शौर्यं तेजो धृतिर्दाक्ष्यं युद्धे चाप्यपलायनम् |
दानमीश्वरभावश्च क्षात्रं कर्म स्वभावजम् || 43||
śhauryaṁ tejo dhṛitir dākṣhyaṁ yuddhe chāpy apalāyanam
dānam īśhvara-bhāvaśh cha kṣhātraṁ karma svabhāva-jam
śhauryam—valor; tejaḥ—strength; dhṛitiḥ—fortitude; dākṣhyam yuddhe—skill in weaponry; cha—and; api—also; apalāyanam—not fleeing; dānam—large-heartedness; īśhvara—leadership; bhāvaḥ—qualities; cha—and; kṣhātram—of the warrior and administrative class; karma—work; svabhāva-jam—born of one’s intrinsic qualities
Translation:
Prowess, splendor (greatness), firmness, dexterity, not running away in battle, magnanimity, lordship (commanding and ruling power)-these are the functions of Kshatriyas born of their nature.
Commentary:
Yuddhe cha pyapalayanam: A true kshatriya is not expected to fly from the field of battle. But an external conflict like war happens only from time to time. The internal and the diabolical, struggle between the forces of good and evil, of light and darkness, of the pious and t is taking place continuously in the heart of every human being. The struggle is continuous and unceasing till final liberation is attained. Every human being needs the Dharma of the Kshatriya to remain firm, bold, and unyielding, in the struggle with evil and ignorance. There should be no backward step, no looking back, no relaxation of effort, and no feeling of defeat and frustration ‘March onwards’ is the command till the goal is reached. It is only then that man can attain the rulership of the Empire of Freedom. So man should strive for the light of the Brahmana and the power of the Kshatriya.
BOY SANKARA’S MEETING WITH KING RAJASEKHARA
Sankaracharya was highly knowledgeable even as a child. Even while at his birthplace Kaladi, Kerala, long before he met his Guru Govinda Bhagavatpadacharya, Sankara was well-known as a wise boy and a scholar. It so happened that King Rajasekhara himself came to see this wonderful boy, did namaskāra and presented him with money, gold, land, and so on.
Politely refusing all of them, Sankara said, “I do not need all these. I have what I need. I have no more needs.” Seeing the sacrificing nature of the boy, the king was even more in wonderment and said, “Even if you do not need these, O Brahmin, please distribute this wealth among the needy.” But the knower of dharma refused even that. He said, “Dānam is the nature of a kshatriya. A brāhmaṇa should accept from a kshatriya only what is necessary. A brāhmaṇa and a sannyāsi should spend their entire time in austerity. If they start giving away wealth, people would crowd around them and constantly pester them for their needs. To satisfy such needs of others, they would have to ask others again. This would disturb the life of a brahmin.”
This was a remarkable revelation to the king. We too can see the wisdom of such an ideal way of life. (Source: Srimad Bhagavad Gita – Elixir of Eternal Wisdom | Vol 3)
HIUEN TSANG WITNESSES KING HARSHA’S yāga
When the Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang (Xuan Tsang) came to India, he stayed a while with the great King Harsha. Historically, Harsha was the last king to perform the Aśvamedha yāga. Hiuen Tsang witnessed this yāga. He has recorded that he saw something extraordinary in this sacred land—an emperor who had given away everything that he owned, standing along with his queen, with nothing else but the clothes they were wearing! This act of the king exemplifies dānam. His Īśvara-bhāva was revealed by the éclat, the grandeur, with which the aśvamedha was performed. (Source: Srimad Bhagavad Gita – Elixir of Eternal Wisdom | Vol 3)
Question: What are the functions of the Kshatriyas?
Answer: Prowess, splendor (greatness), firmness, dexterity, not running away in battle, magnanimity, lordship (commanding and ruling power)-these are the functions of the Kshatriyas born of their nature.
Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 18 🔻 (78 Verses)
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