Highlights

Select ślokas

7 well-known verses with word meanings and an English meaning.

1.1BG-1-1◆ In context →

धृतराष्ट्र उवाचdhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca

धर्मक्षेत्रे कुरुक्षेत्रे समवेता युयुत्सवः । मामकाः पाण्डवाश्चैव किमकुर्वत सञ्जय ॥

dharmakṣetre kurukṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ | māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāścaiva kimakurvata sañjaya ||

Word by word

धर्मक्षेत्रेon the field of dharmaकुरुक्षेत्रेat Kurukshetraसमवेताःassembledयुयुत्सवःeager to fightमामकाःmy peopleपाण्डवाःthe sons of Panduचandएवindeedकिम्whatअकुर्वतdid they doसञ्जयO Sanjaya

Translation

Swami SivanandaDhritarashtra said, "What did my people and the sons of Pandu do when they had assembled together, eager for battle, on the holy plain of Kurukshetra, O Sanjaya?"

Swami GambiranandaDhṛtarāṣṭra said: O Sanjaya, what did my sons and the sons of Pandu do when they assembled on the sacred field of Kurukshetra, eager for battle?

Swami AdidevanandaDhṛtarāṣṭra said: “O Sanjaya, what did my people and the Pāṇḍavas do, gathered together on the holy field of Kurukshetra, eager for battle?”

Dr. S. SankaranarayanDhritarashtra said, "O Sanjaya, what did my sons and the sons of Pandu do in the Kurukshetra, the field of righteousness, where the entire warring class had assembled?"

Shri Purohit SwamiThe King Dhritarashtra asked, "O Sanjaya! What happened on the sacred battlefield of Kurukshetra when my people and the Pandavas gathered?"

Simple meaning written for this site

Dhritarashtra asked: On the sacred field of Kurukshetra, my sons and the sons of Pandu have gathered, eager for battle. What did they do, Sanjaya?

Hindi

Swami Tejomayanandaधृतराष्ट्र ने कहा -- हे संजय ! धर्मभूमि कुरुक्षेत्र में एकत्र हुए युद्ध के इच्छुक (युयुत्सव:) मेरे और पाण्डु के पुत्रों ने क्या किया?

Hinglish

Written for this siteDhritarashtra ne poochha: "Sanjaya, dharm ki bhoomi Kurukshetra mein mere bete aur Pandu ke bete yuddh ki ichha se ikattha hue hain. Unhone kya kiya?"

2.20BG-2-20◆ In context →

न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचि । न्नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः । अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो । न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे ॥

na jāyate mriyate vā kadāci | nnāyaṃ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ | ajo nityaḥ śāśvato'yaṃ purāṇo | na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre ||

Word by word

नnotजायतेis bornम्रियतेdiesवाorकदाचित्everभूत्वाhaving come into beingभविताwill beभूयःagainअजःunbornनित्यःeternalशाश्वतःeverlastingपुराणःancientहन्यतेis slainहन्यमानेwhen being slainशरीरेin the body

Translation

Swami SivanandaIt is not born, nor does it ever die; after having been, it again does not cease to be; unborn, eternal, changeless, and ancient, it is not killed when the body is killed.

Swami GambiranandaNever is this One born, nor does It ever die; nor, having come into existence, does It cease to be. This One is birthless, eternal, undecaying, and ancient; It is not killed when the body is killed.

Swami AdidevanandaIt is never born; it never dies; having come into existence once, it never ceases to exist. Unborn, eternal, perpetual, and primordial, it is not destroyed when the body is destroyed.

Dr. S. SankaranarayanThis is neither born nor ever dies; nor, having not been at one time, will it come to be again. It is unborn, destructionless, eternal, and ancient, and is not slain even when the body is slain.

Shri Purohit SwamiIt was not born; it will never die, nor, once having been, can it cease to exist. Unborn, eternal, ever-enduring, yet most ancient, the spirit does not die when the body is dead.

Simple meaning written for this site

The self is never born and never dies, nor, having once existed, does it cease to be. Unborn, eternal, everlasting and ancient, it is not killed when the body is killed.

Hindi

Swami Tejomayanandaयह आत्मा किसी काल में भी न जन्मता है और न मरता है और न यह एक बार होकर फिर अभावरूप होने वाला है। यह आत्मा अजन्मा, नित्य, शाश्वत और पुरातन है, शरीर के नाश होने पर भी इसका नाश नहीं होता।।

Hinglish

Written for this siteAatma na kabhi janm leti hai, na kabhi marti hai. Yeh ajanmi, nitya, shaashwat aur puraani hai. Sharir ke maare jaane par bhi aatma nahin maari jaati.

2.22BG-2-22◆ In context →

वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय । नवानि गृह्णाति नरोऽपराणि । तथा शरीराणि विहाय जीर्णा । न्यन्यानि संयाति नवानि देही ॥

vāsāṃsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya | navāni gṛhṇāti naro'parāṇi | tathā śarīrāṇi vihāya jīrṇā | nyanyāni saṃyāti navāni dehī ||

Word by word

वासांसिgarmentsजीर्णानिworn outयथाasविहायhaving discardedनवानिnew onesगृह्णातिtakes upनरःa personअपराणिothersतथाsoशरीराणिbodiesअन्यानिotherसंयातिentersदेहीthe embodied one

Translation

Swami SivanandaJust as a man casts off worn-out clothes and puts on new ones, so too the embodied Self casts off worn-out bodies and enters others that are new.

Swami GambiranandaAs after rejecting worn-out clothes, a man takes up other new ones, likewise, after rejecting worn-out bodies, the embodied one unites with other new ones.

Swami AdidevanandaAs a man casts off worn-out garments and puts on new ones, so does the embodied self cast off its worn-out bodies and enter into new ones.

Dr. S. SankaranarayanJust as a man rejects tattered garments and takes on new ones, so too, the embodied Self, discarding worn-out bodies, rightly obtains new ones.

Shri Purohit SwamiAs a man discards his threadbare robes and puts on new ones, so the Spirit throws off its worn-out bodies and takes on fresh ones.

Simple meaning written for this site

As a person sets aside worn-out clothes and puts on new ones, so the embodied self sets aside worn-out bodies and enters others that are new.

Hindi

Swami Tejomayanandaजैसे मनुष्य जीर्ण वस्त्रों को त्यागकर दूसरे नये वस्त्रों को धारण करता है, वैसे ही देही जीवात्मा पुराने शरीरों को त्याग कर दूसरे नए शरीरों को प्राप्त होता है।।

Hinglish

Written for this siteJaise insaan purane kapde utaar kar naye kapde pehen leta hai, waise hi aatma purane sharir chhodkar naye sharir mein pravesh karti hai.

2.47BG-2-47◆ In context →

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन । मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि ॥

karmaṇyevādhikāraste mā phaleṣu kadācana | mā karmaphalaheturbhūrmā te saṅgo'stvakarmaṇi ||

Word by word

कर्मणिin actionएवaloneअधिकारःright, claimतेyourमाneverफलेषुin the fruitsकदाचनat any timeकर्मफलहेतुःone motivated by the fruit of actionभूःbeसङ्गःattachmentअस्तुlet there beअकर्मणिin inaction

Translation

Swami SivanandaYour right is only to work, but not to its results; do not let the results of action be your motive, nor let your attachment be to inaction.

Swami GambiranandaYour right is only to act, not to the results. Do not be the cause of the results of action. Do not have any inclination towards inaction.

Swami AdidevanandaYou have the right to work alone, but not to the fruits of it. Do not be driven by the results of your work, nor have attachment to inaction.

Dr. S. SankaranarayanLet your claim rest on action alone and never on the fruits; you should never be the cause of the fruits of action; let not your attachment be to inaction.

Shri Purohit SwamiBut you have only the right to work, but none to the fruit of it. Let not the fruit of your action be your motive; nor be you enamored of inaction.

Simple meaning written for this site

Your claim is to the work alone, never to its results. Do not let the fruit of action be your motive, and do not cling to inaction either.

Hindi

Swami Tejomayanandaकर्म करने मात्र में तुम्हारा अधिकार है? फल में कभी नहीं। तुम कर्मफल के हेतु वाले मत होना और अकर्म में भी तुम्हारी आसक्ति न हो।।

Hinglish

Written for this siteTumhara adhikaar sirf karm karne par hai, uske phal par kabhi nahin. Phal ko apne karm ka maqsad mat banao, aur karm na karne mein bhi mat atko.

4.7BG-4-7◆ In context →

यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत । अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदाऽऽत्मानं सृजाम्यहम् ॥

yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānirbhavati bhārata | abhyutthānamadharmasya tadā''tmānaṃ sṛjāmyaham ||

Word by word

यदा यदाwheneverहिindeedधर्मस्यof dharmaग्लानिःdeclineभवतिoccursभारतO Bharataअभ्युत्थानम्riseअधर्मस्यof adharmaतदाthenआत्मानम्myselfसृजामिI send forthअहम्I

Translation

Swami SivanandaWhenever there is a decline of righteousness and an increase of unrighteousness, O Arjuna, then I manifest Myself.

Swami GambiranandaO scion of the Bharata dynasty, whenever there is a decline in virtue and an increase in vice, then I manifest Myself.

Swami AdidevanandaWhenever there is a decline of Dharma, O Arjuna, and an uprising of Adharma, then I incarnate myself.

Dr. S. SankaranarayanFor, whenever there is a decay of righteousness and the rise of unrighteousness, then, O descendant of Bharata, I send forth that which the Self is unimportant.

Shri Purohit SwamiWhenever spirituality decays and materialism is rampant, then, O Arjuna, I reincarnate myself.

Simple meaning written for this site

Whenever dharma declines and adharma rises, O Bharata, then I bring myself forth.

Hindi

Swami Tejomayanandaहे भारत ! जब-जब धर्म की हानि और अधर्म की वृद्धि होती है, तब-तब मैं स्वयं को प्रकट करता हूँ।।

Hinglish

Written for this siteJab-jab dharm kamzor padta hai aur adharm badhta hai, Bharat, tab-tab main khud ko prakat karta hoon.

2.15VR-1-2-15◆ In context →

मा निषाद प्रतिष्ठाम्त्व । मगमः शाश्वतीः समाः । यत् क्रौङ्च मिथुनात् एक । मवधीः काम मोहितम् ॥

mā niṣāda pratiṣṭhāmtva | magamaḥ śāśvatīḥ samāḥ | yat krauṅca mithunāt eka | mavadhīḥ kāma mohitam ||

Word by word

माnotनिषादO hunterप्रतिष्ठाम्a lasting placeत्वम्youअगमःshall reachशाश्वतीः समाःfor endless yearsयत्becauseक्रौञ्चमिथुनात्from the pair of krauncha birdsएकम्oneअवधीःyou killedकाममोहितम्one lost in love

Translation

M. N. Dutt (1891–94), via Valmiki Ramayan Dataset"O fowler, since you have killed one of the pair of infatuated kraunchas you will be permanently deprived of your position".

Simple meaning written for this site

O hunter, you shall find no lasting repute for endless years, because you killed one of the pair of krauncha birds while it was lost in love.

Hindi

Gita Press, Gorakhpur (Hindi, via ramcharit.in)‘निषाद! तुझे नित्य-निरन्तर—कभी भी शान्ति न मिले; क्योंकि तूने इस क्रौञ्चके जोड़ेमेंसे एककी, जो कामसे मोहित हो रहा था, बिना किसी अपराधके ही हत्या कर डाली’

Hinglish

Written for this siteAe shikari, tujhe kabhi bhi lambe samay tak pratishtha nahin milegi, kyunki tune kraunch pakshi ke jode mein se ek ko maar diya, jab woh prem mein doobha hua tha.

1.0MBH-1-1-0◆ In context →

नारायणं नमस्कृत्य नरं चैव नरोत्तमम् । देवीं सरस्वतीं चैव ततो जयमुदीरयेत् ॥

nārāyaṇaṁ namaskr̥tya naraṁ caiva narottamam । devīṁ sarasvatīṁ caiva tato jayam udīrayet ॥

Word by word

नारायणम्Narayanaनमस्कृत्यhaving bowed toनरम्Naraचandएवindeedनरोत्तमम्the best of menदेवीम्the goddessसरस्वतीम्Sarasvatiततःthenजयम्the Jaya (the epic)उदीरयेत्one should recite

Simple meaning written for this site

Having first bowed to Narayana, to Nara, the best of men, and to the goddess Sarasvati, one should then begin to recite the Jaya.

Hinglish

Written for this siteSabse pehle Narayan, Nar (manushyon mein shreshth) aur devi Saraswati ko pranam karke, tab 'Jay' (Mahabharat) ka paath shuru karna chahiye.

Hindi