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BG 3.36 — 3.36 Arjuna said But impelled by what does man commit sin, though against his wishes, O Varshneya (Krishna), constrained as it were, by force?
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अर्जुन उवाच |
अथ केन प्रयुक्तोऽयं पापं चरति पूरुषः |
अनिच्छन्नपि वार्ष्णेय बलादिव नियोजितः ||३-३६||

arjuna uvāca . atha kena prayukto.ayaṃ pāpaṃ carati pūruṣaḥ . anicchannapi vārṣṇeya balādiva niyojitaḥ ||3-36||


3.36 Arjuna said But impelled by what does man commit sin, though against his wishes, O Varshneya (Krishna), constrained as it were, by force?

Word-by-word meanings

3.36 अथ now? केन by which? प्रयुक्तः impelled? अयम् this? पापम् sin? चरति does? पूरुषः man? अनिच्छन् not wishing? अपि even? वार्ष्णेय O Varshneya? बलात् by force? इव as it were? नियोजितः constrained.Commentary Varshneya is one born in the family of the Vrishnis? a name of Krishna.

Commentaries

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

Sri Shankaracharya

3.36 Atha, now then; varsneya, O scion of the Vrsni dynasty; being prayuktah, impelled; kena, by what acting as the cause; as a servant is by a king, does ayam, this; purusah, man; carati, commit; papam, sin, a sinful act; api, even; anicchan, against his wish, though not himself willing; niyojitah, being constrained; balat, by force; iva, as it were-as if by a king, which illustration has already been given? The Lord (Bhaga-van) said: 'You hear about that enemy, the source of all evil, of which you ask-.' 'Bhaga is said to consist of all kinds of majesty, virtue, fame, beauty, detachment as well as Liberation [Liberation stands for its cause, Illumination.], (V.P.6.5.74). That Vasudeva, in whom reside for ever, unimpeded and in their fullness, the six alities of majesty etc. and who has the knowledge of such subjects as creation etc., is called Bhaga-van. 'He is spoken of as Bhaga-van who is aware of creation and dissolution, gain and loss, [Gain and loss stand for future prosperity and adversity.] ignorance and Illumination of all beings' (ibid. 78).

(Showing excerpt)

Swami Gambirananda

3.36 Arjuna said Now then, O scion of the Vrsni dynasty (Krsna), impelled by what does this man commit sin even against his wish, being constrained by force, as it were?

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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