Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan

27 – 46 Arjuna’s lamentation (28 – 46) (some Acharya used the word Arjun Vishad Yoga)

36 – 38 fear of sinful reactions

Bg 1.37-38

yady apy ete na paśyanti

lobhopahata-cetasaḥ

kula-kṣaya-kṛtaṁ doṣaṁ

mitra-drohe ca pātakam

kathaṁ na jñeyam asmābhiḥ

pāpād asmān nivartitum

kula-kṣaya-kṛtaṁ doṣaṁ

prapaśyadbhir janārdana

Word for word: 

yadi — if; api — even; ete — they; na — do not; paśyanti — see; lobha — by greed; upahata — overpowered; cetasaḥ — their hearts; kula–kṣaya — in killing the family; kṛtam — done; doṣam — fault; mitra–drohe — in quarreling with friends; ca — also; pātakam — sinful reactions; katham — why; na — should not; jñeyam — be known; asmābhiḥ — by us; pāpāt — from sins; asmāt — these; nivartitum — to cease; kula–kṣaya — in the destruction of a dynasty; kṛtam — done; doṣam — crime; prapaśyadbhiḥ — by those who can see; janārdana — O Kṛṣṇa.

Translation: 

O Janārdana, although these men, their hearts overtaken by greed, see no fault in killing one’s family or quarreling with friends, why should we, who can see the crime in destroying a family, engage in these acts of sin?

This is the only verse in BG where same line is repeated in successive verses, so 37c and 38c are the same, there are other places also in BG where lines are repeated e.g. in 9.34 (emphasis more on devotees staying in community and practicing devotional service) and 18.65 (Krishna expressing affection for His devotees and gives assurance that the devotee is surely protected). 

Here Arjuna is contrasting two kinds of thought and their perception of the same event. The event is kula-kṣaya-kṛtaṁ doṣaṁ, kula-kṣaya, the destruction of Kula i.e. the destruction of dynasty, kṛtaṁ, those who do it, doṣaṁ, they are faulty, destroying one’s dynasty itself is a fault, now there are two different people i.e. Kauravas and Pandavas who are perceiving this differently. So Arjuna might be sensing, there will be possible objection to his arguments, we will get sin if we kill aggressors, that if you don’t kill them they will kill you and that is what they were trying to do from so long. Arjuna is also acknowledging in previous verse, atataina, they are aggressors but he is saying yady apy ete na paśyanti, they are actually blinded yady apy, because, these people, na paśyanti, blinded, why they are not able to see? lobhopahata-cetasaḥ, lobho, greed, apahata, abducted, cetasaḥ, consciousness, so Duryodhana is blinded by greed and not thinking about the transgressing Kula Dharma, he is meant to protect his relatives but he is out to destroy his relatives, lobhopahata-cetasaḥ, kula-kṣaya-kṛtaṁ doṣaṁ, the fault of killing one’s relative. mitra-drohe ca pātakam, and what is the cause of all these? These are all resulted from the quarrel, friendly quarrel, mitra-drohe.

kathaṁ na jñeyam asmābhiḥ, 

pāpād asmān nivartitum

They are blinded but jñeya asmābhiḥ, we know, so when we know, kula-kṣaya-kṛtaṁ doṣaṁ, the fault of destroying our dynasty, we are able to see prapaśyadbhir. So there is contrast between apahata-cetasaḥ (37.b) and prapaśyadbhir, 

So apahata-cetasaḥ, he is saying they are not able to see, ete na paśyanti and here prapaśyadbhir, (so pasya, i.e. seeing same word is there), they are not able to see but we can see. So when we can see kathaṁ pāpād asmān nivartitum, how can we engage in the sinful activities, because we can see so we should not engage in sinful activities. So Arjuna is taking high moral ground here and he is saying that even if Kauravas are blinded by greed and they do wrong, we should not do wrong. So we should see kula-kṣaya-kṛtaṁ doṣaṁ and act accordingly. When he is thinking like this, next thought comes in his mind, now he is not only thinking about the sinful reaction which he may get but also starts thinking what will happen to the dynasty itself and what will happen to the successive generations.

So his thoughts are four fold:

(1) compassion, why should my relatives die

(2) if relatives die how will I enjoy

(3) we will get the reactions, sin

(4) what is the legacy that we will live, what will happen to our dynasty.

Which he talks about in the next verse.

End of transcription.