BG 1.37-38
यद्यप्येते न पश्यन्ति लोभोपहतचेतसः
कुलक्षयकृतं दोषं मित्रद्रोहे च पातकम्
कथं न ज्ञेयमस्माभिः पापादस्मान्निवर्तितुम्
कुलक्षयकृतं दोषं प्रपश्यद्भिर्जनार्दन
yady apy ete na paśyanti
lobhopahatacetasaḥ
kulakṣayakṛtaṃ doṣaṃ
mitradrohe ca pātakam
kathaṃ na jñeyam asmābhiḥ
pāpād asmān nivartitum
kulakṣayakṛtaṃ doṣaṃ
prapaśyadbhir janārdana
SYNONYMS
yadi: if | api: certainly | ete: they | na: shall not | paśyanti: see | lobha: greed | upahata: overpowered | cetasaḥ: the hearts | kula-kṣaya: the destruction of a dynasty | kṛtam: by so doing | doṣam: crime | mitra-drohe: quarreling with friends | ca: also | pātakam: sinful reactions | katham: why | jñeyam: know this | asmābhiḥ: by us | pāpāt: from sins | asmāt: ourselves | nivartitum: to cease | prapaśyadbhiḥ: by those who can see | janārdana: O Kṛṣṇa. |
TRANSLATION
O Janārdana, although these men, overtaken by greed, see no fault in killing one’s family or quarreling with friends, why should we, with knowledge of the sin, engage in these acts?
PURPORT
A kṣatriya is not supposed to refuse to battle or gamble when he is so invited by some rival party. Under such obligation, Arjuna could not refuse to fight because he was challenged by the party of Duryodhana. In this connection, Arjuna considered that the other party might be blind to the effects of such a challenge. Arjuna, however, could see the evil consequences and could not accept the challenge. Obligation is actually binding when the effect is good, but when the effect is otherwise, then no one can be bound. Considering all these pros and cons, Arjuna decided not to fight.