Bhagavad Gita 1.44उत्सन्नकुलधर्माणां मनुष्याणां जनार्दन।नरकेऽनियतं वासो भवतीत्यनुशुश्रुम ॥
utsanna-kula-dharmāṇāṁ manuṣhyāṇāṁ
janārdana narake ‘niyataṁ vāso bhavatītyanuśhuśhruma
Sanskrit recitation
When the body freezes · 1.28–1.47 · Teaching
Translation
We have heard, O Janardana, that those men in whose families the religious practices have been destroyed are inevitably destined to dwell in hell for an unknown period.
Hindi translation
हे जनार्दन! जिनके कुलधर्म नष्ट हो जाते हैं, उन मनुष्यों का बहुत काल तक नरकों में वापस होता है, ऐसा हम सुनते आये हैं।
Meaning
Driven by selfish motives, one may be inclined to such sinful acts as the killing of one’s own brother, father or mother. There are many such instances in the history of the world. But Arjuna, being a saintly devotee of the Lord, is always conscious of moral principles and therefore takes care to avoid such activities.
After A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
When the body freezes· 1.28–1.47→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 1.28Arjuna said, "O Krishna, seeing my kinsmen arrayed here, eager to fight,
- 1.29My limbs fail, my mouth is parched, my body quivers, and my hair stands on end.
- 1.30The Gandiva slips from my hand, and my skin burns all over; I am unable to stand, and my…
- 1.31And I see ill omens, O Kesava. I do not see any good in slaying my kinsmen in battle.
- 1.32I desire not victory, O Krishna, nor kingdom, nor pleasures. What use is dominion to us, O…
- 1.33Those for whose sake we desire kingdom, enjoyments, and pleasures stand here in battle,…
- 1.34Teachers, fathers, sons, and grandfathers, maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons,…
- 1.35These I do not wish to kill, O Krishna, even though they kill me, for the sake of dominion…
- 1.36By killing these sons of Dhritarashtra, what pleasure could be ours, O Janardana? Only sin…
- 1.37Therefore, we should not kill the sons of Dhritarashtra, our relatives; for how can we be…
- 1.38Though they, with intelligence overpowered by greed, see no evil in the destruction of…
- 1.39Why should we not, who clearly see the evil in the destruction of families, learn to turn…
- 1.40In the destruction of a family, the immemorial religious rites of that family perish; on…
- 1.41O Krishna, by the prevalence of impiety, the women of the family become corrupt; and, when…
- 1.42Confusion of castes leads to hell for the slayers of the family, for their forebears fall,…
- 1.43By these evil deeds of the destroyers of the family, which cause confusion of castes, the…
1.44We have heard, O Janardana, that those men in whose families the religious practices have…
- 1.45Alas! We are involved in a great sin, for we are prepared to kill our kinsmen, out of…
- 1.46If the sons of Dhritarashtra, with weapons in hand, should slay me in battle, unresisting…
- 1.47Sanjaya said, Having thus spoken in the midst of the battlefield, Arjuna cast away his bow…
Word-by-word→
- iti
- thus
- narake
- in hell
- bhavati
- is
- utsanna
- destroyed
- aniyatam
- indefinite
- vāsaḥ
- dwell
- janārdana
- he who looks after the public, Shree Krishna
- anuśhuśhruma
- I have heard from the learned
- manuṣhyāṇām
- of such human beings
- kula-dharmāṇām
- whose family traditions
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