Bhagavad-gītā 2.43
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
कामात्मानः स्वर्गपरा जन्मकर्मफलप्रदाम्। क्रियाविशेषबहुलां भोगैश्वर्यगतिं प्रति।।2.43।।
kāmātmānaḥ svarga-parā janma-karma-phala-pradām kriyā-viśeṣa-bahulāṁ bhogaiśvarya-gatiṁ prati
Filled with desire and intent on heaven, they prescribe elaborate rites for pleasant rebirth, enjoyment and power.
English rendering by Dharma Open School. Original school translation.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| kāmaātmānaḥ | desirous of sense gratification |
| svarga-parāḥ | aiming to achieve heavenly planets |
| janma-karma-phala-pradām | resulting in fruitive action, good birth, etc. |
| kriyā-viśeṣa | pompous ceremonies |
| bahulām | various |
| bhoga | sense enjoyment |
| aiśvarya | opulence |
| gatim | progress |
| prati | towards. |
Read the Sanskrit as a connected thought built from kāmaātmānaḥ (desirous of sense gratification), bahulām (various), and prati (towards). 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 2.43.
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
Filled with desire and intent on heaven, they prescribe elaborate rites for pleasant rebirth, enjoyment and power
- 2
kāmaātmānaḥ: desirous of sense gratification
- 3
bahulām: various
Look, link, cover, teach
Look
Picture the enduring self.
Link
Use the line starts: kāmātmānaḥ svarga-parā / janma-karma-phala-pradām / kriyā-viśeṣa-bahulāṁ / bhogaiśvarya-gatiṁ prati.
Cover
Hide the verse and rebuild one line at a time.
Teach
Explain the flow to another person without looking.
Turn this reading into a study record
Save it, return from memory, and write one idea in your own words. Your record stays in this browser unless you export it.
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 2.43, 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 2.43 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 2.43 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 2.43 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 2.43, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
Use an authorized edition