यदि मामप्रतीकारमशस्त्रं शस्त्रपाणयः ।धार्तराष्ट्रा रणे हन्युस्तन्मे क्षेमतरं भवेत् ॥
yadi mām apratīkāram aśastraṃ śastrapāṇayaḥ |dhārtarāṣṭrā raṇe hanyus tan me kṣemataraṃ bhavet ||
- यदि · yadi
- if
- माम् · mām
- me
- अप्रतीकारम् · apratīkāram
- unresisting, offering no defence
- अशस्त्रम् · aśastram
- unarmed
- शस्त्रपाणयः · śastrapāṇayaḥ
- with weapons in hand
- धार्तराष्ट्राः · dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ
- the sons of Dhritarashtra
- रणे · raṇe
- in battle
- हन्युः · hanyuḥ
- should slay
- तत् · tat
- that
- मे · me
- for me
- क्षेमतरम् · kṣemataram
- more blessed, better
- भवेत् · bhavet
- would be
“If Dhritarashtra's sons, weapons in hand, should slay me in battle — me unresisting and unarmed — that would be the greater blessing.”
— Original plain-language translation
Arjuna's final offer: his own death in exchange for a clean conscience. It is noble, selfless — and, as Krishna will show, still rooted in confusing the body with the self. Martyrdom can also be an escape from duty.
— Reader's notes (original)