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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
2.342.36

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 2.35

The duty of a kṣatriya and equanimity

भयाद्रणादुपरतं मंस्यन्ते त्वां महारथाः ।

येषां च त्वं बहुमतो भूत्वा यास्यसि लाघवम् ॥ ३५ ॥

bhayād raṇād uparataṁ

maṁsyante tvāṁ mahā-rathāḥ

yeṣāṁ ca tvaṁ bahu-mato

bhūtvā yāsyasi lāghavam

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 insignificant.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

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

Respect Lost Through Retreat

  1. 1The great generals who respected Arjuna will think he left out of fear and will consider him insignificant.
  2. 2Kṛṣṇa explains that they will not see his leaving as compassion for his brothers and grandfather.
  3. 3They will think Arjuna fears for his life, and their high regard for him will be lost.

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 2.35 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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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.