Hub

Arjuna's Questions

What does Arjuna ask in the Gita, when and why? Fourteen main questions in the order of the book: what each shows about his state of mind, and where to read the reply.

In brief

  • The Gita moves through Arjuna's questions, and Lord Krishna turns none of them away (3.1-2).
  • The questions change with his mind: confusion (2.54, 5.1), the difficulty of practice (6.33-34), the wish to know (13.1) and the wish to see (11.3-4).
  • Each time Arjuna asks for one clear answer, and at the end his doubt is gone (18.73).

Holding a question back is very common. The Gita does the opposite: the whole conversation runs on Arjuna's questions, and he keeps asking. This topic reads those questions together.

Arjuna's questions change with his state of mind. At first he is confused about what to do. Then comes the difficulty of practice, then the wish to know, then the wish to see, and at the end the questions of everyday living. The full reply to each question is treated on another page, and this hub shows the way to it.

This is the fifth stop on Arjuna's Journey. Before it, Arjuna's Despondency describes the state he asks from, and Duty, Honour and Fear gives the Lord's early teaching on duty and fear.

The topic has three readings. A simple reading shows how to put a question of your own. A detailed reading takes the fourteen main questions one by one. A deeper reading follows three threads through them and sets out where commentators differ.

Read at your level

Same topic, three depths. Pick the one that fits you today; you can switch any time.

Start with Simple →

Simple New to this topic. Plain words, one idea at a time. Is It All Right to Ask a Question? What Arjuna Teaches Us The Gita runs on Arjuna's questions, and Lord Krishna turns none of them away (3.2, 3.3). 5 min · Read → In Depth Know the basics. Verse by verse, with reasons. What Arjuna Asks in the Gita: The Fourteen Main Questions, One by One Arjuna's questions change with his state of mind: first confusion (2.54, 3.1-2, 5.1), then the difficulty of practice (6.33-39), then the wish to know (8.1-2, 13.1, 14.21), then the wish to see (11.3-4). 14 min · Read → Deeper Want the text itself: Sanskrit terms, commentary, close reading. Arjuna's Questions in the Gita: Wording, Order and Replies, a Closer Reading The questions shape the Gita: three threads run through them, the call for one decisive answer (2.7, 3.2, 5.1), the marks of the ideal person (2.54, 14.21), and which of two is better (5.1, 12.1). 15 min · Read → Quick summary Short on time. The whole topic in a few minutes. Arjuna's Questions: Quick Summary The Gita moves by Arjuna's questions, and the Lord sends none of them back (3.1-2). 11 min · Read →

Key shlokas

Part of these learning paths

Related topics