2.33 You take on the wrong instead Krishna speaks
अथ चैत्त्वमिमं धर्म्यं संग्रामं न करिष्यसि
ततः स्वधर्मं कीर्तिं च हित्वा पापमवाप्स्यसि
atha chet tvam imaṁ dharmyaṁ saṅgrāmaṁ na kariṣhyasi
tataḥ sva-dharmaṁ kīrtiṁ cha hitvā pāpam avāpsyasi
But if you will not fight this rightful battle, you abandon your own duty and your good name, and you take on the wrong instead.
Explanation
You take on the wrong instead.
Refusing the rightful battle abandons duty and good name — and takes on the wrongdoing.
Which answers 1.36 directly. Arjuna argued that fighting would leave a stain; here the stain is attached to not fighting, and neither claim is demonstrated.
Word by word
- atha chet
- if, however
- tvam
- you
- imam
- this
- dharmyam saṅgrāmam
- righteous war
- na
- not
- kariṣhyasi
- act
- tataḥ
- then
- sva-dharmam
- one’s duty in accordance with the Vedas
- kīrtim
- reputation
- cha
- and
- hitvā
- abandoning
- pāpam
- sin
- avāpsyasi
- will incur
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