In Bhagavad Gita 2.3, Krishna urges Arjuna not to yield to unmanliness, to cast off his petty weakness of heart, and to stand up and act.
Sanskrit Verse
श्रीभगवानुवाच · The Blessed Lord said
क्लैब्यं मा स्म गमः पार्थ
नैतत्त्वय्युपपद्यते
क्षुद्रं हृदयदौर्बल्यं
त्यक्त्वोत्तिष्ठ परन्तप ॥ २-३ ॥
klaibyaṃ mā sma gamaḥ pārtha
naitattvayyupapadyate
kṣudraṃ hṛdayadaurbalyaṃ
tyaktvottiṣṭha parantapa
English transliteration klaibyam maa sma gamah paartha
naitattvayyupapadyate
kshudram hridayadaurbalyam
tyaktvottishtha parantapa ॥ 2.3 ॥
Translation / Meaning
Do not yield to unmanliness, O Partha; it does not befit you. Cast off this petty weakness of heart and arise, O scorcher of enemies.
Word Meanings
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| क्लैब्यम् klaibyam | unmanliness, impotence |
| मा स्म गमः mā sma gamaḥ | do not yield to |
| पार्थ pārtha | O Pārtha |
| न na | not |
| एतत् etat | this |
| त्वयि tvayi | in you |
| उपपद्यते upapadyate | is fitting |
| क्षुद्रम् kṣudram | petty, mean |
| हृदयदौर्बल्यम् hṛdayadaurbalyam | weakness of heart hṛdaya (heart) + daurbalyam (weakness) |
| त्यक्त्वा tyaktvā | casting off |
| उत्तिष्ठ uttiṣṭha | arise |
| परन्तप parantapa | O scorcher of enemies |
Word-wise Chanting
- klaib–yaṃ mā sma ga–maḥ pār–tha 8 syllables klaib-yam maa sma ga-mah paar-tha
- nai–tat–tvay–yu–pa–pad–ya–te | 8 syllables nai-tat-tvay-yu-pa-pad-ya-te
- kṣud–raṃ hṛ–da–ya–daur–bal–yaṃ 8 syllables kshud-ram hri-da-ya-daur-bal-yam
- tyak–tvot–tiṣ–ṭha pa–ran–ta–pa || 2-3 8 syllables tyak-tvot-tish-tha pa-ran-ta-pa
How to read this
How to chant: each line is one pāda (quarter-verse); chant it in one breath. The hyphen (-) divides the syllables, inside a word and across a sandhi join, so every pāda shows its 8 syllables (11 in triṣṭubh verses). A consonant cluster is divided after its first consonant (kar-ma, vet-ti): that syllable is held longer. Mark above a syllable: guru, long (two beats); laghu, short (one beat). | closes the half-verse, || the verse; the number is the syllable count of the pāda.
Deeper Explanation – Chapter 2 Verse 3
Context
Krishna continues his opening rebuke from 2.2, ending with a call to stand up.
Meaning
Krishna names Arjuna’s state klaibya, impotence: the loss of the power to act. He calls it a “petty weakness of heart,” not because grief is small, but because surrender to it is unworthy of Arjuna’s true strength. The verse ends with one of the Gita’s great words: uttiṣṭha, arise.
Krishna addresses Arjuna as Parantapa, scorcher of enemies, reminding him of who he really is. The deepest encouragement often consists in reminding someone of their own nature. The call to arise is not only to the battlefield; it is the call of every spiritual path to rise above the inertia of fear and self-pity.
In Practice
When you feel defeated, recall one moment when you acted with courage. Let that memory remind you of who you are, and take one small step today.
Related Verses
Continue Your Study
This verse belongs to Chapter 2: Sankhya Yoga (The Yoga of Knowledge). Read the chapter overview, browse every verse of the Gita, or return to the chapter-by-chapter guide. For a reading plan, see how to study the Bhagavad Gita and the study resources.