Shloka 18.43
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
शौर्यं तेजो धृतिर्दाक्ष्यं युद्धे चाप्यपलायनम् |दानमीश्वरभावश्च क्षात्रं कर्म स्वभावजम् ||१८-४३||
śauryaṃ tejo dhṛtirdākṣyaṃ yuddhe cāpyapalāyanam . dānamīśvarabhāvaśca kṣātraṃ karma svabhāvajam ||18-43||
Meaning
Valour, glory, firmness, skill, generosity, steadiness in battle and ability to rule - these constitute the duty of a soldier. They flow from his own nature.
Translation: Shri Purohit Swami, The Geeta: The Gospel of the Lord Shri Krishna (1935). Public domain.
Word-by-word meaning
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Explanation
Krishna names the qualities natural to the kshatriya, the protector and leader: bravery (shaurya), vigour (tejas), fortitude (dhriti), skill, steadfastness in battle, generosity, and the capacity to lead (ishvara-bhava). This list speaks directly to Arjuna, whose very crisis is whether to fight.
The verse honors a temperament built for courageous action and responsibility. For one of this nature, withdrawal from rightful struggle is a betrayal of self, while standing firm, leading, giving generously, and protecting others is the path of fulfillment. Krishna thus reminds Arjuna that his duty as a warrior is not a curse but the natural and noble expression of who he truly is.
In daily life
The life of action and leadership calls for courage, fortitude, generosity, and never fleeing rightful struggle.
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What does ‘क्षात्रं कर्म स्वभावजम्’ mean in this verse?
The Gita on courage, in other chapters
- Verse 2.3When paralyzed by weakness, remember your true stature and consciously choose to rise beyond petty fear.
- Verse 11.34Engage life's hardest duties without being crushed by grief, resting the outcome in the Divine.
- Verse 3.8Since you cannot even sustain your body without acting, embrace your rightful duty rather than chasing the illusion of inaction.
- Verse 1.1 · DhritarashtraEvery great life challenge begins on a 'dharma-kshetra' — a field where what is right must be discerned and chosen amid confusion and conflicting loyalties.
Swipe left for 18.44 · Every honest calling, from producing and trading to serving, is a worthy and dignified path.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 18.43
Who says Bhagavad Gita 18.43, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 18.43, in Chapter 18, Moksha Sannyas Yoga (Moksha Sannyas Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 18.43 mean?
Valour, glory, firmness, skill, generosity, steadiness in battle and ability to rule - these constitute the duty of a soldier. They flow from his own nature. (Translation: Shri Purohit Swami, The Geeta: The Gospel of the Lord Shri Krishna (1935). Public domain.)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 18.43 for daily life?
The life of action and leadership calls for courage, fortitude, generosity, and never fleeing rightful struggle.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 18.43 mean?
शौर्यं — prowess / bravery; तेजः — splendour / vigour; धृतिः — firmness / fortitude; दाक्ष्यं — dexterity / resourcefulness; युद्धे च अपि अपलायनम् — and not fleeing from battle.
Where does verse 18.43 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 43 of 78 in Chapter 18, Moksha Sannyas Yoga. The next verse is 18.44.