Bhagavad Gita 2.34

[Paramananda das]

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 2.34

akīrtiḿ cāpi bhūtāni

kathayiṣyanti te 'vyayām

sambhāvitasya cākīrtir

maraṇād atiricyate

SYNONYMS

akīrtim — infamy; ca — also; api — over and above; bhūtāni — all people; kathayiṣyanti — will speak; te — of you; avyayām — forever; sambhāvitasya — for a respectable man; ca — also; akīrtiḥ — ill fame; maraṇāt — than death; atiricyate — becomes more.

TRANSLATION

People will always speak of your infamy, and for a respectable person, dishonor is worse than death.

PURPORT

Both as friend and philosopher to Arjuna, Lord Kṛṣṇa now gives His final judgment regarding Arjuna's refusal to fight. The Lord says, "Arjuna, if you leave the battlefield before the battle even begins, people will call you a coward. And if you think that people may call you bad names but that you will save your life by fleeing the battlefield, then My advice is that you'd do better to die in the battle. For a respectable man like you, ill fame is worse than death. So, you should not flee for fear of your life; better to die in the battle. That will save you from the ill fame of misusing My friendship and from losing your prestige in society."

So, the final judgment of the Lord was for Arjuna to die in the battle and not withdraw.

in a lecture Srila Prabhupada London, September 3, 1973  has stated:

Translation: "People will always speak of your infamy, and for one who has been  honored, dishonor is worse than death."

Prabhupada:

akirtim capi bhutani kathayisyanti te  'vyayam sambhavitasya cakirtir maranad atiricyate [Bg.  2.34]

Sambhavitasya, one who is very reputed, famous man, if he does  something wrong, then it was better to die before such infamy is grown. This is  advised. Arjuna is famous as a great fighter. Not only that, he is personal  friend of Krsna, so much so that Krsna has agreed to become his chariot driver.  Just try to understand what is his position. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, who is worshiped by Lord Brahma, govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami  **, He has agreed to drive the chariot of Arjuna on account of friendship. Now,  we have to imagine how much famous he is. "Everyone will say, ‘Oh, Krsna is his  so intimate friend that He has agreed to drive his chariot!' This is your  reputation all over the world." So sambhavitasya cakirtih. "And if you don't  fight now, what people will say? Better you die." Krsna is advising that  "Instead of becoming a very good man, nonviolent, you lay down your life. That  is My advice. You die. I shall see that you have died. I will be very much  pleased." This is Krsna's advice. How much He has become, I mean to say,  dissatisfied with the decision of Arjuna, "Krsna, I am not going to fight this  battle." So Krsna's last advice is that if you don't fight, better you die  before him. I shall be very much pleased." Then?

Commentary by Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur

Avyayam means "continually." Sambhavitasya means "of great position."

Rudra Vaisnava Sampradaya: Visnuswami Sridhara Swami's Commentary The consequences of Arjuna acting contrary to his duty as a ksatriya are  given in this verse.

Brahma Vaisnava Sampradaya: Madhvacarya There is no commentary for this verse.

Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya: Ramanuja Ramanuja's Commentary Not only will happiness and fame elude him if he disregards his duty as a ksatriyabut the world opinion of those competent to judge and those  incompetent as well will chastise him and speak of his act of disgrace public  and privately. They will say Arjuna was a coward for when the battle was about  to begin he gave only excuses and retreated hastily from the battlefield. The  Supreme Lord Krishna is telling him that forever history will brand him for  cowardice. If Arjuna was to reply that what the public think is of no  consequence to him, the Supreme Lord neutralises that by stating that for a  person of honour possessing the qualities of heroism, determination, puissance,  courage etc. which are all contrary to cowardice to have to accept infamy is  worse than death. If he was to acquire disgrace of this kind death for him would  certainly be much better. If reasoning further one was to present the question  of how ignominy could attach itself to one who is already a renowned hero and  whose resignation from the battle field is prompted only by motives of respect  for elders and compassion to friends and relatives then the next verse 34 neutralises that argument.

Kumara Vaisnava Sampradaya: Nimbaditya Kesava Kasmiri's Commentary By abandoning this war for righteousness not only would Arjuna lose his  excellent reputation but great misfortune would arise as well. This is the gist  of using the word akirtim meaning infamy. Instead of being the valiant warrior, Arjuna the weilder of the intrepid Gandiva bow has become timid and fled the  battlefield. Such undying infamy would spread by word of mouth throughout the  world in many countries by those who witnessed it. But not only ksatriya  warriors would speak ill of Arjuna but also demi-gods, sages, merchants and even  low class sudras. It might be put forth that isn't infamy better than death? And  that one should bear it instead of dying. In the Mahabharata it is stated that  one should try to defeat the enemy by: negotiation, bribery, open attack, etc.  but should not fight if success is not guaranteed. In that case war should be  avoided. To this Lord Krishna is responding that this infamy is more painful  than death? Arjuna has never been defeated in battle, he is the son of the king  of the demi-gods Indra, he is the dear friend of Lord Krishna, he possess  unrivaled valor, possessing extremely praiseworthy virtues with this  understanding infamy is much more painful than death.

Comment: In Srimad Bhagavatam Vrtasura has chastised the asuras and the demigods also:

SB 6.10.30: Seeing his army broken and all the asuras, even those known as great heroes, fleeing the battlefield out of intense fear, Vṛtrāsura, who was truly a great-minded hero, smiled and spoke the following words.

SB 6.10.31: According to his position and the time and circumstances, Vṛtrāsura, the hero among heroes, spoke words that were much to be appreciated by thoughtful men. He called to the heroes of the demons, "O Vipracitti! O Namuci! O Pulomā! O Maya, Anarvā and Śambara! Please hear me and do not flee."

SB 6.10.32: Vṛtrāsura said: All living entities who have taken birth in this material world must die. Surely, no one in this world has found any means to be saved from death. Even providence has not provided a means to escape it. Under the circumstances, death being inevitable, if one can gain promotion to the higher planetary systems and be always celebrated here by dying a suitable death, what man will not accept such a glorious death?

SB 6.10.33: There are two ways to meet a glorious death, and both are very rare. One is to die after performing mystic yoga, especially bhakti-yoga, by which one can control the mind and living force and die absorbed in thought of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The second is to die on the battlefield, leading the army and never showing one's back. These two kinds of death are recommended in the śāstra as glorious.

2 verses are very important here:

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 6.10.32

jātasya mṛtyur dhruva eva sarvataḥ

pratikriyā yasya na ceha kḷptā

loko yaśaś cātha tato yadi hy amuḿ

ko nāma mṛtyuḿ na vṛṇīta yuktam

SYNONYMS

jātasya — of one who has taken birth (all living beings); mṛtyuḥ — death; dhruvaḥ — inevitable; eva — indeed; sarvataḥ — everywhere in the universe; pratikriyā — counteraction; yasya — of which; na — not; ca — also; iha — in this material world; kḷptā — devised; lokaḥ — promotion to higher planets; yaśaḥ — reputation and glory; ca — and; atha — then; tataḥ — from that; yadi — if; hi — indeed; amum — that; kaḥ — who; nāma — indeed; mṛtyum — death; na — not; vṛṇīta — would accept; yuktam — suitable.

TRANSLATION

Vṛtrāsura said: All living entities who have taken birth in this material world must die. Surely, no one in this world has found any means to be saved from death. Even providence has not provided a means to escape it. Under the circumstances, death being inevitable, if one can gain promotion to the higher planetary systems and be always celebrated here by dying a suitable death, what man will not accept such a glorious death?

PURPORT

If by dying one can be elevated to the higher planetary systems and be ever-famous after his death, who is so foolish that he will refuse such a glorious death? Similar advice was also given by Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna. "My dear Arjuna," the Lord said, "do not desist from fighting. If you gain victory in the fight, you will enjoy a kingdom, and even if you die you will be elevated to the heavenly planets." Everyone should be ready to die while performing glorious deeds. A glorious person is not meant to meet death like cats and dogs.

and also: SB 6.10.33: There are two ways to meet a glorious death, and both are very rare. One is to die after performing mystic yoga, especially bhakti-yoga, by which one can control the mind and living force and die absorbed in thought of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The second is to die on the battlefield, leading the army and never showing one's back. These two kinds of death are recommended in the śāstra as glorious.

then also he has stated:

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 6.11.4

kiḿ va uccaritair mātur

dhāvadbhiḥ pṛṣṭhato hataiḥ

na hi bhīta-vadhaḥ ślāghyo

na svargyaḥ śūra-māninām

SYNONYMS

kim — what is the benefit; vaḥ — for you; uccaritaiḥ — with those like the stool; mātuḥ — of the mother; dhāvadbhiḥ — running away; pṛṣṭhataḥ — from the back; hataiḥ — killed; na — not; hi — certainly; bhīta-vadhaḥ — the killing of a person who is afraid; ślāghyaḥ — glorious; na — nor; svargyaḥ — leading to the heavenly planets; śūra-māninām — of persons who consider themselves heroes.

TRANSLATION

O demigods, these demoniac soldiers have taken birth uselessly. Indeed, they have come from the bodies of their mothers exactly like stool. What is the benefit of killing such enemies from behind while they are running in fear? One who considers himself a hero should not kill an enemy who is afraid of losing his life. Such killing is never glorious, nor can it promote one to the heavenly planets.

PURPORT

Vṛtrāsura rebuked both the demigods and the demoniac soldiers because the demons were running in fear of their lives and the demigods were killing them from behind. The actions of both were abominable. When a fight takes place, the opposing parties must be prepared to fight like heroes. A hero never runs from the field of battle. He always fights face to face, determined to gain victory or lay down his life in the fight. That is heroic. Killing an enemy from behind is also inglorious. When an enemy turns his back and runs in fear of his life, he should not be killed. This is the etiquette of military science.

Vṛtrāsura insulted the demoniac soldiers by comparing them to the stool of their mothers. Both stool and a cowardly son come from the abdomen of the mother, and Vṛtrāsura said that there is no difference between them. A similar comparison was given by Tulasī dāsa, who commented that a son and urine both come from the same channel. In other words, semen and urine both come from the genitals, but semen produces a child whereas urine produces nothing. Therefore if a child is neither a hero nor a devotee, he is not a son but urine. Similarly, Cāṇakya Paṇḍita also says:

ko 'rthaḥ putreṇa jātena

yo na vidvān na dhārmikaḥ

kāṇena cakṣuṣā kiḿ vā

cakṣuḥ pīḍaiva kevalam

"What is the use of a son who is neither glorious nor devoted to the Lord? Such a son is like a blind eye, which simply gives pain but cannot help one see."

Lord Krsna Himself is the greatest warrior in the Krsna book Srila Prabhupada describes how Krsna killed Dantavakra:

After the demise of Sisupala, Salva and Paundra, another foolish demoniac king  of the name Dantavakra wanted to kill Krsna in order to avenge the death of his  friend Salva. He became so agitated that he personally appeared on the  battlefield without the proper arms and ammunition and without even a chariot.  His only weapon was his great anger, which was red-hot. He carried only a club  in his hand, but he was so powerful that when he moved, everyone felt the earth  tremble. When Lord Krsna saw him approaching in a very heroic mood, He  immediately got down from His chariot, for it was a rule of military etiquette  that fighting should take place only between equals. Knowing that Dantavakra was  alone and armed with only a club, Lord Krsna responded similarly and prepared  Himself by taking His club in His hand. When Krsna appeared before him,  Dantavakra's heroic march was immediately stopped, just as the great, furious  waves of the ocean are stopped by the beach.

At that time, Dantavakra, who was the King of Karusa, stood up firmly with  his club and spoke to Lord Krsna as follows: "It is a great pleasure and  fortunate opportunity, Krsna, that we are facing each other eye to eye. My dear Krsna, after all, You are my eternal cousin, and I should not kill You in this  way, but unfortunately You have committed a great mistake by killing my friend  Salva. Moreover, You are not satisfied by killing my friend, but I know that You  want to kill me also. Because of Your determination, I must kill You by tearing  You to pieces with my club. Krsna, although You are my relative, You are  foolish. You are our greatest enemy, so I must kill You today just as a person  removes a boil on his body by a surgical operation. I am always very much  obliged to my friends, and I therefore consider myself indebted to my dear  friend Salva. I can only liquidate my indebtedness to him by killing You."

As the caretaker of an elephant tries to control the animal by striking it  with his trident, so Dantavakra tried to control Krsna simply by speaking strong  words. After finishing his vituperation, he struck Krsna on the head with his  club and made a roaring sound like a lion. Although struck strongly by the club  of Dantavakra, Krsna did not move even an inch, nor did He feel any pain. Taking  His Kaumodaki club and moving very skillfully, Krsna struck the chest of  Dantavakra so fiercely that the heart of Dantavakra split in twain. As a result,  Dantavakra began to vomit blood, his hairs became scattered, and he fell to the  ground, spreading his hands and legs. Within only a few minutes all that  remained of Dantavakra was a dead body on the ground. After the death of  Dantavakra, just as at the time of Sisupala's death, in the presence of all  persons standing there, a small particle of spiritual effulgence came out of the  demon's body and very wonderfully merged into the body of Lord Krsna.

Dantavakra had a brother named Viduratha who became overwhelmed with grief at  the death of Dantavakra. Out of grief and anger, Viduratha was breathing very  heavily, and just to avenge the death of his brother he also appeared before  Lord Krsna with a sword and a shield in his hands. He wanted to kill Krsna  immediately. When Lord Krsna understood that Viduratha was looking for the  opportunity to strike Him with his sword, He employed His Sudarsana cakra, His  disc, which was as sharp as a razor, and without delay he cut off the head of  Viduratha, with its helmet and earrings.

As devotees we can chant the Narayana Kavacha mantra and pray to Krsnas transcendental weapons the Chakra and club:

SB 6.8.23: Set into motion by the Supreme Personality of Godhead and wandering in all the four directions, the disc of the Supreme Lord has sharp edges as destructive as the fire of devastation at the end of the millennium. As a blazing fire burns dry grass to ashes with the assistance of the breeze, may that Sudarśana cakra burn our enemies to ashes.

SB 6.8.24: O club in the hand of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, you produce sparks of fire as powerful as thunderbolts, and you are extremely dear to the Lord. I am also His servant. Therefore kindly help me pound to pieces the evil living beings known as Kuṣmāṇḍas, Vaināyakas, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, Bhūtas and Grahas. Please pulverize them.

SB 6.8.25: O best of conchshells, O Pāñcajanya in the hands of the Lord, you are always filled with the breath of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Therefore you create a fearful sound vibration that causes trembling in the hearts of enemies like the Rākṣasas, pramatha ghosts, Pretas, Mātās, Piśācas and brāhmaṇa ghosts with fearful eyes.

SB 6.8.26: O king of sharp-edged swords, you are engaged by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Please cut the soldiers of my enemies to pieces. Please cut them to pieces! O shield marked with a hundred brilliant moonlike circles, please cover the eyes of the sinful enemies. Pluck out their sinful eyes.

SB 6.8.27-28: May the glorification of the transcendental name, form, qualities and paraphernalia of the Supreme Personality of Godhead protect us from the influence of bad planets, meteors, envious human beings, serpents, scorpions, and animals like tigers and wolves. May it protect us from ghosts and the material elements like earth, water, fire and air, and may it also protect us from lightning and our past sins. We are always afraid of these hindrances to our auspicious life. Therefore, may they all be completely destroyed by the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.

There is also a Laxmi Narayana Kavacha that is described in Rudra Yamala:

http://stotrarathna.blogspot.com/2012/04/lakshmi-narayana-kavacham....

This is also written by Srila Vyasadeva and he has stated that even if a person from China read this Laxmi Narayana Kavacha he will attain the abode of Lord Visnu.( vers 32)

32.Sa yaati paramam  dhaama vaishNavam vaishNaveshvaraha , mahaa cheena padastho api yah paThed  aatma chintakaha .
He would reach the ultimate  place of Vaishnavas ,  Visnuloka, Even if he belongs to the great China if this is read by  a philosopher

vaisnava das anu das

Paramananda das