Text 1

 arjuna uvaca
jyayasi cet karmanas te
mata buddhir janardana
tat kim karmani ghore mam
niyojayasi keshava

 Translation

Arjuna said: O Janardana, O Keshava, why do You want to engage me in this ghastly warfare, if You think that intelligence is better than fruitive work?

Commentary by Srila Prabhupada 

The Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna has very elaborately described the constitution of the soul in the previous chapter, with a view to delivering His intimate friend Arjuna from the ocean of material grief. And the path of realization has been recommended: buddhi-yoga, or Krishna consciousness. Sometimes Krishna consciousness is misunderstood to be inertia, and one with such a misunderstanding often withdraws to a secluded place to become fully Krishna conscious by chanting the holy name of Lord Krishna. But without being trained in the philosophy of Krishna consciousness, it is not advisable to chant the holy name of Krishna in a secluded place, where one may acquire only cheap adoration from the innocent public. Arjuna also thought of Krishna consciousness or buddhi-yoga, or intelligence in spiritual advancement of knowledge, as something like retirement from active life and the practice of penance and austerity at a secluded place. In other words, he wanted to skillfully avoid the fighting by using Krishna consciousness as an excuse. But as a sincere student, he placed the matter before his master and questioned Krishna as to his best course of action. In answer, Lord Krishna elaborately explained karma-yoga, or work in Krishna consciousness, in this Third Chapter.

Commentary by Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur

In the third chapter, action offered to the Lord without personal desire is described. Discrimination with a desire to conquer over lust and anger is shown.

Having surrendered to the superiority of bhakti which is transcendental to the gunas, over jnana yoga and niskama karma yoga in previous statements, here, manifesting his own desires, Arjuna in a friendly manner censures the Lord who is encouraging him to fight according to his dharma. If fixed intelligence (buddhi), bhakti, transcending the gunas, is superior (jyayasi), then why do you engage me in this terrible action in the form of war?

O Janardana, by your order you are causing pain (ardana) to your own people (jana). It is also not possible to avoid following your order, O Kesava, controller of even Brahma and Siva! Ka means Brahma, Isa means Siva, and va means vayase, you control.