The Lord of the Hindus is surprised to see that a king, claiming to be an Aryan, is feeling so flabbergasted on the battlefield. The instinct of a true Aryan is to be balanced and equipoised in all conditions of life and to face situations diligently, compelling them to change their threatening attitude and make them favourable to himself. When life is courted properly, even the ugliest situation can be transformed into a charming smile of success. Everything depends upon the intelligent man’s dexterity in steering himself upon the bumping roads of life. Thus, Lord Krishna characterises Arjuna’s behaviour as un-Aryan. The Aryans are extremely sensitive to the higher calls of life, righteousness and nobility, both in thought and action.

The Divine Charioteer is quite surprised at discovering such an attitude in his friend, whom he had known for years through thick and thin. The mood of dejection was, in fact, quite alien to the mental make-up and intellectual nature of Arjuna. Thus, we have here an expression of wonder and the Lord asks, “Whence comes upon thee this dejection, etc…”

It is believed by the Hindus that to die fighting for righteousness is the duty of one born in a family of kings and by so sacrificing his life on the battle-field for a noble cause, he reaches and enjoys the Heaven of the Heroes (Veera-Swarga).

Sri Sankaracharya did not comment on this sloka. The commentary starts from 2.10.