Sri bhagavan uvaca: kutas tva kashmalam idam vishame samupasthitam anarya-jushtam asvargyam akirti-karam arjuna
Krishna addresses Arjuna with gentle but firm words, asking where this despondency has come from at this critical moment. He says such weakness is unbecoming of a noble person, does not lead to heaven, and brings disgrace. Krishna challenges Arjuna to rise above his emotional paralysis.
- •Weakness of heart is unworthy of the noble
- •Yielding to grief in crisis is spiritually harmful
- •A true warrior faces adversity with courage
Arjuna uvaca: katham bhishmam aham sankhye dronam cha madhusudana ishubhih pratiyotsyami pujarhav ari-sudana
Arjuna questions how he can fight against his revered teachers Bhishma and Drona with arrows on the battlefield. He sees them as worthy of worship, not as enemies to be slain. This dilemma highlights the conflict between personal affection and the call of duty.
- •Emotional ties can cloud the perception of duty
- •Reverence for elders is noble but must not override dharma
- •The battlefield of life demands clear discrimination
Antavanta ime deha nityasyoktah sharirinal anashinah aprameyasya tasmat yudhyasva bharata
Krishna says these physical bodies of the eternal, indestructible, and immeasurable soul are said to have an end. Therefore, O Arjuna, fight. The body is temporal and will perish, but the soul within is eternal. Understanding this truth liberates one from the false grief of bodily death.
- •The body is temporary; the soul is eternal
- •Understanding soul-body distinction removes the fear of death
- •This knowledge empowers right action without attachment
Sva-dharmam api cavekshya na vikampitum arhasi dharmyad dhi yuddhac chreyo 'nyat kshatriyasya na vidyate
Considering your own dharma, you should not waver, for nothing is better for a warrior than a righteous war. Arjuna's prescribed duty as a Kshatriya is to fight a just war. To shrink from this duty would be a violation of his very nature and social responsibility.
- •Every person has a specific duty according to their nature and position
- •Righteous war is the highest duty of a warrior
- •Abandoning one's dharma brings both spiritual and social harm
Yadricchaya copapannam svarga-dvaram apavritam sukhinah kshatriyah partha labhante yuddham idrisham
Happy are the warriors who are given such an opportunity to fight in a righteous battle that opens wide the doors of heaven. A righteous battle is a rare spiritual opportunity for a warrior — it combines worldly duty with spiritual advancement. Arjuna should see this as a divine gift rather than a curse.
- •Righteous battle is a spiritual opportunity for warriors
- •Fulfilling one's duty opens the path to higher realms
- •What appears as hardship may be divine grace in disguise
Atha cet tvam imam dharmyam sangramam na karishyasi tatah sva-dharmam kirtim cha hitva papam avapsyasi
But if you do not perform your righteous duty in this battle, then having abandoned your prescribed duty and reputation, you will incur sin. The consequences of abandoning dharma are not merely social — they are spiritual. Failure to act on one's highest duty creates karmic debt and inner corruption.
- •Abandoning righteous duty incurs spiritual sin
- •Duty and reputation are intertwined for the warrior
- •Inaction in the face of righteous obligation is itself a wrong action
Akirtim capi bhutani kathayishyanti te 'vyayam sambhavitasya cakirtir maranad atiricyate
People will always speak of your infamy, and for a man who has been honored, dishonor is worse than death. For one whose honor and reputation are his identity, disgrace is a living death. The social and spiritual costs of cowardice far outweigh any physical suffering on the battlefield.
- •Dishonor for the righteous is worse than physical death
- •A warrior's reputation is inseparable from his spiritual integrity
- •Courage in facing duty preserves both dignity and spiritual virtue
Bhayad ranad uparatam mamsyante tvam maha-rathah yesham ca tvam bahu-mato bhutva yasyasi laghavam
The great generals who highly esteem you will think that you have left the battlefield out of fear, and thus you will be regarded lightly by them. Those who once admired Arjuna's prowess will interpret his withdrawal as cowardice. The social reality reinforces the spiritual imperative to stand firm.
- •The perception of cowardice undermines one's standing and influence
- •Warriors are judged by their commitment to righteous action
- •Fear-based retreat dishonors both the self and one's legacy
Avachya-vadams ca bahun vadishyanti tavahitah nindantas tava samarthyam tato duhkhataram nu kim
Your enemies will describe you in many unkind words and scorn your ability. What could be more painful than that? The words of enemies who mock what was once one's greatest strength become an unbearable burden. Krishna uses this practical argument to motivate Arjuna beyond his paralysis.
- •Abandoning duty invites contempt and ridicule
- •A warrior's honor demands acting in accordance with one's strength
- •Social shame from cowardice outlasts the pain of battle
Hato va prapsyasi svargam jitva va bhokshyase mahim tasmad uttishtha kaunteya yuddhaya krita-nishchayah
Either you will be killed on the battlefield and attain the heavenly planets, or you will conquer and enjoy the earthly kingdom. Therefore, get up with determination and fight. Krishna presents Arjuna with a win-win scenario — both outcomes of righteous battle lead to benefit. There is no reason for hesitation.
- •Righteous action leads to good outcomes regardless of result
- •Victory and death in battle both yield spiritual gain for the warrior
- •Decision and commitment are prerequisites for righteous action