Bhagavad-gītā 2.36
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
अवाच्यवादांश्च बहून् वदिष्यन्ति तवाहिताः। निन्दन्तस्तव सामर्थ्यं ततो दुःखतरं नु किम्।।2.36।।
avāchya-vādānśh cha bahūn vadiṣhyanti tavāhitāḥ nindantastava sāmarthyaṁ tato duḥkhataraṁ nu kim
Thine enemies also, cavilling at thy great prowess, will say of thee things that are not to be uttered. What could be more intolerable than this?
English rendering by Swami Swarupananda. Public domain first edition, 1909.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| avāchya-vādān | using harsh words |
| cha | and |
| bahūn | many |
| vadiṣhyanti | will say |
| tava | your |
| ahitāḥ | enemies |
| nindantaḥ | defame |
| tava | your |
| sāmarthyam | might |
| tataḥ | than that |
| duḥkha-taram | more painful |
| nu | indeed |
| kim | what |
Use the word map to follow the relation among avāchya-vādān (using harsh words), nindantaḥ (defame), and kim (what). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to the enduring self and steady wisdom. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 2.36.
Original school explanation. Written independently from the Sanskrit word map. It is not a quotation, translation, or summary of a named modern commentary. Chapter lens: Trace the movement from grief through self, duty, disciplined action and the description of steady intelligence.
Five careful reading routes
The cards below are reading references, not claims about what an acharya says in this verse. Modern wording stays inside authorized editions. Classical commentary will appear only after an independent translation has passed scholarly and rights review.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
Thine enemies also, cavilling at thy great prowess, will say of thee things that are not to be uttered
- 2
What could be more intolerable than this?
- 3
avāchya-vādān: using harsh words
Look, link, cover, teach
Look
Picture the enduring self.
Link
Use the line starts: avāchya-vādānśh cha / nindantastava sāmarthyaṁ.
Cover
Hide the verse and rebuild one line at a time.
Teach
Explain the flow to another person without looking.
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 2.36, consult the authorized BBT edition. No purport, translation, or author-attributed summary is reproduced here.
Find the authorized editionBhaktivinoda Thakura
Rasika-ranjanaA verified independent rendering for Bhagavad-gita 2.36 has not yet passed scholarly and rights review. Modern translations are not copied here.
Independent rendering pending reviewBaladeva Vidyabhushana
Gita-bhushana-bhashyaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 2.36 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewVishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
Sarartha-varshini-tikaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 2.36 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 2.36, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
Use an authorized edition