II j Responsibility is your nature(2.31-2.34)

The ONE continued:

When you come back
to the magic of this moment
and express life dynamically,
your nature is to respond and act
with power and humility
Be unshaken in your committment
and act with total responsibility

for running away from participation
and hiding in desolate inaction
is not the way natural
to YOU,
a supreme warrior of the light
blessed
with all skills and ability

Lucky indeed are those who can see
this conflict as the door
to light and inner scenery
Escaping via excuses from challenges
will only move you away from naturalness
and hurt your self-esteem and glory

your lapse from your commitment
will be a tale often told
and to a man of repute
oh honourable one
ill-reputation is a bigger suffering
than death.

What a wonder when the ONE
strikes the ego of the topgun
how skillfully can a sattvic ego be harnessed
to move from confusion to responsible action!!
Isnt it sometimes good to do the right
even if just to protect one's reputation?

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Mahatma Gandhi's version

31. Again, seeing thine own duty thou shouldst not shrink from it; for there is no higher good for a Kshatriya than a righteous war.

32. Such a fight, coming unsought, as a gateway to heaven thrown open, falls only to the lot of happy Kshatriyas, O Partha.

33. But if thou wilt not fight this righteous fight, then failing in thy duty and losing thine honour thou wilt incur sin.

34. The world will for ever recount the story of thy disgrace; and for a man of honour disgrace is worse than death.

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Sanskrit

Svadharmam api chaavekshyam na vikampitumarhasi
dharmyaddhi yuddhaachhreyoanyat kshatriyasya na vidyate(2.31)

yaddruchhaya chopapannam svargadvaaramapaavrutam
sukhinah kshatriyaah parth labhante yuddhameed-drusham(2.32)

atha chetvamimam dharmyam sangraamam na karishyasi
tatah svadharmam keertim cha hitvaa paapamavapsyasi (2.33)

akeertim chaapi bhootani kathayishyanti teavyayaam
sambhaavitasya chaakeertirmaraNaadatirichyate (2.34)