"This cowardice brings shame on you and even on your far-famed forefathers. Fie on you? You have dragged down the Kshatriya race into disgrace. War is the royal road for your kind, the road which leads to Heaven. How can you escape infamy, if you withdraw from the field now? You have earned the title, Vijaya, by the prowess of your arm; do not tarnish the reputation you have won by a lifetime of effort. Give up this weakening delusion."

"Listen to me; remind yourself of what happened at Amaravathi. You disregarded the approaches of the divine damsel, Urvasi and when she wanted a son through your grace, you replied, 'Take me as your son.' That revealed you a an incomparable hero. The curse that she spelt on you in her discomfiture helped you at the court of the Virata king to pass off as an eunuch, teaching dance to the royal princesses, is it not?"

"Where has that heroism gone, tell Me. How has this pusillanimity come over such a stalwart? You came to Me and disturbed Me in sleep with your request for help in this battle, from which you are now running away. Am I to help you thus? Have I to watch while you are fleeing? Pluck this delusion by the roots; reduce this fear into ashes. Become a hero again." Thus exhorted Krishna.

Krishna uses four words in this context: Kasmalam (ignorance), Anaarya-jushtam (character that is harmful to the divine nature in each), Aswargyam (quality that destroys the divine in man) and A-keerthikaram (quality that causes the decline of the wealth that is lasting).

These inspiring words that will make the blood of any Kshathriya boil had a tremendous effect on Arjuna. The thick cloud of ignorance which had overwhelmed Arjuna started to melt a little. The Thamas which had made him forget the truth got removed; Rajoguna returned and Arjuna found words to ask, "Katham?" (how). That term reveals much. It shows that the Geetha expounds, not merely what has to be done but even how it has to be done.

Arjuna asks Krishna, "O Madhusudana! Listen to my words: Those who are in the forefront of the battle line are all worthy of worship. The great Bhishma took care of us when we lost our father and brought us up from childhood and shaped us into what we are. He is as a father to us, the grand old man of our clan. And what shall I say of Drona? He loved me more than he loved his own son, Aswathama; I had all his love. He is the Guru who through that love, took me as his favourite disciple and made me into the bowman that I am. Do you want me now to use the skill he taught to overthrow him? Is it right for a son of Bharath to do such a thing? In battle we have to kill our enemies, is it not? Or, can we fight with fathers and teachers, who deserve reverence?"