na hi prapaśyāmi mamāpanudyād
yac chokam ucchoṣaṇam indriyāṇām
avāpya bhūmāv asapatnam ṛddhaḿ
rājyaḿ surāṇām api cādhipatyam
Translation of Bhagavad Gita 2.8
I can find no means to drive away this grief which is drying up my senses. I will not be able to dispel it even if I win a prosperous, unrivaled kingdom on earth with sovereignty like the demigods in heaven.
Commentary by Sri Vishvanatha Chakravarthi Thakur of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
“But you have a friendly relationship with me, not one of respect. Therefore how can I make you a student? You should thus surrender to someone like Veda Vyasa, whom you greatly revere.” Arjuna answers with this verse.
“I do not see even one person at all (pra pasyami: pra indicates “to a high degree”) in all three worlds except you who can remove (apanudyat) my sorrow. I do not know anyone more intelligent that yourself — even Brhaspati. Therefore, to whom else should one who is full of sorrow surrender? Due to that sorrow (yad) my senses have dried up completely, just as intense summer heat dries up a small pond.”
“Now you are full of grief, but if you fight, by conquering the enemy you will attain a kingdom. Absorbing yourself in the enjoyment of that kingdom, your grief will disappear.”
“Even if I attain a kingdom over the whole earth, or sovereignty in svarga, controlling all the devatas, my senses will still be dried up.”
Commentary by Sri Ramanuja of Sri Sampradaya:
2.6 – 2.8 If you say, ‘After beginning the war, if we withdraw from the battle, the sons of Dhrtarastra will slay us all forcibly’, be it so. I think that even to be killed by them, who do not know the difference between righteousness and unrighteousness, is better for us than gaining unrighteous victory by killing them. After saying so, Arjuna surrendered himself at the feet of the Lord, overcome with dejection, saying. ‘Teach me, your disciple, who has taken refuge in you, what is good for me.
Commentary by Sri Sridhara Swami of Rudra Sampradaya:
It may be argued that Arjuna should think for himself what is is in his best spiritual interests and follow that; but this verse negates that conclusion in as much as Arjuna plainly states: I do not see that action which would remove this grief of mine and further on he states: or even rulership of the very gods. So clearly it can be seen that Arjuna was not to be consoled by any amount of power and prosperity and thus to dispel his grief he turned to the Supreme Lord for guidance.
Commentary by Sri Madhvacharya of Brahma Sampradaya:
Sri Madhvacharya did not comment on this sloka.
Commentary by Sri Keshava Kashmiri of Kumara Sampradaya:
It could be submitted that depending on ones individual inclinations there are numerous merits in this world such as wealth and kingdoms all of which can be acquired through regulatory actions prescribed in the Vedic scriptures; while for the ksatriya rulers in general being without enemies is preferable. It may be put forth that Arjuna himself should decide and act; but the reply is that one in delusion needs to hear knowledge of the ultimate truth from those who are qualified and who is more qualified than the Supreme Lord. Knowledge of the Ultimate Truth helps one cross over this delusion. Wealth and kingdoms are not the means for crossing this delusion and Arjuna asserts this with the words na or not. The understanding of it is even if he was to win a kingdom of unrivaled prosperity free from enemies, Arjuna still could not see any means of alleviating the grief that was drying up his senses. By the use of the word hi meaning certainly the conviction that he could not see any solution to his grief is reinforced, indicating that only the Lord is fit to instruct him.
Commentary by Sri Adi Shankaracharya of Advaita Sampradaya:
2.8 Sri Sankaracharya did not comment on this sloka. The commentary starts from 2.10.
Commentary by Sri Abhinavagupta of Kaula Tantra Sampradaya:
2.8 See Comment under 2.10
Sanskrit Shloka Without Transliteration Marks:
na hi prapasyami mamapanudyad
yac chokam ucchosanam indriyanam
avapya bhumav asapatnam rddham
rajyam suranam api cadhipatyam
Sanskrit to English Word for Word Meanings:
na — do not; hi — certainly; prapaśyāmi — I see; mama — my; apanudyāt — can drive away; yat — that which; śokam — lamentation; ucchoṣaṇam — drying up; indriyāṇām — of the senses; avāpya — achieving; bhūmau — on the earth; asapatnam — without rival; ṛddham — prosperous; rājyam — kingdom; surāṇām — of the demigods; api — even; ca — also; ādhipatyam — supremacy.
