Chapter 1, Verse 38 (Bhagavad Gita 1.38)
Chapter 1: Arjun Viṣhād Yog – Arjuna's Dilemma
Sanskrit Shloka
यद्यप्येते न पश्यन्ति लोभोपहतचेतसः। कुलक्षयकृतं दोषं मित्रद्रोहे च पातकम्
Transliteration
yady apy ete na paśhyanti lobhopahata-chetasaḥ kula-kṣhaya-kṛitaṁ doṣhaṁ mitra-drohe cha pātakam
Word Meanings
yadi api—even though; ete—they; na—not; paśhyanti—see; lobha—greed; upahata—overpowered; chetasaḥ—thoughts; kula-kṣhaya-kṛitam—in annihilating their relatives; doṣham—fault; mitra-drohe—to wreak treachery upon friends; cha—and; pātakam—sin;
Translation
Though they, with intelligence overpowered by greed, see no evil in the destruction of families and no sin in hostility to friends,
Meaning & Commentary
Greed acts as a veil that clouds moral discernment, causing the intellect to rationalize destructive actions as necessary or righteous. It reveals how attachment to ego and desire blinds a person to the long-term spiritual consequences and the fundamental sanctity of human relationships.