B.G 3.01 and 02
अर्जुन उवाच-
ज्यायसी चेत् कर्मणस्ते मता बुदि्धर्जनार्दन। तत् किं कर्मणि घोरे मां नियोजयसि केशव ॥१॥
व्यामिश्रेणैव वाक्येन बुदि्धं मोहयसीव मे। तदेकं वद निश्चित्य येन श्रेयोहमाप्नुयाम् ॥२॥
arjuna uvāca-
jyāyasī cēt karmaṇastē matā budidharjanārdana। tat kiṁ karmaṇi ghōrē māṁ niyōjayasi kēśava ॥1॥
vyāmiśrēṇaiva vākyēna budidhaṁ mōhayasīva mē। tadēkaṁ vada niścitya yēna śrēyōhamāpnuyām ॥2॥
[अर्जुन उवाच। ज्यायसी चेत् कर्मणः ते मता बुद्धिः जनार्दन। तत् किं कर्मणि घोरे मां नियोजयसि केशव॥ व्यामिश्रेण इव वाक्येन बुदि्धं मोहयसि इव मे। तत् एकं वद निश्चित्य येन श्रेयः अहम् अप्नुयाम्॥
arjuna = Arjuna; uvāca = askes; jyāyasī = superior than; cēt = if; karmaṇaḥ = acion; tē matā = your opinion; buddhiḥ = intelligence; janārdana = O Janardhana, the supporter of beings; tat = then; kiṁ = why; karmaṇi = action; ghōrē = terrible; māṁ = me; niyōjayasi = urge; kēśava = Oh Keshava, the one attracts; vyāmiśrēṇa = by these mixed; iva = these; vākyēna = statements; budidhaṁ = intellect; mōhayasi = is bewildered; iva mē = that of mine; tat = therefore; ēkaṁ = one; vada = tell; niścitya = definitively; yēna = by which; śrēyaḥ = wellbeing; aham = mine; apnuyām = is possible;]
Arjuna askes:
Oh Janārdana, the supporter of beings, if intelligence is superior to action is your opinion, why are you urging me to do this terrible action? Oh Kēshava, one who attracts, by these mixed statements, the intellect of mine is confused. Therefore, tell me definitively one thing by which wellbeing of mine is possible.
Gīta Bhāshya 3.01 and 02
The statement "inferior is the action" in 2.49 is the seed for current questioning.
आत्मस्वरूपं ज्ञानसाधनं चोक्तं पूर्वत्र। ज्ञानसाधनत्वेन अकर्म विनिन्द्य कर्म विधीयते उत्तराध्याये।
ātmasvarūpaṁ jñānasādhanaṁ cōktaṁ pūrvatra। jñānasādhanatvēna akarma vinindya karma vidhīyatē uttarādhyāyē।
[ātmasvarūpaṁ = the essential nature of Ātman; jñānasādhanaṁ = practice to be adopted to gain that knowledge; cōktaṁ = and, is said; pūrvatra = in the previous (chapter); jñānasādhanatvēna = in order to attain the said wisdom; akarma = inactions; vinindya = condemning; karma = action; vidhīyatē = is prescribed; uttarādhyāyē = in the next chapter;]
The essential nature of the Ātman and the practice to be adopted to gain that wisdom was described in the previous chapter. In order to attain the stated wisdom, in the next chapter, inaction is condemned and the desirable action is prescribed.
कर्मणः ज्ञानम् अत्युत्तमम् इत्यभिहितं भगवता "दूरेण ह्यवरम् कर्म" इत्यादौ। एवं चेत् किमिति कर्मणि घोरे युद्धाख्ये नियोजयसि निवृत्तधर्मान् विहाय इत्याह- ज्यायसीति।
karmaṇaḥ jñānam atyuttamam ityabhihitaṁ bhagavatā "dūrēṇa hyavaram karma" ityādau। ēvaṁ cēt kimiti karmaṇi ghōrē yuddhākhyē niyōjayasi nivr̥ttadharmān vihāya ityāha- jyāyasīti।
[karmaṇaḥ = compared to action; jñānam = the knowledge; atyuttamam = is superior; ityabhihitaṁ = thus said; bhagavatā = the lord; "dūrēṇa hyavaram karma" ityādau = in the verse 1.49 and others; ēvaṁ cēt = when said thus; kimiti = why then; karmaṇi = action; ghōrē = terrible; yuddhākhyē = war is; niyōjayasi = prescribed; nivr̥ttadharmān = renunciate duties; vihāya = leaving aside; ityāha = therefore he asks; jyāyasīti = in 'jyāyasī' verse;]
The lord has praised knowledge as superior compared to action in the verse 2.49 by stating "inferior is the action". Why then are you urging me to engage in the terrible war, leaving aside the renunciate duties? - is the question Arjuna asks in 'jyāyasī' verse.
कर्मणः सकाशात् बुद्धिः ज्यायसी चेत् ते तव मता तत्तर्हि ॥१, २॥
karmaṇaḥ sakāśāt buddhiḥ jyāyasī cēt tē tava matā tattarhi ॥1, 2॥
[karmaṇaḥ = 'karmaṇaḥ' word is used in the verse to mean action...; sakāśāt buddhiḥ jyāyasī = is inferior to intelligence; cēt tē tava matā = if so, what is your opinion; tattarhi = tell me;]
'karmaṇastē matā' word is used in the verse to mean, "If intelligence is superior to action, what is your opinion?"
