A story moment · reflective in mood · easy to enter
“Refusal has stopped the war inside him.”
Sanjaya said: Having spoken thus to Hrishikesha, Gudakesha, the scorcher of foes, said to Govinda, “I will not fight,” and fell silent.
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Hover a word to focus on it.
Read literallySanjaya said · thus · having spoken · to Hrishikesha · Gudakesha · scorcher of foes · not · I will fight · thus · to Govinda · having said · silent · became · indeed
Arjuna tells Krishna he will not fight, then falls silent. The argument pauses in complete refusal.
Sanjaya speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Sankhya Yoga" (The Yoga of Knowledge).
Verse 9 sits in Chapter 2 of the Bhagavad Gita — Sankhya Yoga, "The Yoga of Knowledge". The chapter has 72 verses in total.
You finally say the thing you’ve been avoiding: “I can’t do this.” Then the room goes quiet, and everyone feels the weight of your choice.
Did you like this verse?
It marks the collapse of will before Krishna begins to answer it.
What this verse means
Arjuna tells Krishna he will not fight, then falls silent. The argument pauses in complete refusal.
Context & commentary
On the battlefield between two armies, Arjuna has just confessed his despair. Sanjaya tells Dhritarashtra that, after speaking to Krishna, Arjuna declared he would not fight and then went silent. The crisis is now fully exposed.
Why this verse still matters
You finally say the thing you’ve been avoiding: “I can’t do this.” Then the room goes quiet, and everyone feels the weight of your choice.
“Sometimes the hardest moment is not action, but the silence after refusing it.”
Explore related themes: kurukshetra (95 verses), arjuna (52 verses), sanjaya (16 verses)