Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2, Verse 31

Chapter 2 – Sankhya Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

स्वधर्ममपि चावेक्ष्य न विकम्पितुमर्हसि ।
धर्म्याद्धि युद्धाच्छ्रेयोऽन्यत्क्षत्रियस्य न विद्यते ॥

Transliteration

svadharmamapi cāvekṣya na vikampitumarhasi .
dharmyāddhi yuddhācchreyo.anyatkṣatriyasya na vidyate ॥

Meaning

Moreover, considering your own duty, you should not waver; for to a kshatriya there is nothing better than a righteous war.

Word meanings

स्वधर्मम् – one's own duty
अपि च – also, moreover
अवेक्ष्य – considering
न – not
विकम्पितुम् – to waver, to tremble
अर्हसि – you ought
धर्म्यात् – than a righteous
हि – for
युद्धात् – war
श्रेयः – better, more beneficial
अन्यत् – other
क्षत्रियस्य – for a kshatriya
न विद्यते – there is not

Anvaya (word order)

स्वधर्मम् अपि च अवेक्ष्य (त्वं) विकम्पितुं न अर्हसि । हि क्षत्रियस्य धर्म्यात् युद्धात् अन्यत् श्रेयः न विद्यते ।

Explanation

Having given the philosophical teaching on the immortality of the Self, Krishna now turns to a second, more practical standpoint — that of svadharma, one's own duty. Even if you have not fully grasped the heights of Self-knowledge, He says, considering your duty alone you should not waver.

Svadharma means a person's own duty, shaped by their nature, abilities and role in life. Arjuna is a kshatriya, whose dharma is to protect against injustice and to fight for the establishment of righteousness. Shankara notes that for a kshatriya, war in defence of dharma is as sacred a duty as study and sacrifice are for a brahmana.

‘Dharmyad dhi yuddhat’ — a righteous war — is a crucial qualification. Not every war is righteous. This one is, because the Pandavas exhausted every means of peace — even asking for no more than five villages — while the Kauravas clung to injustice and made war inevitable. To take part in such a war is not adharma but dharma.

The verse awakens every person to their own duty. For a doctor it is caring for patients, for a teacher it is teaching, for a soldier it is defending the nation. When we retreat from our rightful duty for emotional reasons, we wrong both ourselves and society.

Context

Up to 2.30 Krishna ruled out grief from the standpoint of Self-knowledge. From here (2.31–2.38) He urges Arjuna to fight from the standpoint of duty, honour and social responsibility. In the next verse (2.32) He calls this war an open door to heaven.

Life lesson

Recognise your rightful duty and do not let emotional dilemmas make you waver from it. Fulfilling your role in life faithfully is your highest dharma.

Key terms

Svadharma: one's own duty according to one's nature and station
Dharmya yuddha: a war fought to protect justice and righteousness
Kshatriya: the protector class, whose duty is defence and justice