गुरूनहत्वा हि महानुभावान् श्रेयो भोक्तुं भैक्ष्यमपीह लोके ।हत्वार्थकामांस्तु गुरूनिहैव भुञ्जीय भोगान् रुधिरप्रदिग्धान् ॥
gurūn ahatvā hi mahānubhāvān śreyo bhoktuṃ bhaikṣyam apīha loke |hatvārthakāmāṃs tu gurūn ihaiva bhuñjīya bhogān rudhirapradigdhān ||
- गुरून् · gurūn
- the venerable elders, teachers
- अहत्वा · ahatvā
- without slaying
- हि · hi
- indeed, for
- महानुभावान् · mahānubhāvān
- the great-souled, noble ones
- श्रेयः · śreyaḥ
- better, the greater good
- भोक्तुम् · bhoktum
- to live on, eat
- भैक्ष्यम् · bhaikṣyam
- alms, begged food
- अपि · api
- even
- इह · iha
- here, in this world
- लोके · loke
- in the world
- हत्वा · hatvā
- having slain
- अर्थकामान् · arthakāmān
- desirous of wealth and pleasure (i.e. for selfish gains)
- तु · tu
- but
- गुरून् · gurūn
- the elders
- इह · iha
- here
- एव · eva
- even
- भुञ्जीय · bhuñjīya
- I would enjoy
- भोगान् · bhogān
- pleasures, enjoyments
- रुधिरप्रदिग्धान् · rudhirapradigdhān
- smeared with blood
“Better to live on alms in this world, leaving the noble elders unslain — for slaying them, even for wealth and pleasure, I would enjoy pleasures smeared with blood.”
— Original plain-language translation
'Pleasures smeared with blood' — one of the Gita's most visceral images, in the noble triṣṭubh metre. Arjuna prefers a beggar's bowl to a bloodied throne. The horror is genuine; Krishna's answer will not deny the blood, but reframe what dying and killing mean.
— Reader's notes (original)