To the Indian Patriots

Many of you patriots will get weary in the long struggle to make India a modern, highly industrialized and highly prosperous country, and start asking why should you fight for your country, when you are getting no personal benefit, and in fact often suffer personal harm or loss. It is indeed a very arduous path you have chosen, often giving up riches and comforts which you could otherwise have obtained.

 The answer is given in shlokas 35 to 38 of Chapter 2 of the Bhagavad Gita.

When Arjuna becomes despondent on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, and puts down his bow, Lord Krishna explains to him why he should fight :

भयाद् रणाद् उपरतम मंस्यन्ते त्वाम महारथाः

येषां च त्वम बहुमतो भूत्वा यास्यसि लाघवम्

" Bhayaad ranaad uparatam mansyante tvam maharathah

  Yeshaam cha tvam bahumato bhootva yaasyasi laaghavam "

i.e.

" Out of fear you have run away from battle, you are only a small man---this is what the great generals who had earlier thought highly of you will now believe "

अवाच्य वादांश्च बहून् वदिष्यन्ति तव आहिताः

निन्दन्तः तव सामर्थ्यं ततो दुख्तराम नु किम ?

" Avaachya vaadansh cha bahoon vadishyanti tav aahitah

  Nindantah tav saamarthyam tato dukhtaram nu kim ? "

i.e.

"  Unmentionable things will be said about you, and many will vilify you for your cowardice. What could be more painful than that ? "

हतो वा प्राप्स्यसि स्वर्गं जित्वा वा भोक्ष्यसे महीम

तस्मात् उत्तिष्ठ कौन्तेय युद्धाय  कृत निश्चयः

"  Hato va praapsyasi svargam jitva va bhokshyase maheem

   Tasmaat uttishtha Kaunteya yuddhaaya kritnishchaya "

i.e.

"  If killed, you will attain heaven, if victorious, you will enjoy the world

  So get up with determination and fight "

सुखदुःखे समे कृत्वा लाभालाभौ जयाजयौ

ततो युद्धाय युज्यस्व नैवं  पापं  अवाप्स्यसि

" Sukhdukhey samey kritva laabhalaabhau jayajayau

  Tato yuddhaaya yujyasva naivam paapam avaapsyasi "

i.e.

" Fight without thinking of personal happiness or distress, loss or gain, victory or defeat. Thereby you will never incur sin "

These words remind one of Thomas Paine's ' Commonsense  ' and ' The American Crisis ', which gave great encouragement to American patriots in the American War of Independence ( 1775-1781 )