2.37 Slain, thou wilt obtain heaven; victorious, thou wilt enjoy the earth; therefore, stand up, O son of Kunti, resolved to fight.

2.33-37 Atha ca etc., upto krta-niscavah. Accepting what the opponent has stated, this pentad of verses is narrated as an argument : 'If your goodself prefers to abide by the generally accepted practice, even then this [fighting] must be undertaken necessarily'.

2.37. If you are slain in battle, you shall attain heaven; and if you are victorious in battle, you shall enjoy the kingdom of the earth. Therefore, O son of Kunti, resolve to fight and stand up. Commentary: "If killed, you will attain heaven; if victorious, you will enjoy the earth"—In the sixth verse of this very chapter, Arjuna had said that we do not even know whether we shall conquer them in battle or they shall conquer us. Taking up Arjuna's doubt, the Lord here clearly states that if you are slain in battle by Karna and others, you will go to heaven; and if you are victorious in battle, you shall enjoy the kingdom of this earth. Thus, you have gains in both hands. The essence is that by engaging in battle, you have only gain on both sides, and by not engaging in battle, you have only loss on both sides. Therefore, you should engage in battle. "Therefore, O son of Kunti, arise, resolved to fight"—The purpose of using the address "Kaunteya" here is that when I went to the Kauravas with a proposal for peace, your mother Kunti sent this very message for you: that you must fight. Therefore, you should not withdraw from battle; on the contrary, you should resolve to fight and stand up. Arjuna was resolved not to fight, and the Lord had already given the command to fight in the third verse of this chapter. This created a doubt in Arjuna's mind: is it right to fight or not to fight? Therefore, here the Lord dispels that doubt by saying: make one firm resolve to fight, do not harbor any doubt about it. Here, the Lord's intent appears to be that a person should never abandon their duty under any circumstances; rather, they should perform their duty with enthusiasm and diligence. In the performance of duty lies a person's humanity.