व्यामिश्रेणेव वाक्येन बुद्धिं मोहयसीव मे ।तदेकं वद निश्चित्य येन श्रेयोऽहमाप्नुयाम् ॥
vyāmiśreṇeva vākyena buddhiṃ mohayasīva me |tad ekaṃ vada niścitya yena śreyo 'ham āpnuyām ||
- व्यामिश्रेण · vyāmiśreṇa
- with mixed, confusing
- इव · iva
- as if, as it were
- वाक्येन · vākyena
- by speech, by words
- बुद्धिम् · buddhim
- understanding, mind
- मोहयसि · mohayasi
- you bewilder
- मे · me
- my, of me
- तत् · tat
- therefore
- एकम् · ekam
- one (course)
- वद · vada
- tell, declare
- निश्चित्य · niścitya
- having decided, decisively
- येन · yena
- by which
- श्रेयः · śreyaḥ
- the good, blessedness
- अहम् · aham
- I
- आप्नुयाम् · āpnuyām
- may attain
“With words that seem mixed, you bewilder my understanding, as it were. Tell me one course decisively, by which I may reach what is truly good.”
— Original plain-language translation
Arjuna asks for a single clear instruction rather than praise of both knowledge and action. The teacher's apparent double-talk is really a two-level teaching, and the rest of the chapter untangles it. Note śreyas: Arjuna seeks the highest good, not mere advantage.
— Reader's notes (original)