Verse 3.2

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 3.2:

व्यामिश्रेणेव वाक्येन बुद्धिं मोहयसीव मे ।
तद् एकं वद निश्चित्य येन श्रेयोऽहम् आप्नुयाम् ॥ २ ॥

vyāmiśreṇeva vākyena buddhiṃ mohayasīva me |
tad ekaṃ vada niścitya yena śreyo'ham āpnuyām || 2 ||

vyāmiśreṇa iva–by (Your) apparently equivocal; vākyena–by the statements; buddhim–intelligence; mohayasi iva–You seem to bewilder; me–my; tat–therefore; ekam–one path; vada–please tell; niścitya–ascer-taining; yena–by which; śreyaḥ–welfare; aham–I; āpnuyām–may have.

My intelligence is somewhat bewildered by Your apparently ambiguous statements. Please, therefore, tell me decisively which path will be most auspicious for me.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

Śrī Bhagavān is saying, “O friend, Arjuna, it is a fact that because the bhakti that is beyond the modes is transcendental, it is the most superior process. But such bhakti can only be attained by the mercy of My great devotee, who is discriminating and one-pointed to Me. It can never be attained by one’s own endeavour. Therefore, become free from the material modes of nature. I bless you that by performing bhakti to Me, which is transcendental to the modes of nature, you will also become transcendental. When this blessing fructifies, you will achieve this very bhakti by the mercy of such a great devotee. But as I have already said, at present, you are eligible to perform your prescribed duty (karma) only. This is the truth.”

Arjuna then says, “If this is so, then why do You not tell me definitively to engage exclusively in karma? Why are You drowning me in an ocean of doubts?” Arjuna is thus speaking this verse beginning with vyāmiśreṇeva, which has various implications. He is saying, “By such statements, You are bewildering my intelligence. Initially You said, ‘karmaṇy evādhikāras te–you only have the qualification to perform karma, your prescribed duty’ (Gītā 2.47). Then You said, ‘siddhy-asiddhyoḥ samo bhūtvā samatvaṃ yoga ucyate–the equanimity in which one remains equipoised in both success and failure is called yoga’ (Gītā 2.48). Then again, You said, ‘buddhi-yukto jahātīha ubhe sukṛta-duṣkṛte tasmād yogāya yujyasva yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam–intelligent persons abandon both pious and impious activities, and because buddhi-yoga is the art of work, they endeavour for niṣkāma-karma, selflessly offering the fruits of their work to the Supreme’ (Gītā 2.50). Here, by the word yoga, You are also referring to an accumulation of knowledge, or jñāna. You then say, ‘yadā te moha-kalilaṃ buddhir vyatitariṣyati–when your intelligence crosses beyond the dense forest of delusion…’ (Gītā 2.52). Here, again, You are simply speaking about jñāna.

“In fact, the word iva (‘like that’ or ‘it seems’) implies that Your statement is not ambiguous. Since You are merciful, it is not Your desire to bewilder me. Besides, since I am not ignorant of these matters, it is appropriate for You to speak to me directly.”

The deep purport is that action (karma) in the mode of goodness is superior to action in the mode of passion. Knowledge is also in the mode of goodness, but it is superior to action in the mode of goodness. And devotion that is beyond the modes (nirguṇā-bhakti) is far superior to knowledge. “If You think that it is impossible for me to engage in devotion that is beyond the modes, then please simply instruct me on knowledge in the mode of goodness, by which I will become free from bondage to this miserable material world.”

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named Sārārtha-varṣiṇī)

Action performed in the mode of goodness is superior to action performed in passion. Knowledge is superior to action that is in the mode of goodness, even though knowledge is also in the mode of goodness. “Sattvāt sañjāyate jñānam–from the mode of goodness (sattva-guṇa) real knowledge develops” (Gītā 14.17).

Superior to knowledge in the mode of goodness is devotion that is completely free from the contamination of the three modes of material nature (nirguṇā-bhakti).

This is defined as follows in Śrīmad-

Bhāgavatam (3.29.11–12):

mad-guṇa-śruti-mātreṇa mayi sarva-guhāśaye
mano-gatir avicchinnā yathā gaṅgāmbhaso’mbudhau
lakṣaṇaṃ bhakti-yogasya nirguṇasya hy udāhṛtam
ahaituky avyavahitā yā bhaktiḥ puruṣottame

While Kapiladeva was instructing His mother Devahūti in nirguṇā-bhakti, He said, “Just as the water of the Ganges River flows naturally and without cessation toward the ocean, similarly, the soul flows in a natural, unbroken way towards Me, who am situated within the cave of the heart of the living entity. This takes place simply by hearing about My pastimes and qualities, which are blessed with extraordinary potency. It is called nirguṇā-bhakti-yoga, transcendental devotion. Nirguṇā-bhakti is free from any desire other than to serve Me. It is also devoid of the dualities of the material world, which arise from forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa, and it absorbs the performer in continuous service in a mood that is favourable to Me, the Supreme Person, Puruṣottama.”

To forget Kṛṣṇa and become absorbed in illusion (māyā) is called dvitīya-abhiniveśa, absorption in a second, or false, object (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.2.37). This gives rise to various separate interests, such as ‘I’, ‘mine’, ‘you’ and ‘yours’.