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BG 2.36 — 2.36 Thy enemies also, cavilling at thy power, will speak many abusive words. What is more painful than this?
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अवाच्यवादांश्च बहून्वदिष्यन्ति तवाहिताः |
निन्दन्तस्तव सामर्थ्यं ततो दुःखतरं नु किम् ||२-३६||

avācyavādāṃśca bahūnvadiṣyanti tavāhitāḥ . nindantastava sāmarthyaṃ tato duḥkhataraṃ nu kim ||2-36||


2.36 Thy enemies also, cavilling at thy power, will speak many abusive words. What is more painful than this?

Word-by-word meanings

2.36 अवाच्यवादान् words that are improper to be spoken? च and? बहून् many? वदिष्यन्ति will say? तव thy? अहिताः enemies? निन्दन्तः cavilling? तव thy? सामर्थ्यम् power? ततः than this? दुःखतरम् more painful? नु indeed? किम् what.Commentary There is really no pain more unbearable and tormenting that that of slander thus incurred.

Commentaries

Non-dualism. The individual self and Brahman are one. The world is appearance (maya). Liberation through knowledge.

Swami Gambirananda

2.36 And your enemies will speak many indecent words while denigrating your might. What can be more painful than that?

Sri Shankaracharya

2.36 Ca, and besieds; tava, your; ahitah, enemies; vadisyanti, will speak; bahun, many, various kinds of; avacya-vadan, indecent words, unutterable words; nindantah, while denigrating, scorning; tava, your; samarthyam, might earned from battles against Nivatakavaca and others. Therefore, kim nu, what can be; duhkhataram, more painful; tatah, than that, than the sorrow arising from being scorned? That is to say, there is no greater pain than it.

This interpretation draws on the Advaita tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.

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