Read a Lecture by Srila Prabhupada on this Verse
Yad*C^Yaa caePaPaà& SvGaRÜarMaPaav*TaMa( )
Saui%Na" +aiaYaa" PaaQaR l/>aNTae YauÖMaqd*XaMa( )) 32 ))
yadåcchayä copapannaà
svarga-dväram apävåtam
sukhinaù kñatriyäù pärtha
labhante yuddham édåçam
SYNONYMS
yadåcchayä-by its own accord; ca-also; upapannam-arrived at; svarga-of the heavenly planets; dväram-door; apävåtam-wide open; sukhinaù-very happy; kñatriyäù-the members of the royal order; pärtha-O son of Påthä; labhante-do achieve; yuddham-war; édåçam-like this.
TRANSLATION
O Pärtha, happy are the kñatriyas to whom such fighting opportunities come unsought, opening for them the doors of the heavenly planets.
PURPORT
As supreme teacher of the world, Lord Kåñëa condemns the attitude of Arjuna, who said, "I do not find any good in this fighting. It will cause perpetual habitation in hell." Such statements by Arjuna were due to ignorance only. He wanted to become nonviolent in the discharge of his specific duty. For a kñatriya to be on the battlefield and to become nonviolent is the philosophy of fools. In the Paräçara-småti, or religious codes made by Paräçara, the great sage and father of Vyäsadeva, it is stated:
kñatriyo hi prajä rakñan
çastra-päëiù pradaëòayan
nirjitya para-sainyädi
kñitià dharmeëa pälayet
"The kñatriya's duty is to protect the citizens from all kinds of difficulties, and for that reason he has to apply violence in suitable cases for law and order. Therefore he has to conquer the soldiers of inimical kings, and thus, with religious principles, he should rule over the world."
Considering all aspects, Arjuna had no reason to refrain from fighting. If he should conquer his enemies, he would enjoy the kingdom; and if he should die in the battle, he would be elevated to the heavenly planets, whose doors were wide open to him. Fighting would be for his benefit in either case.
