Courage is needed for difficult duty.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
द्रोणं च भीष्मं च जयद्रथं चकर्णं तथान्यानपि योधवीरान् |मया हतांस्त्वं जहि मा व्यथिष्ठायुध्यस्व जेतासि रणे सपत्नान् ||११-३४||
droṇaṃ ca bhīṣmaṃ ca jayadrathaṃ ca karṇaṃ tathānyānapi yodhavīrān . mayā hatāṃstvaṃ jahi mavyathiṣṭhā yudhyasva jetāsi raṇe sapatnān ||11-34||
Use this verse when fear delays rightful action.
Meaning
Drona, Bhishma, Jayadratha, Karna, and other heroic warriors have already been slain by Me. Do not be distressed; fight and you will conquer your opponents in battle.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Krishna asks Arjuna to act without fear in his specific dharmic duty.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
The verse belongs to the Kurukshetra war context. Its inner application is not aggression but courage to perform hard duty when avoidance would be adharma.
Read the traditional commentary
Krishna names them one by one — Drona the teacher, Bhishma the grandsire, Jayadratha, Karna, and the other great heroes. These are precisely the figures whose presence so devastated Arjuna in chapter one. Now Krishna declares them maya hatan — already slain by Me — their fall accomplished in the eternal vision before the battle even begins.
The tender command is ma vyathisthah — 'do not grieve, do not be distressed'. Arjuna's anguish has always centred on these beloved opponents; Krishna meets that exact wound. His instruction is not heartless.
It frees Arjuna from the unbearable weight of believing he alone determines their fate, and from the paralysis that weight produced. To 'fight without distress' is to engage fully with life's hard duties while resting the outcome in the Divine. Where chapter one left Arjuna collapsed in sorrow, this verse lifts him by reframing the very meaning of his action: he is the hand, not the hidden hand.
In daily life
Do not avoid rightful responsibility because it is uncomfortable.
A manager may need to make a fair but difficult decision without hatred.
Try this today
Take one dharmic step you have been postponing.
I face difficult duty with Krishna’s support.Reflect
What responsibility am I avoiding due to fear?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘मा व्यथिष्ठाः’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on courage, in other chapters
- Verse 2.3When paralyzed by weakness, remember your true stature and consciously choose to rise beyond petty fear.
- Verse 18.43The life of action and leadership calls for courage, fortitude, generosity, and never fleeing rightful struggle.
- Verse 3.30Offer your actions to the Divine, release craving and anxiety, and you can act decisively even under pressure with an untroubled heart.
- Verse 5.10Offer your actions to the Divine and let go of attachment — then live in the world untouched, like a lotus leaf on water.
Swipe left for 11.35 · Trembling humility can be sacred.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 11.34
Who says Bhagavad Gita 11.34, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 11.34, in Chapter 11, Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga (Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 11.34 mean?
Drona, Bhishma, Jayadratha, Karna, and other heroic warriors have already been slain by Me. Do not be distressed; fight and you will conquer your opponents in battle. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 11.34 for daily life?
Do not avoid rightful responsibility because it is uncomfortable. A manager may need to make a fair but difficult decision without hatred.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 11.34 mean?
द्रोणम् च भीष्मम् च — Drona and Bhishma; जयद्रथम् च — and Jayadratha; कर्णम् तथा — and Karna; अन्यान् अपि योधवीरान् — and other brave warriors too; मया हतान् — already slain by Me.
Where does verse 11.34 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 34 of 55 in Chapter 11, Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga. The next verse is 11.35.