8.27
नैते सृती पार्थ जानन्योगी मुह्यति कश्चन ।
तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु योगयुक्तो भवार्जुन ॥
naite sṛtī pārtha jānan yogī muhyati kaścana
tasmāt sarveṣu kāleṣu yogayukto bhavārjuna
Kṛṣṇa (कृष्ण) continues. Knowing the two paths is what keeps the yogin from confusion, and the order of 8.7 returns.
The verse
Knowing these two courses, son of Pṛthā (पृथा), no yogin at all is confused. Therefore at all times be yoked to yoga, Arjuna (अर्जुन).
नेपालीमा
यी दुई गति चिनेर, हे पृथापुत्र, कुनै पनि योगी अन्योलमा पर्दैन। त्यसैले सबै बेला योगमा युक्त होऊ, हे अर्जुन।
Where it sits
The two paths are not a riddle he leaves Arjuna (अर्जुन) inside. The man who knows them is not confused about which going returns. The command lands where 8.7 landed: all times, not the last time only. 8.28 will say what this knowledge passes beyond.
Split: न + एते + सृती + पार्थ + जानन् + योगी + मुह्यति + कः + चन + तस्मात् + सर्वेषु + कालेषु + योग-युक्तः + भव + अर्जुन
na + ete + sṛtī + pārtha + jānan + yogī + muhyati + kaḥ + cana + tasmāt + sarveṣu + kāleṣu + yoga-yuktaḥ + bhava + arjuna
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| देवनागरी | Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| न | na | indeclinable | not. |
| एते | ete | nominative dual | these two. |
| सृती | sṛtī | accusative dual of sṛti (सृति) | the two courses. From sṛ (सृ) "flow, move." |
| पार्थ | pārtha | vocative | son of Pṛthā (पृथा). |
| जानन् | jānan | present participle, nominative | knowing. From jñā (ज्ञा). |
| योगी | yogī | nominative | the yogin. |
| मुह्यति | muhyati | present, 3rd singular | is confused. From muh (मुह्). |
| कः | kaḥ | nominative | who. |
| चन | cana | indeclinable | the particle that makes kaḥ (कः) into "anyone." |
| तस्मात् | tasmāt | indeclinable, from the ablative | therefore. |
| सर्वेषु | sarveṣu | locative plural | in all. |
| कालेषु | kāleṣu | locative plural | in times. |
| योग-युक्तः | yoga-yuktaḥ | nominative | yoked to yoga. |
| भव | bhava | imperative, 2nd singular | be. From bhū (भू). |
| अर्जुन | arjuna | vocative | Arjuna (अर्जुन). |
The phrases
na ete sṛtī jānan yogī muhyati kaścana (न एते सृती जानन् योगी मुह्यति कश्चन) is the result of knowing. Knowing these two courses, no yogin at all is confused. sṛtī (सृती) is another dual for the same two paths gati (गति) named. jānan (जानन्) agrees with yogī (योगी). न ... कश्चन na ... kaścana is "not anyone." The negative and the indefinite work together.
tasmāt sarveṣu kāleṣu yogayuktaḥ bhava (तस्मात् सर्वेषु कालेषु योगयुक्तः भव) is the order, in the words of 8.7. Therefore at all times be yoked to yoga. bhava (भव) is the imperative, said to arjuna (अर्जुन). The path-knowledge is not a map to consult at the last hour. It is a reason to be yoked now.
Sanskrit in this line
न + एते na + ete is naite (नैते). अ + ए a + e becomes ai (ऐ). कः + चन kaḥ + cana is kaścana (कश्चन). aḥ (अः) before c (च्) becomes ś (श्), the sandhi of puruṣaś ca (पुरुषश्च) in 8.4. With na (न) in front, kaścana (कश्चन) does not mean "someone is confused." न ... कश्चन na ... kaścana means "not a single one."
भव + अर्जुन bhava + arjuna is bhavārjuna (भवार्जुन). अ + अ a + a becomes ā (आ). The vocative is still a separate word.
Say it back
No yogin who knows the two is confused, and therefore be yoked at all times. If kaścana (कश्चन) is heard as "someone is confused" and the na (न) is dropped, stay here.