Gita 01.39 – As Soon As Dharma Weakens Adharma Attacks

 

Audio Link 2: https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/gita-01-39-as-soon-as-dharma-weakens-adharma-attacks/

 

kula-kṣaye praṇaśyanti

kula-dharmāḥ sanātanāḥ

dharme naṣṭe kulaṁ kṛtsnam

adharmo ’bhibhavaty uta 

 

Word-for-word:

kula-kṣaye — in destroying the family; praṇaśyanti — become vanquished; kula-dharmāḥ — the family traditions; sanātanāḥ — eternal; dharme — religion; naṣṭe — being destroyed; kulam — family; kṛtsnam — whole; adharmaḥ — irreligion; abhibhavati — transforms; uta — it is said.

 

Translation:

With the destruction of the dynasty, the eternal family tradition is vanquished, and thus the rest of the family becomes involved in irreligion.

 

Explanation:

In this verse, Arjuna continues to speak in terms of kula-dharma, the duty toward his dynasty. He presents reasons why participating in a war that will lead to the destruction of his lineage is a disastrous choice—one that he should not make. This forms the conclusion he is trying to establish in his argument against fighting the war.

 

First, he argues that even if it is his own dynasty trying to kill him, he should not retaliate because they are blinded by their actions. He emphasizes that he does not need to give in to their madness, even if they are driven by greed. He reiterates that if they succumb to mutual madness and kill each other, the entire kula will be destroyed (kula-kṣaye praṇaśyanti). Furthermore, he adds that the kula-dharma will also be destroyed (kula-dharmāḥ sanātanāḥ). This kula-dharma refers to the duties of the dynasty.

 

There are various levels of dharma. Sanātana-dharma refers to the dharma of the soul, which is to love and serve Kṛṣṇa. However, when the soul is in the material world, it is situated in a specific physical, social, and cultural context, which gives rise to contextual dharmas.

 

For instance, if a person is born into a particular dynasty, that individual is expected to fulfill the duties of that dynasty. This is crucial for maintaining order at a material level and ensuring a social structure that allows people to practice spiritual dharma. Arjuna also employs the term ‘sanātana’. Here, he is not referring to sanātana-dharma but rather to kula-dharma, which he asserts is also sanātana.

 

The term ‘sanātana’ can be understood in two ways. First, it reflects Arjuna’s illusion. He is, in one sense, caught in the bodily conception, which is itself an illusion. One characteristic of this bodily conception is the tendency to regard the temporary as eternal—gṛhītvāsad-grāhān. In Bhagavad-gītā 16.10, Kṛṣṇa explains that those who are godless perceive the temporary as if it were eternal. This statement may indicate the illusion that leads Arjuna to believe that kula-dharma is sanātana. In reality, only the dharma of Kṛṣṇa-bhakti is sanātana; everything else, including kula-dharma, is temporary.

 

Another interpretation of this term could be that, for a particular soul inhabiting a specific body within a certain kula, the kula-dharma is indeed temporary. However, when referring to kula-dharma as sanātanaḥ, it need not be understood as existing from the beginning of time to the end of time. The concepts of beginning and ending are paradoxical, as time itself dictates these boundaries.

 

However, the point being made is that social traditions are passed down from generation to generation. Regardless of who belongs to each generation, these social traditions continue, ensuring that society is maintained in an orderly manner. Many dynasties take pride in their traditions, and this sense of honor among the members of the dynasty helps guide their descendants along the path of virtue.

 

If, however, all the leading members of a dynasty are killed, there will be no one to disseminate and pass on the traditions to the next generation. Consequently, those practices that have been upheld for many generations—such as social dharmas, dynastic duties, and kula-dharma—will be destroyed.

 

When dharma is destroyed in this way (dharme naṣṭe), the entire dynasty (kulaṁ kṛtsnam) becomes susceptible to the manifestation of irreligion (adharmo ’bhibhavaty uta).

 

In general, there is a constant conflict between light and darkness in this world. As soon as the sun sets, darkness immediately follows. When the power goes out, darkness descends right away. Similarly, when a candle is extinguished, darkness envelops the space at once. It is as if darkness is perpetually lurking around the corner, ready to pounce whenever the source of light is extinguished.

 

At one level, we could say that the default state of this world is one of darkness. To maintain light, external measures must be put in place. Kṛṣṇa explains that in the spiritual world, such light is not necessary because everything is self-effulgent (Bhagavad-gītā 15.6). However, in this world, things are inherently dark. Just as the natural order tends toward darkness, systems left to their default state tend to degenerate, degrade, and decline.

 

In science, there is a law of entropy that states that if a system is left to itself, it will move toward increasing disorder. This principle applies not only in the natural world but also in human affairs. Unless there is some form of order maintained, societal conditions tend to become disorderly.

 

Therefore, there must be a king to maintain order. Additionally, the descent of God or His representatives is necessary to re-establish order when disorder arises. Such descents occur repeatedly throughout time. Kṛṣṇa mentions this in Bhagavad-gītā 4.7-8 when He states, “sambhavāmi yuge yuge,” indicating that He manifests Himself again and again. Here, Arjuna emphasizes that when the systems for establishing dharma are displaced and destroyed, adharma will prevail immediately (adharmo ’bhibhavaty uta).

 

In the battle between the forces of light and darkness, in the conflict between dharma and adharma, the moment dharma weakens, adharma prevails. This dynamic is also evident in our consciousness. To the extent that we focus our minds on Kṛṣṇa, we experience purity, potency, and noble thoughts as we progress in our journey toward Him. However, as soon as we cease our efforts to keep our minds fixed on Kṛṣṇa, we immediately fall under the influence of māyā, which drags us down and binds us.

 

The vows we take during initiation and the commitments we make in devotional service are essential for establishing dharma in our hearts. When these vows and commitments begin to slacken, or when the arrangements that support them are disrupted, dharma can no longer be sustained, and adharma quickly takes precedence.

 

That’s why we must remain vigilant in our own hearts and, to the best of our ability, within our society and the world. We should strive to stay on the side of dharma and ensure its rule in our hearts and, as far as we can, in the world around us. In this context, Arjuna expresses genuine anxiety about the potential destruction of the ruling dynasty, which is meant to practice and establish dharma. He understands that if this dynasty is lost, adharma will flourish and predominate, leading to disaster in society. How this will happen will be discussed in the subsequent verses.

 

At this point, however, Kṛṣṇa does not fault Arjuna’s argument in its broad pattern. He acknowledges that there is a battle between dharma and adharma and that if the arrangements for dharma are not preserved, adharma will flourish.

 

However, Kṛṣṇa, through His brilliant reasoning, points out that the arrangements for preserving dharma are exactly the opposite of what Arjuna believes them to be. Arjuna believes that the current dynasty of kṣatriyas must remain alive because they represent the kula and will practice kula-dharma. Kṛṣṇa will reason and prove that it is actually this very dynasty of kṣatriyas that is adharmic.

 

To preserve kula-dharma, all of these adharmic kṣatriyas—represented by multiple dynasties and generations on the battlefield—must be removed. In contrast, Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira), the current exemplar of kula-dharma and its practitioner, must be established as the rightful leader. This way, Arjuna’s concern for the protection of kula-dharma will be addressed properly and comprehensively, a topic Kṛṣṇa will discuss further in the third chapter.