Bhagavad Gītā › Chapter 3 › Verse 2
Bhagavad Gītā 3.2: Tell me one clear way
व्यामिश्रेणेव वाक्येन बुद्धिं मोहयसीव मे ।
तदेकं वद निश्चित्य येन श्रेयोऽहमाप्नुयाम् ॥
vyāmiśreṇeva vākyena buddhiṃ mohayasīva me
tadekaṃ vada niścitya yena śreyo'hamāpnuyām
Recitation: NehalDaveND (Wikimedia Commons) · CC BY-SA 4.0, adapted, original recording
Meaning
With words that seem mixed, You seem to bewilder my understanding. Tell me decisively the one thing by which I may attain the highest good. The “as if” (iva) is telling: Arjuna senses the confusion may lie in his hearing rather than in the teaching.
For children
Arjuna says: “Krishna, your words are mixing me up. Please tell me just one clear thing to do.”
Arjuna continues his question from 3.1 and asks Kṛṣṇa for one clear path.
Word by word
व्यामिश्रेणेव वाक्येन — With words that seem mixed
- vyāmiśra: mixed, confusing
- iva: as if
- vākya: words, speech
बुद्धिं मोहयसीव मे — You confuse my mind
- buddhi: mind, understanding
- mohayasi: you confuse
- me: my
तदेकं वद निश्चित्य — Tell me clearly the one thing
- ekam: one
- vada: tell!
- niścitya: deciding clearly
येन श्रेयोऽहमाप्नुयाम् — by which I can reach what is truly good
- yena: by which
- śreyas: what is truly good
- āpnuyām: I may reach
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.