Chapter 1, Verse 37 (Bhagavad Gita 1.37)
Chapter 1: Arjun Viṣhād Yog – Arjuna's Dilemma
Sanskrit Shloka
तस्मान्नार्हा वयं हन्तुं धार्तराष्ट्रान्स्वबान्धवान्। स्वजनं हि कथं हत्वा सुखिनः स्याम माधव
Transliteration
tasmān nārhā vayaṁ hantuṁ dhārtarāṣhṭrān sa-bāndhavān sva-janaṁ hi kathaṁ hatvā sukhinaḥ syāma mādhava
Word Meanings
tasmāt—hence; na—never; arhāḥ—behoove; vayam—we; hantum—to kill; dhārtarāṣhṭrān—the sons of Dhritarashtra; sva-bāndhavān—along with friends; sva-janam—kinsmen; hi—certainly; katham—how; hatvā—by killing; sukhinaḥ—happy; syāma—will we become; mādhava—Shree Krishna, the husband of Yogmaya
Translation
Therefore, we should not kill the sons of Dhritarashtra, our relatives; for how can we be happy by killing our own kin, O Madhava (Krishna)?
Meaning & Commentary
Arjuna is grappling with the conflict between duty and morality, highlighting how deep emotional attachments can cloud one's perception of absolute righteousness. He fears that personal transgression against kinship will lead to permanent spiritual and psychological unrest, suggesting that happiness cannot be built upon the destruction of one's own foundations.