Verse 2.33
Speaker: Krishna
Sanskrit
अथ चेत्त्वमिमं धर्म्यं सङ्ग्रामं न करिष्यसि। ततः स्वधर्मं कीर्तिं च हित्वा पापमवाप्स्यसि॥
Transliteration (IAST)
atha cet tvam imaṁ dharmyaṁ saṅgrāmaṁ na kariṣyasi tataḥ sva-dharmaṁ kīrtiṁ ca hitvā pāpam avāpsyasi
Word-by-Word Meanings
dharmyam-righteous
saṅgrāmam-battle
sva-dharmam-own duty
kīrtim-reputation
pāpam-sin
Translation
But if you do not fight this righteous war, then having abandoned your own duty and reputation, you will incur sin.
Commentary
Krishna warns of the consequences of inaction. Abandoning one's dharma is itself sinful - it is not a neutral choice. The argument from negative consequences complements the positive arguments already given. Inaction in the face of adharma is itself a form of adharma.
Themes
dharmadutykarma