Devanagari
व्यामिश्रेणेव वाक्येन बुद्धिं मोहयसीव मे ।
तदेकं वद निश्चित्य येन श्रेयोऽहमाप्नुयाम् ॥ २ ॥
Verse text
vyāmiśreṇeva vākyena
buddhiṁ mohayasīva me
tad ekaṁ vada niścitya
yena śreyo ’ham āpnuyām
Synonyms
vyāmiśreṇa
—
by equivocal
;
iva
—
certainly
;
vākyena
—
words
;
buddhim
—
intelligence
;
mohayasi
—
You are bewildering
;
iva
—
certainly
;
me
—
my
;
tat
—
therefore
;
ekam
—
only one
;
vada
—
please tell
;
niścitya
—
ascertaining
;
yena
—
by which
;
śreyaḥ
—
real benefit
;
aham
—
I
;
āpnuyām
—
may have.
Translation
My intelligence is bewildered by Your equivocal instructions. Therefore, please tell me decisively which will be most beneficial for me.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
2. You bewilder me with Your mixture of words. Now speak clearly so that I may attain the highest benefit.
Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
2. You seem to bewilder me with your mixture of words. Now speak clearly so that I may attain the highest benefit.
Purport
In the previous chapter, as a prelude to the Bhagavad-gītā, many different paths were explained, such as sāṅkhya-yoga, buddhi-yoga, control of the senses by intelligence, work without fruitive desire, and the position of the neophyte. This was all presented unsystematically. A more organized outline of the path would be necessary for action and understanding. Arjuna, therefore, wanted to clear up these apparently confusing matters so that any common man could accept them without misinterpretation. Although Kṛṣṇa had no intention of confusing Arjuna by any jugglery of words, Arjuna could not follow the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness – either by inertia or by active service. In other words, by his questions he is clearing the path of Kṛṣṇa consciousness for all students who seriously want to understand the mystery of the Bhagavad-gītā.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
“O My friend Arjuna, it is true that bhakti, beyond the guṇas is supreme. But since that is obtained only by the mercy of My great pure devotees in an unexpected manner, it is not attained by the efforts of the individual. Therefore, I have given a blessing to you: be transcendental to the guṇas (nistraiguṇya bhava): be transcendental to the guṇas by transcendental bhakti. When this blessing matures, you will attain bhakti by such unexpected mercy of the pure devotee. As it is fitting to the present circumstances, directing you to engage in activity is also valid, using the words karmaṇy evādhikāras te: you are qualified for action.”
“Then why do You not clearly tell me to engage in activity? You throw me into an ocean of doubt. You bewilder my intelligence by those words which are mixture of various meanings (vyāmiśrena). [Note: The analysis of vyāmiśreṇa is vi for viśeṣataḥ, “particularly”; ā for “completely”; miśra, meaning mixture.] Though you have mentioned about action (karmaṇy evādhikāras te), you also speak of jṣāna using the word yoga in such statements as the following:
yogasthaḥ kuru karmāṇi saṅgaṁ tyaktvā dhanaṣjaya
siddhy-asiddhyoḥ samo bhūtvā samatvaṁ yoga ucyate
Being situated in this niṣkāma-karma-yoga, perform your duties, giving up attachment, being equal to success and failure, O conqueror of wealth! Such equal mindedness is called yoga. BG 2.48
buddhi-yukto jahātīha ubhe sukṛta-duṣkṛte
tasmād yogāya yujyasva yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam
He who is engaged in niṣkāma-karma-yoga gives up both pious and impious reactions. Therefore engage in this yoga. Among all types of action, this performance without attachment is a skill. BG 2.50
And you speak only of knowledge in such statements as yadā te moha-kalilaṁ buddhir vyatitariṣyati: when your intelligence has completely crossed the denseness of illusion… (BG 2.52). [Note: Confusion arises in Arjuna’s mind because of the use of the word “buddhi” and “śama” which are associated with jṣāna. In karmaṇy evādhikāras te the Lord also speaks about complete renunciation of the fruits. And by the end of chapter two Kṛṣṇa shows that niṣkāma-karma matures into jṣāna.]
The word iva indicates that “Your words are not actually filled with many meanings, and it is not Your desire to bewilder me, as You are merciful. Nor is it that I do not know the meaning, but you should speak this clearly.”
The deep sense is this: compared to karma in the mode of passion, karma in the mode of goodness is superior. [Note: This is niṣkāma-karma-yoga, in its mature stage.] Superior to that is jṣāna, which is also sattvic. And bhakti, beyond the modes, is superior to that. If You say that bhakti is not possible for me, then instruct me on jṣāna alone. Then I will be free from the bondage of saṁsāra and misery.
Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
A statement concerning intellect directed towards both saṁkhya and karma yoga, concerning both stopping and engaging the senses, [Note: The phrase is indriya nivṛtti rūpayoḥ, which would mean “both involve stopping the senses.” It would appear that the word pravṛtti has been omitted, since karma yoga does not involve stopping the senses, but engaging them.] concerning both the goal of practice (sādhya) and the practice (sādhana), is called a mixed statement (vyāmiśra). By that statement, You seem to bewilder my intelligence (mohayasi iva). In reality, You, the lord of all beings, and my friend as well, would not bewilder me. But I, because of faults in my intelligence, think like this. That is the implication of the word iva. Therefore make one statement, without mixture of the two elements. The śrutis say:
na karmaṇā na prajayā dhanena tyāgenaikenāmṛtatvam ānaśur
pareṇa nākaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyāṁ vibhrājate yad yatayo viṣanti
Not by performance of duty, by progeny or wealth, but by renunciation, they attained that immortality which the sannyāsīs attain, which is beyond heaven and shines within the heart. Mahā Nārāyaṇa Upaniṣad 86
nāsty akṛtaḥ kṛtena
The eternal person (akṛtaḥ) is not attained by actions. Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.12
By this I will gain the most beneficial process for me to be undertaken with conviction.
Surrender Unto Me
Equivocal means two. Two things have been explained equally:
‑ jnana and karma‑yoga or buddhi‑yoga. Working and retirement, that is what Arjuna is understanding at this point.
Arjuna's understanding is that karma or work and jnana, knowledge that one is not the body, are two separate things. This isn't true and Krsna is going to explain this and gradually we are going to understand that there is a yoga ladder and these are different steps on that yoga ladder.
[ B . FIGHT! DO YOUR DUTY BUT WITHOUT ATTACHMENT (3.3‑9)
Krsna replies that since the soul is active by nature, renunciation of work, if one's heart is not yet clean, is inferior to performing one's prescribed duties with detachment. The Vedas therefore teach us to perform work as a sacrifice for Krsna. Thus our work will not bind us to this world.]