Bhagavad Gita · 1.42 · Arjuna's Dilemma·42 of 47
सङ्करो नरकायैव कुलघ्नानां कुलस्य च।पतन्ति पितरो ह्येषां लुप्तपिण्डोदकक्रियाः ॥
saṅkaro narakāyaiva kula-ghnānāṁ kulasya cha
patanti pitaro hy eṣhāṁ lupta-piṇḍodaka-kriyāḥ
Sanskrit recitation
When the body freezes · 1.28–1.47 · Teaching
Translation
Confusion 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.
Meaning
Community projects for the four orders of human society, combined with family welfare activities, as they are set forth by the institution of sanātana-dharma, or varṇāśrama-dharma, are designed to enable the human being to attain his ultimate salvation. Therefore, the breaking of the sanātana-dharma tradition by irresponsible leaders of society brings about chaos in that society, and consequently people forget the aim of life – Viṣṇu. Such leaders are called blind, and persons who follow such leaders are sure to be led into chaos.
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→
- saṅkaraḥ
- unwanted children
- narakāya
- hellish
- eva
- indeed
- kula-ghnānām
- for those who destroy the family
- kulasya
- of the family
- cha
- also
- patanti
- fall
- pitaraḥ
- ancestors
- hi
- verily
- eṣhām
- their
- lupta
- deprived of
- piṇḍodaka-kriyāḥ
- performances of sacrificial offerings
Related verses
- 1.3Behold, O Teacher! This mighty army of the sons of Pandu, arrayed by the son of Drupada,…
- 1.5Dhrishtaketu, Chekitana, the valiant king of Kasi, Purujit, Kuntibhoja, and Saibya—the…
- 1.6The strong Yudhamanyu and the brave Uttamaujas, the son of Subhadra (Abhimanyu, the son of…
- 1.7Know also, O best among the twice-born! the names of those who are the most distinguished…