Chapter II · Śloka 9
Sañjaya uvāca
सञ्जय उवाच |
एवमुक्त्वा हृषीकेशं गुडाकेशः परन्तप |
न योत्स्य इति गोविन्दमुक्त्वा तूष्णीं बभूव ह ||
एवमुक्त्वा हृषीकेशं गुडाकेशः परन्तप |
न योत्स्य इति गोविन्दमुक्त्वा तूष्णीं बभूव ह ||
sañjaya uvāca |
evam uktvā hṛṣīkeśaṃ guḍākeśaḥ parantapa |
na yotsya iti govindam uktvā tūṣṇīṃ babhūva ha ||
evam uktvā hṛṣīkeśaṃ guḍākeśaḥ parantapa |
na yotsya iti govindam uktvā tūṣṇīṃ babhūva ha ||
Sañjaya said: Having spoken thus to Hṛṣīkeśa, Guḍākeśa, the scorcher of enemies, declared 'I will not fight' to Govinda and fell silent.
Arjuna's silence is definitive: having surrendered as a disciple he is no longer arguing but waiting. The juxtaposition of his battle-epithet (Guḍākeśa — conqueror of sleep) with his refusal to fight carries a quiet irony.