Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 2
Sankhya Yoga — The Yoga of Knowledge
Chapter 2 of the Bhagavad Gita, Sankhya Yoga — The Yoga of Knowledge, is part of Krishna's dialogue with Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Each shloka below includes the original Sanskrit verse, a transliteration, Hindi and English meaning, a clear explanation of the philosophy behind it, and the practical life lesson it offers — so you can read a single verse in depth or follow the chapter's argument verse by verse. We're building out the Gita this way deliberately — verse by verse, chapter by chapter — rather than publishing a full but shallow translation all at once, so every page here has real depth behind it. See thefull chapter list for what's covered so far.
How to study Chapter 2
Read the verses in sequence first, then return to the shlokas that speak most directly to your question. Notice the movement between Arjuna's concerns and Krishna's response: the Gita develops its teaching through dialogue, examples, discipline, and repeated clarification. Sanskrit preserves the sound of the original text, transliteration helps with pronunciation, and the meanings provide an accessible doorway for daily reflection.
A useful practice is to choose one verse for a week. Write its central idea in your own words, observe where attachment or fear appears in your day, and revisit the verse before making a difficult choice. This chapter is part of the larger 18-chapter Bhagavad Gita, so compare its theme with the chapters before and after it rather than reading any single line as an isolated slogan.
मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदुःखदाः।
O son of Kunti, the contact between the senses and their objects gives rise to fleeting perceptions of heat and cold, pleasure and pain. These are temporary — they come and go. Endure them with patience, O Bharata.
2.20न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः।
For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. It has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. It is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, and primeval. It is not slain when the body is slain.
2.47कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन।
You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are never entitled to the fruits of your actions. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to inaction.
3 verses of Chapter 2 are covered so far, with more being added as each one is written, translated, and checked for accuracy rather than published all at once. If there's a specific shloka from this chapter you'd like to see next, let us know via the contact page.