FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 2.36

అవాచ్యవాదాంశ్చ బహూన్వదిష్యన్తి తవాహితాః । నిన్దన్తస్తవ సామర్థ్య తతో దుఃఖతరం ను కిమ్ ॥ ౩౬ ॥
avācya-vādāṁś ca bahūn
[avaachya-vaadaamsh cha bahoon]
vadiṣyanti tavāhitāḥ
[vadishyanti tavaahitaah]
nindantas tava sāmarthyaṁ
[nindantas tava saamarthyam]
tato duḥkha-taraṁ nu kim
[tato duhkha-taram nu kim]
Word-for-word
avācya — unkind vādān — fabricated words ca — also bahūn — many vadiṣyanti — will say tava — your ahitāḥ — enemies nindantaḥ — while vilifying tava — your sāmarthyam — ability tataḥ — than that duḥkha - taram — more painful nu — of course kim — what is there .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
avācya-vādāṁś ca bahūn
avācya
unkind
vādān
fabricated words
ca
also
bahūn
many
vadiṣyanti tavāhitāḥ
vadiṣyanti
will say
tava
your
ahitāḥ
enemies
nindantas tava sāmarthyaṁ
nindantaḥ
while vilifying
tava
your
sāmarthyam
ability
tato duḥkha-taraṁ nu kim
tataḥ
than that
duḥkha - taram
more painful
nu
of course
kim
what is there .
Important Words
  • avācya - vādān — unspeakable words
    Compound — *words that should not be spoken*. The enemies will speak what should not be spoken. The defeat is not just military but linguistic — slander unanchored by truth.
  • ahitāḥ — ill-wishers
    A + hita — not wishers of good. Plural. The speakers are precisely those who wish you harm — they will not be fair, and their words will land in many ears.
  • nindantaḥ — blaming, reviling
    Present participle of √nind. The action is continuous — *while reviling*. The verse marks duration: this will not be a one-time taunt but a sustained smear campaign.
  • sāmarthyam — ability, power
    From sam-artha — equal-to-the-purpose, capable. Arjuna's sāmarthya — his renowned skill — will itself be mocked. The defeat reaches the very identity he is built on.
  • duḥkha - taram — more painful
    Comparative of duḥkha. Kṛṣṇa asks: *what is more painful than this?* The rhetorical comparative drives home that the cost of retreat exceeds the cost of fighting.
Your enemies will describe you in many unkind words and scorn your ability. What could be more painful for you?
Purport

Lord Kṛṣṇa was astonished in the beginning at Arjuna’s uncalled-for plea for compassion, and He described his compassion as befitting the non-Āryans. Now in so many words, He has proved His statements against Arjuna’s so-called compassion.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
36. They will speak many unspeakable words about you, criticizing your abilities. What could be more painful?
Commentary

They will speak of you in ill terms (avācya-vādān) such as “coward.”

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
36. They will speak many unspeakable words about you, criticizing your abilities. What could more painful?
Commentary

Moreover, your enemies (ahitāḥ), the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, will criticize your previously recognized bravery and call you many displeasing words like “barren sesame seed.” (useless person) What extreme pain you will receive from hearing such displeasing words. Thus, these six verses have shown that avoiding the war will bring about infamy and loss of svarga.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

Krsna continues: "The result of your so‑called compassion O Arjuna is going to be only infamy! Your compassion which is one of your main arguments, you don't want to hurt anyone, and you don't want to cause familly troubles, friends, worshipable superiors troubles, your compassion is going to be understood simply to be weakness and the result will be simply infamy!" Not only that, his second reason, about do not be able to enjoy the kingdom, if the kingdom is won at the coast of the lives of the familly members ‑ Krsna is going to deal with that in the last verses in a great reversal of logic:

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

COMMON THEME: Happiness comes from prescribed duty – By performing prescribed duty one gains

material enjoyment

Benefits of Fighting (which is the prescribed duty in this case) (2.31 – 2.32)
Refutes Arjuna’s arguments of “Loss of Enjoyment” as mentioned in Texts 1.31 – 1.35
Fighting gives ‘real enjoyment’ in all ways
“If you win” – You get an unrivaled kingdom on earth
“If you lose” – You go to the heavenly planets
Losses by avoiding the prescribed duty of fighting – (2.33 – 2.37)
Refutes Arjuna’s arguments of “Fear of Sinful Reactions” as mentioned in (1.36)
3 losses are described:
Sin and infamy – Not fighting and avoiding the prescribed duties will be the real sin and cause of infamy (2.33). e.g. Loss of fame which was gained by: (3 examples quoted)

▪ Fight with Lord Shiva – Lord Shiva gave him ‘Pasupata-astra’

▪ Credits from Dronacarya and

▪ Credits from Lord Indra – His adopted father

Dishonor – “For a respectable person dishonor is worse is death” (2.34)
Ridicule – “Your enemies will laugh at you, saying that you ran away” (2.35 – 2.36)

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF SECTION III

Material happiness comes from proper execution

of one’s dharma. Neglect of dharma means material downfall

Focus of Learning

(a) Purport to this verse summarizes all the verses in the ‘Jnana’ section (2.11 – 2.30) in four points:

Identity of living entity – Living entity is an immutable spirit soul
Soul vs Body – Soul is immortal and body is temporary
Immortality does not encourage whimsical violence
Justified violence – Violence must be justified in terms of sanction of the Lord and not capriciously

(b) Practical application for Arjuna

As a ksatriya he should not abandon his prescribed duties out of fear that his grandfather and teacher will die in the battle

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 2.37 & 2.38: Krishna’s arguments give here are meant to inspire Arjuna to fight.

They are a particular set of instructions that address material enjoyment (based upon identifying oneself

with one’s body) as the motivating force behind Arjuna’s performance of duty. Krishna ends this section in the

next verse and then takes the discussion (in Text 2.39) to the higher level of working in knowledge

(a) Ksatriya – This is the second of the four social orders. It is meant for good administration

(b) Literal meaning of Ksatriya (2.31 purport) – One who gives protection from harm

(‘ksat’ – hurt / ‘trayate’ – give protection)

(c) Duty of Ksatriya – Ref. Parasara Smriti explains the duty of ksatriya (2.32 purport)

To protect citizens from all difficulties
Apply violence for law and order
Conquer inimical kings
Rule the world according to religious principles
Ksatriyas are never meant for directly accepting the order of sannyasa
Non-violence in politics may be diplomacy, but it is never a factor or principle

(d) Training of a Ksatriya (2.31 purport)

Trained for challenging and killing because religious violence is a necessary factor
How they are trained – Would go to forest, challenge tiger face to face with a sword and offer tiger for royal order of cremation

(e) Ref. Religious law books on ‘violence’ (2.31 purport) – The following are not acts of violence:

Sacrificial animal killing by brahmanas – Animal immediately gets a human body without evolutionary cycle / Brahmana gets heavenly planets
Ksatriyas fighting on religious principles – Get heavenly planets if killed

(f) Result of avoidance of duty by Ksatriyas

Infamy (2.31 purport)
Sinful Reaction – Hellish planets

(g) Fighting benefits both ways (2.32 purport) – Win or Lose – (Refer to main theme above)

(h) Two types of ‘Sva-dharmas’ (Specific duties) – ‘Material’ and ‘spiritual’

Spiritual ‘sva-dharma’ – Attained after liberation
Material ‘sva-dharma’ (Varnashrama-dharma)
Definition – Duties which are performed in accordance with the religious principles, according to particular body, to gradually achieve liberation
Must for humanity

▪ Human civilization begins at this point

▪ As long as one is not liberated, these duties are very important to perform

Ordained by the Lord (Clarified further in Bg. Chapter 4)

▪ They are unavoidable (Man’s stepping stone for spiritual understanding)

Benefit – If done in accordance with higher authorities, it elevates one to higher states of life

PLEASE NOTE: The remaining points of these purports are covered under the Common Theme above

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
2.36 Ca, and besieds; tava, your; ahitah, enemies; vadisyanti, will speak; bahun, many, various kinds of; avacya-vadan, indecent words, unutterable words; nindantah, while denigrating, scorning; tava, your; samarthyam, might earned from battles against Nivatakavaca and others. Therefore, kim nu, what can be; duhkhataram, more painful; tatah, than that, than the sorrow arising from being scorned? That is to say, there is no greater pain than it.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
2.36 Moreover, your enemies, the sons of Dhrtarastra, will make many remarks unutterably slanderous and disparaging to heroes, saying, 'How can this Partha stand in the presence of us, who are heroes, even for a moment? His prowess is elsewhere than in our presence.' Can there be anything more painful to you than this? You yourself will understand that death is preferable to subjection to disparagement of this kind. Sri Krsna now says that for a hero, enemies being slain by oneself and oneself being slain by enemies are both conducive to supreme bliss.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
2.36 See Comment under 2.37
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
2.36 Thy enemies also, cavilling at thy power, will speak many abusive words. What is more painful than this?
Commentary

2.36 अवाच्यवादान् words that are improper to be spoken? च and? बहून् many? वदिष्यन्ति will say? तव thy? अहिताः enemies? निन्दन्तः cavilling? तव thy? सामर्थ्यम् power? ततः than this? दुःखतरम् more painful? नु indeed? किम् what.Commentary There is really no pain more unbearable and tormenting that that of slander thus incurred.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
2.36 And your enemies will speak many indecent words while denigrating your might. What can be more painful than that?
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
2.36 Thine enemies will spread scandal and mock at thy courage. Can anything be more humiliating?
Related values & verses
Related values
Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Arjava (Simplicity / Straightforwardness)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 2.34 BG 2.35 BG 16.4 SB 9.10.27 SB 10.45.43 SB 10.59.20 CC Madhya 17.183 CC Antya 3.213 CC Antya 4.32 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.1.5BRS 1.2.221
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Your enemies will speak unspeakable words about you — the avoidance of duty does not buy peace, it buys ridicule.
Practical Applications
  • Stop trying to buy off opposition by surrendering ground; it only invites more contempt.
  • Honor your duty more than your reputation; reputation often follows duty anyway.
  • Practice equanimity toward both praise and contempt.
Reflection Questions
  • What ridicule am I avoiding by sacrificing dharma?
  • How would my self-respect change if I stood firm despite the words?
Analogy

A king reduced before his enemies hears his strength insulted in their mouths — a wound the body could not give. The tongues of foes can cut what arrows cannot reach. For Arjuna, whose sāmarthya has been famous through the three worlds, this would be the heaviest blow.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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