2.9

Sanskrit

एवमुक्त्वा हृषीकेशं गुडाकेशः परन्तपः । न योत्स्य इति गोविन्दमुक्त्वा तूष्णीं बभूव ह ॥

evam uktvā hṛṣīkeśaṃ guḍākeśaḥ parantapaḥ na yotsya iti govindam uktvā tūṣṇīṃ babhūva ha

Translation

Gudâkesha, conqueror of his foes, having thus addressed Hrishîkesha and said to Govinda, "I will not fight!", became silent.

Annie Besant · The Bhagavad-Gita, translated by Annie Besant (4th ed., 1922) — Wikisource · Public Domain

Explanation

Arjuna’s refusal is total and final, at least for the moment: “I will not fight,” followed by silence. Sanjaya’s narration marks the end of the crisis chapter 1 built up to — and the silence is the space Krishna’s teaching, starting at verse 11, will fill.