Chapter 2 · Verse 4·Spoken by Arjuna
कथं भीष्ममहं संख्ये द्रोणं च मधुसूदन। इषुभिः प्रतियोत्स्यामि पूजार्हावरिसूदन
kathaṁ bhīṣhmam ahaṁ sankhye droṇaṁ cha madhusūdana iṣhubhiḥ pratiyotsyāmi pūjārhāvari-sūdana
Saved for this reading session
Three movements · tap a label to switch
Sanskrit recitation by Swami Brahmānanda
Audio from the Gītā Supersite, IIT Kanpur
Word by Word
Reading set · 5 translations · 3 commentaries
Translation · 5 voices
Arjuna said, "O Madhusudana, O destroyer of enemies, how can I fight with arrows in battle against Bhisma and Drona, who are worthy of adoration?"
Swami Gambiranandaafter Śaṅkara's bhāṣya· paired with Śaṅkara
Arjuna said, "O slayer of foes, how can I aim arrows in battle against Bhisma and Drona, who are worthy of reverence?"
Swami Adidevanandaafter Rāmānuja's bhāṣya· paired with Rāmānuja
Arjuna said, "How can I fight in battle with arrows against Bhisma and Drona, both of whom are worthy of reverence? O slayer of Mandhu, O slayer of foes!"
Dr. S. Sankaranarayanafter Madhva's bhāṣya· paired with Madhva
Arjuna said, "O Madhusudana, how can I fight in battle with arrows against Bhishma and Drona, who are worthy of being worshipped, O destroyer of enemies?"
Swami SivanandaThe Bhagavad Gita
Arjuna argued: My Lord! How can I, when the battle rages, send an arrow through Bheeshma and Drona, whom I should revere?
Shri Purohit SwamiThe Geeta
This is a brief sub-gloss. For a fuller reading of this verse, see Madhusūdana, Śaṅkara, or Rāmānuja above.
Śaṅkara does not comment on this verse; his commentary on the second chapter begins at verse 2.10.
Contemporary English rendering of the Sanskrit bhāṣya, pending scholar review.
Arjuna spoke. Once again Partha, distraught by affection, by pity, and by fear of merit and demerit, not understanding the supremely beneficial counsel the Lord had given, said this: how shall I strike down Bhishma, Drona, and the rest, my teachers, who are worthy of the highest regard? And how, having slain men so excessively attached to enjoyments, could I then, sprinkling with their blood the very enjoyments they had been enjoying, sit down on those seats and enjoy them?
Contemporary English rendering of the Sanskrit bhāṣya, pending scholar review.
This is a brief sub-gloss. For a fuller reading of this verse, see Madhusūdana, Śaṅkara, or Rāmānuja above.
Madhvacharya does not comment on this verse; his Gita-bhashya begins at verse 2.11.
Contemporary English rendering of the Sanskrit bhāṣya, pending scholar review.