क्लैब्यं मा स्म गमः पार्थ नैतत्त्वय्युपपद्यते। क्षुद्रं हृदयदौर्बल्यं त्यक्त्वोत्तिष्ठ परन्तप।।2.3।।
klaibyam mā sma gamaḥ pārtha na etat tvayi upapadyate kṣudram hṛdaya daurbalyam tyaktvā uttiṣṭha paramtapa
Translation
O Partha, it does not befit you to yield to this unmanliness. Give up such petty weakness of heart and arise, O vanquisher of enemies.
Word Meanings
klaibyam — impotence; mā sma — do not; gamaḥ — take to; pārtha — O son of Pṛthā; na — never; etat — this; tvayi — unto you; upapadyate — is befitting; kṣudram — petty; hṛdaya — of the heart; daurbalyam — weakness; tyaktvā — giving up; uttiṣṭha — get up; param‑tapa — O chastiser of the enemies.
Understanding the Verse
In this early moment of the second chapter, Arjuna is still paralyzed by grief and doubt on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Krishna, observing his disciple’s despair, addresses him not merely as a warrior but as "Partha", the son of Pritha, invoking his noble lineage and the responsibility that comes with it. The verse is a sharp rebuke to Arjuna’s self‑pity, calling his state "klaibyam" – a term that connotes not just physical impotence but a spiritual and moral paralysis that prevents one from performing one's dharma.
The Sanskrit words are carefully chosen: "klaibyam" (impotence) conveys the loss of vigor; "mā sma" (do not) is a prohibitive imperative; "gamaḥ" (take to) indicates the direction of action. By stating "na etat tvayi upapadyate", Krishna tells Arjuna that such weakness is incongruent with his nature. The following description – "kṣudram hṛdaya daurbalyam" – emphasizes that the weakness is petty, rooted in the heart, and therefore easily removable. The command "tyaktvā uttiṣṭha" (abandon and arise) is a call to shed the emotional shackles and stand up, as befits a "param‑tapa" (the one who chastises enemies), reminding Arjuna of his warrior identity.
This exhortation serves multiple purposes. First, it reorients Arjuna from a position of surrender to one of action, aligning his mind with the principle of "nishkama karma" – action without attachment to results. Second, it underscores the Gita's central theme that true strength is not the absence of fear but the capacity to act despite it. By labeling the fear as "kṣudra" (petty), Krishna diminishes its significance and gifts Arjuna a perspective that the battlefield is a stage for the soul’s evolution rather than a mere physical conflict.
Furthermore, the verse establishes the philosophical foundation for the rest of the discourse: the necessity of performing one's prescribed duty (svadharma) with equanimity. Krishna’s urging to "rise" is not a mere motivational speech; it is an invitation to transcend the dualities of pleasure and pain, success and failure. In the larger context of yoga, this moment marks the transition from renunciation (sannyasa) to disciplined action (karma yoga), teaching that surrender to the divine will is manifested through steadfast, righteous deeds.
In contemporary life, the message resonates with anyone confronting moral dilemmas or feeling immobilized by anxiety. The advice to discard "petty heart‑weakness" and to rise aligns with modern psychological strategies that encourage confronting fear, reframing limiting beliefs, and taking purposeful steps forward. The verse reminds us that true courage is cultivated by acknowledging our vulnerabilities, yet refusing to be defined by them, thereby transforming personal conflict into an arena for spiritual growth.
