Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1, Verse 37

Chapter 1 – Arjuna Vishada Yoga · Speaker: Arjuna

Sanskrit verse

तस्मान्नार्हा वयं हन्तुं धार्तराष्ट्रान्स्वबान्धवान् ।
स्वजनं हि कथं हत्वा सुखिनः स्याम माधव ॥

Transliteration

tasmānnārhā vayaṃ hantuṃ dhārtarāṣṭrānsvabāndhavān .
svajanaṃ hi kathaṃ hatvā sukhinaḥ syāma mādhava ॥

Meaning

Therefore it is not right for us to kill the sons of Dhritarashtra, our own kinsmen; for how could we be happy, O Madhava, after slaying our own people?

Word meanings

तस्मात् – therefore
न – not
अर्हाः – fit, justified
वयम् – we
हन्तुम् – to kill
धार्तराष्ट्रान् – the sons of Dhritarashtra
स्वबान्धवान् – our own kinsmen
स्वजनम् – our own people
हि – for
कथम् – how
हत्वा – having killed
सुखिनः – happy
स्याम – could we be
माधव – O Madhava (Krishna)

Anvaya (word order)

तस्मात् स्वबान्धवान् धार्तराष्ट्रान् हन्तुं वयं न अर्हाः; माधव, स्वजनं हत्वा हि कथं सुखिनः स्याम ।

Explanation

From his previous arguments Arjuna now draws a conclusion: tasmat, 'therefore', we should not kill them. The word shows that Arjuna has moved beyond emotional reaction into the language of a 'reasoned' decision. But this reasoning stands on the foundation of attachment.

Here Arjuna calls the sons of Dhritarashtra svabandhavan, 'our own kinsmen'. In verse 23 the same Arjuna called Duryodhana 'evil-minded' and saw the Kauravas as enemies to be fought. Now they have all become 'his own'. This change shows how attachment transforms both our vision and our language.

Katham sukhinah syama, 'how could we be happy?': Arjuna returns again to the measure of happiness. His whole argument rests on whether the outcome of the war will bring him joy or sorrow. The Gita will soon teach that yoga means doing one's duty while treating joy and sorrow, gain and loss, victory and defeat alike (2.38). Duty is to be decided by dharma, not by the pleasure or pain of the result.

By calling Krishna Madhava once more, Arjuna seems to seek his agreement: 'O lord of fortune, tell me, can such a victory bring any fortune or happiness?' But Krishna is still silent; he is letting Arjuna open his whole heart.

Context

Here Arjuna draws a conclusion from the arguments of verses 35-36. In the next two verses he begins a new line of argument: the evils that arise from the destruction of a family.

Life lesson

Attachment changes our very language: yesterday's 'opponent' becomes 'our own' today, and duty begins to feel like a burden. When deciding, we should ask whether we are moved by the pleasure or pain of the result, or by dharma.

Key terms

Svabandhava: one's own kinsmen
Madhava: lord of Lakshmi; Krishna of the Madhu line
Sukha: happiness; here the yardstick of Arjuna's reasoning