A dialogue to read in context
Bhagavad Gītā
Read the cited source passages on this page →
Begin reading the Bhagavad Gītā through Arjuna’s request for instruction, then explore related passages with a named translation.
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A starting passage: 2.7
In Bhagavad Gītā 2.7, Arjuna asks Kṛṣṇa for definite guidance about what is best for him and accepts the position of a disciple. A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda’s translation presents this request in the setting of confusion about duty. Begin with the question Arjuna is asking before turning a later teaching into an isolated saying.
Read the source
Source passages to read on this page
Read the selected passages in English below. Translation, commentary and handbook guidance are labeled separately; the adjacent links let you check the source.
Bhagavad Gītā 2.7
Arjuna asks Kṛṣṇa for guidance in the battlefield dialogue.
Reference: Swami Swarupananda; Śrīmad-Bhagavad-Gītā, Advaita Ashrama, Mayavati (1909); Ramakrishna Order / Advaita Vedānta. Check the cited passage or chapter →
English translation
With my nature overpowered by weak commiseration, with a mind in confusion about duty, I supplicate Thee. Say decidedly what is good for me. I am Thy disciple. Instruct me who have taken refuge in Thee.
Public-domain 1909 English translation. Line breaks and evident OCR errors corrected against the passage; translator’s comments are not included. Original Sanskrit is identified separately.
Read the original Sanskrit
Original Sanskrit · Devanāgarī
कार्पण्यदोषोपहतस्वभावः पृच्छामि त्वां धर्मसम्मूढचेताः ।
यच्छ्रेयः स्यान्निश्चितं ब्रूहि तन्मे शिष्यस्तेऽहं शाधि मां त्वां प्रपन्नम् ॥ ७ ॥
Bhagavad Gītā 2.47
Kṛṣṇa speaks to Arjuna in the Gītā’s dialogue. The surrounding chapter remains linked for context.
Reference: Swami Swarupananda; Śrīmad-Bhagavad-Gītā, Advaita Ashrama, Mayavati (1909); Ramakrishna Order / Advaita Vedānta. Check the cited passage or chapter →
English translation
Thy right is to work only; but never to the fruits thereof. Be thou not the producer of the fruits of (thy) actions; neither let thy attachment be towards inaction.
Public-domain 1909 English translation. Line breaks and evident OCR errors corrected against the passage; translator’s comments are not included. Original Sanskrit is identified separately.
Read the original Sanskrit
Original Sanskrit · Devanāgarī
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन ।
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि ॥ ४७ ॥
Know which layer you are reading
The linked VedaBase page separates Sanskrit, transliteration, word meanings, translation, and the translator’s “Purport.” In this purport, Prabhupāda emphasizes seeking guidance from a spiritual master. That is a named Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava interpretation accompanying the verse.
When taking notes, label a sentence as text, translation, commentary, or your own reflection. This simple distinction makes later comparisons much clearer.
A focused reading route
- Start with 2.7 and write down Arjuna’s request.
- Use the karma guide to explore 2.47 on action and attachment.
- Read the bhakti guide for selected devotional passages.
- Compare dharma and ahiṃsā through their separately identified verses.
This is a suggested handbook reading route, not the chapter order of the text.
Questions to keep beside the text
- Who is speaking, and what question is being answered?
- What changes when I read the verses before and after this one?
- Which Sanskrit terms does the translator explain?
- What does the commentary add, and how would another named commentary compare?
Sources & scope
VedaBase: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 2.7 — Translation and commentary by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. This is a focused starting guide, not a complete summary of the Gītā or its interpretations.
Source consulted October 7, 2026. Read the named teaching with its context; the handbook questions are separate from Vivekananda’s words.