Chapter 2, Verse 33
Part of 2: Sānkhya Yog — सांख्ययोगअथ चैत्त्वमिमं धर्म्यं संग्रामं न करिष्यसि। ततः स्वधर्मं कीर्तिं च हित्वा पापमवाप्स्यसि॥
Transliteration
atha chet tvam imaṁ dharmyaṁ saṅgrāmaṁ na kariṣhyasi tataḥ sva-dharmaṁ kīrtiṁ cha hitvā pāpam avāpsyasi
Meaning
But if you will not fight this righteous war, then having abandoned your own duty and reputation, you will incur sin.
Word-by-word meaning
atha chet — if, howevertvam — youimam — thisdharmyam saṅgrāmam — righteous warna — notkariṣhyasi — acttataḥ — thensva-dharmam — one’s duty in accordance with the Vedaskīrtim — reputationcha — andhitvā — abandoningpāpam — sinavāpsyasi — will incur
Commentary
The Lord reminds Arjuna of the fame he had already earned and which he would now lose if he refused to fight. Arjuna had acired great fame by fighting with Lord Siva. Arjuna proceeded on a pilgrimage to the Himalayas. He fought with Siva Who appeared in the guise of a mountaineer (Kirata) and got from Him the Pasupatastra, a celestial weapon.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the meaning of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2, Verse 33?▼
But if you will not fight this righteous war, then having abandoned your own duty and reputation, you will incur sin.
Which chapter and verse of the Bhagavad Gita is this?▼
This is verse 33 of Chapter 2 (Sānkhya Yog — Transcendental Knowledge) of the Bhagavad Gita, a scripture of 18 chapters and 700 verses spoken by Lord Krishna to Arjuna.