Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 7
Vibhūti-yoga in the Bhāgavata: The Lord’s Manifest Opulences and the Discipline of Control
ज्ञात्वा ज्ञातिवधं गर्ह्यमधर्मं राज्यहेतुकम् । ततो निवृत्तो हन्ताहं हतोऽयमिति लौकिक: ॥ ७ ॥
jñātvā jñāti-vadhaṁ garhyam adharmaṁ rājya-hetukam tato nivṛtto hantāhaṁ hato ’yam iti laukikaḥ
Sur le champ de Kurukṣetra, Arjuna pensa que tuer ses proches était une action abominable et adharma, motivée seulement par le désir d’obtenir un royaume. Il se retira donc du combat, se disant : « Je serai le meurtrier des miens ; ils seront anéantis. » Ainsi Arjuna fut accablé par une conscience mondaine.
Lord Kṛṣṇa here explains to Uddhava the circumstances in which Śrī Arjuna posed his questions.
FAQs
This verse states that killing one’s own kinsmen for political gain is garhya (condemnable) and adharma (irreligious), and thus a wise person should desist from such violence.
Kṛṣṇa highlights the laukika (worldly) sense of doership and duality—identifying oneself as the agent of action—which binds one to sin and suffering and obscures higher spiritual understanding.
Avoid harming others for personal advancement, and reduce ego-driven “I am the doer” thinking by acting ethically, responsibly, and with devotion, remembering that worldly ambition should not override dharma.