Chapter 1, Verse 40 (Bhagavad Gita 1.40)
Chapter 1: Arjun Viṣhād Yog – Arjuna's Dilemma
Sanskrit Shloka
कुलक्षये प्रणश्यन्ति कुलधर्माः सनातनाः। धर्मे नष्टे कुलं कृत्स्नमधर्मोऽभिभवत्युत
Transliteration
kula-kṣhaye praṇaśhyanti kula-dharmāḥ sanātanāḥ dharme naṣhṭe kulaṁ kṛitsnam adharmo ’bhibhavaty uta
Word Meanings
kula-kṣhaye—in the destruction of a dynasty; praṇaśhyanti—are vanquished; kula-dharmāḥ—family traditions; sanātanāḥ—eternal; dharme—religion; naṣhṭe—is destroyed; kulam—family; kṛitsnam—the whole; adharmaḥ—irreligion; abhibhavati—overcome; uta—indeed
Translation
In the destruction of a family, the immemorial religious rites of that family perish; on the destruction of spirituality, impiety indeed, overwhelms the whole family.
Meaning & Commentary
Arjuna identifies that the erosion of ancestral traditions leads to a collective loss of moral anchoring, causing social chaos. Psychologically, this reflects how the collapse of a structured value system leaves the individual vulnerable to base instincts and ethical degradation.