Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2, Verse 36

Chapter 2 – Sankhya Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

अवाच्यवादांश्च बहून्वदिष्यन्ति तवाहिताः ।
निन्दन्तस्तव सामर्थ्यं ततो दुःखतरं नु किम् ॥

Transliteration

avācyavādāṃśca bahūnvadiṣyanti tavāhitāḥ .
nindantastava sāmarthyaṃ tato duḥkhataraṃ nu kim ॥

Meaning

Your enemies will say many unspeakable things about you, belittling your prowess. What could be more painful than that?

Word meanings

अवाच्यवादान् – unspeakable words, insults
च – and
बहून् – many
वदिष्यन्ति – will speak
तव – your
अहिताः – enemies, ill-wishers
निन्दन्तः – belittling, deriding
तव – your
सामर्थ्यम् – prowess, ability
ततः – than that
दुःखतरम् – more painful
नु – indeed
किम् – what

Anvaya (word order)

तव अहिताः च तव सामर्थ्यं निन्दन्तः बहून् अवाच्यवादान् वदिष्यन्ति । ततः दुःखतरं किं नु ?

Explanation

This is the last and sharpest picture in the passage on dishonour. Not only will the honourable think little of you, Krishna says; your enemies will openly mock you. They will utter ‘avachya-vada’, things not fit to be spoken.

Above all they will deride your ‘samarthya’, your strength and prowess. The Gandiva bow and the archery Arjuna was proud of, with which he triumphed at Draupadi's svayamvara, in the Virata campaign and on many other occasions — this very skill will be taunted by the likes of Duryodhana and Karna as hollow.

‘Tato duhkhataram nu kim’ — what could be more painful than that? The question touches Arjuna's self-respect directly. For a hero, being ridiculed by the enemy hurts far more than any bodily wound.

Note that Krishna is not inflaming Arjuna's ego but awakening his self-respect. A person sunk in delusion forgets his true identity; reminding him who he is and what he is capable of is one way of helping him stand again.

Context

In 2.35 Krishna said the great warriors would think Arjuna afraid. Here He describes the insulting slander of his enemies. In the next verse (2.37) He shows that both outcomes of battle — death or victory — are to Arjuna's advantage.

Life lesson

When we fail to use our abilities rightly, we give others the chance to call us weak. Use your talents and strength at the right time and for the right purpose.

Key terms

Avachya-vada: words unfit to be spoken, insults
Ahita: enemy, ill-wisher
Samarthya: strength, capability, prowess