Bhagavad Gītā › Chapter 2 › Verse 7
Bhagavad Gītā 2.7: Please teach me
कार्पण्यदोषोपहतस्वभावः पृच्छामि त्वां धर्मसम्मूढचेताः ।
यच्छ्रेयः स्यान्निश्चितं ब्रूहि तन्मे शिष्यस्तेऽहं शाधि मां त्वां प्रपन्नम् ॥
kārpaṇyadoṣopahatasvabhāvaḥ pṛcchāmi tvāṃ dharmasammūḍhacetāḥ
yacchreyaḥ syānniścitaṃ brūhi tanme śiṣyaste'haṃ śādhi māṃ tvāṃ prapannam
Recitation: NehalDaveND (Wikimedia Commons) · CC BY-SA 4.0, adapted, original recording
Meaning
My nature overcome by the fault of faint-heartedness, my mind confused about dharma, I ask You: tell me decisively what is better. I am Your disciple; instruct me, who have taken refuge in You. With this verse Arjuna becomes a student, and the dialogue becomes a teaching; traditions see it as the moment the Gītā proper can begin.
For children
Arjuna says: “Krishna, I am confused and I don’t know what is right. You are my teacher. Please help me and tell me what to do.”
After his doubts in 2.4–2.6, Arjuna stops arguing and asks Kṛṣṇa to teach him.
Word by word
कार्पण्यदोषोपहतस्वभावः — My true nature is clouded by weakness
- kārpaṇya: weakness, pitiful state
- doṣa: fault
- upahata: overcome, struck
- svabhāva: one’s own nature
पृच्छामि त्वां धर्मसम्मूढचेताः — confused about what is right, I ask You
- pṛcchāmi: I ask
- dharma: duty, what is right
- sammūḍha: confused
- cetas: mind
यच्छ्रेयः स्यान्निश्चितं ब्रूहि तन्मे — tell me clearly what is truly good for me
- śreyas: what is truly good
- niścita: certain, clear
- brūhi: tell!
शिष्यस्तेऽहं शाधि मां त्वां प्रपन्नम् — I am Your student; I come to You, teach me
- śiṣya: student, disciple
- śādhi: teach!
- prapanna: having come for refuge
Arjuna speaks this verse. The Sanskrit is checked against four editions; meanings and word notes are simple learning aids written for MahaPrabha Gurukul, awaiting review by a Sanskrit teacher.