Chapter 9, Verse 3 (Bhagavad Gita 9.3)
Chapter 9: Rāja Vidyā Yog – Yoga through the King of Sciences
Sanskrit Shloka
अश्रद्दधानाः पुरुषा धर्मस्यास्य परन्तप। अप्राप्य मां निवर्तन्ते मृत्युसंसारवर्त्मनि
Transliteration
aśhraddadhānāḥ puruṣhā dharmasyāsya parantapa aprāpya māṁ nivartante mṛityu-samsāra-vartmani
Word Meanings
aśhraddadhānāḥ—people without faith; puruṣhāḥ—(such) persons; dharmasya—of dharma; asya—this; parantapa—Arjun, conqueror the enemies; aprāpya—without attaining; mām—me; nivartante—come back; mṛityu—death; samsāra—material existence; vartmani—in the path
Translation
Those who have no faith in this Dharma, O Parantapa, without attaining Me, return to the path of this world of death and birth.
Meaning & Commentary
In this profound declaration, Shri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, highlights the critical necessity of 'Sraddha' or faith as the foundation of the spiritual journey. He reveals that the ultimate purpose of life is not mere worldly existence, but the attainment of His eternal, divine abode. When a soul lacks faith in this sacred knowledge, they remain trapped within the cycle of samsara, perpetually entangled in the suffering of birth and death. By addressing Arjuna as 'Parantapa' (conqueror of foes), Shri Krishna invites every seeker to conquer the inner enemy of doubt and embrace the path of devotion. Only by surrendering to the Supreme Lord can the jiva transcend the illusory constraints of the material world and achieve final liberation.