Bhagavad Gita 11.34

droṇaṁ ca bhīṣmaṁ ca jayadrathaṁ ca

karṇaṁ tathānyān api yodha-vīrān

mayā hatāṁs tvaṁ jahi mā vyathiṣṭhā

yudhyasva jetāsi raṇe sapatnān

 

Drona, Bhishma and Jayadratha will fall,

As will Karna—warriors, one and all;

They stand already destroyed by my decree—

Fight on, Arjuna, and victory you will see.

 

My dear Lord, on the journey of life—like any other journey—what I drive matters, but what drives me matters more. Bless me to remember this prioritization of my motivation over my motor as I aspire to serve you in this world.

For what I do to become service to you, O transcendental Lord, I need to treasure you far more than the world. I need to pursue the eternal passion—my love for you—more than the temporary pleasures of the world.

Simultaneously, O all-pervading Lord, I need to be mindful of results, because your mission involves reshaping the world, and you want me to assist in that cause—as you called upon Arjuna to fight for you.

O infallible Lord, while most others in that war fought with passion for a temporary kingdom, Arjuna fought with similar weapons as them, while seeking that same temporary kingdom for you. Even when you assured him of a flourishing kingdom, he still had to eventually renounce it—the kingdom remained within the world’s duality. That he prioritized you over the world is seen in how gracefully he accepted both: fighting to give the world to you, and fighting to give up the world for you.

When I strive to work for you—whether by building temples, offices, or homes for your sake—bless me to have this divine dynamic: sufficient attention to the temporary, for that is what I drive with; and a consistently greater aspiration for the eternal, for that is what I drive for.

***

11.34 Droṇa, Bhīṣma, Jayadratha, Karṇa and the other great warriors have already been destroyed by Me. Therefore, kill them and do not be disturbed. Simply fight, and you will vanquish your enemies in battle.