Bhagavad Gita 2.31

sva-dharmam api cāvekṣya
na vikampitum arhasi
dharmyād dhi yuddhāc chreyo ‘nyat
kṣatriyasya na vidyate

Translation of Bhagavad Gita 2.31

Considering your specific duty as a kshatriya, you should know that there is no better engagement for you than fighting on religious principles; and so there is no need for hesitation.

Commentary by Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada of Gaudiya Sampradaya:

Out of the four orders of social administration, the second order, for the matter of good administration, is called kshatriya. Ksat means hurt. One who gives protection from harm is called kshatriya (trayate—to give protection). The kshatriyas are trained for killing in the forest. A kshatriya would go into the forest and challenge a tiger face to face and fight with the tiger with his sword. When the tiger was killed, it would be offered the royal order of cremation. This system has been followed even up to the present day by the kshatriya kings of Jaipur state. The kshatriyas are specially trained for challenging and killing because religious violence is sometimes a necessary factor. Therefore, kshatriyas are never meant for accepting directly the order of sannyasa, or renunciation. Nonviolence in politics may be a diplomacy, but it is never a factor or principle. In the religious law books it is stated:

ahavesu mitho ’nyonyam
jighamsanto mahi-ksitah
yuddhamanah param shaktya
svargam yanty aparan-mukhah
yajnesu pasavo brahman
hanyante satatam dvijaih
samskritah kila mantrais ca
te ’pi svargam avapnuvan

“In the battlefield, a king or kshatriya, while fighting another king envious of him, is eligible for achieving heavenly planets after death, as the brahmanas also attain the heavenly planets by sacrificing animals in the sacrificial fire.” Therefore, killing on the battlefield on religious principles and killing animals in the sacrificial fire are not at all considered to be acts of violence, because everyone is benefited by the religious principles involved. The animal sacrificed gets a human life immediately without undergoing the gradual evolutionary process from one form to another, and the kshatriyas killed on the battlefield also attain the heavenly planets as do the brahmanas who attain them by offering sacrifice.

There are two kinds of sva-dharmas, specific duties. As long as one is not liberated, one has to perform the duties of his particular body in accordance with religious principles in order to achieve liberation. When one is liberated, one’s sva-dharma—specific duty—becomes spiritual and is not in the material bodily concept. In the bodily conception of life there are specific duties for the brahmanas and kshatriyas respectively, and such duties are unavoidable. Sva-dharma is ordained by the Lord, and this will be clarified in the Fourth Chapter. On the bodily plane sva-dharma is called varnashrama-dharma, or man’s steppingstone for spiritual understanding. Human civilization begins from the stage of varnashrama-dharma, or specific duties in terms of the specific modes of nature of the body obtained. Discharging one’s specific duty in any field of action in accordance with the orders of higher authorities serves to elevate one to a higher status of life.

Commentary by Sri Vishvanatha Chakravarthi Thakur of Gaudiya Sampradaya:

Because the soul cannot be destroyed, you should not fear killing. And considering from the point of view of your particular duties (since there is nothing better than fighting for dharma), you should not fear. That is the relation of the two verses.

Commentary by Sri Ramanuja of Sri Sampradaya:

2.31 Api, even; aveksya, considering; svadharmam, your own duty, the duty of a Ksatriya, viz battle — considering even that — ; na arhasi, you ought not; vikampitum, to waver, to deviate from the natural duty of the Ksatriya, i.e. from what is natural to yourself. And hi, since that battle is not devoid of righteousness, (but) is supremely righteous — it being conducive to virtue and meant for protection of subjects through conquest of the earth –; therefore, na vidyate, there is nothing; anyat, else; sreyah, better; ksatriyasya, for a ksatriya; than that dharmyat, righteous; yuddhat, battle.

Commentary by Sri Sridhara Swami of Rudra Sampradaya:

Arjuna is being instructed that he should not hesitate in carrying out his duty as a warrior. Just because there is no destruction for the eternal soul. He should without hesitation slay these miscreants who have perpetrated heinous offences. Arjuna stated in chapter one, verse thirty- one that he saw no benefit in slaying kinsman. That argument is now nullified because for a ksatriya there is no better fight than for the sake of righteousness which is in conformity with the Vedic scriptures.

Commentary by Sri Madhvacharya of Brahma Sampradaya:

Sri Madhvacharya did not comment on this sloka.

Commentary by Sri Keshava Kashmiri of Kumara Sampradaya:

Having established the fact that it is not intelligent to lament about the soul of any living entity, Lord Krishna subsequently responds to Arjunas supplication of what is in his highest good with the word svadharmam or principles of righteousness. Not only considering the nature of the soul but one’s duty is indicated here as well. Lord Krishna is emphasising this to Arjuna so that he will follow his duty as a ksatriya and act like a warrior. For to act contrary and hesitate or waver is not in accordance with ksatriya code according to Vedic scriptures and such a deviation by Arjuna would be considered an act of unrighteousness. What then is duty? Righteousness is duty which is not separate from those who are righteous. For a ksatriya there is nothing more welcome then the oppurtunity to fight a battle to protect righteousness. As it is stated in Yagnavalkya that the steps taken in warfare are as sacrifices themselves for those who do not turn their backs from battle even though wounded. It is to be understood that Arjunas previous lamentations such as feeling sympathy for his relatives in battle arrayed against him, his body shaking and his hair standing on end, his mind reeling and his loss of equilibrium are all unfavorable to him in executing his duty and thus are not appropriate in this situation.

Commentary by Sri Adi Shankaracharya of Advaita Sampradaya:

2.31 Api, even; aveksya, considering; svadharmam, your own duty, the duty of a Ksatriya, viz battle — considering even that — ; na arhasi, you ought not; vikampitum, to waver, to deviate from the natural duty of the Ksatriya, i.e. from what is natural to yourself. And hi, since that battle is not devoid of righteousness, (but) is supremely righteous — it being conducive to virtue and meant for protection of subjects through conquest of the earth –; therefore, na vidyate, there is nothing; anyat, else; sreyah, better; ksatriyasya, for a ksatriya; than that dharmyat, righteous; yuddhat, battle.

Commentary by Sri Abhinavagupta of Kaula Tantra Sampradaya:

2.31 Sva-Dharmam etc. Because one’s duty cannot be avoided, wavering with regard to fighting the war is not proper [on the part of Arjuna].

Sanskrit Shloka Without Transliteration Marks:

sva-dharmam api caveksya
na vikampitum arhasi
dharmyad dhi yuddhac chreyo ‘nyat
ksatriyasya na vidyate

Sanskrit to English Word for Word Meanings:

sva-dharmam — one’s own religious principles; api — also; ca — indeed; avekṣya — considering; na — never; vikampitum — to hesitate; arhasi — you deserve; dharmyāt — for religious principles; hi — indeed; yuddhāt — than fighting; śreyaḥ — better engagement; anyat — any other; kṣatriyasya — of the kṣatriya; na — does not; vidyate — exist.