Verse 2.32

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.32:

यदृच्छया चोपपन्नं स्वर्ग-द्वारम् अपावृतम् ।
सुखिनः क्षत्रियाः पार्थ लभन्ते युद्धम् ईदृशम् ॥ ३२ ॥

yadṛcchayā copapannaṃ svarga-dvāram apāvṛtam |
sukhinaḥ kṣatriyāḥ pārtha labhante yuddham īdṛśam || 32 ||

yadṛcchayā–of its own accord; ca–and; upapannam–arrived; svarga–to the higher planets; dvāram–door; apāvṛtam–is a wide open; sukhinaḥ–fortunate; kṣatriyāḥ–members of the military or reigning order; pārtha–O Pārtha (Arjuna); labhante–achieve; yuddham–a battle; īdṛśam–like this.

O Pārtha, fortunate are those kṣatriyas for whom such an opportunity to fight comes of its own accord. It is just like a wide open door to the heavenly planets.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

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

Śrī Bhagavān says, “In a religious battle, those who are killed by the conquerors attain more happiness than those who kill them. Therefore, to give more pleasure to Bhīṣma and others than to yourself, you should kill them.” To support this statement, Śrī Bhagavān is speaking the present verse, beginning with the word yadṛcchayā. Yadṛcchayā means ‘to attain the heavenly planets without performing pious activities, or karma-yoga’. Apāvṛtam means ‘uncovered’ or ‘unveiled’. In this case it refers to the celestial kingdom, which is unveiled for the fortunate kṣatriya who dies in battle.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

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

In the Gītā (1.36) Arjuna asked, “O Mādhava, what happiness will come from killing our friends and relatives?” In answer to this, Śrī Bhagavān is instructing Arjuna that a kṣatriya’s religious duty is to fight in battle, which is an open door to the heavenly planets (Svarga). “If you win this battle, you will attain great fame and the pleasure of a kingdom. On the other hand, because this is a battle for justice, if you die, you will definitely attain Svarga. Even the aggressors and those fighting on the side of irreligion will attain Svarga if they are killed in this battle.”

The Smṛtis state,

āhaveṣu mitho’nyonyaṃ jighāṃsanto mahī-kṣitaḥ
yuddhamānāḥ paraṃ śaktyā svargaṃ yānty aparāṅ-mukhāḥ

When kṣatriya kings fight one another with great power in battle, without turning their backs, they will certainly enter the heavenly kingdom (at death).

Śrī Kṛṣṇa is telling Arjuna, “Therefore, it is not proper for you to become averse to this battle, which will be fought for the sake of justice.”