Bhagavad Gītā › Chapter 2 › Verse 34
Bhagavad Gītā 2.34: A good name
अकीर्तिं चापि भूतानि कथयिष्यन्ति तेऽव्ययाम् ।
सम्भावितस्य चाकीर्तिर्मरणादतिरिच्यते ॥
akīrtiṃ cāpi bhūtāni kathayiṣyanti te'vyayām
sambhāvitasya cākīrtirmaraṇādatiricyate
Recitation: NehalDaveND (Wikimedia Commons) · CC BY-SA 4.0, adapted, original recording
Meaning
People will speak of your lasting dishonour, and for one who has been honoured, dishonour is worse than death. Kṛṣṇa appeals to honour in the terms of Arjuna’s warrior culture; the Gītā’s deeper teaching, from 2.38 on, asks for action free from concern with praise and blame.
For children
Krishna says: “If you run away, people will remember it for a long time. For someone everyone looks up to, that would feel very bad.”
Kṛṣṇa continues his practical argument (2.31–2.37), now speaking of how Arjuna’s refusal would be seen.
Word by word
अकीर्तिं चापि भूतानि — People will also speak
- akīrti: dishonour, bad name
- bhūtāni: beings, people
कथयिष्यन्ति तेऽव्ययाम् — of your lasting shame
- kathayiṣyanti: will tell, will speak of
- avyaya: lasting
सम्भावितस्य चाकीर्तिर् — and for one who is respected, shame
- sambhāvita: respected, honoured
मरणादतिरिच्यते — is worse than death
- maraṇa: death
- atiricyate: is worse than, exceeds
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.