Do it or don't do it, you will regret both—Bold Wisdom from Krishna

जातस्य हि ध्रुवो मृत्युर्ध्रुवं जन्म मृतस्य च |
तस्मादपरिहार्येऽर्थे न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि ||

(Jātasya hi dhruvo mṛtyur dhruvaṁ janma mṛtasya ca |
Tasmād aparihārye’rthe na tvaṁ śocitum arhasi ||)
"For one who has taken birth, death is certain; and for one who has died, birth is certain. Therefore, you should not lament over what is inevitable."


Life presents us with countless choices, big and small, each shaping our future in ways we cannot fully predict. Whether to pursue a career or abandon it for passion, to marry or remain single, to speak out or stay silent—every decision carries weight. Søren Kierkegaard, the father of existentialism, captured this universal predicament with his famous quote: "Do it or don’t do it, you will regret both." This paradox is not just a Western philosophical insight; it finds a profound echo in the Bhagavad Gita, where Lord Krishna advises Arjuna on the nature of duty, consequence, and the inevitability of regret. The essence of the Gita’s wisdom is that one must act, but act with detachment, for regret is not in the action itself but in the attachment to its results.

Kierkegaard’s insight into human decision-making finds a striking parallel in Arjuna’s dilemma on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. As he stands between two armies, ready to fight a war that will determine the fate of an empire, Arjuna is overcome with doubt. He sees before him his own family, teachers, and loved ones—men he must fight and kill if he is to fulfill his duty as a warrior. The weight of this decision paralyzes him, much like the existential crisis Kierkegaard describes: the realization that no matter what he chooses, regret will follow.

Arjuna, in this moment, embodies the essence of Kierkegaard’s paradox. If he fights, he will regret the bloodshed of his kin. If he refuses, he will regret his cowardice and failure to uphold dharma. This is not just a personal dilemma but a universal human experience: the recognition that no path is free from suffering.


Lord Krishna’s response to Arjuna’s crisis is both profound and practical. He acknowledges that sorrow and regret are natural outcomes of attachment but teaches that one must act despite the fear of regret. He introduces the concept of Nishkama Karma—action without attachment to the results. Krishna’s advice can be summarized in Bhagavad Gita 2.47:

"कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन।
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि।।"

(You have the right to perform your duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, nor be attached to inaction.)

This teaching directly addresses Kierkegaard’s paradox. The issue is not whether one will regret an action or inaction but whether one is attached to the outcome. Krishna suggests that regret is not in the decision itself but in the mind’s obsession with outcomes. A person who acts with complete surrender to dharma, without attachment to success or failure, transcends regret altogether.

The Gita also presents a deeper metaphysical truth about regret in Bhagavad Gita 2.27:

"जातस्य हि ध्रुवो मृत्युर्ध्रुवं जन्म मृतस्य च,
तस्मादपरिहार्येऽर्थे न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि।।"

(For one who has taken birth, death is certain; and for one who has died, birth is certain. Therefore, you should not lament over what is inevitable.)

This verse emphasizes that certain things in life are inevitable, including suffering, loss, and regret. Just as birth leads to death, every action carries consequences—some desirable, some undesirable. Instead of dwelling on these, Krishna urges Arjuna to accept the inevitability of life’s cycles and act in accordance with dharma.

This perspective challenges the modern tendency to seek a regret-free existence, where every decision is expected to bring only happiness. The Gita teaches that such a life is impossible, for the very nature of human existence is bound by dualities—pleasure and pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat. Rather than avoiding regret, one must cultivate equanimity (samatva), accepting both joy and sorrow with a steady mind.

Kierkegaard’s paradox exposes a common illusion—the belief that there exists a "perfect" choice that leads to happiness without regret. The Gita dismantles this illusion by asserting that all choices come with both joy and suffering.

Vedantic philosophy, particularly Advaita Vedanta, further reinforces this idea. It teaches that the world is Maya (illusion), and attachment to its outcomes is what creates suffering. According to Shankaracharya, the self (Atman) is beyond dualities; it is eternal and untouched by pleasure or pain. When one realizes this truth, one no longer identifies with the fleeting joys and regrets of life.

Krishna, in Bhagavad Gita 5.18, highlights this state of realization:

"विद्याविनयसम्पन्ने ब्राह्मणे गवि हस्तिनि।
शुनी चैव श्वपाके च पण्डिताः समदर्शिनः।।"

(The wise see a learned and humble Brahmin, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and a dog-eater with equal vision.)

This verse teaches detachment from the illusions of gain and loss. A person who attains wisdom sees all experiences—success and failure, pleasure and pain—as equal.

Kierkegaard’s paradox is not just a philosophical puzzle but a real-life challenge that every person faces. The Bhagavad Gita offers practical solutions to some of today’s most common dilemmas:

By following Nishkama Karma, one acts without fear of regret, for the focus shifts from the fruits of action to the righteousness of action itself.


Ultimately, the Bhagavad Gita does not merely teach how to manage regret but how to transcend it completely. Krishna’s final and most powerful teaching in Bhagavad Gita 18.66 is:

"सर्वधर्मान् परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज।
अहं त्वां सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः।।"

(Abandon all varieties of dharma and surrender unto Me alone. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.)

This verse offers the ultimate resolution to regret: complete surrender to the divine. When one recognizes that everything is orchestrated by a higher cosmic order, the burden of decision-making and its accompanying regret dissolve.

Kierkegaard’s paradox is a reflection of the human condition—no matter what we do, regret follows. But the Bhagavad Gita offers a way out of this existential trap. By embracing detachment, duty, and devotion, one learns that regret is not in the act itself but in the attachment to its outcome.

Life will always be filled with choices that lead to both joy and sorrow. The wisdom of the Gita teaches us to act with clarity, without fear, and without being enslaved by the mind’s regrets. In doing so, one moves beyond Kierkegaard’s dilemma and into a state of true inner freedom