Bhagavad Gītā › Chapter 2 › Verse 33
Bhagavad Gītā 2.33: Not doing right is also a choice
अथ चेत्त्वमिमं धर्म्यं सङ्ग्रामं न करिष्यसि ।
ततः स्वधर्मं कीर्तिं च हित्वा पापमवाप्स्यसि ॥
atha cettvamimaṃ dharmyaṃ saṅgrāmaṃ na kariṣyasi
tataḥ svadharmaṃ kīrtiṃ ca hitvā pāpamavāpsyasi
Recitation: NehalDaveND (Wikimedia Commons) · CC BY-SA 4.0, adapted, original recording
Meaning
But if you will not fight this righteous battle, then, having abandoned your own duty and honour, you will incur sin. Kṛṣṇa argues that refusing one’s duty is itself a morally weighty act, not a retreat into innocence.
For children
Krishna says: “If you run away from your job, Arjuna, that would be wrong too.”
Kṛṣṇa continues: if Arjuna refuses his duty, he does not avoid wrong; he commits a different one.
Word by word
अथ चेत्त्वमिमं धर्म्यं — But if you will not take part
- atha cet: but if
- dharmya: righteous
सङ्ग्रामं न करिष्यसि — in this battle for what is right
- saṅgrāma: battle
- kariṣyasi: you will do
ततः स्वधर्मं कीर्तिं च — then, giving up your duty and good name
- svadharma: one’s own duty
- kīrti: good name, honour
हित्वा पापमवाप्स्यसि — you will do wrong
- hitvā: having abandoned
- pāpa: wrong, sin
- avāpsyasi: you will incur
Kṛṣṇa speaks this verse. The Sanskrit is checked against four editions; meanings and word notes are simple learning aids written for MahaPrabha Gurukul, awaiting review by a Sanskrit teacher.