Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1 Verse 33 (1.33)
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1 Verse 33 (1.33)
येषामर्थे काङ्क्षितं नो राज्यं भोगाः सुखानि च । त इमेऽवस्थिता युद्धे प्राणांस्त्यक्त्वा धनानि च ॥ ३३ ॥
yeṣhāmarthe kāṅkṣhitaṁ no rājyaṁ bhogāḥ sukhāni cha ta ime’vasthitā yuddhe prāṇāṁstyaktvā dhanāni cha
Word-by-word guide:
Line 1:
- एश
(Yesham)— एश(whose) - अए
(arthe)— अए(for the sake) - कइत
(kankshitam)— कइत(desired) - न
(nah)— न(by us) - रज्यम्
(rajyam)— राजा(kingdom) - ओग
(bhogah)— भोग(enjoyments) - उखइ
(sukhani)— भोग(pleasures) - च
(cha)— और(and)
Line 2:
-
tajoined in ta - इए
(ime)— इए(these) - अवस्थितः
(avasthitah)— स्थित हूं(standing) - उए
(yuddhe)— युद्ध(in battle) - रन
(pranan)— जीवन(lives) -
sjoined in prāṇāṁstyaktvā - यव
(tyaktva)— यव(giving up) - धनइ
(dhanani)— धन(wealth) - च
(cha)— और(and)
English: Those for whose sake we want kingdom, pleasures, and happiness are standing here in battle, ready to give up life and wealth.
Learnings from Shloka 33:
- Purpose gives meaning: Rewards matter because of the people they support.
- Goals can contradict themselves: Winning can become hollow if it destroys what it was meant to protect.
- Pause for values: Arjuna forces the question of what the battle is truly for.
Gita/Sanskrit Language Quiz
Practice this shloka vocabularyMatch Sanskrit words from shloka 1.33 with their Hindi and English meanings.
Practice vocabulary
Arjuna explains that the very people for whom one seeks happiness are standing ready to die. The purpose of victory seems to disappear when those beneficiaries are lost.
This is a practical insight. Goals should be connected to the people and values they are meant to serve. When the goal destroys its own purpose, we must pause and examine it.