Bhagavad Gita Chapter 11, Verse 33

English Translation

Therefore you rise up, (and) gain fame; and defeating the enemies, enjoy a prosperous kingdom. These have been killed verily by Me even earlier; be you merely an instrument, O Savyasacin (Arjuna).

Detailed Commentary

।।11.33।। Commentary— 'Tasmāt tvam uttiṣṭha yaśo labhasva' – O Arjuna! You have seen that these adversaries cannot survive even without you, so prepare for battle and attain renown effortlessly. This implies that all of this is predetermined, what is destined to happen, and I have shown this to you. Therefore, if you fight, you will easily attain glory, and people will say that Arjuna has achieved victory. The injunction 'Yasho Labhasva' (obtain glory) does not mean to take pride upon receiving glory, thinking, 'Wow! I have achieved victory.' Rather, understand that just as these adversaries will perish, having already been slain by Me, so too, glory will manifest as it is destined to be. If you consider glory to be attained through your own effort (Purushartha), then you will become bound by the fruits of action – 'Phale sakto nibadhyate' (Bhagavad Gita 5.12). The essence is that gain and loss, fame and infamy, are all in the hands of Bhagavān. One should not associate oneself with these, for they are predetermined. 'Jitvā shatrūn bhuṅkṣva rājyaṁ samṛddham' (Having conquered your enemies, enjoy a prosperous kingdom). In a prosperous kingdom, there are two aspects: (1) The kingdom should be free from any enemies or hindering adversaries, and (2) The kingdom should be abundant in wealth and grains; the citizens should possess sufficient riches. Bhagavān tells Arjuna to enjoy such a prosperous kingdom after conquering the enemies. This does not mean to indulge in sensual pleasures; rather, even the kingdom that people consider for enjoyment, you shall effortlessly attain. 'Mayaivaite nihatāḥ pūrvameva' (Indeed, they have already been slain by Me) – You will attain glory and the kingdom without effort, because the end of all these has already been determined by Me. 'Nimittamātraṁ bhava savyasāchin' (Be merely an instrument, O Savyasāchin) – Due to his ability to shoot arrows with both hands, Arjuna was named 'Savyasāchin'. Bhagavān tells Arjuna to fight with his full might, but to be merely an instrument (nimittamātra). This means to utilize your strength and intellect fully, but not to harbor the egoistic thought, 'I have achieved victory,' because all this has already been ordained by Me. You are merely to become an instrument; you are not to perform any new action. One should renounce ego in actions and act according to the situation. What is destined to happen will inevitably occur. It is necessary to perform one's duty while remaining equipoised in success and failure, then the path to liberation (mukti) spontaneously reveals itself. All obstacles are achievable through effort (kṛtasādhya), whereas liberation (mukti), welfare (kalyāṇa), realization of Bhagavān (Bhagavatprāpti), devotion to Bhagavān (Bhagavatprema), etc., are self-evident (svataḥsiddha).