Shloka 43
Arjuna Vishada Yoga — Arjuna Vishada Yoga
उत्सन्नकुलधर्माणां मनुष्याणां जनार्दन । नरकेऽनियतं वासो भवतीत्यनुशुश्रुम ॥ १.४३ ॥
utsannakuladharmāṇāṃ manuṣyāṇāṃ janārdana | narake 'niyataṃ vāso bhavatīty anuśuśruma || 1.43 ||
हे जनार्दन! जिन मनुष्यों के कुलधर्म नष्ट हो जाते हैं, उनका नरक में अनिश्चितकाल तक वास होता है—ऐसा हमने सुना है।
O Janārdana, we have heard that for people whose family duties have been destroyed, there is an indeterminate dwelling in hell.
Traditional versions treat ‘we have heard’ (anuśuśruma) as appeal to inherited authority (śruti/smṛti-like hearsay); academic readings highlight it as Arjuna’s reliance on received norms during crisis rather than direct knowledge.
FAQs
The phrase ‘we have heard’ suggests Arjuna is grasping for external validation; under stress he leans on conventional moral narratives to stabilize his choice.
‘Naraka’ can be taken literally within the text’s moral cosmology, or more broadly as a state of prolonged suffering and disorientation arising from ethical collapse.
This verse culminates Arjuna’s social-ritual argument by attaching severe consequences to the loss of inherited duties.
It can be read as highlighting how the erosion of guiding norms—family, community, or ethical frameworks—can lead to long-term distress for individuals and societies.