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Chapter 2 · Contents of the Gītā Summarized · 72 verses

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Duty & actionChapter 2 · Contents of the Gītā Summarized
2.322.34

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 2.33

The duty of a kṣatriya and equanimity

अथ चेत्त्वमिमं धर्म्यं सङ्ग्रामं न करिष्यसि ।

ततः स्वधर्मं कीर्तिं च हित्वा पापमवाप्स्यसि ॥ ३३ ॥

atha cet tvam imaṁ dharmyaṁ

saṅgrāmaṁ na kariṣyasi

tataḥ sva-dharmaṁ kīrtiṁ ca

hitvā pāpam avāpsyasi

Translation

If, however, you do not perform your religious duty of fighting, then you will certainly incur sins for neglecting your duties and thus lose your reputation as a fighter.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

What this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.

The Cost of Neglecting Duty

  1. 1If Arjuna refused his religious duty to fight, he would incur sin and lose his reputation as a fighter.
  2. 2Arjuna was a famous warrior who had received special weapons and honors from great authorities.
  3. 3Prabhupāda explains that Arjuna would go to hell by abandoning his duty as a warrior, not by fighting.

Where we are

In the story

Chapter 2, Contents of the Gītā Summarized: the duty of a kṣatriya and equanimity.

What it teaches

Theme summary

Act dutifully without attachment to fruits.

2

Key ideas in this verse

The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.

Key ideas: karma, sva-dharma.

3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does BG 2.33 establish in Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport, and how does it connect to duty & action?

Practice

Do one task today purely because it is right.

4

The story behind it

Mahābhārata episodes and stories from the purports that shed light on this verse.

All stories for chapter 2 ›
5

Related verses

Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.

BG 2.31The duty of a kṣatriya and equanimityBG 2.32The duty of a kṣatriya and equanimityBG 3.21Leadership by example

Study notes are editorial summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport.

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Ask about BG 2.33 — get a simple answer linked to related ideas and verses.

Back to step 3The key ideasNext · Step 5 of 7 · 5 minLive the teachingsBring it into your day with a practice and a question, straight from Prabhupāda's purports.