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Aligning Consciousness

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Ch 3•Verse 1
Adhyāya 3 • Shloka 1

अर्जुन उवाच | ज्यायसी चेत्कर्मणस्ते मता बुद्धिर्जनार्दन | तत्किं कर्मणि घोरे मां नियोजयसि केशव || १ ||

arjuna uvāca | jyāyasī cet karmaṇas te matā buddhir janārdana | tat kiṃ karmaṇi ghore māṃ niyojayasi keśava || 1 ||

"Arjuna said: O Janardana, O Keshava, if You consider intelligence (knowledge) to be better than fruitive work, why do You want to engage me in this horrific action (war)?"

Historical Context

The Direct Meaning

Chapter 3 opens with Arjuna expressing deep intellectual confusion. He listened to Krishna's teaching in Chapter 2, where Krishna praised 'Buddhi' (intellect/wisdom) and the state of a quiet, unmoving mind (Sthita-Prajña). Arjuna concludes: 'If you think Buddhi is superior (jyāyasī) to action (karmaṇaḥ), then why are you forcing me (māṃ niyojayasi) into this horrific, violent action (karmaṇi ghore)?' He uses two names for Krishna: Janardana (Maintainer of the People) and Keshava (Killer of the Kesi demon).

Translated from the original Sanskrit text

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