Verse 2.7

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.7:

कार्पण्य-दोषोपहत-स्वभावः पृच्छामि त्वां धर्म-सम्मूढ-चेताः ।
यच् छ्रेयः स्यान् निश्चितं ब्रूहि तन् मे शिष्यस् तेऽहं शाधि मां त्वां प्रपन्नम् ॥ ७ ॥

kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ pṛcchāmi tvāṃ dharma-sammūḍha-cetāḥ |
yac chreyaḥ syān niścitaṃ brūhi tan me śiṣyas te'haṃ śādhi māṃ tvāṃ prapannam || 7 ||

kārpaṇya–of spiritual weakness; doṣa–by the fault; upahata–being overpowered; sva-bhāvaḥ–my chivalrous nature; pṛcchāmi–am asking; tvām–You; dharma–about virtue; sammūḍha–bewildered; cetāḥ–in heart; yat–what; śreyaḥ–auspicious path; syāt–may be; niścitam–certain; brūhi–tell; tat–that; me–to me; śiṣyaḥ–disciple; te–Your; aham–I; śādhi–please instruct; mām–me; tvām–unto You; prapannam–surrendered.

I, who have become overwhelmed by cowardice, having put aside my natural heroic nature and having become bewildered about how to ascertain my true duty, am requesting You to tell me clearly what is auspicious for me. I am Your disciple and have taken shelter of You; therefore, kindly bestow pertinent instruction upon me.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

Śrī Kṛṣṇa may ridicule Arjuna by saying, “Although you are a kṣatriya, you have decided to wander here and there and beg on the basis of your own deductive understanding of the scriptures. What, then, is the use of My speaking further?” In anticipation of this, Arjuna begins this verse with kārpaṇya. “To give up the natural characteristic of chivalry is cowardly (kārpaṇyata). The principles of dharma are very subtle, and therefore, I find them bewildering. Please tell me with certainty what is auspicious for me.”

Arjuna tells Kṛṣṇa, “You may say that I am proud of my scholarship and that if I refute Your statements, how can You instruct me. I assure You that I am Your disciple, and from now on I will not refute Your statements unnecessarily.”