Bhagavad Gita BG 9.3
Chapter 9, Verse 3 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
अश्रद्दधानाः पुरुषा धर्मस्यास्य परन्तप । अप्राप्य मां निवर्तन्ते मृत्युसंसारवर्त्मनि ॥
ashraddadhana purusha dharmasyasya parantapa aprapya mam nivartante mrityu-samsara-vartmani
Meaning
Those who are without faith in this dharma, O Parantapa, not reaching Me, return on the path of death and samsara.
Understanding
The counter-statement to v1-2's promise. Ashraddadhana (those who do not have shraddha — without faith, without the deep inner resonance and trust in the teaching). Purusha — persons (not beings generally but conscious persons who have been given the teaching). Dharmasyasya (in this dharma — this very royal knowledge just being taught). Aprapya mam (not reaching Me — the consequence of no faith). Nivartante mrityu-samsara-vartmani (they return on the path of death-and-samsara). The word mrityu-samsara-vartmani is dense: death (mrityu) and samsara (the cycle) are themselves the path (vartman) — they continue turning on this road. Shraddha (faith/receptivity) is not optional — it is the prerequisite that opens the gate to the Royal Knowledge.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| अश्रद्दधानाः | ashraddadhana | without faith, without shraddha (deep inner trust and receptivity) |
| धर्मस्य | dharmasya | of this dharma (the royal knowledge being taught) |
| परन्तप | parantapa | O Parantapa (scorcher of enemies — epithet of Arjuna) |
| अप्राप्य | aprapya | not reaching, without attaining |
| मृत्युसंसारवर्त्मनि | mrityu-samsara-vartmani | on the path of death and samsara (the road of the cycle of death and rebirth) |
| अश्रद्दधानाः | aśraddadhānāḥ | those without faith |
| पुरुषाः | puruṣāḥ | persons, people |
| अस्य | asya | of this |
| अप्राप्य | aprāpya | not attaining |
| माम् | mām | Me |
| निवर्तन्ते | nivartante | they return |
| मृत्यु-संसार-वर्त्मनि | mṛtyu-saṃsāra-vartmani | on the path of the cycle of birth and death |
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