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BG 18.59 — 18.59 If, filled with egoism, thou thinkest: "I will not fight", vain is this, thy resolve; Nature will compel thee.
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यदहंकारमाश्रित्य न योत्स्य इति मन्यसे |
मिथ्यैष व्यवसायस्ते प्रकृतिस्त्वां नियोक्ष्यति ||१८-५९||

yadahaṃkāramāśritya na yotsya iti manyase . mithyaiṣa vyavasāyaste prakṛtistvāṃ niyokṣyati ||18-59||


18.59 If, filled with egoism, thou thinkest: "I will not fight", vain is this, thy resolve; Nature will compel thee.

Word-by-word meanings

18.59 यत् if? अहङ्कारम् egoism? आश्रित्य having taken refuge in? न not? योत्स्ये (I) will fight? इति thus? मन्यसे (thou) thinkest? मिथ्या vain? एषः this? व्यवसायः resolve? ते thy? प्रकृतिः nature? त्वाम् thee? नियोक्ष्यति will compel.Commentary This strong determination of thy mind will be rendered utterly futile by thy inner nature thy nature will constrain thee thy nature as a warrior will compel thee to fight. It is a mere illusion to say that thou art Arjuna? that these are thy relatives and

Commentaries

Non-dualism. The individual self and Brahman are one. The world is appearance (maya). Liberation through knowledge.

Sri Shankaracharya

18.59 Yat, that; manyase, you think, resolve; this-'na yotsye, I shall not fight'; asritya, by relying; on ahankaram, egotism, mithya, vain; is esah, this; vyava-sayah, determination; te, of yours; because prakrtih, nature, your own nature of a Ksatriya; niyoksyati, will impell; ;tvam, you!

Swami Gambirananda

18.59 That you think 'I shall not fight', by relying on egotism,-vain is this determination of yours. (Your) nature impel you!

This interpretation draws on the Advaita tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.

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