Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 2, Verse 8

Contents

0.1 न हि प्रपश्यामि ममापनुद्याद्
0.2 यच्छोकमुच्छोषणमिन्द्रियाणाम् |
0.3 अवाप्य भूमावसपत्नमृद्धं
0.4 राज्यं सुराणामपि चाधिपत्यम् || 2.8 ||

1 भावार्थ:
2 Translation
- 2.1 Explanation in English:
- 2.2 Key Takeaway:

Chapter 2, Verse 8

न हि प्रपश्यामि ममापनुद्याद्

यच्छोकमुच्छोषणमिन्द्रियाणाम् |

अवाप्य भूमावसपत्नमृद्धं

राज्यं सुराणामपि चाधिपत्यम् || 2.8 ||

na hi prapaśhyāmi mamāpanudyād
yach-chhokam uchchhoṣhaṇam-indriyāṇām
avāpya bhūmāv-asapatnamṛiddhaṁ
rājyaṁ surāṇāmapi chādhipatyam

भावार्थ:

क्योंकि भूमि में निष्कण्टक, धन-धान्य सम्पन्न राज्य को और देवताओं के स्वामीपने को प्राप्त होकर भी मैं उस उपाय को नहीं देखता हूँ, जो मेरी इन्द्रियों के सुखाने वाले शोक को दूर कर सके॥8॥

Translation

I can find no means of driving away this anguish that is drying up my senses. Even if I win a prosperous and unrivalled kingdom on the earth, or gain sovereignty like the celestial gods, I will be unable to dispel this grief.

2.8 न हि not? प्रपश्यामि I see? मम my? अपनुद्यात् would remove? यत् that? शोकम् grief? उच्छोषणम् drying up? इन्द्रियाणाम् of my senses? अवाप्य having obtained? भूमौ on the earth? असपत्नम् unrivalled? ऋद्धम् prosperous? राज्यम् dominion? सुराणाम् over the gods? अपि even? च and? आधिपत्यम् lordship.

Explanation in English:

Arjuna continues to express the depth of his despair and the seriousness of his inner struggle. Even now that he has surrendered to Krishna as his disciple (in the previous verse), he explains why mere material success or power won’t solve his suffering.

Let’s break it down:

“Na hi prapaśyāmi…” – “I do not see anything that can remove my grief…”
Arjuna is overwhelmed by sorrow and emotional pain, and nothing—neither logic nor reward—can ease it.
“Yac chokam ucchoṣaṇam indriyāṇām” – “This grief is drying up my senses…”
His body and mind are exhausted by his emotions. He is unable to function properly—his will, his energy, his clarity are all fading.
“Avāpya bhūmau asapattnam ṛddhaṁ” – “Even if I were to win an unrivalled kingdom on earth…”
Arjuna is saying that even if he became the unchallenged emperor, it would not ease his inner torment.
“Rājyaṁ surāṇām api cādhipatyam” – “…or the sovereignty of the gods in heaven.”
Even divine rulership—greater than anything on earth—would be meaningless to him in this state.

Key Takeaway:

Arjuna realizes that worldly rewards, power, and prestige cannot heal the deep pain caused by spiritual and ethical confusion. He acknowledges that his problem is not external, but internal—a crisis of purpose, identity, and dharma. This prepares the ground for Krishna to begin teaching the eternal truths of life, soul, and duty.

This verse reminds us: material success cannot solve spiritual suffering. True peace comes only from inner clarity and wisdom.

Next: Chapter 2, Verse 9

The Bhagawad Gita: Chapter 2

The Bhagawad Gita

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