6.46
तपस्विभ्योऽधिको योगी ज्ञानिभ्योऽपि मतोऽधिकः ।
कर्मिभ्यश्चाधिको योगी तस्माद्योगी भवार्जुन ॥
tapasvibhyo 'dhiko yogī jñānibhyo 'pi mato 'dhikaḥ
karmibhyaś cādhiko yogī tasmād yogī bhavārjuna
Kṛṣṇa (कृष्ण) is still speaking.
The verse
The yogin is greater than the ascetics, and he is held greater even than the knowers; the yogin is greater than the ritualists. Therefore be a yogin, Arjuna.
नेपालीमा
योगी तपस्वीहरूभन्दा ठूलो छ, ज्ञानीहरूभन्दा पनि ठूलो मानिन्छ, र याज्ञिकहरूभन्दा पनि योगी ठूलो छ। त्यसैले योगी बन, हे अर्जुन।
Where it sits
The fallen man was answered. This verse sets the yogin above the other serious lives and tells Arjuna to be one. The last verse says which yogin, among yogins, is the most yoked.
Split: तपस्विभ्यः + अधिकः + योगी + ज्ञानिभ्यः + अपि + मतः + अधिकः + कर्मिभ्यः + च + अधिकः + योगी + तस्मात् + योगी + भव + अर्जुन
tapasvibhyaḥ + adhikaḥ + yogī + jñānibhyaḥ + api + mataḥ + adhikaḥ + karmibhyaḥ + ca + adhikaḥ + yogī + tasmāt + yogī + bhava + arjuna
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| देवनागरी | Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| तपस्विभ्यः | tapasvibhyaḥ | ablative plural | than the ascetics. Those whose work is tapas (तपस्). |
| अधिकः | adhikaḥ | nominative singular | greater. |
| योगी | yogī | nominative singular | the yogin. |
| ज्ञानिभ्यः | jñānibhyaḥ | ablative plural | than the knowers. |
| अपि | api | indeclinable | even. |
| मतः | mataḥ | nominative singular | is held. |
| अधिकः | adhikaḥ | nominative singular | greater. |
| कर्मिभ्यः | karmibhyaḥ | ablative plural | than those who perform the rites. |
| च | ca | indeclinable | and. |
| अधिकः | adhikaḥ | nominative singular | greater. |
| योगी | yogī | nominative singular | the yogin. |
| तस्मात् | tasmāt | indeclinable | therefore. |
| योगी | yogī | nominative singular | a yogin. |
| भव | bhava | imperative, 2nd singular | be. |
| अर्जुन | arjuna | vocative | Arjuna. |
The phrases
Three comparisons, one shape. The yogin is greater than the ascetics. He is held greater even than the knowers. He is greater than the ritualists.
tasmāt yogī bhava (तस्मात् योगी भव) is the command that follows. Therefore be a yogin. The comparisons are the reason for the imperative.
tapasvibhyaḥ adhikaḥ (तपस्विभ्यः अधिकः) is tapasvibhyo 'dhikaḥ (तपस्विभ्योऽधिकः). jñānibhyaḥ api (ज्ञानिभ्यः अपि) is jñānibhyo 'pi (ज्ञानिभ्योऽपि). mataḥ adhikaḥ (मतः अधिकः) is mato 'dhikaḥ (मतोऽधिकः). karmibhyaḥ ca adhikaḥ (कर्मिभ्यः च अधिकः) is karmibhyaścādhikaḥ (कर्मिभ्यश्चाधिकः). tasmāt yogī (तस्मात् योगी) is tasmādyogī (तस्माद्योगी). bhava arjuna (भव अर्जुन) is bhavārjuna (भवार्जुन).
Sanskrit in this line
adhikaḥ (अधिकः) takes the ablative of comparison. "Greater than" is not a separate word for "than." The ablative is the than. tapasvibhyaḥ (तपस्विभ्यः), jñānibhyaḥ (ज्ञानिभ्यः), and karmibhyaḥ (कर्मिभ्यः) are that ablative, plural, --bhyaḥ (भ्यः). bhava (भव) is the imperative, a direct command to the listener, stronger than the optative "he should" of the earlier verses.
Say it back
Greater than which three, and the command. If bhava (भव) comes out as "he becomes," the imperative addressed to Arjuna has been missed.