A core teaching · grounding in mood · easy to enter
“A honored life can be wounded more by shame than by death.”
And all beings will speak of your everlasting disgrace. For an honored person, disgrace is worse than death.
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Tap a word to focus on it.
Read literallydisgrace · and · also · beings · will speak · of you · everlasting · of one who has been honored · and · disgrace · than death · is greater
People will keep speaking of your disgrace, and for someone who has been honored, that shame feels worse than death.
Krishna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Sankhya Yoga" (The Yoga of Knowledge).
Verse 34 sits in Chapter 2 of the Bhagavad Gita — Sankhya Yoga, "The Yoga of Knowledge". The chapter has 72 verses in total.
In a small town, the man who ran from a fight to save himself may be talked about for decades. Krishna tells Arjuna that for someone honoured, that kind of lasting disgrace is worse than death.
Did you like this verse?
Krishna warns that people will speak of Arjuna's disgrace for ever, and for the honoured that is worse than death.
What this verse means
People will keep speaking of your disgrace, and for someone who has been honored, that shame feels worse than death.
Context & commentary
Arjuna has lowered his bow and is wavering. Krishna warns him that if he turns away now, the world will remember his disgrace instead of his greatness. For a warrior known for honor, that loss cuts deeper than death.
What it looks like today
In a small town, the man who ran from a fight to save himself may be talked about for decades. Krishna tells Arjuna that for someone honoured, that kind of lasting disgrace is worse than death.
“Honor can feel more fragile than life itself, and avoiding your duty can wound it deeply.”
Explore related themes: kurukshetra (95 verses)