सर्गाणामादिरन्तश्च मध्यं चैवाहमर्जुन ।अध्यात्मविद्या विद्यानां वादः प्रवदतामहम् ॥
sargāṇām ādir antaś ca madhyaṃ caivāham arjuna | adhyātmavidyā vidyānāṃ vādaḥ pravadatām aham ||
- सर्गाणाम् · sargāṇām
- of creations, created things
- आदिः · ādiḥ
- the beginning
- अन्तः · antaḥ
- the end
- मध्यम् · madhyam
- the middle
- अहम् · aham
- I
- अर्जुन · arjuna
- O Arjuna
- अध्यात्मविद्या · adhyātmavidyā
- the science of the self
- विद्यानाम् · vidyānām
- among sciences
- वादः · vādaḥ
- reasoned discourse
- प्रवदताम् · pravadatām
- among speakers, debaters
“Of created things I am the beginning, the end, and the middle, O Arjuna. Among sciences I am the science of the self, and among speakers I am reasoned discourse.”
— Original plain-language translation
The frame of 10.20 returns as a refrain amid particulars. Knowing itself is crowned: self-knowledge among learnings, honest reasoning among speeches. The Gita's own method is thus glorified.
— Reader's notes (original)