True kshatriya spirit means fighting decisively until victory or death, never retreating from righteous duty.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Bhagavad-gītā 1.11–12 — July 13, 1973, London 730713BG-LONDON [13:08 Minutes] Bg-01.11–12_730713BG-LONDON Pradyumna: [leads chanting of verse] [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] [break] ayaneṣu ca sarveṣu yathā-bhāgam avasthitāḥ bhīṣmam evābhirakṣantu bhavantaḥ sarva eva hi [Bg. 1.11] tasya sañjanayan harṣaṁ kuru-vṛddhaḥ pitāmahaḥ siṁha-nādaṁ vinadyoccaiḥ śaṅkhaṁ dadhmau pratāpavān [Bg. 1.12] [break] [leads chanting of synonyms to Bg 1.12] tasya—his; sañjanayan—increasing; harṣam—cheerfulness; kuru-vṛddhaḥ—the grandsire of the Kuru dynasty (Bhīṣma); pitāmahaḥ—the grandfather; siṁha-nādam—roaring sound, like a lion; vinadya—vibrating; uccaiḥ—very loudly; śaṅkham—conchshell; dadhmau—blew; pratāpavān—the valiant. [02:30] Translation: "Then Bhīṣma, the great valiant grandsire of the Kuru dynasty, the grandfather of the fighters, blew his conchshell very loudly like the sound of a lion, giving Duryodhana joy." Prabhupāda: Ahh! So Duryodhana was doubting, that "My grandfather, Bhīṣma, is more affectionately inclined to the other party. So he may not be lenient in fighting." So in order to encourage Duryodhana, tasya sañjanayan harṣam: "Don't think that I am lenient. I am strong." Immediately, to encourage him, he blew his conchshell.
Nowadays they use bugle; formerly the conchshells were used by the kings. And not that... In modern days the fighting takes place—the poor soldiers, they come to fight, and the leaders, they remain in safety place. It is not like that. All of them came out, kṣatriya.
Bhīṣmadeva came, Duryodhana came, Arjuna came. And face to face, they had to fight. Not that the poor soldiers would fight and they would remain in a secure place. No.
So tasya sañjanayan harṣaṁ kuru-vṛddhaḥ. Kuru-vṛddha, the oldest man in the dynasty, Kuru dynasty, pitāmaha, he's the grandfather of Arjuna and Duryodhana—the Dhṛtarāṣṭra's elder uncle, his father's elder brother. He was very old man, brahmacārī. And in that old age also, he was taking the risk of fighting. This is kṣatriya spirit.
Not that only... Dhṛtarāṣṭra was escaping. Not escaping, because he was physically incapable, blind, therefore he did not come in the battlefield. Otherwise, even Bhīṣmadeva, in such old age he also came.
This is kṣatriya spirit. When there is fight, there is no rest. And fight means, "Either the other party should be killed or I shall be killed." Not that without any decision the fighting will be stopped. No.
That cannot be. When there is two party, must be belligerent, one party. So decision is that "Either you kill me or I kill you." Not that "Without killing... Without being killed one of us, the fighting cannot be stopped." Just like Jarāsandha was fighting with Bhīma.