Chapter 3: Karma Yoga, verse 36
अर्जुन उवाच arjuna uvācha
अथ केन प्रयुक्तोऽयं पापं चरति पूरुषः।
अनिच्छन्नपि वार्ष्णेय बलादिव नियोजितः ॥
Say itatha kena prayukto ’yaṁ pāpaṁ charati pūruṣhaḥ
anichchhann api vārṣhṇeya balād iva niyojitaḥ
Translation
Arjuna said, "But what compels man to commit sin, even against his wishes, O Varshneya (Krishna), as if constrained by force?"
Swami Sivananda
Arjuna said, "Now then, O scion of the Vrsni dynasty (Krsna), what compels this man to commit sin even against his will, as if he were constrained by force?"
Swami Gambirananda
Follows the commentary of Shankara (Advaita).
Arjuna said, "But, O Krsna, what impels one to commit sin, even against their own will, as if constrained by force?"
Swami Adidevananda
Follows the commentary of Ramanuja (Vishishtadvaita).
Arjuna said, "Then, what induces this person of the world to commit sin, even though they do not desire it, as if they are being overpowered by a force?"
Dr. S. Sankaranarayan
Follows the commentary of Abhinavagupta (Kashmir Shaivism).
Arjuna asked, "My Lord, what is it that drives a person to sin, even against their will and as if by compulsion?"
Shri Purohit Swami
अर्जुन बोले - हे वार्ष्णेय ! फिर यह मनुष्य न चाहता हुआ भी जबर्दस्ती लगाये हुएकी तरह किससे प्रेरित होकर पापका आचरण करता है?
Swami Ramsukhdas
अर्जुन ने कहा -- हे वार्ष्णेय ! फिर यह पुरुष बलपूर्वक बाध्य किये हुये के समान अनिच्छा होते हुये भी किसके द्वारा प्रेरित होकर पाप का आचरण करता है?
Swami Tejomayananda
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.