Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1, Verse 44

Chapter 1 – Arjuna Vishada Yoga · Speaker: Arjuna

Sanskrit verse

उत्सन्नकुलधर्माणां मनुष्याणां जनार्दन ।
नरके नियतं वासो भवतीत्यनुशुश्रुम (or नरकेऽनियतं) ॥

Transliteration

utsannakuladharmāṇāṃ manuṣyāṇāṃ janārdana .
narake niyataṃ vāso bhavatītyanuśuśruma ॥

Meaning

O Janardana, we have heard it said that those whose family traditions are destroyed dwell in hell for a long time.

Word meanings

उत्सन्नकुलधर्माणाम् – whose family traditions are destroyed
मनुष्याणाम् – of men
जनार्दन – O Janardana
नरके – in hell
नियतम् – surely, for long
वासः – dwelling
भवति – is
इति – thus
अनुशुश्रुम – we have heard (through tradition)

Anvaya (word order)

जनार्दन, उत्सन्नकुलधर्माणां मनुष्याणां नरके नियतं वासः भवति इति अनुशुश्रुम ।

Explanation

This is the last link in the chain of consequences of destroying a family. Arjuna says that those whose family dharma is destroyed dwell in hell. Some versions read narake 'niyatam, 'for an indefinite time'; both readings point to prolonged suffering.

The word anushushruma, 'we have heard', is significant. Arjuna speaks not from his own experience but from what he has heard from scripture and his teachers. This shows that he is a cultured man who respects the scriptures. His despair arises not from adharma but from a narrow understanding of dharma.

Yet Arjuna makes a great error here. He applies one part of scripture cut off from its context. Scripture condemns the destruction of family dharma, but the same scripture declares righteous war to be the highest duty of a kshatriya. When different rules of dharma seem to conflict, the higher and wider dharma must take precedence. Arjuna is abandoning the greater dharma for the sake of a lesser one.

From verse 38 to 44 Arjuna's arguments form a coherent chain: destruction of the family, loss of family dharma, spread of adharma, social chaos, the fall of the ancestors, and hell. The chain is impressive, but its premise, that this righteous war is a 'sin', is mistaken.

Context

This is the final conclusion of the arguments in verses 40-43. In the next verse, after this whole analysis, Arjuna expresses deep remorse: 'What a great sin we were about to commit!'

Life lesson

Applying a single scriptural statement apart from its full context can create confusion. A true understanding of dharma requires the whole picture and the guidance of a worthy teacher.

Key terms

Anushushruma: we have heard through tradition
Naraka: hell; a state of suffering resulting from sinful deeds
Utsannakuladharma: one whose family traditions are destroyed