No harm will accrue from righteous warfare:

No harm will accrue from righteous warfare:

The above stanza has another meaning. "Nothing good can come from evil deeds; nothing evil can come from good deeds." This clears the doubt of Arjuna that the war will lead to sin and disaster in afterlife.

The war in which the Pandavas are engaged is a righteous war fought against unrighteousness. King Duryodhana had all along conducted the affairs of the state based on unrighteous principles and selfish interests to the utter detriment of his subjects. He was tutored in this wily art even from his boyhood by his wicked teacher Kalinga.

Treading this path, the king had fouled the whole atmosphere of his state. Even great preceptors like Bhishma and Drona had become helpless and could not stem the tide of unrighteousness let loose by the king.

Duryodhana’s philosophy in life was as follows: "Be selfish and cunning. Do not bother about God. To deceive the world, put on a mask of righteousness in this drama of life." By this policy of the king the whole atmosphere of the state was polluted and pervaded by greed, treachery and deceit.

The main purpose of the holy Mahabharata war was to purify this soul atmosphere and reestablish the rule of righteousness and morality. Nothing but good could come out of such a holy war fought for the universal good of all subjects.

sva-dharmam api caveksya na vikampitum arhasi |
dharmyad dhi yuddhac chreyo 'nyat ksatriyasya na vidyate ||II-31
(Nothing is more meritorious for a king than a holy war)

Only righteous wars are meritorious, not others. Some complain that in the olden days, kshatriyas were encouraged in mere warmongering. This is not true. Sri Krishna does not recommend wanton expansionism. People who initiate such wars are branded as tyrants and enemies of the world.

Wars fought inevitably for achieving a definite ideal and for the welfare of mankind are called righteous wars and those who take part in such holy wars were praised and said to have gained a place in heaven.

The shastras have never encouraged selfish, aggressive and imperialistic wars. Rarely do people get a chance to fight a righteous war. Sri Krishna says that Arjuna has got such a unique opportunity now when the gates of heaven are thrown wide open for him.