Sārathi

Chapter 3: Karma Yoga, verse 1

अर्जुन उवाच arjuna uvācha

ज्यायसी चेत्कर्मणस्ते मता बुद्धिर्जनार्दन।
तत्किं कर्मणि घोरे मां नियोजयसि केशव ॥

Say itjyāyasī chet karmaṇas te matā buddhir janārdana
tat kiṁ karmaṇi ghore māṁ niyojayasi keśhava

Practice reciting

Translation

Arjuna said: If Thou thinkest that knowledge is superior to action, O Krishna, why then, O Kesava, doest Thou ask me to engage in this terrible action?

Swami Sivananda

Classical commentariesFor deeper study. Most are in the original Sanskrit.

Advaita

Non-dual: the self and the absolute are one.

Vishishtadvaita

Qualified non-dual: souls are real parts of the divine.

Dvaita

Dual: the soul and God are eternally distinct.

Shuddhadvaita

Pure non-dual, centred on grace and devotion.

Kashmir Shaivism

The Gita read through Trika Shaiva philosophy.

Modern teachers

20th-century teachers writing for today's readers.