कार्पण्यदोषोपहतस्वभावः पृच्छामि त्वां धर्मसम्मूढचेताः ।यच्छ्रेयः स्यान्निश्चितं ब्रूहि तन्मे शिष्यस्तेऽहं शाधि मां त्वां प्रपन्नम् ॥
kārpaṇyadoṣopahatasvabhāvaḥ pṛcchāmi tvāṃ dharmasammūḍhacetāḥ |yac chreyaḥ syān niścitaṃ brūhi tan me śiṣyas te 'haṃ śādhi māṃ tvāṃ prapannam ||
- कार्पण्यदोषोपहतस्वभावः · kārpaṇyadoṣopahatasvabhāvaḥ
- my nature overpowered by the taint of pity/weakness
- पृच्छामि · pṛcchāmi
- I ask
- त्वाम् · tvām
- you
- धर्मसम्मूढचेताः · dharmasammūḍhacetāḥ
- with mind bewildered about duty
- यत् · yat
- whatever
- श्रेयः · śreyaḥ
- the good, the blessed course
- स्यात् · syāt
- may be
- निश्चितम् · niścitam
- with certainty, decisively
- ब्रूहि · brūhi
- tell
- तत् · tat
- that
- मे · me
- to me
- शिष्यः · śiṣyaḥ
- disciple, pupil
- ते · te
- your
- अहम् · aham
- I
- शाधि · śādhi
- instruct, discipline
- माम् · mām
- me
- त्वाम् · tvām
- to you
- प्रपन्नम् · prapannam
- surrendered, taken refuge
“My nature overpowered by the taint of pity, my mind bewildered about duty — I ask you: tell me decisively what is good. I am your disciple; instruct me, who have taken refuge in you.”
— Original plain-language translation
The pivotal verse of the whole Gita: Arjuna formally becomes a disciple (śiṣya) and surrenders (prapanna). Friendship pauses; teaching begins. Every verse after this is Krishna answering a surrendered student — which is why the Gita reads as instruction, not debate.
— Reader's notes (original)