Chapter 2, Verse 34
अकीर्तिं चापि भूतानि कथयिष्यन्ति तेऽव्ययाम् । सम्भावितस्य चाकीर्तिर्मरणादतिरिच्यते ॥
akīrtiṃ cāpi bhūtāni kathayiṣyanti te'vyayām | sambhāvitasya cākīrtir maraṇād atiricyate ||
Meaning
People will speak of your dishonor forever; and for one who has been respected, dishonor is worse than death. For a person of honor and standing, the loss of reputation is a wound that outlasts the body — it lives on in the memory of the world long after one has gone.
Word-by-Word Meaning
Explanation & Commentary
Krishna now shifts from metaphysical arguments to a pointed observation about honor and social reality. This verse addresses Arjuna's standing in society. Arjuna is not an ordinary man — he is 'sambhāvita' (highly respected, honored), a great warrior with a legendary reputation. For such a person, lasting dishonor is a fate worse than death. Death ends experience; dishonor persists and poisons the legacy of everything that came before.
This is a pragmatic argument rather than a spiritual one, but it is deeply wise. Honor, in classical cultures, was not mere vanity — it was the social fabric that allowed a person's influence, teachings, and deeds to continue benefiting others after their death. A warrior who fled in cowardice would not only lose personal honor but would undermine the very cause he was supposed to champion, demoralizing his allies and emboldening his enemies.
Modern readers may initially dismiss concern for reputation as ego-driven. But there is a deeper principle here: integrity — the alignment between one's stated values and one's actions under pressure — is genuinely important. Not because of what others think, but because of what we know about ourselves. When we fail to act according to our deepest values in a defining moment, we carry that awareness forward. The 'dishonor' Krishna speaks of is ultimately the inner dishonor of knowing that we betrayed our own dharma when tested. That inner knowledge is indeed harder to bear than many external difficulties.
💡 Key Takeaway
Protect your integrity not for reputation's sake but because the inner knowledge of having betrayed your values in a defining moment is the hardest burden to carry.
Related Verses
श्रीभगवानुवाच कुतस्त्वा कश्मलमिदं विषमे समुपस्थितम् । अनार्यजुष्टमस्वर्ग्यमकीर्तिकरमर्जुन ॥२-२॥
śrī bhagavān uvāca kutas tvā kaśmalam idaṃ viṣame samupasthitam | anārya-juṣṭam asvargyam akīrti-karam arjuna ||2-2||
The Supreme Lord said: My dear Arjuna, how have these impurities come upon you at this critical moment? This is not befitting a man who knows what is valuable in life. It does not lead to higher planets but to infamy.
क्लैब्यं मा स्म गमः पार्थ नैतत्त्वय्युपपद्यते । क्षुद्रं हृदयदौर्बल्यं त्यक्त्वोत्तिष्ठ परन्तप ॥२-३॥
klaibyaṃ mā sma gamaḥ pārtha naitat tvayy upapadyate | kṣudraṃ hṛdaya-daurbalyaṃ tyaktvottiṣṭha parantapa ||2-3||
Do not yield to this unmanliness, O Partha. It does not befit you. Shake off this faint-heartedness and arise, O scorcher of enemies.
अर्जुन उवाच कथं भीष्ममहं सङ्ख्ये द्रोणं च मधुसूदन । इषुभिः प्रतियोत्स्यामि पूजार्हावरिसूदन ॥२-४॥
arjuna uvāca kathaṃ bhīṣmam ahaṃ saṅkhye droṇaṃ ca madhusūdana | iṣubhiḥ pratiyotsyāmi pūjārhāv arisūdana ||2-4||
Arjuna said: O Madhusudana, how can I counterattack with arrows in battle against Bhishma and Drona, who are worthy of my worship, O destroyer of enemies?