Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1, Verse 38

Chapter 1 – Arjuna Vishada Yoga · Speaker: Arjuna

Sanskrit verse

यद्यप्येते न पश्यन्ति लोभोपहतचेतसः ।
कुलक्षयकृतं दोषं मित्रद्रोहे च पातकम् ॥

Transliteration

yadyapyete na paśyanti lobhopahatacetasaḥ .
kulakṣayakṛtaṃ doṣaṃ mitradrohe ca pātakam ॥

Meaning

Even though these men, their minds overpowered by greed, see no evil in destroying a family and no sin in betraying friends,

Word meanings

यद्यपि – even though
एते – these
न – not
पश्यन्ति – see
लोभोपहतचेतसः – their minds struck down by greed
कुलक्षयकृतम् – caused by the destruction of a family
दोषम् – evil, fault
मित्रद्रोहे – in treachery to friends
च – and
पातकम् – sin

Anvaya (word order)

यद्यपि लोभोपहतचेतसः एते कुलक्षयकृतं दोषं मित्रद्रोहे च पातकं न पश्यन्ति —

Explanation

Arjuna now moves to a new argument. He admits that the Kauravas are lobhopahatachetasah, 'their minds struck down by greed'. Greed for the kingdom has so blinded Duryodhana and his allies that they cannot see that this war will destroy the whole family and bring the sin of betraying friends.

The word upahata means 'struck' or 'wounded'. Greed wounds the intellect so badly that it can no longer tell right from wrong. Later the Gita calls desire, anger and greed the three gates to hell (16.21). One who falls under the sway of greed cannot see his own ruin.

Kulakshayakritam dosham, 'the evil of destroying the family', is the foundation of Arjuna's next arguments. In ancient Indian society the kula, the family line, was not merely a household but the bearer of traditions, sacred rites and dharma. Its destruction meant the destruction of all those values. Mitradroha, betraying those bound to us by love and trust, is regarded in the scriptures as a very grave sin.

The sentence is incomplete. After yadyapi, 'even though they do not see', comes the 'yet' in the next verse: 'yet why should we, who do see this evil, not turn away from this sin?' Arjuna's argument is that the blindness of others should not make us lose our own discernment.

Context

Up to verse 37 Arjuna argued that killing his kinsmen is pointless. From here he begins arguing about the evils of destroying the family, a theme that runs to the end of the chapter. The sentence completes in the next verse.

Life lesson

Greed wounds the intellect so that a person cannot see his own ruin. While pursuing any gain in life, we should keep asking whether greed is clouding our judgement.

Key terms

Lobha: greed, the craving for more that destroys discernment
Kulakshaya: destruction of a family or lineage
Mitradroha: treachery towards friends and those who trust us
Pataka: a grave sin that leads to downfall