Doubt

The knot of the heart is loosened, all doubts are cut away, and one's deeds wear out, when he is seen who is both high and low.

भिद्यते हृदयग्रन्थिश्छिद्यन्ते सर्वसंशयाः । क्षीयन्ते चास्य कर्माणि तस्मिन्दृष्टे परावरे ॥ ८॥

Arjuna said: Your birth was later, and the birth of Vivasvan was earlier. How, then, am I to understand that you taught this in the beginning?

अर्जुन उवाच | अपरं भवतो जन्म परं जन्म विवस्वतः | कथमेतद्विजानीयां त्वमादौ प्रोक्तवानिति ||४-४||

Arjuna said: But by what is a person impelled to commit sin, even against his will, Varshneya, as if driven by force?

अर्जुन उवाच | अथ केन प्रयुक्तोऽयं पापं चरति पूरुषः | अनिच्छन्नपि वार्ष्णेय बलादिव नियोजितः ||३-३६||

With these seemingly contradictory words you appear to confuse my understanding. Tell me decisively the one path by which I may attain the highest good.

व्यामिश्रेणेव वाक्येन बुद्धिं मोहयसीव मे | तदेकं वद निश्चित्य येन श्रेयोऽहमाप्नुयाम् ||३-२||

Arjuna said: If you consider wisdom superior to action, Janardana, then why do you urge me to this terrible deed, Keshava?

अर्जुन उवाच | ज्यायसी चेत्कर्मणस्ते मता बुद्धिर्जनार्दन | तत्किं कर्मणि घोरे मां नियोजयसि केशव ||३-१||

Has this been heard by you, Partha, with a concentrated mind? Has your delusion born of ignorance been destroyed, Dhananjaya?

कच्चिदेतच्छ्रुतं पार्थ त्वयैकाग्रेण चेतसा | कच्चिदज्ञानसम्मोहः प्रनष्टस्ते धनञ्जय ||१८-७२||

Therefore, with the sword of knowledge cut away this doubt in your heart, born of ignorance about the Self. Take up yoga and stand ready, Arjuna.

तस्मादज्ञानसम्भूतं हृत्स्थं ज्ञानासिनात्मनः | छित्त्वैनं संशयं योगमातिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ भारत ||४-४२||

Arjuna said: How, Madhusudana, shall I fight with arrows in battle against Bhishma and Drona, who are worthy of my reverence, O slayer of enemies?

अर्जुन उवाच | कथं भीष्ममहं सङ्ख्ये द्रोणं च मधुसूदन | इषुभिः प्रतियोत्स्यामि पूजार्हावरिसूदन ||२-४||

You alone can dispel this doubt of mine completely, Krishna, for there is no one but you who can remove this doubt.

एतन्मे संशयं कृष्ण छेत्तुमर्हस्यशेषतः | त्वदन्यः संशयस्यास्य छेत्ता न ह्युपपद्यते ||६-३९||

Arjuna said: One who is unrestrained, though endowed with faith, whose mind wanders away from yoga and who fails to reach perfection in yoga — what path does that person go, Krishna?

अर्जुन उवाच | अयतिः श्रद्धयोपेतो योगाच्चलितमानसः | अप्राप्य योगसंसिद्धिं कां गतिं कृष्ण गच्छति ||६-३७||

Arjuna said: This yoga of equanimity that you have taught, Krishna — I do not see how it can hold steady, because of the restlessness of the mind.

अर्जुन उवाच | योऽयं योगस्त्वया प्रोक्तः साम्येन मधुसूदन | एतस्याहं न पश्यामि चञ्चलत्वात्स्थितिं स्थिराम् ||६-३३||

Nor do we know which is better for us: that we should conquer them, or that they should conquer us. Those very sons of Dhritarashtra, after killing whom we would not wish to live, stand facing us.

न चैतद्विद्मः कतरन्नो गरीयो यद्वा जयेम यदि वा नो जयेयुः | यानेव हत्वा न जिजीविषामस्- तेऽवस्थिताः प्रमुखे धार्तराष्ट्राः ||२-६||

I see adverse omens, Keshava, and I foresee no good in killing my own people in battle.

निमित्तानि च पश्यामि विपरीतानि केशव | न च श्रेयोऽनुपश्यामि हत्वा स्वजनमाहवे ||१-३१||

Fallen from both, without support, does that person not perish like a scattered cloud, deluded on the path to Brahman, mighty-armed one?

कच्चिन्नोभयविभ्रष्टश्छिन्नाभ्रमिव नश्यति | अप्रतिष्ठो महाबाहो विमूढो ब्रह्मणः पथि ||६-३८||

But the ignorant person, the one without faith, and the doubting one are lost. For the doubting person there is neither this world nor the next, nor any happiness.

अज्ञश्चाश्रद्दधानश्च संशयात्मा विनश्यति | नायं लोकोऽस्ति न परो न सुखं संशयात्मनः ||४-४०||

Then, seeing Dhritarashtra's men drawn up in position as the clash of weapons was about to begin, Arjuna, whose banner bore the emblem of Hanuman, took up his bow and spoke these words to Krishna, O lord of the earth:

अथ व्यवस्थितान्दृष्ट्वा धार्तराष्ट्रान् कपिध्वजः | प्रवृत्ते शस्त्रसम्पाते धनुरुद्यम्य पाण्डवः | हृषीकेशं तदा वाक्यमिदमाह महीपते ||१-२०||

This alone is Śiva, this alone is Śiva, this alone is Śiva, this alone is Śiva — by my authority, by my authority, by my authority, by my authority.

इदमेव शिवं त्विदमेव शिवं त्विदमेव शिवं त्विदमेव शिवम् । मम शासनतो मम शासनतो मम शासनतो मम शासनतः

The Lord said: O Goddess, you are my very Self. Out of my love for you I shall speak. This question of yours, which benefits all the world, has never been asked by anyone before.

ईश्वर उवाच - ममरूपासि देवि त्वं त्वत्प्रीत्यर्थं वदाम्यहम् । लोकोपकारकः प्रश्नो न केनापि कृतः पुरा