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Bhagavad-gītā 1.45

यदि मामप्रतीकारमशस्त्रं शस्त्रपाणयः । धार्तराष्ट्रा रणे हन्युस्तन्मे क्षेमतरं भवेत् ॥ ४५ ॥
yadi mām apratīkāram
[yadi maam aprateekaaram]
aśastraṁ śastra-pāṇayaḥ
[ashastram shastra-paanayah]
dhārtarāṣṭrā raṇe hanyus
[dhaartaraashtraa rane hanyus]
tan me kṣema-taraṁ bhavet
[tan me kshema-taram bhavet]
Word-for-word
yadi — even if mām — me apratīkāram — without being resistant aśastram — without being fully equipped śastra - pāṇayaḥ — those with weapons in hand dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ — the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra raṇe — on the battlefield hanyuḥ — may kill tat — that me — for me kṣema - taram — better bhavet — would be .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yadi mām apratīkāram
yadi
even if
mām
me
apratīkāram
without being resistant
aśastraṁ śastra-pāṇayaḥ
aśastram
without being fully equipped
śastra - pāṇayaḥ
those with weapons in hand
dhārtarāṣṭrā raṇe hanyus
dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ
the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra
raṇe
on the battlefield
hanyuḥ
may kill
tan me kṣema-taraṁ bhavet
tat
that
me
for me
kṣema - taram
better
bhavet
would be .
Important Words
  • apratīkāram — without being resistant
    *A-* (negation) + *prati-kṛ* (to act against, to oppose). "Non-resisting." The same syntactic logic as *ahiṁsā* (non-injury). Arjuna proposes *apratīkāra* as his stance — but the Gītā will distinguish *non-resistance under provocation* (a virtue in śānti circumstances) from *non-resistance in defence of dharma* (a vice, here).
  • aśastram — without being fully equipped
    *A-* + *śastra* (weapon). "Weaponless." Arjuna is proposing the classical ascetic / Jain image: to stand unarmed before the armed. A noble image when the path is *sannyāsa*; an evasion when the path is *kṣatriya-dharma*. The Gītā will later teach that one's *svadharma*, even if bloody, is superior to another's *paradharma*, even if peaceful (BG 3.35).
  • śastra - pāṇayaḥ — those with weapons in hand
    *Śastra* + *pāṇi* (hand) — "weapon-handed." Bahuvrīhi compound. Arjuna stages a tableau: he, weaponless; they, weapon-handed. The image is morally tilted by its very framing. The Gītā will reframe: he is not weaponless either — he has Gāṇḍīva *and* Kṛṣṇa as charioteer. Refusing the weapon is its own kind of pride.
  • kṣema - taram — better
    *Kṣema* — welfare, peace, security. Same root as in *yoga-kṣema* (BG 9.22: "I provide and preserve"). *Kṣema-tara* — comparative — *more peaceful*. Arjuna says his death would be *more conducive to welfare*. The Gītā will eventually take this very word and place it inside Kṛṣṇa's promise — *I* carry the *yoga-kṣema* of the devotee. Self-sacrificed *kṣema* is a poor substitute for surrendered *kṣema*.
Better for me if the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, weapons in hand, were to kill me unarmed and unresisting on the battlefield.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Arjuna reaches the bottom of his despair: better to be killed by armed Kauravas while standing unarmed and unresisting, than to kill them and live with it. The hypothetical is total self-abdication — and in martial terms, total dishonor.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Kṣemataram is the comparative of kṣema ('safety, well-being'): the suffix -tara names a relative preference. Three bahuvrīhis pile up: apratīkāram, aśastram, śastra-pāṇayaḥ — describing Arjuna as 'with no counter-action, weaponless' and the Kauravas as 'weapons-in-hand.' The verse completes Arjuna's downward arc; the next verse (1.46) describes his physical collapse on the chariot, closing Chapter 1.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
यदि शस्त्र-पाणयः धार्तराष्ट्राः रणे अप्रतीकारम् अशस्त्रं मां हन्युः — तत् मे क्षेमतरं भवेत् ।
yadi śastra-pāṇayaḥ dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ raṇe apratīkāram aśastraṃ māṃ hanyuḥ — tat me kṣemataraṃ bhavet |
If the weapon-handed sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra were to kill me, unresisting and unarmed, in battle — that would be better for me.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
यदि माम् अप्रतीकारम् अशस्त्रं शस्त्र-पाणयः । धार्तराष्ट्राः रणे हन्युः तत् मे क्षेमतरं भवेत् ॥
yadi mām apratīkāram aśastraṃ śastra-pāṇayaḥ | dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ raṇe hanyuḥ tat me kṣemataraṃ bhavet ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
यदि yadi ind. (indeclinable) if
माम् mām अस्मद् acc.sg. (accusative singular) me
अप्रतीकारम् apratīkāram अ-प्रतीकार (m.→adj.) acc.sg. (accusative singular)m., bahuvrīhi cpd. (compound) without resistance
अशस्त्रम् aśastram अ-शस्त्र (n.→adj.) acc.sg. (accusative singular)m., bahuvrīhi cpd. (compound) unarmed
शस्त्र-पाणयः śastra-pāṇayaḥ शस्त्र (n.) + पाणि (m.) nom.pl. (nominative plural)m., bahuvrīhi cpd. (compound) weapons-in-hand
धार्तराष्ट्राः dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ धार्तराष्ट्र (m.) nom.pl. (nominative plural) sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra
रणे raṇe रण (m.) loc.sg. (locative singular) in battle
हन्युः hanyuḥ √हन् opt. (optative) 3pl.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) may they kill
तत् tat तद् dem. (demonstrative) pron. (pronoun) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. that
मे me अस्मद् gen.sg. (genitive singular) enclitic for me
क्षेमतरम् kṣemataram क्षेमतर (compar. (comparative)) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. better, safer
भवेत् bhavet √भू opt. (optative) 3sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) would be
Purport

It is the custom – according to kṣatriya fighting principles – that an unarmed and unwilling foe should not be attacked. Arjuna, however, decided that even if attacked by the enemy in such an awkward position, he would not fight. He did not consider how much the other party was bent upon fighting. All these symptoms are due to soft-heartedness resulting from his being a great devotee of the Lord.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
45. It would be better for me if the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, weapons in hand, were to kill me without weapons and without opposition.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
45. It would be better for me if the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, weapons in hand, were to kill me without weapons and without opposition.
Commentary

“Even if you are disinclined to fight, Bhīṣma and others are inclined to fight and will kill you. So what is to be done?” “Not opposing them will be my prāyaścitta for the sin of thinking of killing relatives. This is most beneficial (kṣemataram), removing sin just by this prāyaścitta at the end of life (when they kill me.) And Bhīsma and others will also not incur sin by killing me in this manner.”

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Translation
Better for me if the sons of Dhrtarastra, weapons in hand, were to kill me unarmed and unresisting on the battlefield. (cn/DS) To beg, for a ksatriya, is not part of his culture. And Arjuna is saying that is better for him to beg and suffer complete humiliation in this life then to have to kill all those kinsmen and then suffer all the reactions for all the sins that will make him suffer for thousands and thousands of years.
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study Key verse
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

COMMON THEME: Conclusion – Arjuna decides not to fight and casts aside his bow and arrows

PLEASE NOTE: Purports for these verses are covered in the

‘Summarised Theme 1A: Arjuna’s Saintliness revealed’ section below.

END OF CHAPTER 1 

SUMMARISED THEME 1A
ARJUNA’S SAINTLINESS REVEALED (1.28 — 1.46)

Arjuna’s saintliness is revealed by the following points:

(a) Softheartedness (1.28)

(b) Does not want to kill even for exchange of three worlds (1.35)

(c) Ready to forgive any aggressors (1.36)

(d) Considers evil consequences even at the risk of refusing obligation to fight (1.37 – 1.38)

(e) Conscious of obligations to protect family traditions and morals (1.39 – 1.44)

He does not think that: “I am transcendental and I have no obligations”
Arjuna being saintly is conscious of moral principles – How he can kill one’s relatives based on selfish motives (1.44)

(f) Ready to be killed unarmed, but not retaliate (1.45)

Custom according to Ksatriya fighting principles – unarmed and unwilling foe should not be attacked
These symptoms are due to softheartedness resulting from being a great devotee

(g) Kept his bow down (even broke his vow of not keeping the bow once lifted) (1.46)

Conclusion: Such a kind and softhearted person is fit to receive self-knowledge (1.46 purport)

Bhagavad Gita Notes

CHAPTER 1 Appendix

Selected Texts extracted from “Surrender unto Me”

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
1.45 Sri Sankaracharya did not comment on this sloka. The commentary starts from 2.10.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
1.26 - 1.47 Arjuna said - Sanjaya said Sanjaya continued: The high-minded Arjuna, extremely kind, deeply friendly, and supremely righteous, having brothers like himself, though repeatedly deceived by the treacherous attempts of your people like burning in the lac-house etc., and therefore fit to be killed by him with the help of the Supreme Person, nevertheless said, 'I will not fight.' He felt weak, overcome as he was by his love and extreme compassion for his relatives. He was also filled with fear, not knowing what was righteous and what unrighteous. His mind was tortured by grief, because of the thought of future separation from his relations. So he threw away his bow and arrow and sat on the chariot as if to fast to death.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
1.45 Aho bata etc. We denotes one and all who were divided [into the opposite campus] by the division among the Kauravas and the Pandavas. When every one is indiscriminate, what act is proper for me, while I am endowed with the faculty to discriminate? Of course, it is proper to turn back from the battle. Yet, says [Arjuna], what is much more proper is this [see next sloka]:
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
1.45. Alas! We are involved in a great sin, in that we are prepared to kill our kinsmen, through greed for the pleasures of a kingdom.
Commentary

1.45 अहो बत alas? महत् great? पापम् sin? कर्तुम् to do? व्यवसिताः prepared? वयम् we? यत् that? राज्यसुखलोभेन by the greed of pleasure of kingdom? हन्तुम् to kill? स्वजनम् kinsmen? उद्यताः prepared.No Commentary.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
1.45 What a pity that we have resolved to commit a great sin by being eager to kill our own kith and kin, out of greed for the pleasures of a kingdom!
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
1.45 Alas, it is strange that we should be willing to kill our own countrymen and commit a great sin, in order to enjoy the pleasures of a kingdom.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 2.3 BG 2.33 BG 18.58 SB 1.7.36 SB 7.5.37 SB 11.23.58 CC Madhya 22.99 CC Madhya 22.167 CC Ādi 17.153 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.4Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.3.14
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Arjuna would rather die than violate his sentiment — but dying for sentiment is not the same as dying for dharma.
Practical Applications
  • Do not glorify renunciation that masks an unwillingness to act.
  • Test your own 'I would rather die than do that' statements — what is being protected, sentiment or dharma?
  • Ask Kṛṣṇa to remove the romance from your renunciations and leave only the substance.
Reflection Questions
  • Which of my hard lines are dharmic, and which are merely dramatic?
  • Where am I willing to be 'killed' (criticized, lose status) just to avoid doing what is right?
Analogy

"Better for me to be killed unarmed" is the rhetoric of romance, not of dharma. There is a kind of moral grandstanding in offering one's life on terms one chooses; it can look like saintly non-resistance and yet be a refusal to enter the situation one's birth has placed one in. The Gītā will treat such offers with great gentleness — and with no acceptance.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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