Verse 2.3

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.3:

क्लैब्यं मा स्म गमः पार्थ नैतत् त्वय्य् उपपद्यते |
क्षुद्रं हृदय-दौर्बल्यं त्यक्त्वोत्तिष्ठ परन्तप ॥ ३ ॥

klaibyaṃ mā sma gamaḥ pārtha naitat tvayy upapadyate |
kṣudraṃ hṛdaya-daurbalyaṃ tyaktvottiṣṭha parantapa || 3 ||

klaibyam–impotency; mā sma gamaḥ–do not take to; pārtha–O Pārtha, son of Pṛthā, or Kuntī; na–not; etat–this; tvayi–unto you; upapadyate–appropriate; kṣudram–petty; hṛdaya–of heart; daurbalyam–weakness; tyaktvā–giving up; uttiṣṭha–arise; parantapa–O chastiser of the enemy.

O Pārtha, do not behave like a eunuch. It does not befit you. Abandon this petty weakness of heart, O chastiser of the foe, and arise to do battle.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

Here the word klaibyam means ‘impotence in the form of timidity in performance of one’s dharmika duty’. Kṛṣṇa is saying, “O Pārtha, although you are the son of Pṛthā, you are being a coward.” Śrī Bhagavān thus uses the words mā-smagamaḥ–do not be a coward. He is saying, “Such impotence befits a kṣatriya of the lowest order, but you are My friend;therefore, in no way does it befit you. You, Arjuna, may say, ‘O Kṛṣṇa, do not doubt me, thinking that I lack courage. I am enthusiastic to fight. Rather, please understand that from a religious point of view, my decision to not fight is a sign of discretion, to show respect to my gurus such as Bhīṣma and Droṇa; and it is a symptom of my compassion for the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, who are weak and about to die from the wounds caused by my weapons.’ My answer to this is kṣudram–this is not discrimination and compassion but rather, lamentation and delusion. Both reveal weakness of mind. Therefore, O Parantapa, abandon this weakness of heart, and stand up and fight.” Para refers to enemies and tāpa to causing pain.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named Sārārtha-varṣiṇī)

Śrī Bhagavān said, “For kṣatriyas who are brave and situated in their prescribed religious duty, to be cowardly in battle is not befitting or glorious. Having been born of Pṛthā from a portion of Indra, the king of the demigods, you are as brilliant and powerful as he. Besides this, since I am mahā-maheśvara, the Supreme Controller, and you are My friend, you are very influential. Therefore, such cowardice does not become you. If you claim that such behaviour is not cowardice, but wisdom and compassion, then I say this is not so. It is not wisdom and compassion; it is lamentation and delusion born from weakness of mind. Wisdom and compassion do not give rise to delusion. From your previous statement, na ca śaknomy avasthātuṃ bhramatīva ca me manaḥ (Gītā 1.30), it is clear that your mind is becoming deluded.”

It is appropriate to mention here that once, being greatly pleased by the service of Kuntī, the sage Durvāsā gave her a boon in the form of a mantra by which she could summon any demigod to appear before her and fulfil her desires. On the order of Mahārāja Pāṇḍu, Kuntī chanted that mantra to call Yamarāja, the god of religion; Vāyu, the wind-god; and Indra, the lord of all demigods. As a result, Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīma and Arjuna, respectively, were born. Through the twin Aśvinī-kumāras, Pāṇḍu’s second wife Mādrī gave birth to Nakula and Sahadeva.