स्वधर्ममपि चावेक्ष्य न विकम्पितुमर्हसि |
धर्म्याद्धि युद्धाच्छ्रेयोऽन्यत्क्षत्रियस्य न विद्यते || 31||
swa-dharmam api chāvekṣhya na vikampitum arhasi
dharmyāddhi yuddhāch chhreyo ’nyat kṣhatriyasya na vidyate
swa-dharmam—one’s duty in accordance with the Vedas; api—also; cha—and; avekṣhya—considering; na—not; vikampitum—to waver; arhasi—should; dharmyāt—for righteousness; hi—indeed; yuddhāt—than fighting; śhreyaḥ—better; anyat—another; kṣhatriyasya—of a warrior; na—not; vidyate—exists
Translation:
And moreover, considering your own duty, you should not waver, for, there is nothing higher for a Kshatriya than a righteous war.
Commentary:
We understand from this verse how much the Lord loves the performance of one’s own Dharma. One should not waver in discharging his duty. This is the Lord’s command. So long as the body lasts, every being has to do some work or other. This is the inescapable law of our nature. Action being inevitable in the material world, it is necessary for man to do some selfless work, according to his duty, which leads to great good on the physical plane and elsewhere. More so, selfless work purifies the mind and leads ultimately to liberation. It is the duty of a Kshatriya to fight a righteous war. The Lord emphasizes the righteousness of the undertaking. Otherwise, it would be an unrighteous war resulting only in hatred, sorrow, and death, and no merit comes to anyone.
Swami Vivekananda Says —
But if you say that killing all these people is sinful, then consider this from the standpoint of your own caste-duty.[Source]
