Bhagavad Gita 2.34
Sankhya Yoga · English Translation
Sanskrit
अकीर्तिं चापि भूतानि कथयिष्यन्ति तेऽव्ययाम् | सम्भावितस्य चाकीर्तिर्मरणादतिरिच्यते ||२-३४||
Transliteration
akīrtiṃ cāpi bhūtāni kathayiṣyanti te.avyayām . sambhāvitasya cākīrtirmaraṇādatiricyate ||2-34||
People, too, will recount thy everlasting dishonour; and to one who has been honoured, dishonour is worse than death.
Word by Word
अकीर्तिम् dishonour, च and, अपि also, भूतानि beings, कथयिष्यन्ति will tell, ते thy, अव्ययाम् everlasting, संभावितस्य of the honoured, च and, अकीर्तिः dishonour, मरणात् than death, अतिरिच्यते exceeds
Classical Commentary
The world also will ever recount thy infamy which will survive thee for a long time. Death is really preferable to disgrace to one who has been honoured as a great hero and mighty warrior with noble alities.