धर्म्यं यथा तथा युद्धं यदि स्यात्तर्हि संस्थितिः । नाशयेयुरलं मत्ताः परलोकभयोज्झिताः ॥ ३२ ॥
dharmyaṁ yathā tathā yuddhaṁ yadi syāttarhi saṁsthitiḥ | nāśayēyuralaṁ mattāḥ paralōkabhayōjjhitāḥ || 32 ||
Translation
Only if a war is righteous, fought as it should be, is there a place in heaven; else men drunk with pride, having cast off all fear of the next world, would lay everything waste.
Word by word
- dharmyaṁ
- righteous
- yathā
- as
- tathā
- it should be
- yuddhaṁ
- a war
- yadi
- if
- syāt
- is
- tarhi
- only then
- saṁsthitiḥ
- a place in heaven
- nāśayēyur
- (nāśayeyuḥ) would lay waste
- alaṁ
- everything, utterly
- mattāḥ
- men drunk with pride
- paralōka
- of the next world
- bhaya
- fear
- ujjhitāḥ
- having cast off
Meaning
The reason behind the rule. If every death in battle brought heaven, the reckless would make war without end, and fear of what comes after death, which holds men back, would be gone. The first commentary: if one slain in an unrighteous war won heaven, the reckless, free of fear of the next world, would destroy others in the most unrighteous wars. Heaven for the righteous alone is what keeps the world's order standing.