akīrtiṁ chāpi bhūtāni
kathayiṣhyanti te ’vyayām
sambhāvitasya chākīrtir
maraṇād atirichyate
People will speak of you as a coward and a deserter. For a respectable person, infamy is worse than death.
Word by Word Meaning:
akīrtim - infamy
cha - and
api - also
bhūtāni - people
kathayiṣhyanti - will speak
te - of your
avyayām - everlasting
sambhāvitasya - of a respectable person
akīrtiḥ - infamy
maraṇāt - than death
atirichyate - is greater