The Gita on making decisions
What does the Gita say when you can't decide what to do?
The short answer
Do what Arjuna did: say the confusion out loud and ask (2.7). Weigh the choice against the śāstra, not the mood of the moment (16.24), and prefer your own duty, even done imperfectly, to someone else's done well (3.35). Then decide: once you have thought it through fully, Krishna leaves the choice to you (18.63).
The verses
कार्पण्यदोषोपहतस्वभावः पृच्छामि त्वां धर्मसंमूढचेताः ।
यच्छ्रेयः स्यान्निश्चितं ब्रूहि तन्मे शिष्यस्तेऽहं शाधि मां त्वां प्रपन्नम् ॥kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ pṛcchāmi tvāṃ dharma-saṃmūḍha-cetāḥ
yac chreyaḥ syān niścitaṃ brūhi tan me śiṣyas te 'haṃ śādhi māṃ tvāṃ prapannam
With a heart contaminated by the taint of helplessness, with a mind confounded about my duty, I ask you. Tell me what is assuredly good for me. I am your disciple; instruct me, who have thrown myself on your indulgence.
तस्माच्छास्त्रं प्रमाणं ते कार्याकार्यव्यवस्थितौ ।
ज्ञात्वा शास्त्रविधानोक्तं कर्म कर्तुमिहार्हसि ॥tasmāc chāstraṃ pramāṇaṃ te kāryākārya-vyavasthitau
jñātvā śāstra-vidhānoktaṃ karma kartum ihārhasi
Therefore, let scripture be your authority in deciding what should be done and what should not be done. Knowing what is declared by the ordinances of scripture, you should perform action in this world.
श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् ।
स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः ॥śreyān sva-dharmo viguṇaḥ para-dharmāt svanuṣṭhitāt
sva-dharme nidhanaṃ śreyaḥ para-dharmo bhayāvahaḥ
Better to do one's own duty imperfectly than another's duty perfectly. Death in one's own duty is preferable; following another's duty brings danger.
इति ते ज्ञानमाख्यातं गुह्याद्गुह्यतरं मया ।
विमृश्यैतदशेषेण यथेच्छसि तथा कुरु ॥iti te jñānam ākhyātaṃ guhyād guhyataraṃ mayā
vimṛśyaitad aśeṣeṇa yathecchasi tathā kuru
Thus have I declared to you the knowledge more mysterious than any mystery. Ponder over it thoroughly, and then act as you like.
More doubts the Gita answers
Sanskrit from our library: GRETIL's text with Śaṅkara's commentary for chapters 1–17 and the BORI critical edition of the Mahābhārata for chapter 18, each verse checked against the critical edition. English: K. T. Telang's translation (1882), in modern English. Tap a verse number to read its whole chapter.