Shloka 41

अधर्माभिभवात्‌ कृष्ण प्रदुष्यन्ति कुलस्त्रिय: । स्त्रीषु दुष्टासु वाष्णेय जायते वर्णसंकर:,हे कृष्ण! पापके अधिक बढ़ जानेसे कुलकी स्त्रियाँ अत्यन्त दूषित हो जाती हैं और हे वार्ष्णेय! स्त्रियोंके दूषित हो जानेपर वर्णसंकर उत्पन्न होता है

adharmābhibhavāt kṛṣṇa praduṣyanti kula-striyaḥ | strīṣu duṣṭāsu vārṣṇeya jāyate varṇa-saṅkaraḥ ||

Wahai Krishna, ketika adharma menguasai, para perempuan dalam keluarga menjadi tercemar; dan wahai keturunan Vrishni, bila para perempuan tercemar, timbullah varṇa-saṅkara—percampuran dan kekacauan tatanan kewajiban turun-temurun.

अधर्मof unrighteousness
अधर्म:
Apadana
TypeNoun
Rootअधर्म
FormMasculine, Genitive, Singular
अभिभवात्from the overpowering/prevailing
अभिभवात्:
Apadana
TypeNoun
Rootअभिभव
FormMasculine, Ablative, Singular
कृष्णO Krishna
कृष्ण:
Sampradana
TypeNoun
Rootकृष्ण
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
प्रदुष्यन्तिbecome corrupted
प्रदुष्यन्ति:
TypeVerb
Rootदुष्
FormPresent, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada
कुलof the family
कुल:
TypeNoun
Rootकुल
FormNeuter, Genitive, Singular
स्त्रियःwomen
स्त्रियः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootस्त्री
FormFeminine, Nominative, Plural
स्त्रीषुamong/in women
स्त्रीषु:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootस्त्री
FormFeminine, Locative, Plural
दुष्टासुwhen (they are) corrupted
दुष्टासु:
TypeAdjective
Rootदुष्ट
FormFeminine, Locative, Plural
वाष्णेयO descendant of Vrishni
वाष्णेय:
Sampradana
TypeNoun
Rootवाष्णेय
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
जायतेarises/is born
जायते:
TypeVerb
Rootजन्
FormPresent, Third, Singular, Atmanepada
वर्णclass/caste
वर्ण:
TypeNoun
Rootवर्ण
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
संकरःintermixture/confusion
संकरः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootसंकर
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular

अजुन उवाच

A
Arjuna
K
Krishna (Vārṣṇeya)

Educational Q&A

Arjuna argues that when adharma becomes dominant, it corrodes the moral fabric of family life, leading to disorder in relationships and a broader collapse of social norms and inherited responsibilities (varṇa-saṅkara). The verse frames war not only as physical destruction but as a catalyst for ethical and societal disintegration.

On the battlefield, Arjuna is overwhelmed by the prospect of fighting his own kin. He presents Krishna with a chain-of-consequences argument: the slaughter of elders and protectors will allow adharma to prevail, which in turn will corrupt family life and produce social confusion, strengthening his reluctance to wage war.