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BG 02.03 klaibyam ma sma gamah partha... cited

Expressions researched:
"Give up such petty weakness of heart and arise" |"It does not become you" |"do not yield to this degrading impotence" |"klaibyam ma sma gamah partha" |"ksudram hrdaya-daurbalyam" |"naitat tvayy upapadyate" |"tyaktvottistha parantapa"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: "2.3" or "Give up such petty weakness of heart and arise" or "It does not become you" or "do not yield to this degrading impotence" or "klaibyam ma sma gamah partha" or "ksudram hrdaya-daurbalyam" or "naitat tvayy upapadyate" or "tyaktvottistha parantapa"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is

BG Chapters 1 - 6

BG 2.3, Translation and Purport:

O son of Pṛthā, do not yield to this degrading impotence. It does not become you. Give up such petty weakness of heart and arise, O chastiser of the enemy.

Arjuna was addressed as the son of Pṛthā, who happened to be the sister of Kṛṣṇa's father Vasudeva. Therefore Arjuna had a blood relationship with Kṛṣṇa. If the son of a kṣatriya declines to fight, he is a kṣatriya in name only, and if the son of a brāhmaṇa acts impiously, he is a brāhmaṇa in name only. Such kṣatriyas and brāhmaṇas are unworthy sons of their fathers; therefore, Kṛṣṇa did not want Arjuna to become an unworthy son of a kṣatriya. Arjuna was the most intimate friend of Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa was directly guiding him on the chariot; but in spite of all these credits, if Arjuna abandoned the battle he would be committing an infamous act. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said that such an attitude in Arjuna did not fit his personality. Arjuna might argue that he would give up the battle on the grounds of his magnanimous attitude for the most respectable Bhīṣma and his relatives, but Kṛṣṇa considered that sort of magnanimity mere weakness of heart. Such false magnanimity was not approved by any authority. Therefore, such magnanimity or so-called nonviolence should be given up by persons like Arjuna under the direct guidance of Kṛṣṇa.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.1-5 -- Germany, June 16, 1974:

Satsvarūpa:

klaibyaṁ mā sma gamaḥ pārtha
naitat tvayy upapadyate
kṣudraṁ hṛdaya-daurbalyaṁ
tyaktvottiṣṭha parantapa
(BG 2.3)

(repeats)

Prabhupāda: Next verse.

Satsvarūpa:

arjuna uvāca
kathaṁ bhīṣmam ahaṁ saṅkhye
droṇaṁ ca madhusūdana
iṣubhiḥ pratiyotsyāmi
pūjārhāv arisūdana
(BG 2.4)

(repeats)

Prabhupāda: Next verse also.

Lecture on BG 2.1-10 and Talk -- Los Angeles, November 25, 1968:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "O son of Pṛthā, do not yield to this degrading impotence (BG 2.3)."

Prabhupāda: Hm. Degrading impotence. He doesn't want to see (chuckling) His devotee a coward and impotent. So this so-called qualification, impotency and niggard, that is not qualification for devotee. He must be very, in every way, very expert and fit. Kṛṣṇa wants to see. Yes. Go on.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "It does not become you. Give up such petty weakness of heart and arise, O chastiser of the enemy."

Prabhupāda: He's specially addressing, "chastiser of the enemy." Where there is no excuse, you must be chastiser. Not that "Because I have become Kṛṣṇa conscious, I'll be very humble." You must be humble, but in need, if there is need, you shall be thunderbolt. That is Kṛṣṇa instructing.

Lecture on BG 2.1-11 -- Johannesburg, October 17, 1975:

If he becomes victorious, then he enjoys this material world, and if he dies, he is promoted to heaven. These things are there. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is advising Arjuna, asvargyam: "If you deny to fight, then you will be refused to enter in the higher planetary system." Akīrti-karam. "And you are known as a great fighter, great soldier and My friend, and this will be going against your reputation. Don't do this." Then He says,

klaibyaṁ mā sma gamaḥ pārtha
naitat tvayy upapadyate
kṣudraṁ hṛdaya-daurbalyaṁ
tvaktvottiṣṭha parantapa
(BG 2.3)

"My dear friend, parantapa..." Parantapa means one who gives trouble to the enemies. This is the material world. A kṣatriya cannot behave like a brāhmaṇa, to excuse. Brāhmaṇa business is to excuse. Kṣamā-rūpa-tapasvinaḥ. Those who are tapasvī, they can excuse, but those who are in the governmental post, to make justice, there is no question of excuse. Life for life. "You have killed one man; you must be killed." This is justice. A brāhmaṇa, he may excuse, "All right, you have killed my man. Never mind. I excuse you." That is a brāhmaṇa's business.

Lecture on BG 2.1-11 -- Johannesburg, October 17, 1975:

But a kṣatriya, the government, the ruling power, he cannot do so. It is his mercy. It is the government's mercy when a murderer is hanged. That is the injunction in the Manu-saṁhitā. "So parantapa, you are kṣatriya. Your business is to punish the unjust." Kṣudraṁ hṛdaya-daurbalyam: "For a kṣatriya this kind of poor-heartedness, that 'I shall not fight...' Give it up. Don't indulge in such thing."

Lecture on BG 2.2-6 -- Ahmedabad, December 11, 1972:

"You are such a nice fighter, soldier, and if you cease to fight, then the other party will defame you in so many ways. What you are thinking of? Especially you are My friend. I am standing here. Despite My becoming your chariot driver, if you decline to fight, certainly it will be a great havoc. Don't do this." Therefore He says, anārya-juṣṭam asvargyam. Asvargyam means "You cannot be promoted to the heavenly planet." It is said that a kṣatriya who dies in the fight is immediately promoted to the heavenly planet. But because he is dying for the good cause, therefore he is promoted. Asvargyam akīrti-karam. "It is defamation on your part." So

klaibyaṁ mā sma gamaḥ pārtha
naitat tvayy upapadyate
kṣudraṁ hṛdaya-daurbalyaṁ
tyaktvottiṣṭha parantapa
(BG 2.3)

Parantapa means one who can give trouble to the enemies. It is the duty of the kṣatriya. Enemies, aggressor, they should be killed. There is no ātatāyī. Ātatāyī means one who is aggressor. One who kidnaps one's wife, one who take away by force one's wealth, one who sets fire in one's house, these are called aggressor. So aggressor should be killed. Aggressor should be given trouble. So Kṛṣṇa does not teach unnecessarily nonviolence. If kṣatriya becomes nonviolent, then the whole state will be in chaos. They must learn how to kill any criminal. He should be immediately killed.

Lecture on BG 2.2-6 -- Ahmedabad, December 11, 1972:

So in Bhāgavata you'll find everything. Politics, sociology, religion, culture, philosophy—everything you will find. Vidyā bhāgavata vadniḥ.(?) All kinds of cultural and educational instruction are there in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So

klaibyaṁ mā sma gamaḥ pārtha
naitat tvayy upapadyate
kṣudraṁ hṛdaya-daurbalyaṁ
tyaktvottiṣṭha parantapa
(BG 2.3)

"Give up this cowardice habit. You get up and prepare for your fight. This is kṣatriya's business. You should not go behind." Arjuna uvāca. "Arjuna replied."

kathaṁ bhīṣmam ahaṁ saṅkhye
droṇaṁ ca madhusūdana
iṣubhiḥ pratiyotsyāmi
pūjārhāv arisūdana
(BG 2.4)

Now Kṛṣṇa was encouraging to fight; Arjuna was also very intelligently replying. He addressed Kṛṣṇa as Madhusūdana, Arisūdana. Madhusūdana means "the killer of Madhu demon" or "the killer or enemy." So his purpose is that "I have to kill Bhīṣmadeva, who is my so kind grandfather, and I have to kill Droṇācārya, who is my teacher, from whom I have learned this military art. So You have killed the demons and Your enemy, and why You are inducing me to kill my guru and my grandfather?" This is his argument. Kathaṁ bhīṣmam ahaṁ saṅkhye droṇaṁ ca madhusūdana, iṣubhiḥ pratiyotsyāmi: (BG 2.4) "They, my grandfather, my teacher, may chastise me, but how I can pierce with arrows their body?"

Lecture on BG 2.3 -- London, August 4, 1973:

Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):

klaibyaṁ ma sma gamaḥ pārtha
naitat tvayy upapadyate
kśūdraṁ hṛdaya-daurbalyaṁ
tyaktvottiṣṭha parantapa
(BG 2.3)

Translation: "O son of Pṛthā, do not yield to this degrading impotence. It does not become you. Give up such petty weakness of heart and arise, O chastiser of the enemy."

Prabhupāda: So Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa, is encouraging, kśūdraṁ hṛdaya-daurbalyam. "For a kṣatriya to speak like that, 'No no, I cannot kill my kinsmen. I am giving my weapons,' this is weakness, cowardice. Why you are all this nonsense doing?" Kśūdraṁ hṛdaya-daurbalyam. "This kind of compassion, giving up your duty as a kṣatriya, it is simply weakness of the heart. It has no meaning." Klaibyaṁ ma sma gamaḥ pārtha naitat tvayy upapadyate. "Especially for you. You are My friend. What people will say? So give up this weakness of the heart and uttiṣṭha, stand up, take courage." So just see how Kṛṣṇa is inducing Arjuna to fight. People are very much ignorant and they sometimes criticize that "Kṛṣṇa is exciting Arjuna. He is very gentleman, nonviolent, and Kṛṣṇa is exciting him to fight." This is called jaḍa-darśana. Jaḍa-darśana. Jaḍa-darśana means material vision. Therefore śāstra says, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). Śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi. We become in touch with Kṛṣṇa by chanting His name, Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is the beginning of our connection with Kṛṣṇa. Nāmādi. So śāstra says, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi. Ādi means beginning.

Lecture on BG 2.3 -- London, August 4, 1973:

Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). He is the supreme controller. He does not require anyone's instruction. Whatever He does, it is perfect. This is Kṛṣṇa understanding. And not that I have to study Kṛṣṇa in my own way. Kṛṣṇa is not subjected to your examination or your test. He is above all. He is transcendent. Therefore those who have not the transcendental vision, they misunderstand Kṛṣṇa. Here He is directly enticing,

klaibyaṁ ma sma gamaḥ pārtha
naitat tvayy upapadyate
kśūdraṁ hṛdaya-daurbalyaṁ
taktvottiṣṭha parantapa
(BG 2.3)

Parantapa is, this word, very word, is used that "You are a kṣatriya, you are king. Your business is to chastise the mischief mongers. That is your business. You cannot excuse the mischief monger." Formerly the kings were so... The king himself used to judge. A criminal was brought before the king, and if the king thought it wise, he would take his own sword, immediately cut his head. That was the duty of king. Even not many, about hundred years ago in Kashmir, the king, as soon as a thief was caught, he would be brought before the king, and if he is proved that he was a thief, he has stolen, immediately the king will cut off his hands personally, chopped off.

Lecture on BG 2.3 -- London, August 4, 1973:

Varṇāśrama, these brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, everyone had to strictly follow the rules and regulation of the particular division. A brāhmaṇa must act as a brāhmaṇa. A kṣatriya must as... Here is the... Just Kṛṣṇa says, "You are kṣatriya; why you are talking all this rascal? You must!" Naitat tvayy upapadyate (BG 2.3). "In two ways you should not do this. As a kṣatriya you should not do this, and as My friend, you should not do this. This is your weakness." So this is Vedic civilization. Fight for the kṣatriya. A brāhmaṇa is not going to fight. Brāhmaṇa is satyaḥ śamo damaḥ, he is practicing how to become peaceful, how to become clean, how to control the senses, how to control the mind, how to become simple, how to become full cognizant of the Vedic literature, how to apply practically in life, how to become firmly fixed up in conviction. These are brāhmaṇas'.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: One translation of every verse, go on, read.

Hari-śauri: "The Supreme Person Bhagavān said: My dear Arjuna, how have these impurities come upon you? They are not at all befitting a man who knows the progressive values of life. They do not lead to higher planets, but to infamy. O son of Pṛthā, do not yield to this degrading impotence. It does not become you. Give up such petty weakness of heart and arise, O chastiser of the enemy. Arjuna said: O killer of Madhu, Kṛṣṇa, how can I counteract with arrows in battle men like Bhīṣma and Droṇa who are worthy of my worship? It is better to live in this world by begging than to live at the cost of the lives of great souls who are my teachers. Even though they are avaricious, they are nonetheless superiors. If they are killed, our spoils will be tainted with blood. Nor do we know which is better, conquering them or being conquered by them. The sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, whom if we killed we should not care to live, are now standing before us on this battlefield. Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am your disciple and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me. I can find no means to drive away this grief which is drying up my senses. I will not be able to destroy it even if I win an unrivalled kingdom on the earth with sovereignty like that of the demigods in heaven. Sañjaya said: Having thus spoken, Arjuna the chastiser of the enemies told Kṛṣṇa, Govinda, I shall not fight, and fell silent. O descendant of Bhārata, at that time, Kṛṣṇa, smiling in the midst of both the armies spoke the following words to the griefstricken Arjuna."

Prabhupāda: So he has said already that "I do not find any other means to pacify me, and You are the only..." The purport is that Arjuna is accepting Kṛṣṇa as guru to instruct him how to get relief from the perplexed position. So in this sense the real guru is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is guru. Not only for Arjuna, for everyone. So if we take instruction from Kṛṣṇa and abide by that order, instruction, then our life is successful. That is our mission. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means accept Kṛṣṇa as guru. We don't say... Don't divert your attention. We don't say that "I am Kṛṣṇa." We never say that.

Page Title:BG 02.03 klaibyam ma sma gamah partha... cited
Compiler:MadhuGopaldas, Visnu Murti
Created:21 of Feb, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=1, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=9, Con=1, Let=0
No. of Quotes:11