Bhagavad Gita 2.2-3

Sanskrit

कुतस्त्वा कश्मलमिदं विषमे समुपस्थितम् । अनार्यजुष्टमस्वर्ग्यमकीर्तिकरमर्जुन ॥2.2॥क्लैब्यं मा स्म गमः पार्थ नैतत्त्वय्युपपद्यते । क्षुद्रं हृदयदौर्बल्यं त्यक्त्वोत्तिष्ठ परन्तप ॥2.3॥

Transliteration

kutastvā kaśmalamidaṃ viṣame samupasthitam | anāryajuṣṭamasvargyamakīrtikaramarjuna ‖2.2‖ klaibyaṃ mā sma gamaḥ pārtha naitattvayyupapadyate | kṣudraṃ hṛdayadaurbalyaṃ tyaktvottiṣṭha parantapa ‖2.3‖

Meaning

“The Blessed Lord said: Whence has this weakness come upon you at this critical hour, O Arjuna? It is unworthy of the noble, it leads neither to heaven nor to honour. Yield not to unmanliness, O Partha, it does not befit you. Cast off this petty faint-heartedness and arise, O scorcher of foes!”

Key learning

Krishna's first words are firm: don't collapse now. This weakness doesn't fit who you really are, shake it off and stand up. Sometimes the kindest thing isn't comfort, it's a clear "get up."

How to apply this today

When fear freezes you at a key moment, you don't always need soothing, sometimes you need a firm nudge back into action. Before the big test or the hard conversation, tell yourself plainly: this isn't like me; stand up and begin.

Theme: The Yoga of Knowledge

This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2: Sankhya Yoga , read all verses in this chapter.

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