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BG 9.3 — 9.3 Those who have no faith in this Dharma (knowledge of the Self), O Parantapa (Arjuna), return to the path of this world of death without attaining Me.
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अश्रद्दधानाः पुरुषा धर्मस्यास्य परन्तप |
अप्राप्य मां निवर्तन्ते मृत्युसंसारवर्त्मनि ||९-३||

aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣā dharmasyāsya parantapa . aprāpya māṃ nivartante mṛtyusaṃsāravartmani ||9-3||


9.3 Those who have no faith in this Dharma (knowledge of the Self), O Parantapa (Arjuna), return to the path of this world of death without attaining Me.

Word-by-word meanings

9.3 अश्रद्दधानाः without faith? पुरुषाः men? धर्मस्य of duty? अस्य of this? परन्तप O scorcher of foes? अप्राप्य without attaining? माम् Me? निवर्तन्ते return? मृत्युसंसारवर्त्मनि in the path of this world of death.Commentary Arjuna asks? O Lord? why do people not attempt to attain this knowledge of the Self when it can be easily attained? when it is the highest of all things? and when it gives the greatest benefits All should certainly attain this knowledge. The Lord replies? O My beloved discip

Commentaries

Non-dualism. The individual self and Brahman are one. The world is appearance (maya). Liberation through knowledge.

Sri Shankaracharya

9.3 Parantapa, O destroyer of foes; those purusah, persons, again; who are asraddadhanah, regardless of, devoid of faith in; asya dharmasya, this Dharma, this knowledge of the Self-those who are faithless as regards its true nature as well as its result, who are sinful, who have taken recourse to the 'upanisad' (mystical teaching) of demoniacal people, consisting in consideration the body alone as the Self, and who delight in life (sense enjoyments); nivartante, certainly go round and round;-where?-mrtyu-samsara-vartmani, along the path (vartma) of transmigration (samsara) fraught with death (mrtyu), the path leading to hell, birth as low creatures, etc., i.e., they go round and round along that very path; aprapya, without reaching; mam, Me, the supreme God. Certainly there is no estion of their attaining Me. Hence, the implication is that (they go round and round) without even aciring a little devotion, which is one of the disciplines [Ast. omits the word sadhana, disciplines.-Tr.] constituting the path for reaching Me. Having drawn Arjuna's attention through the (above) eulogy, the Lord says:

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Swami Gambirananda

9.3 O destroyer of foes, persons who are regardless of this Dharma (knowledge of the Self) certainly go round and round, without reaching Me, along the path of transmigration which is fraught with death.

This interpretation draws on the Advaita tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.

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