Bhagavad Gita · Sankhya YogaChapter 2, Shloka 9 (2.9)
Original Sanskrit · सञ्जयः
सञ्जय उवाच
एवमुक्त्वा हृषीकेशं गुडाकेशः परन्तपः
न योत्स्य इति गोविन्दमुक्त्वा तूष्णीं बभूव ह
॥ 2.9 ॥
evamuktvā hṛṣīkeśaṃ guḍākeśaḥ parantapaḥ
na yotsya iti govindamuktvā tūṣṇīṃ babhūva ha
Translation
"Sanjaya said: Having spoken thus to Hrishikesha (Krishna), the conqueror of sleep, the scorcher of foes (Arjuna) said to Govinda, 'I will not fight', and fell silent."
Interpretation
Two things at once — an irony. In 2.7 Arjuna said "teach me"; and now he says "I will not fight" — and falls silent. That is, even as a disciple Arjuna has brought his own decision along with him. This is a truly human picture: we ask for help, yet we also hold on to the decision we have already made.
The irony of the epithets. Sanjaya calls Arjuna Guḍākeśa (conqueror of sloth/sleep) and Parantapa (scorcher of foes) — and in the same sentence Arjuna says "I will not fight". Madhusudana: guḍākeśo jitālasyaḥ, paraṃtapaḥ śatrutāpanaḥ. The scorcher of foes is himself being scorched.
"Tūṣṇīṃ babhūva" — fell silent. Madhusudana says: Arjuna first (from 2.4) stated that the war was improper, then that it would bear no fruit, and then fell silent. Silence — nothing is left to say now. This is the empty space into which Krishna's teaching will come.
For Dhritarashtra. Madhusudana (on 2.10) says that Sanjaya tells this so that Dhritarashtra's false hope ("Arjuna will not fight!") may be broken — in the next shloka he will tell how Krishna did not leave Arjuna in this state.
AI-assisted draft translation — under review.