Bhagavad Gita · 1.37 · Arjuna's Dilemma·37 of 47
तस्मान्नार्हा वयं हन्तुं धार्तराष्ट्रान्स्वबान्धवान्।स्वजनं हि कथं हत्वा सुखिनः स्याम माधव ॥
tasmān nārhā vayaṁ hantuṁ dhārtarāṣhṭrān
sa-bāndhavān sva-janaṁ hi kathaṁ hatvā sukhinaḥ syāma mādhava
Sanskrit recitation
When the body freezes · 1.28–1.47 · Teaching
Translation
Therefore, we should not kill the sons of Dhritarashtra, our relatives; for how can we be happy by killing our own kin, O Madhava (Krishna)?
Meaning
A kṣatriya is not supposed to refuse to battle or gamble when he is so invited by some rival party. Under such an obligation, Arjuna could not refuse to fight, because he had been challenged by the party of Duryodhana. In this connection, Arjuna considered that the other party might be blind to the effects of such a challenge. Arjuna, however, could see the evil consequences and could not accept the challenge. Obligation is actually binding when the effect is good, but when the effect is otherwise, then no one can be bound. Considering all these pros and cons, Arjuna decided not to fight.
After Swami Sivananda
When the body freezes· 1.28–1.47→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 1.28Arjuna said, "O Krishna, seeing my kinsmen arrayed here, eager to fight,
- 1.29My limbs fail, my mouth is parched, my body quivers, and my hair stands on end.
- 1.30The Gandiva slips from my hand, and my skin burns all over; I am unable to stand, and my mind is reeling, as it were.
- 1.31And I see ill omens, O Kesava. I do not see any good in slaying my kinsmen in battle.
- 1.32I desire not victory, O Krishna, nor kingdom, nor pleasures. What use is dominion to us, O Krishna, or pleasures or even life?
- 1.33Those for whose sake we desire kingdom, enjoyments, and pleasures stand here in battle, having renounced life and wealth.
- 1.34Teachers, fathers, sons, and grandfathers, maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law, and other relatives—
- 1.35These I do not wish to kill, O Krishna, even though they kill me, for the sake of dominion over the three worlds; leave alone killing them for the sake of the earth."
- 1.36By killing these sons of Dhritarashtra, what pleasure could be ours, O Janardana? Only sin would accrue to us from killing these felons.
1.37Therefore, we should not kill the sons of Dhritarashtra, our relatives; for how can we be happy by killing our own kin, O Madhava (Krishna)?
- 1.38Though they, with intelligence overpowered by greed, see no evil in the destruction of families and no sin in hostility to friends,
- 1.39Why should we not, who clearly see the evil in the destruction of families, learn to turn away from this sin, O Janardana (Krishna)?
- 1.40In the destruction of a family, the immemorial religious rites of that family perish; on the destruction of spirituality, impiety indeed, overwhelms the whole family.
- 1.41O Krishna, by the prevalence of impiety, the women of the family become corrupt; and, when women are corrupted, O Varshenya (descendant of Vrishni), intermingling of castes arises.
- 1.42Confusion of castes leads to hell for the slayers of the family, for their forebears fall, deprived of the offerings of rice-balls and libations of water.
- 1.43By these evil deeds of the destroyers of the family, which cause confusion of castes, the eternal religious rites of the caste and the family are destroyed.
- 1.44We have heard, O Janardana, that those men in whose families the religious practices have been destroyed are inevitably destined to dwell in hell for an unknown period.
- 1.45Alas! We are involved in a great sin, for we are prepared to kill our kinsmen, out of greed for the pleasures of a kingdom.
- 1.46If the sons of Dhritarashtra, with weapons in hand, should slay me in battle, unresisting and unarmed, that would be better for me.
- 1.47Sanjaya said, Having thus spoken in the midst of the battlefield, Arjuna cast away his bow and arrow and, his mind overwhelmed with sorrow, sat down on the seat of the chariot.
Word-by-word→
- hi
- certainly
- na
- never
- vayam
- we
- hantum
- to kill
- hatvā
- by killing
- katham
- how
- syāma
- will we become
- tasmāt
- hence
- arhāḥ
- behoove
- mādhava
- Shree Krishna, the husband of Yogmaya
- sva-janam
- kinsmen
- sukhinaḥ
- happy
- sva-bāndhavān
- along with friends
- dhārtarāṣhṭrān
- the sons of Dhritarashtra
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