The Blessed Lord said (Commentary p. 38.1) – O Arjuna! From where has this cowardice come upon you at this critical juncture? It is not cherished by the noble, does not lead to heaven, and does not bestow glory.
Commentary:
2.2. Explanation – 'Arjuna' – The purpose of addressing him by this name is to indicate that he is one with a pure, unblemished inner heart. Therefore, the arising of impurity—cowardice—in his nature is utterly contradictory. Then how has this come upon him?
'Kutastva kashmalam idam vishame samupasthitam' – Expressing surprise, the Lord says to Arjuna that on such an occasion of war, valor and enthusiasm should have arisen in you, but from where has this cowardice come upon you at this inopportune time!
Surprise occurs in two ways—due to one's own ignorance, and to awaken another. The Lord's speaking here with surprise is solely to awaken Arjuna, so that Arjuna's attention may turn to his duty. The implication of saying 'Kutah' (from where) is that fundamentally, this defect in the form of cowardice is not in you (in your true Self). It is an adventitious defect, not one that is permanent.
The implication of saying 'samupasthitam' (has come upon) is that this cowardice has not merely arisen in your thoughts and words; but it has also entered your actions. It has completely enveloped you, due to which you have laid down your bow and arrows and sat down in the middle of the chariot.
'Anāryajuṣṭam' (Commentary p. 38.2) – The sentiments that arise in wise, noble men are only for the purpose of their own welfare. Therefore, in the latter half of the verse, the Lord first uses the above term to say that the cowardice that has arisen in you is not accepted by noble men. The reason is that in this cowardice of yours, there is absolutely no consideration for your own welfare. Noble men who desire welfare keep their welfare as the objective in both engagement and renunciation. Cowardice towards their duty does not arise in them. Whatever duty comes to them according to circumstances, they perform it completely and with enthusiasm and diligence for the purpose of attaining welfare. They do not become cowardly like you and desist from war or any other obligatory duty. Therefore, desisting from the duty that has come in the form of war is not conducive to your welfare.
'Asvargyam' – Even if the matter of welfare is not kept in view and it is seen from a worldly perspective, heaven is considered the highest attainment in the world. But this cowardice of yours does not lead to heaven either, meaning the result of desisting from war out of cowardice cannot be the attainment of heaven.
'Akīrtikaram' – Even if the goal is not the attainment of heaven, a man considered good performs only that work which brings glory in the world. But this cowardice of yours does not bestow glory (fame) in this world either; on the contrary, it brings infamy. Therefore, the arising of cowardice in you is entirely improper.
Here, by giving the sequence 'anāryajuṣṭam, asvargyam, and akīrtikaram', the Lord has indicated three types of men: (1) Those who are thoughtful men desire only their own welfare. Their aim, their objective is solely welfare. (2) Those who are virtuous men desire the attainment of heaven through righteous deeds. They consider heaven alone as supreme and keep its attainment as their objective. (3) Those who are ordinary men respect the world alone. Therefore, they desire their own glory in the world and consider that glory alone as their aim.
By giving the above three terms, the Lord cautions Arjuna that this determination of yours not to fight is not conducive to attaining the aims of thoughtful and virtuous men—welfare and heaven—nor is it conducive to attaining the aim of ordinary men—glory. Therefore, due to delusion, your determination not to fight is most base, which will cause your downfall, lead you to hells, and bring you infamy.
Connection – After cowardice has arisen, what should one do now? To dispel this inquiry, the Lord says—
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