Gita : Ch-2. Slo-3.

Srimad Bhagavad-Gita : 


Chapter-2. ( Samkya-yogam )


Slokam-3. ( O son of Prtha, do not yield to this degrading impotence. It does not become you. Give up such petty weakness of heart and arise, O chastiser of the enemy.  )





klaibyam  ma    sma     gamah     partha   naitat   tvayy   upapadyate, 


kshudram     hrdaya-daurbalyam     tyaktvottishtha      parantapa.




partha!    =    hey     Arjuna! 

klaibyam    =    a   state    of   nabhumsakam   ( neutral gender/ neither male nor female );

ma-sma     gamah     =    you    should   not   attain;

etat    tvayy    na    upapadyate     =     this    will   not    suit   you;

parantapa     =     a   man    of   fear   to   the   enemies,   hey  Arjuna!

kshudram     hrdaya-daurbalyam      =     very  little     weakness     ( your  heart );  (  the cause for the  retreat   from  the  war )

tyaktva    uttishtha     =     discard   it   and   getup.  




The Supreme Lord Krishna instructs Arjuna to yield not to unmanliness, or be overcome by cowardice because it is not befitting a ksatriya and unworthy of him and that Arjuna should immediately cast off this unseemly, contemptible faint heartedness and prepare for battle.  


By addressing Arjuna as the son of Prtha it refers to his mother Kunti who by worshipping Indra, the ruler of the demi-gods received Arjuna as her son endowed with extraordinary might and valor like Indra. Lord Krishna reminds Arjuna of this to instruct him not to yield to this impotence for it does not befit him and that he should discard this weakness of heart. By using the vocative parantapa meaning chastiser of enemies Lord Krishna is reminding Arjuna that at the time of his birth a heavenly voice proclaimed that he would conquer all enemies.


In this slokam the Supreme Lord Krishna depreciates Arjunas ill timed despondency and advises him to discard it and prepare himself to fight for lamentation has no place on the battlefield, is not approved by the wise, is not conducive to heavenly pursuits, is inglorious and ignoble and appears due to weakness of heart. 


Arjuna still unable to apply the Supreme Lord Krishna's sagacious counselling due to being afflicted by sentiments of friendship and pity and due to the horror of possibly committing actions which may be contrary to righteousness. Arjuna being unclear as to what is right and what is wrong sought guidance thus. 


Arjuna was addressed as the "son of Prtha," who happened to be the sister of Krishna's  father Vasudeva. Therefore Arjuna had a blood 
relationship with Krishna. If the son of a kshatriya declines to fight, he is a kshatriya in name only, and if the son of a brahmana acts impiously, he is a brahmana in name only. Such kshatriyas and brahmanas are unworthy sons of their fathers; therefore, Krishna did not want Arjuna to become an unworthy son of a kshatriya. Arjuna was the most intimate friend of Krishna, and Krishna was directly guiding him on the chariot; but in spite of all these credits, if Arjuna abandoned the battle, he would be committing an infamous act; therefore Krishna said that such an attitude in Arjuna did not fit his personality. Arjuna might argue that he would give up the battle on the grounds of his magnanimous attitude for the most respectable Bhishma and his relatives, but Krishna considered that sort of magnanimity not approved by authority. Therefore, such magnanimity or so-called nonviolence should be given up by persons like Arjuna under the direct guidance of Krishna. 

To be continued  ....