arjuna, I rejoice again and again.
तच्च संस्मृत्य संस्मृत्य रूपमत्यद्भुतं हरेः। विस्मयो मे महान्राजन्हृष्यामि च पुनः पुनः
And recalling again and again the exceedingly wondrous form of Hari, great amazement fills me, O King, and I rejoice repeatedly.
यत्र योगेश्वरः कृष्णो यत्र पार्थो धनुर्धरः । तत्र श्रीर्विजयो भूतिर्ध्रुवा नीतिर्मतिर्मम
Wherever Krishna, Lord of Yoga, is, and wherever Arjuna, wielder of the bow, is, there surely are fortune, victory, prosperity, and steadfast righteousness—such is my conviction.
गीता सुगीता कर्तव्या किमन्यैः शास्त्रसंग्रहैः । या स्वयं पद्मनाभस्य सुखपद्माद्विनिःसृता
The Gita, well sung, should be practiced; what need is there for other collections of scriptures? That which has emerged from the blissful lotus of Padmanabha himself.
सर्वशास्त्रमयी गीता सर्वदेवमयो हरिः। सर्वतीर्थमयी गङ्गा सर्वदेवमयो मनुः
The Gita is the essence of all scriptures; Hari is the essence of all gods. The Ganga is the essence of all sacred places; Manu is the essence of all gods.
गीता गङ्गा च गायत्री गोविन्देति हृदि स्थिते। चतुर्गकारसंयुक्ते पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते
When the Gita, the Ganga, the Gayatri, and the name Govinda dwell in the heart, united by the four syllables beginning with 'ga', there is no rebirth.
षट्शतानि सविंशानि श्लोकानां प्राह केशवः। अर्जुनः सप्तपञ्चाशत्सप्तषष्टिं तु सञ्जयः
Keshava spoke six hundred and twenty verses; Arjuna spoke fifty-seven, and Sanjaya sixty-six.
धृतराष्ट्रः श्लोकमेकं गीताया मानमुच्यते । भारतामृतसर्वस्वगीताया मथितस्य च। सारमुद्धृत्य कृष्णेन अर्जुनस्य मुखे हुतम्
Dhritarashtra spoke one verse; this is the measure of the Gita. The essence of the nectar of the Bharata, churned out, was offered by Krishna into the mouth of Arjuna.
ततो धनंजयं दृष्ट्वा बाणगाण्डीवधारिणम् । पुनरेव महानादं व्यसृजन्त महारथाःक
Then, seeing Dhananjaya, the wielder of the Gandiva bow, the great chariot-warriors again let out a mighty roar.
पाण्डवाः सोमकाश्चैव ये चैषामनुयायिनः । दध्मुश्च मुदिताः शङ्खान्वीराः सागरसंभवान्
The Pandavas, the Somakas, and all their followers, joyfully blew their conch shells, heroes born of the ocean.
ततो भेर्यश्च पेश्यश्च क्रकचा गोविषाणिकाः । सहसैवाभ्यहन्यन्त ततः शब्दो महानभूत्
Then drums, cymbals, tabors, and cow-horns were suddenly sounded together, and a great noise arose.
तथा देवाः सगन्धर्वाः पितरश्च जनाधिप । सिद्धचारणसङ्घाश्च समीयुस्ते दिदृक्षया
Thus, the gods with the Gandharvas, the ancestors, the lord of men, and assemblies of Siddhas and Charanas gathered, eager to witness.
ऋषयश्च महाभागाः पुरस्कृत्य शतक्रतुम् । समीयुस्तत्र सहिता द्रुष्टुं तद्वैशसं महत्
And the great sages, having placed Indra at their forefront, came together there to see that immense carnage.