तस्मात्त्वमुत्तिष्ठ यशो लभस्व जित्वा शत्रून्भुङ्क्ष्व राज्यं समृद्धम् ।मयैवैते निहताः पूर्वमेव निमित्तमात्रं भव सव्यसाचिन् ॥
tasmāt tvam uttiṣṭha yaśo labhasva jitvā śatrūn bhuṅkṣva rājyaṃ samṛddham |mayaivaite nihatāḥ pūrvam eva nimitta-mātraṃ bhava savyasācin ||
- तस्मात् · tasmāt
- therefore
- उत्तिष्ठ · uttiṣṭha
- stand up, arise
- यशः लभस्व · yaśaḥ labhasva
- win glory
- जित्वा · jitvā
- having conquered
- भुङ्क्ष्व · bhuṅkṣva
- enjoy
- निहताः · nihatāḥ
- slain
- निमित्तमात्रम् · nimitta-mātram
- a mere instrument
- सव्यसाचिन् · savyasācin
- O ambidextrous archer (Arjuna)
“Therefore arise, win glory — conquering your foes, enjoy a flourishing kingdom. By me alone they are already slain; be a mere instrument, O ambidextrous one.”
— Original plain-language translation
IN SHORT Do your part bravely and become a willing tool for good.
'Be a mere instrument' (nimitta-matram) is the chapter's practical fruit: action without the fever of authorship. Arjuna is promised both glory and kingdom — worldly ends explicitly affirmed as the field of selfless duty. It is like a fielder catching a ball already heading to his hands, doing his part without claiming the win.
— Reader's notes (original)