ततः सà¥à¤µà¤§à¤°à¥à¤®à¤‚ कीरà¥à¤¤à¤¿à¤‚ च हितà¥à¤µà¤¾ पापमवापà¥à¤¸à¥à¤¯à¤¸à¤¿ ॥३३॥
atha cet tvam imaá¹ dharmyaá¹
saá¹…grÄmaá¹ na kariá¹£yasi
tataḥ sva-dharmaṠkīrtiṠca
hitvÄ pÄpam avÄpsyasi
2 times this text was mentioned in purports to other texts: LBG(2)
atha - therefore; cet - if; tvam - you; imam - this; dharmyam - as a religious duty; saá¹…grÄmam - fighting; na - do not; kariá¹£yasi - perform; tataḥ - then; sva-dharmam - your religious duty; kÄ«rtim - reputation; ca - also; hitvÄ - losing; pÄpam - sinful reaction; avÄpsyasi - will gain.
If, however, you do not perform your religious duty of ï¬ghting, then you will certainly incur sins for neglecting your duties and thus lose your reputation as a ï¬ghter.
Arjuna was a famous ï¬ghter, and he attained fame by ï¬ghting many great demigods, including even Lord Åšiva. After ï¬ghting and defeating Lord Åšiva in the dress of a hunter, Arjuna pleased the lord and received as a reward a weapon called pÄÅ›upata-astra. Everyone knew that he was a great warrior. Even DroṇÄcÄrya gave him benedictions and awarded him the special weapon by which he could kill even his teacher. So he was credited with so many military certiï¬cates from many authorities, including his adoptive father Indra, the heavenly king. But if he abandoned the battle, not only would he neglect his speciï¬c duty as a ká¹£atriya, but he would lose all his fame and good name and thus prepare his royal road to hell. In other words, he would go to hell not by ï¬ghting but by withdrawing from battle.
