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← Chapter 2: The Yoga of Knowledge

Verse 2.10

Speaker: Sanjaya

Sanskrit

तमुवाच हृषीकेशः प्रहसन्निव भारत। सेनयोरुभयोर्मध्ये विषीदन्तमिदं वचः॥

Transliteration (IAST)

tam uvāca hṛṣīkeśaḥ prahasann iva bhārata senayoḥ ubhayor madhye viṣīdantam idaṁ vacaḥ

Word-by-Word Meanings

prahasann-smiling
bhārata-O descendant of Bharata
senayoḥ-of the armies
ubhayoḥ-of both
viṣīdantam-to the lamenting one

Translation

O descendant of Bharata, to him who was grieving between the two armies, Hrishikesha, as if smiling, spoke these words.

Commentary

Krishna's smile is significant - it indicates that from the perspective of absolute knowledge, Arjuna's grief is based on ignorance. The smile is compassionate amusement of a teacher who sees a student struggling with a problem that has a clear solution.

Themes

jnanaduty