Transcendental Knowledge
Verse 2.7
कार्पण्यदोषोपहतस्वभावः पृच्छामि त्वां धर्मसंमूढचेताः। यच्छ्रेयः स्यान्निश्िचतं ब्रूहि तन्मे शिष्यस्तेऽहं शाधि मां त्वां प्रपन्नम्।।2.7।।
kārpaṇya-doṣhopahata-svabhāvaḥ pṛichchhāmi tvāṁ dharma-sammūḍha-chetāḥ yach-chhreyaḥ syānniśhchitaṁ brūhi tanme śhiṣhyaste ’haṁ śhādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam
Word Meanings
kārpaṇya-doṣha—the flaw of cowardice; upahata—besieged; sva-bhāvaḥ—nature; pṛichchhāmi—I am asking; tvām—to you; dharma—duty; sammūḍha—confused; chetāḥ—in heart; yat—what; śhreyaḥ—best; syāt—may be; niśhchitam—decisively; brūhi—tell; tat—that; me—to me; śhiṣhyaḥ—disciple; te—your; aham—I; śhādhi—please instruct; mām—me; tvām—unto you; prapannam—surrendered
Translation · English
My heart is overpowered by the taint of pity; my mind is confused as to my duty. I ask Thee: Tell me decisively what is good for me. I am Thy disciple; instruct me, who has taken refuge in Thee.
Deep Meaning · English
Verse 2.7 marks the pivotal psychological and spiritual turning point in the Bhagavad Gita. Here, Arjuna sheds his persona as a warrior and friend, assuming the role of a disciple (shishya) to Krishna, who takes on the role of the Guru. Arjuna realizes that his intellect, tethered to worldly attachment and ego, is insufficient to resolve the existential crisis he faces. By admitting his state of 'dharma-sammūḍha-chetāḥ'—a mind bewildered by the complexities of duty—he acknowledges that the problem is not external, but internal. He suffers from 'kārpaṇya,' a spiritual miserliness or narrowness of vision, where he prioritizes temporary sentimental attachments over eternal truth. This surrender (prapannam) is the essential prerequisite for true wisdom. Krishna cannot guide Arjuna while Arjuna clings to his own fixed opinions or defensive ego. By declaring 'shādhi mām' (instruct me), Arjuna opens the channel for transcendental knowledge to flow. In the Advaitic sense, this is the dissolution of the 'I' that thinks it knows, allowing the 'Self' to receive the guidance of the Absolute. It is the moment the seeker moves from the domain of human deliberation to the realm of Divine revelation, recognizing that one must be completely empty of arrogance to be filled with the Light of the Truth.
True spiritual wisdom begins only when the ego, paralyzed by worldly confusion, fully surrenders its right to choose and accepts the role of a devoted disciple.
Connected Verses
Represent the culmination of this surrender, moving from initial guidance to the absolute abandonment of all egoic duties.
Acknowledges that the mind is restless and difficult to control, echoing Arjuna's confession of inner confusion.
Emphasizes the necessity of prostration, inquiry, and service to the enlightened teacher as the path to knowledge.
Provides the final result of this state of surrender, which is the attainment of the state of Brahman (Brahmi-sthiti).
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