Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.) Translation: "If, however, you do not fight this religious war, then you will certainly incur sins for neglecting your duties and thus lose your reputation as a fighter."

Prabhupada:

atha cet tvam imaṁ dharmyaṁ
saṅgramaṁ na kariṣyasi
tataḥ; sva-dharmaṁ kirtiṁ ca
hitva papam avapsyasi
[Bg. 2.33]

So imaṁ dharmyam, religious fight. Just like even nowadays also, if the soldier disobeys the order of the commander, that soldier is shot down by martial law. Because to disobey the order of the commander is sinful. So Krṣṇa says, atha cet tvam imaṁ dharmyaṁ saṅgramaṁ na kariṣyasi. This fight is not ordinary fight. It is not the politician's fight. "For the sake of religion, you must fight. And if you do not, then sva-dharmam... You are a kṣatriya. Not only kṣatriya, you are a very well known fighter. You have been recognized by so many demigods." Arjuna got the pasupata-astra. To test Arjuna's fighting capacity, sometimes Lord Siva, when Arjuna was hunting in the forest, so Lord Siva also, as a hunter, he appeared before him, and when a boar was killed by hunting, Lord Siva claimed that "I have done this killing." Arjuna said, "No, I have done this." So there was controversy, who will claim that hunt, I mean to say, killed animal. So Arjuna was claiming, and Lord Siva as a hunter, he was also claiming. Then there was fight between Lord Siva and Arjuna. So Lord Siva was defeated. So he then disclosed his identity that "I am very much pleased that you (are) such a nice fighter." So he presented him one arrow which is called pasupata-astra. Similarly, he sometimes fought with Indra. He gave him some astra, weapon. This was the system, that a kṣatriya is presented with a kind of weapon, a brahmaṇa is presented with Vedas, and so far vaisyas and sudras are concerned, they are not very important.

So Arjuna was recognized by Lord Siva, by King Indra, and many others also. So Krṣṇa says that "You have got recognition from big personalities. So if you don't fight, then not only you shall be irreligious but also you'll lose your reputation." Tataḥ; sva-dharmaṁ kirtiṁ ca hitva papam avapsyasi. Papam means sin or sinful reaction. So it has to be judged, when... Sometimes fighting is papam, means sinful activity, and sometimes fighting is puṇyam, pious activities. It requires the time, circumstances, on what ground the fighting was going on, on whose order the fighting was going on. These are to be studied. So violence and nonviolence. Our great leader, Mahatma Gandhi, he wanted to prove from Bhagavad-gita, nonviolence. He started the nonviolence movement, and he wanted to support... Everyone takes advantage of Bhagavad-gita and tries to support his view on the strength of Bhagavad-gita. Therefore you will find so many interpretations. Everyone wants to utilize. There are more than six hundred publication, commentaries, on Bhagavad-gita. One Dr. Rele in Bombay, he has interpreted Bhagavad-gita as talks between a physician and a patient.

So these things are going on, but that is not Bhagavad-gita. That is namno balad yasya hi papa-buddhiḥ;. Nama-aparadha, ten kinds of offenses... This is offense. Just like namno balad yasya hi papa-buddhiḥ;. We say, the sastra says, that by chanting Hare Krṣṇa mantra, you become cleansed of your sinful activities. That's a fact. But if somebody thinks that "I shall go on committing sinful activity and chant Hare Krṣṇa mantra so it will be adjusted, neutralized, this is the most sinful activity, namno balat, by the strength of chanting, committing sin. So similarly on the strength of Bhagavad-gita, if one wants to prove his foolish philosophy, that is a great offense. That's a great offense. Therefore Bhagavad-gita cannot be interpreted by foolish commentators. It must be studied through the parampara system, acarya upasanam. One must worship the acarya and learn from him what is Bhagavad-gita. Acaryavan puruṣo veda. This is the Vedic injunction. Who knows things as they are. Acaryaṁ maṁ puruṣa, one who is under the guidance of acarya. So you won't find this foolish nonviolence theory from any acarya. Many acaryas have commented on Bhagavad-gita. There is Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, even Saṅkaracarya. But never said that Bhagavad-gita is proof of nonviolence. Nonviolence is good but when there is dharma-yuddha, righteous fighting, there is no question of nonviolence. Violence is approved.

Therefore Krṣṇa says that tataḥ; sva-dharmaṁ kirtiṁ ca: "You will, by neglecting your sva-dharma, your professional or occupational duty, and minimizing the importance of your recognition, kirti..." Kirtir yasya sa jivati: "Anyone who is reputed for his good activities, he lives forever." Kirtir yasya sa jivati. Bhaja sadhu-samagamam. Tyaja durjana-saṁsargaṁ bhaja sadhu-samagamam. Caṇakya Paṇḍita also says kirtiḥ; sa... Who lives forever? One who has got reputation for his, one who is famous for his good activities. "So don't try to lose your reputation. You are a great fighter, recognized by so many authorities, and if you don't fight, then people will say, 'Now Arjuna is finished. He cannot anymore fight.' So don't lose this reputation. Don't be deviated from your occupational duty as a kṣatriya. If you do all these things, then papam avapsyasi. You don't think that it will be pious. You will, on the other hand you will become impious." Papam avapsyasi. Next verse.

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

Translation: "People will always speak of your infamy, and for one who has been honored, dishonor is worse than death."

Prabhupada:

akirtiṁ capi bhutani
kathayiṣyanti te 'vyayam
sambhavitasya cakirtir
maraṇad atiricyate
[Bg. 2.34]

Sambhavitasya, one who is very reputed, famous man, if he does something wrong, then it was better to die before such infamy is grown. This is advised. Arjuna is famous as a great fighter. Not only that, he is personal friend of Krṣṇa, so much so that Krṣṇa has agreed to become his chariot driver. Just try to understand what is his position. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krṣṇa, who is worshiped by Lord Brahma, govindam adi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajami **, He has agreed to drive the chariot of Arjuna on account of friendship. Now, we have to imagine how much famous he is. "Everyone will say, 'Oh, Krṣṇa is his so intimate friend that He has agreed to drive his chariot!' This is your reputation all over the world." So sambhavitasya cakirtiḥ;. "And if you don't fight now, what people will say? Better you die." Krṣṇa is advising that "Instead of becoming a very good man, nonviolent, you lay down your life. That is My advice. You die. I shall see that you have died. I will be very much pleased." This is Krṣṇa's advice. How much He has become, I mean to say, dissatisfied with the decision of Arjuna, "Krṣṇa, I am not going to fight this battle." So Krṣṇa's last advice is that if you don't fight, better you die before him. I shall be very much pleased." Then?

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

Translation: "The great generals who have highly esteemed your name and fame will think that you have left the battlefield out of fear only, and thus they will consider you a coward."

Prabhupada:

bhayad raṇad uparataṁ
maṁsyante tvaṁ maha-rathaḥ;
yeṣaṁ ca tvaṁ bahu-mato
bhutva yasyasi laghavam
[Bg. 2.35]

This spirit of kṣatriya was prevalent even, say, three hundred years ago in India. There was a king, Yasomanta Sena. He was the commander-in-chief of Emperor Aurangzeb. So in one fight, he was defeated and came back to his home. So his wife heard that "My husband has been defeated. He's coming back home." So she asked the caretaker to close the door of the palace. So when Yasomanta Sena came there, he saw that his palace door is closed. Then he sent message to the queen that "Why you have closed the door? I have come home." So messenger came and informed that "The king has come. So he is asking to open the door." The queen replied, "Who is king? Yasomanta Sena. No, no. Yasomanta Sena cannot come being defeated. Yasomanta Sena either he conquers the battle or he lays down his body there dead. So the man who has come, he must be somebody pretender. He is not King Yasomanta Sena." So she refused to open the door. This is the spirit of kṣatriya spirit.

So here also the same thing, five thousand years also ago, that Krṣṇa says that "You are so reputed a fighter, and if you stop fighting, people will not consider... Especially other commander-in-chiefs like Droṇacarya, Bhiṣma, Karṇa... They are maha-rathas." Maha-ratha means one fighter who can combat with thousands of men alone. He is called maha-ratha. As nowadays the titles are "captain," "commander," "commander-in-chief," similarly, formerly "maha-ratha," "ati-ratha" were the titles given to the soldiers, fighters. So maha-ratha, the greatest commanders... So Krṣṇa said that "You are recognized, one of the maha-rathas. So what the other maha-rathas will think of you? They will not consider that out of compassion you did not fight. They will think that out of fear you have left the battlefield. They will take the opposite." Bhayad raṇad uparatam. "Out of fear you have stopped fighting." Maṁsyante tvaṁ maha-rathaḥ;. "So now you are recognized as one of the maha-rathaḥ;. Yeṣaṁ ca tvaṁ bahu-mataḥ;. "Oh, you are known by various, I mean to say, commander-in-chiefs." Bhutva yasyasi laghavam: "In their eyes you will be considered as degraded." Bhutva yasyasi laghavam. "Why should you accept? Better fight and die." That's all right. Thank you. (end)

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