Meaning
Supreme God Krishna spoke
Hence, O Arjuna with ambidextrous prowess, rise and attain glory {by engaging in the battle}. Your adversaries have already been vanquished by Me. Allow yourself to be an instrument, conquer your foes, and relish a prosperous reign. (11:33)
Sanskrit
श्रीभगवान् उवाच
तस्मात्त्वमुत्तिष्ठ यशो लभस्व जित्वा शत्रून् भुङ्क्ष्व राज्यं समृद्धम् ।
मयैवैते निहताः पूर्वमेव निमित्तमात्रं भव सव्यसाचिन्॥
Word-by-word
तस्मात् त्वम् उत्तिष्ठ यशः लभस्व जित्वा
शत्रून् भुङ्क्ष्व राज्यम् समृद्धम्; मया एव एते निहताः पूर्वम् एव, निमित्त-मात्रम् भव सव्य-साचिन्।।
Commentary
To understand the true meaning of someone's words, we must consider all their relevant statements. Verses 5:14 and 6:5, 6 in the Bhagavad-Gitā provide additional insights on Free Will, destiny, and God's involvement in such matters.
The statement made by God, "Your adversaries have already been vanquished by Me. Allow yourself to be an instrument, conquer your foes, and relish a prosperous reign," does not necessarily mean that everything is preordained, rendering human actions meaningless. Instead, it suggests that certain significant personal or communal life events may be predetermined by God or, more accurately, by Nature. However, it's not necessary to interpret this verse as indicating that events are arbitrarily predestined by God or Nature. Instead, individuals' actions play a crucial role in shaping their fate or destiny. Nature or God acts as the means through which that destiny unfolds.
Sometimes, the collective actions of many individuals together determine their destiny, as seen in the context of global warming. Humans from different countries have contributed collectively to this outcome. Similarly, collective actions have influenced the course of this war.
The consequences of highly despicable deeds are extremely difficult, almost impossible, to overcome. On the other hand, destiny shaped by less severe wrongs can be lessened or even entirely erased through exceptionally virtuous deeds or through the Grace of God (4:36; 10:3; 18:66). While individuals may not have absolute Freedom of Will due to constraints such as genetic disposition or compelling external circumstances, they still possess a considerable degree of it. This is highlighted by God in verses 5:14 and 6:5, 6 in the Sacred Book.