I failed and feel like giving up

1. क्लैब्यं मा स्म गमः पार्थ नैतत्त्वय्युपपद्यते।क्षुद्रं हृदयदौर्बल्यं त्यक्त्वोत्तिष्ठ परन्तप ॥2.3॥

   klaibyaṃ mā sma gamaḥ pārtha naitattvayyupapadyatekṣudraṃ hṛdayadaurbalyaṃ tyaktvottiṣṭha parantapa

   Krishna says: do not give in to this cowardice, Arjuna; it is not worthy of you. Throw off this petty weakness of heart and stand up, you who defeat your enemies.

   Try this today

   Pick the one small step you have been putting off out of nervousness and do it before noon, even if it is only the first five minutes.

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2. पार्थ नैवेह नामुत्र विनाशस्तस्य विद्यते।नहि कल्याणकृत्कश्चिद्दुर्गतिं तात गच्छति ॥6.40॥

   pārtha naiveha nāmutra vināśastasya vidyatenahi kalyāṇakṛtkaściddurgatiṃ tāta gacchati

   Krishna replies: Arjuna, there is no ruin for such a person, neither in this world nor in the next. No one who does good ever comes to a bad end, my friend.

   Try this today

   Do one good deed today even if you feel you have failed at many things, and remind yourself that no sincere good effort is ever wasted.

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3. नेहाभिक्रमनाशोऽस्ति प्रत्यवायो न विद्यते।स्वल्पमप्यस्य धर्मस्य त्रायते महतो भयात् ॥2.40॥

   nehābhikramanāśo'sti pratyavāyo na vidyatesvalpamapyasya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt

   Krishna says: on this path no effort is ever wasted and there is no harmful reverse. Even a little practice of this dharma protects you from great fear.

   Try this today

   Choose one good habit and do just a tiny version of it today, two minutes of reading or one kind message. Small counts.

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4. यदृच्छालाभसन्तुष्टो द्वन्द्वातीतो विमत्सरः।समः सिद्धावसिद्धौ च कृत्वापि न निबध्यते ॥4.22॥

   yadṛcchālābhasantuṣṭo dvandvātīto vimatsaraḥsamaḥ siddhāvasiddhau ca kṛtvāpi na nibadhyate

   Content with whatever comes on its own, beyond the pairs of opposites, free from envy, and balanced in success and failure, such a person is not bound even while acting.

   Try this today

   When you hear of someone else's success today, congratulate them sincerely, and write down one good thing that came to you unasked.

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5. उद्धरेदात्मनाऽऽत्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत्।आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः ॥6.5॥

   uddharedātmanā''tmānaṃ nātmānamavasādayetātmaiva hyātmano bandhurātmaiva ripurātmanaḥ

   Lift yourself up by your own effort; do not let yourself sink down. For you alone are your own friend, and you alone are your own enemy.

   Try this today

   When you hear yourself say "I can't" or "I'm useless" today, stop and replace it with one sentence a good friend would say to you, then take one small step.

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6. अपि चेदसि पापेभ्यः सर्वेभ्यः पापकृत्तमः।सर्वं ज्ञानप्लवेनैव वृजिनं सन्तरिष्यसि ॥4.36॥

   api cedasi pāpebhyaḥ sarvebhyaḥ pāpakṛttamaḥsarvaṃ jñānaplavenaiva vṛjinaṃ santariṣyasi

   Even if you were the worst of all wrongdoers, you would cross over every sin by the raft of knowledge alone.

   Try this today

   Think of one past mistake you keep punishing yourself for, write what it taught you, and decide one better action for today.

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7. क्षिप्रं भवति धर्मात्मा शश्वच्छान्तिं निगच्छति।कौन्तेय प्रतिजानीहि न मे भक्तः प्रणश्यति ॥9.31॥

   kṣipraṃ bhavati dharmātmā śaśvacchāntiṃ nigacchatikaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati

   Such a person quickly becomes righteous and attains lasting peace. Krishna asks Arjuna to declare it boldly: his devotee never perishes.

   Try this today

   When you slip in a good habit today, do not quit. Restart within the hour and tell yourself one sentence of trust that you are still on the path.

   Study 9.31 in depth →

If you are in deep distress or having thoughts of harming yourself, please talk to someone you trust or call India's free Tele-MANAS helpline on 14416.