Friday, November 6, 2015

Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 2/Verse 41

व्यवसायात्मिका बुद्धिरेकेह कुरुनन्दन ।
बहुशाखा ह्यनन्ताश्च बुद्धयोऽव्यवसायिनाम् ॥२- ४१॥


vyavasāyātmikā buddhirekeha kurunandana ।

bahuśākhā hyanantāśca buddhayo'vyavasāyinām ॥2- 41॥

Here is one view based on resolve, O delight of the Kurus. Indeed, the branches of knowledge are many and the views of the irresolute are infinite.


   
Word-for-word translations


vyavasāyātmikā (vyavasāya + ātmikā) (compound) (adjective) (feminine, nominative, singular) = based on resolve 


buddhis (feminine, nominative, singular) = view


ekā (adjective) (feminine, nominative, singular) = one


iha (adverb) (indeclinable) = here


kurunandana (masculine, vocative, singular) = O delight of the Kurus



bahuśākhās (bahu + śākhās) (compound) (feminine, nominative, plural) = branches of knowledge are many

hi (adverb) (indeclinable) = indeed


anantās (adjective) (feminine, nominative, plural) = infinite 


ca (conjunction) (indeclinable) = and


buddhayas (adjective) (feminine, nominative, plural) = views


avyavasāyinām (feminine, genitive, plural) = of the irresolute 



Commentary


My translation is a bit different from the previous translations given the previous translations want merge "the infinite views of the irresolute" with "branches of knowledge are many". There is a connection, but I feel there should be a bit more "syntactical space" between the phrases. I believe Krisha is telling Arjuna that his single view is based on resolve, but of course the branches of knowledge are many and thus the views of the irresolute are infinite. 

This is a really interesting verse with many feminine forms of words due to adjectives modifying feminine gender nouns. Previous translations interpret this verse in many interesting ways given the feminine abstract noun, "buddhi". 

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