Bhagavad-gītā 2.10

Explain simply

Speaker: Sañjaya

तमुवाच हृषीकेशः प्रहसन्निव भारत ।
सेनयोरुभयोर्मध्ये विषीदन्तमिदं वचः ॥१०॥

tam uvāca hṛṣīkeśaḥ
prahasann iva bhārata
senayor ubhayor madhye
viṣīdantam idaṁ vacaḥ

Word for word (synonyms)

tam
unto him
uvāca
said
hṛṣīkeśaḥ
the master of the senses, Kṛṣṇa
prahasan
smiling
iva
like that
bhārata
O Dhṛtarāṣṭra, descendant of Bharata
senayoḥ
of the armies
ubhayoḥ
of both parties
madhye
between
viṣīdantam
unto the lamenting one
idam
the following
vacaḥ
words

Translation

O descendant of Bharata, at that time Kṛṣṇa, smiling, in the midst of both the armies, spoke the following words to the grief-stricken Arjuna.

Purport

The talk was going on between intimate friends, namely the Hṛṣīkeśa and the Guḍākeśa. As friends, both of them were on the same level, but one of them voluntarily became a student of the other. Kṛṣṇa was smiling because a friend had chosen to become a disciple. As Lord of all, He is always in the superior position as the master of everyone, and yet the Lord accepts one who wishes to be a friend, a son, a lover or a devotee, or who wants Him in such a role. But when He was accepted as the master, He at once assumed the role and talked with the disciple like the master—with gravity, as it is required. It appears that the talk between the master and the disciple was openly exchanged in the presence of both armies so that all were benefitted. So the talks of Bhagavad-gītā are not for any particular person, society, or community, but they are for all, and friends or enemies are equally entitled to hear them.

What this verse teaches

Arjuna surrenders to Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa begins to speak

Gita for Life
Surrender
Śrīla Prabhupāda lectures 5

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda © The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.