Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 - Samkhya Yoga - Sloka 3

The entire content of this post is from Swami Chidbhavananda's translation of  The Bhagavad Gita, published by Ramakrishna Mission.

Chapter 2 - Samkhya Yoga - Sloka 3

The Message of Strength Slokas 2-3

Klaibyam ma sma gamah partha nai tat tvayy upapadyate I

Kshudram hrdaya daurbalyam  tyaktva udttishtha paramtapa II Sloka 3

क्लैब्यं  म स्म गमः पार्थ नै तत् तवय्य उपपद्यते ।

क्षुद्रं ह्रदय दौर्बल्यं त्यक्त्वा उद्त्तिष्ठ परंतप ।। श्लोक ३

Yield not, O Partha, to feebleness. It does not befit you. Cast off this petty faint heartedness. Wake up, O vanquisher of foes!

The man who fails to face a crisis, speaking and acting irreverently, is denounced as a dolt. But Arjuna is not made of that inferior stuff; The training he has received is superb. He is literally a vanquisher of foes. Poles apart are the feebleness of a coward and boldness of Arjuna, who successfully combated the great God Shiva. The Lord simply chides him for the momentary weakness that has come upon his comrade and seeks to make hi whole again.

The manifest world is comprised of 2 categories - Purusha & Prakriti, the noumenon and phenomenon. One becomes feeble to the extent one becomes dependent on the phenomenon; one becomes manly to the extent one identifies oneself with the noumenon; This identification is atmabodham. Strength & atmabodham are identical. Weakness is condemned downright by the Lord, नायमतमा बलहीनेन लभ्यः This atman cannot be attained by the weak - is the Upanishadic pronouncement. And the message of Sri Krishna is based on this fundamental principle. To be firm of body, formidable of mind, constant of character - excellence like these are all born of strength. This world and the next one too are for the strong alone. Right conduct originates from strength; straightforwardness comes from it; enjoyment traces itself to it; practise of yoga is possible because of it; attainment ofmoksha  is enabled by it; reaching Godhood is impossible without it; all divine traits have their source in it. In strength lie the key and clue to all teachings of the Lord. Exalted life begins with Atmabodham, which expresses itself as strength. Strength is life; weakness is death.

He who is soft and weak minded like the puffed rice soaked in milk, is good for nothing. He cannot achieve anything great. But the strong and virile one is heroic. He is the accomplisher of everything in life.

- Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa