Shloka 39

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

Devanagari script

कथं न ज्ञेयमस्माभि: पापादस्मान्निवर्तितुम्‌ । कुलक्षयकृतं दोषं प्रपश्यद्धिर्जनार्दन

Transliteration

arjuna uvāca | kathaṁ na jñeyam asmābhiḥ pāpād asmān nivartitum | kulakṣayakṛtaṁ doṣaṁ prapaśyadbhir janārdana ||

Translation

ジャナールダナよ、家系の滅亡から生ずる過失を明らかに見通している我らが、どうしてこの罪から退くべきだと悟らずにいられようか。貪欲に迷わされた者たちが、友に敵対し一族を滅ぼす悪を見ないとしても、結果を知る我らは自らを抑え、この不義を慎んで退くべきである。

Word by Word

• {'kathaṁ': 'how? in what way?', 'na': 'not', 'jñeyam': 'to be known/recognized

• what ought to be understood', 'asmābhiḥ': 'by us', 'pāpāt': 'from sin, wrongdoing', 'asmān': 'us', 'nivartitum': 'to turn back, desist, withdraw', 'kula': 'family, clan, lineage', 'kṣaya': 'destruction, ruin', 'kulakṣaya': 'destruction of the lineage', 'kṛtam': 'made, caused, produced', 'doṣam': 'fault, evil consequence, moral defect', 'kulakṣayakṛtam doṣam': 'the fault/consequence produced by the destruction of the lineage', 'prapaśyadbhiḥ': 'by those who clearly see/foresee', 'janārdana': "Janārdana (epithet of Kṛṣṇa), 'chastiser of people/foes'"}

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Moral responsibility increases with moral insight: if one can foresee the harmful consequences (doṣa) of an action—here, the social and ethical collapse implied by kulakṣaya—one should desist from the sinful act rather than follow others blinded by greed.

What is happening in the narrative?

On the battlefield, Arjuna argues to Kṛṣṇa (Janārdana) that even if the opposing side does not perceive the sin in fighting relatives and friends, he and his side, who understand the disastrous consequences of destroying the family line, should withdraw from the act.