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

ਹੇ ਜਨਾਰਦਨ! ਜਦੋਂ ਅਸੀਂ ਕੁਲ-ਨਾਸ ਤੋਂ ਉੱਠਣ ਵਾਲਾ ਦੋਸ਼ ਸਾਫ਼ ਦੇਖ ਰਹੇ ਹਾਂ, ਤਾਂ ਇਸ ਪਾਪ ਤੋਂ ਮੁੜ ਜਾਣਾ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ—ਇਹ ਗੱਲ ਸਾਨੂੰ ਕਿਵੇਂ ਨਾ ਸਮਝ ਆਵੇ? ਲੋਭ ਨਾਲ ਭਟਕੇ ਮਨ ਵਾਲੇ ਇਹ ਲੋਕ ਮਿੱਤਰ-ਸਜਣਾਂ ਦੇ ਵਿਰੋਧ ਦਾ ਪਾਪ ਨਹੀਂ ਵੇਖਦੇ; ਪਰ ਅੰਜਾਮ ਜਾਣਨ ਵਾਲੇ ਅਸੀਂ ਕਿਉਂ ਨਾ ਸੰਯਮ ਕਰੀਏ?

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.