Bhagavad-gītā 2.31
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
स्वधर्ममपि चावेक्ष्य न विकम्पितुमर्हसि। धर्म्याद्धि युद्धाछ्रेयोऽन्यत्क्षत्रियस्य न विद्यते।।2.31।।
swa-dharmam api chāvekṣhya na vikampitum arhasi dharmyāddhi yuddhāch chhreyo ’nyat kṣhatriyasya na vidyate
Looking at thine own Dharma, also, thou oughtest not to waver, for there is nothing higher for a Kshatriya than a righteous war.
English rendering by Swami Swarupananda. Public domain first edition, 1909.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| swa-dharmam | one’s duty in accordance with the Vedas |
| api | also |
| cha | and |
| avekṣhya | considering |
| na | not |
| vikampitum | to waver |
| arhasi | should |
| dharmyāt | for righteousness |
| hi | indeed |
| yuddhāt | than fighting |
| śhreyaḥ | better |
| anyat | another |
| kṣhatriyasya | of a warrior |
| na | not |
| vidyate | exists |
Read the Sanskrit as a connected thought built from swa-dharmam (one’s duty in accordance with the Vedas), dharmyāt (for righteousness), and vidyate (exists). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to the enduring self and steady wisdom. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 2.31.
Original school explanation. Written independently from the Sanskrit word map. It is not a quotation, translation, or summary of a named modern commentary. Chapter lens: Trace the movement from grief through self, duty, disciplined action and the description of steady intelligence.
Five careful reading routes
The cards below are reading references, not claims about what an acharya says in this verse. Modern wording stays inside authorized editions. Classical commentary will appear only after an independent translation has passed scholarly and rights review.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
Looking at thine own Dharma, also, thou oughtest not to waver, for there is nothing higher for a Kshatriya than a righteous war
- 2
swa-dharmam: one’s duty in accordance with the Vedas
- 3
dharmyāt: for righteousness
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Cover
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 2.31, consult the authorized BBT edition. No purport, translation, or author-attributed summary is reproduced here.
Find the authorized editionBhaktivinoda Thakura
Rasika-ranjanaA verified independent rendering for Bhagavad-gita 2.31 has not yet passed scholarly and rights review. Modern translations are not copied here.
Independent rendering pending reviewBaladeva Vidyabhushana
Gita-bhushana-bhashyaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 2.31 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewVishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
Sarartha-varshini-tikaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 2.31 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 2.31, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
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