tasmāt tvam uttiṣṭha yaśo labhasva jitvā śatrūn bhuṅkṣva rājyaṁ samṛddham mayaivaite nihatāḥ pūrvam eva nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savya-sācin
"Therefore arise and gain glory! Conquer your enemies and enjoy a flourishing kingdom. They are already slain by Me. Be merely an instrument, O Arjuna."
What This Means:
Therefore: ARISE! Get the glory, defeat enemies, enjoy the kingdom. But know this—THEY'RE ALREADY DEAD by My hand. You're just the instrument (nimitta-matra). Not the cause.
Going Deeper:
'Nimitta-matra' (merely the instrument) is the key. Krishna has already killed them; Arjuna's role is to be the visible means. This dissolves Arjuna's anxiety about killing—he's not creating death, just participating in what's already happening.
How To Apply This:
You may be the instrument of events you didn't cause. Your action participates in larger flows already in motion. This reduces ego both ways—you're not the creator of good or bad; you're a participant.
Key Sanskrit Terms: