In Bhagavad Gita 2.6, Arjuna confesses that he does not know which is better, to conquer or to be conquered, since those he would kill are the very people he cannot live without.
Sanskrit Verse
अर्जुन उवाच · Arjuna said
न चैतद्विद्मः कतरन्नो गरीयो
यद्वा जयेम यदि वा नो जयेयुः
यानेव हत्वा न जिजीविषाम-
स्तेऽवस्थिताः प्रमुखे धार्तराष्ट्राः ॥ २-६ ॥
na caitadvidmaḥ kataranno garīyo
yadvā jayema yadi vā no jayeyuḥ
yāneva hatvā na jijīviṣāma-
ste’vasthitāḥ pramukhe dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ
English transliteration na chaitadvidmah kataranno gareeyo
yadvaa jayema yadi vaa no jayeyuh
yaaneva hatvaa na jijeevishaama-
ste’vasthitaah pramukhe dhaartaraashtraah ॥ 2.6 ॥
Translation / Meaning
Nor do we know which is better for us: that we should conquer them, or that they should conquer us. The sons of Dhritarashtra stand before us, and having killed them we would not even wish to live.
Word Meanings
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| न na | not |
| च ca | and |
| एतत् etat | this |
| विद्मः vidmaḥ | we know |
| कतरत् katarat | which |
| नः naḥ | for us |
| गरीयः garīyaḥ | better |
| यत् वा yat vā | whether |
| जयेम jayema | we should conquer |
| यदि वा yadi vā | or if |
| नः naḥ | us |
| जयेयुः jayeyuḥ | they should conquer |
| यान् yān | whom |
| एव eva | indeed |
| हत्वा hatvā | having killed |
| न na | not |
| जिजीविषामः jijīviṣāmaḥ | we would wish to live |
| ते te | they |
| अवस्थिताः avasthitāḥ | are standing |
| प्रमुखे pramukhe | in front |
| धार्तराष्ट्राः dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ | the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra |
Word-wise Chanting
- na cai–tad–vid–maḥ ka–ta–ran–no ga–rī–yo 12 syllables na chai-tad-vid-mah ka-ta-ran-no ga-ree-yo
- yad–vā ja–ye–ma ya–di vā no ja–ye–yuḥ | 12 syllables yad-vaa ja-ye-ma ya-di vaa no ja-ye-yuh
- yā–ne–va hat–vā na ji–jī–vi–ṣā–ma– 11 syllables yaa-ne-va hat-vaa na ji-jee-vi-shaa-ma-
- ste–‘vas–thi–tāḥ pra–mu–khe dhār–ta–rāṣ–ṭrāḥ || 2-6 11 syllables ste-‘vas-thi-taah pra-mu-khe dhaar-ta-raash-traah
How to read this
How to chant: each line is one pāda (quarter-verse); chant it in one breath. The hyphen (-) divides the syllables, inside a word and across a sandhi join, so every pāda shows its 8 syllables (11 in triṣṭubh verses). A consonant cluster is divided after its first consonant (kar-ma, vet-ti): that syllable is held longer. Mark above a syllable: guru, long (two beats); laghu, short (one beat). | closes the half-verse, || the verse; the number is the syllable count of the pāda.
Deeper Explanation – Chapter 2 Verse 6
Context
Arjuna’s reply continues from 2.5; he now admits his complete uncertainty.
Meaning
This verse is the honest centre of Arjuna’s crisis: he does not know what is better. Victory and defeat look equally terrible. If he wins, he loses the people whose presence made life meaningful; if he loses, injustice wins. The dilemma has no solution at the level on which he is thinking.
Admitting that we do not know is often the beginning of wisdom. Arjuna has stopped pretending that his arguments settle the matter. This honesty prepares him for the next step, asking for guidance (2.7). Many of life’s hardest choices become clearer only when we stop forcing an answer and look for a deeper understanding.
In Practice
In a dilemma that seems to have no good answer, write down plainly “I do not know.” Then ask what you would need to understand to see more clearly.
Related Verses
Continue Your Study
This verse belongs to Chapter 2: Sankhya Yoga (The Yoga of Knowledge). Read the chapter overview, browse every verse of the Gita, or return to the chapter-by-chapter guide. For a reading plan, see how to study the Bhagavad Gita and the study resources.