Shloka 38

Karma-Yoga, Yajña-Cakra, and the Governance of Desire (कर्मयोग–यज्ञचक्र–कामनिग्रह)

Devanagari script

यद्यप्येते न पश्यन्ति लोभोपहतचेतस: । कुलक्षयकृतं दोष॑ं मित्रद्रोहे च पातकम्‌,यद्यपि लोभसे भ्रष्टचित्त हुए ये लोग कुलके नाशसे उत्पन्न दोषको और मित्रोंसे विरोध करनेमें पापको नहीं देखते, तो भी हे जनार्दन! कुलके नाशसे उत्पन्न दोषको जाननेवाले हमलोगोंको इस पापसे हटनेके लिये क्‍यों नहीं विचार करना चाहिये?

Transliteration

yady apy ete na paśyanti lobhopahatacetasaḥ | kulakṣayakṛtaṃ doṣaṃ mitradrohe ca pātakam ||

Translation

Sekalipun orang-orang ini—yang batinnya diselubungi ketamakan—tidak melihat cela yang lahir dari musnahnya garis keluarga, dan tidak pula melihat dosa dalam mengkhianati sahabat serta sanak, namun, wahai Janārdana, mengapa kami yang memahami keburukan dari kehancuran itu tidak merenung dan berpaling dari kejahatan ini?

Word by Word

यद्यपिalthough

एतेthese (people)

नnot

पश्यन्तिsee

लोभोपहतचेतसःwhose minds are struck/overpowered by greed

कुलक्षयकृतम्caused by the destruction of the family

दोषम्fault, evil consequence

मित्रद्रोहेin betrayal/hostility toward friends

चand

पातकम्sin

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

Janārdana (Krishna)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Arjuna argues that ethical clarity should restrain action: even if others, blinded by greed, ignore the moral consequences of destroying a lineage and betraying close relations, those who understand these consequences have a duty to refrain from such sin.

What is happening in the narrative?

On the battlefield, Arjuna addresses Krishna (Janārdana), continuing his refusal to fight by emphasizing the social and moral catastrophe (kulakṣaya) and the grave wrongdoing of turning against one’s own allies and kin.