Chapter 2 - Verse 33

Though found to be your duty,

अथ चेद्वमिमं धर्म्यं सङ्गामं न करिष्यसि ।
ततः स्वधर्मं कीर्तिं च हित्वा पापमवाप्स्यसि ॥ ३३ ॥

atha cedvamimaṃ dharmyaṃ saṅgāmaṃ na kariṣyasi .
tataḥ svadharmaṃ kīrtiṃ ca hitvā pāpamavāpsyasi .. 33 ..


Now if thou wouldst not fight this lawful battle, then, having abandoned thine own duty and fame, thou shalt incur sin.
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If, on the other hand, you will not fight this battle which is enjoined on you as a duty, and which is not opposed to Law, you will, by neglecting this battle, have abandoned your duty and lost the fame that you acquired by your encounter with such persons as Mahadeva.* Thus you will only incur sin.

When Yudhishthira lost his kingdom by gambling. Arjuna went on a pilgrimage to the Himalayas to propitiate the gods and obtain from them celestial weapons. There he fought with Siva who appeared in the guise of a mountaineer (Kirata), and having found the true character of his adversary; he worshipped Him and obtained the Fasupata-astra, a celestial missile.

Not only will you have given up your duty and fame, but also,