Verse-31
Chapter 2 — Sānkhya Yog
Verse 31
🕉 Original Sanskrit Shloka
svadharmamapi cāvekṣya na vikampitumarhasi
dharmyāddhi yuddhācchreyo'nyatkṣatriyasya na vidyate
🕉 English Translation
📜 Translation
English
Even considering your own duty that of a Kshatriya, you should not tremble. It implies–do not waiver from your duty; because for the Kshatriya there is no greater good than a righteous battle.
The word Dharma has been used in the Gita for duty. Arjun belongs to the warrior class (Kshatriya), is of royal birth. The Kingdom is the birthright of the Pandavas. Due to unrighteousness, injustice and unlawfulness it has been usurped by the Kauravas. In several ways, the Pandavas were tormented–exile, residence in an undisclosed place and in that too several difficulties even to the extent of several attempts to get all of them murdered. Despite all this several attempts were made to make Duryodhan understand the reality. The Lord Himself went as the peace ambassador to make him understand. Because of his egoistic and oppressive nature he did not budge an inch. He made an attempt to humiliate Shri Krishna in the open royal gathering. In such a situation where was there any option other than the war. To turn away from war would have resulted in strengthening the evil forces of unlawfulness, unrighteousness and injustice. According to the social duty (as per the class system) it is the duty of the Kshatriya or the warrior class not to run away from the battlefield–'Yudhe chapyapalayanam'–(Gita 18.43). While performing one's own social duties skilfully in life one can attain perfection easily. This is a clarion inspiration from the Gita (18.45). That is why the Blessed Lord is saying from the level of practical conduct: Do not abandon your social duty, O Parth! Because–