अवाच्यवादांश्च बहून् वदिष्यन्ति तवाहिताः ।
निन्दन्तस्तव सामर्थ्यं ततो दुःखतरं नु किम् ॥
निन्दन्तस्तव सामर्थ्यं ततो दुःखतरं नु किम् ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
तेरे शत्रुलोग तेरी सार्मथ्यकी निन्दा करते हुए न कहनेयोग्य बहुतसे वचन भी कहेंगे । उससे बढ़कर और दुःखकी बात क्या होगी ॥
English
Your enemies will speak many unworthy words, mocking your strength. What could be more painful than that?
What this verse means
Your enemies will mock your ability and say cruel things about you. For a respected person, that kind of public shame can feel worse than death.
Context & commentary
On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna stands frozen while Krishna presses him to act. After warning him about disgrace, Krishna adds that enemies will ridicule his strength itself. The verse deepens Arjuna's fear of public humiliation.
Why this verse still matters
You back out of the hard conversation, and later people call you weak behind your back. The wound is not the criticism itself — it is watching your own courage get rewritten.
The takeaway
Shame can sting harder than pain when your identity is on the line.
Word-by-word translation
अवाच्यवादान् (unworthy words) / च (and) / बहून् (many) / वदिष्यन्ति (they will speak) / तव (your) / अहिताः (enemies) / निन्दन्तः (mocking) / तव (your) / सामर्थ्यम् (strength) / ततः (than that) / दुःखतरम् (more painful) / नु (indeed) / किम् (what)
This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2: Sankhya Yoga — The Yoga of Knowledge, which contains 72 verses.