Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 2: The Path of Understanding

Bhagavad Gita 2.3

klaibyaṃ mā sma gamaḥ pārtha naitattvayyupapadyate | kṣudraṃ hṛdayadaurbalyaṃ tyaktvottiṣṭha parantapa ||

Do not give in to cowardice, Arjuna; it does not suit you. Shake off this petty faint-heartedness and stand up, conqueror of enemies.

Modern context

'This does not suit you. Stand up.' It is the plain encouragement one gives a friend who has lost heart, and it is offered with affection, by name. It is also not enough: Arjuna's problem is a real moral question, and a pep talk cannot answer it. The Gita shows the pep talk failing before the real teaching begins.