Knowledge - 02 - 03¶

The Shloka¶

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क्लैब्यं मा स्म गमः पार्थ नैतत्त्वय्युपपद्यते ।

क्षुद्रं हृदयदौर्बल्यं त्यक्त्वोत्तिष्ठ परन्तप ॥

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klaibyaṁ mā sma gamaḥ pārtha naitattvayyupapadyate ।

kṣudraṁ hṛdayadaurbalyaṁ tyaktvottiṣṭha parantapa ॥

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Meaning / Summary¶

This shloka is a pivotal moment in the Bhagavad Gita, marking the beginning of Krishna’s direct instructions to Arjuna. It highlights the importance of courage, resolve, and adherence to one’s righteous duty (dharma) over emotional weakness or false compassion. Krishna urges Arjuna to transcend his personal grief and sentimentality, reminding him of his identity as a Kshatriya (warrior) and his responsibility to uphold justice. It signifies the call to action and the rejection of despondency in the face of duty.

O son of Pritha, do not yield to unmanliness, for it does not befit you. Give up this petty weakness of heart and arise, O scorcher of foes!

Krishna rebukes Arjuna for his despair and emotional weakness, urging him to abandon his unmanliness and faint-heartedness, and instead rise to his duty as a warrior, reminding him of his noble lineage and prowess.

In this powerful verse, Lord Krishna directly confronts Arjuna’s despondency and reluctance to fight. Arjuna, overwhelmed by grief at the prospect of fighting his own relatives and revered teachers, has laid down his arms. Krishna’s words serve as a stern admonition, challenging Arjuna’s sudden display of ‘klaibyaṁ’ (unmanliness or impotence). This isn’t merely a physical weakness, but a moral and psychological one – a surrender to despair and a deviation from his inherent nature and duty as a Kshatriya (warrior). Krishna emphasizes that such a state ‘na etattvayyupapadyate’ (does not befit Arjuna), reminding him of his valiant heritage as ‘Pārtha’ (son of Pritha/Kunti). He then commands Arjuna to ‘tyaktvā kṣudraṁ hṛdayadaurbalyaṁ’ (abandon this petty weakness of heart). ‘Kṣudraṁ’ highlights the triviality of this emotional frailty when faced with a righteous cause. Finally, Krishna’s direct imperative ‘uttiṣṭha’ (arise!) coupled with the epithet ‘Parantapa’ (scorcher of foes) serves to reawaken Arjuna’s warrior spirit, urging him to cast aside his illusionary compassion and fulfill his dharma.

Sentence - 1¶

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क्लैब्यं मा स्म गमः पार्थ

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Meaning¶

Do not yield to unmanliness, O son of Pritha!

Meaning of Words¶

क्लैब्यं	klaibyaṁ
Unmanliness, impotence This refers not just to physical impotence, but more profoundly to mental, moral, or spiritual weakness; a lack of resolve, courage, or strength of character; a state of being overcome by indecision or fear, which is unbecoming of a warrior.
मा	mā	Do not
स्म	sma	(emphatic particle for prohibition)
गमः	gamaḥ	Yield, succumb, go
पार्थ	pārtha
O son of Pritha An epithet for Arjuna, meaning ‘son of Pritha’ (Kunti). Krishna addresses Arjuna by this name to remind him of his noble lineage and the valor associated with his mother, Kunti, thereby urging him to uphold his family honor and warrior dharma (duty).

Sentence - 2¶

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नैतत्त्वय्युपपद्यते

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Meaning¶

This is not befitting you.

Meaning of Words¶

न	na	Not
एतत्	etat
This Referring to the ‘klaibyam’ or unmanliness/weakness Arjuna is displaying.
त्वयि	tvayi	For you, in you
उपपद्यते	upapadyate	Is proper, befits, becomes

Sentence - 3¶

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क्षुद्रं हृदयदौर्बल्यं त्यक्त्वोत्तिष्ठ परन्तप ॥

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Meaning¶

Giving up this petty weakness of heart, arise, O scorcher of foes!

Meaning of Words¶

क्षुद्रं	kṣudraṁ
Petty, trivial, mean Describes the weakness as insignificant or unworthy of Arjuna’s true nature, implying it is a minor obstacle that should be easily overcome.
हृदयदौर्बल्यं	hṛdayadaurbalyaṁ
Weakness of heart, faint-heartedness This refers to emotional fragility, sentimentality, or a lack of determination arising from attachment or false compassion, which prevents one from performing their righteous duty (dharma).
त्यक्त्वा	tyaktvā	Having given up, abandoning
उत्तिष्ठ	uttiṣṭha
Arise, stand up, get up This is a strong command to Arjuna to shake off his despondency, overcome his emotional paralysis, and prepare for action.
परन्तप	parantapa
O scorcher of foes, O tormentor of enemies An epithet for Arjuna, meaning ‘one who afflicts or burns his enemies’. Krishna uses this name to remind Arjuna of his intrinsic power, bravery, and reputation as a formidable warrior, thereby encouraging him to act in accordance with his true nature and duty.