Bhagavad Gita 1.40 — Commentary

The greatest Advaita philosopher, authored the definitive Sanskrit commentary (Bhasya) on the Gita.

1.40 Sri Sankaracharya did not comment on this sloka. The commentary starts from 2.10.

Founder of Vishishtadvaita, emphasized Bhakti and the personal nature of Brahman.

अर्जुन उवाच संजय उवाच स तु पार्थो महामनाः परमकारुणिको दीर्घबन्धुः परमधार्मिकः सभ्रातृको भवद्भिः अतिघोरैः मारणैः जतुगृहादिभिः असकृद् वञ्चितः अपि परमपुरुषसहायः अपि हनिष्यमाणान् भवदीयान् विलोक्य बन्धुस्नेहेन परमया च कृपया धर्माधर्मभयेन च अतिमात्रस्विन्नसर्वगात्रः सर्वथा अहं न योत्स्यामि इति उक्त्वा बन्धुविश्लेषजनितशोकसंविग्नमानसः सशरं चापं विसृज्य रथोपस्थे उपाविशत्।

Proponent of Dvaita philosophy emphasizing the eternal distinction between soul and God.

Sri Madhvacharya did not comment on this sloka. The commentary starts from 2.11.

Modern Vedantic teacher whose commentary bridges ancient wisdom with contemporary life.

जिस प्रकार कोई कथावाचक हर बार पुरानी कथा सुनाते हुए कुछ नई बातें उसमें जोड़ता जाता है इसी प्रकार अर्जुन की सर्जक बुद्धि अपनी गलत धारणा को पुष्ट करने के लिए नएनए तर्क निकाल रही है। वह जैसे ही एक तर्क समाप्त करता है वैसे ही उसको एक और नया तर्क सूझता है जिसकी आड़ में वह अपनी दुर्बलता को छिपाना चाहता है। अब उसका तर्क यह है कि युद्ध में अनेक परिवारों के नष्ट हो जाने पर सब प्रकार की सामाजिक एवं धार्मिक परम्परायें समाप्त हो जायेंगी और शीघ्र ही सब ओर अधर्म फैल जायेगा।सभ्यता और संस्कृति के क्षेत्र में नएनए प्रयोग करने में हमारे पूर्वजों की सदैव विशेष रुचि रही है। वे जानते थे कि राष्ट्र की संस्कृति की इकाई कुल की संस्कृति होती है। इसलिये यहाँ अर्जुन विशेष रूप से कुल धर्म के नाश का उल्लेख करता है क्योंकि उसके नाश के गम्भीर परिणाम हो सकते हैं।

Divine Life Society founder who synthesised Jnana, Bhakti, Karma, and Raja Yoga.

1.40 कुलक्षये in the destruction of a family? प्रणश्यन्ति perish? कुलधर्माः family religious rites? सनातनाः immemorial? धर्मे spirituality? नष्टे being destroyed? कुलम् कृत्स्नम् the whole family? अधर्मः impiety? अभिभवति overcomes? उत indeed.Commentary Dharma -- the duties and ceremonies practised by the family in accordance with the injunctions of the scriptures.

Prolific author and commentator whose Hindi commentaries are among the most widely read in India.

व्याख्या --'कुलक्षये प्रणश्यन्ति कुलधर्माः सनातनाः'-- जब युद्ध होता है तब उसमें कुल-(वंश-) का क्षय (ह्रास) होता है। जबसे कुल आरम्भ हुआ है, तभीसे कुलके धर्म अर्थात् कुलकी पवित्र परम्पराएँ, पवित्र रीतियाँ, मर्यादाएँ भी परम्परासे चलती आयी हैं। परन्तु जब कुलका क्षय हो जाता है, तब सदासे कुलके साथ रहनेवाले धर्म भी नष्ट हो जाते हैं अर्थात् जन्मके समय द्वजातिसंस्कारके समय, विवाहके समय, मृत्युके समय और मृत्युके बाद किये जानेवाले जो-जो शास्त्रीय पवित्र रीति-रिवाज हैं, जो कि जीवित और मृतात्मा मनुष्योंके लिये इस लोकमें और परलोकमें कल्याण करनेवाले हैं, वे नष्ट हो जाते हैं। कारण कि जब कुलका ही नाश हो जाता है तब कुलके आश्रित रहनेवाले धर्म किसके आश्रित रहेंगे?

Co-founder of Gita Press Gorakhpur whose translations shaped how millions of Hindus read scripture.

Sri Sankaracharya did not comment on this sloka.

Pupil of Adi Shankaracharya's lineage who wrote important sub-commentaries (Tikas).

कुलक्षयकृतेऽवशिष्टकुलस्याधर्मप्रवणत्वे को दोषः स्यादिति तत्राह अधर्मेति। पापप्रचुरे कुले प्रसूतानां स्त्रीणां प्रदुष्टत्वे किं दुष्यति तत्राह स्त्रीष्विति।

Disciple of Vidyaranya who authored important sub-commentaries on Vedantic texts.

कोऽसौ कुलक्षयकृतो दोष इत्यपेक्षायामाह कुलक्षय इति। कुलस्य हि क्षये कुलकर्तृकाः कुलोचिता धर्माः सनातनाश्चिरंतनास्तत्कर्तृ़णामभावात्प्रकर्षेण नश्यन्ति। धर्मे नष्टे च यत्स्यात्तदाह धर्म इति। धर्मे नष्टे तत्कर्तृकुलनाशाद्धर्मे नष्टे सति कुलक्षयकर्तुरवशिष्टं कृत्स्त्रं सर्वमपि कुलमधर्मोऽभिभवति। अधर्मभूयिष्ठं तस्य कुलं भवतीत्यर्थः।

Wrote "Bhārata Bhāvadīpa", a verse-by-verse commentary on the Mahabharata including the Gita.

दुष्टासु पुत्रार्थं वर्णान्तरमुपासीनासु।

Prolific philosopher-poet of Sri Vaishnavism who composed the "Tatparya Chandrika" on the Gita.

अधर्मोऽभिभवति इति मानसदोषोक्तिः।

Supreme scholar of Kashmir Shaivism who interpreted the Gita through the non-dual Tantric lens.

निहत्येत्यादि। आततायिनां हनने पापमेव कर्तृ। अतोऽयमर्थः पापेन तावदेतेऽस्मच्छत्रवो हताः परतन्त्रीकृताः। तांश्च निहत्यास्मानपि पापमाश्रयेत् (S omits पापम्)। पापमत्र लोभादिवशात् (S लोभवशात्) कुलक्षयादिदोषादर्शनम् (S दोषदर्शनम्)। अत एव कुलादिधर्माणामुपक्षेपं (K कुलक्षयादि N क्षेपकम्) करोति स्वजनं हि कथमित्यादिना।

A pre-eminent Dvaita scholar who wrote decisive commentaries defending Madhvacharya's views.

Sri Jayatirtha did not comment on this sloka. The commentary starts from 2.11.

Wrote "Gudhartha Dipika", a celebrated commentary reconciling Advaita and Bhakti.

अस्मदीयैः पतिभिर्धर्मतिक्रम्य कुलक्षयः कृतश्चेदस्माभिरपि व्यभिचारे कृते को दोषः स्यादित्येवं कुतर्कहताः कुलस्त्रियः प्रदुष्येयुरित्यर्थः। अथवा कुलक्षयकारिपतितपतिसंबन्धादेव स्त्रीणां दुष्टत्वम्आशुद्धेः संप्रतीक्ष्यो हि महापातकदूषितः इत्यादिस्मृतेः।

Son of Sri Vallabhacharya, who continued the Pushti Marg tradition of Gita exposition.

एवमुक्त्वा कदाचिल्लौकिकस्नेहवशादेव निवृत्तः न तु पापस्वरूपज्ञानादधर्मबुद्ध्या इत्याशङ्क्य कुलक्षयकृतं दोषमनुवदति कुलक्षय इति पञ्चभिः। सनातनाः प्राचीनाः परस्पराप्राप्ताः कुलधर्माः कुलक्षये कृते जाते वा प्रणश्यन्ति प्रकर्षेण नश्यन्ति। पुनरुदयाभावः प्रकर्षः। तस्माद्वयं पार्थाः पृथासम्बन्धेन त्वयाऽङ्गीकृत्वा इत्यस्माकं परम्परागतो धर्मस्त्वद्भक्तिः तन्नाशकपापादस्माकं विनिवृत्तिरेवोचितेति भावः। नन्विदानीं धर्मनाशेऽप्यग्रे प्रह्लादादिवत्कुले कोऽपि भक्तो भवेच्चेत्तदा धर्मः पुनरुद्भविष्यति तस्माच्छौर्यक्षात्रधर्मानाशकत्वेन युद्धकरणमेवोचितमित्यत आह धर्मे नष्ट इति। उत कृत्स्नमवशिष्टमपि कुलं धर्मे नष्टे सति अधर्मोऽभिभवति व्याप्नोतीत्यर्थः।

Founded the Pushti Marg devotional tradition, focused on Krishna as the Supreme Being.

Sri Vallabhacharya did not comment on this sloka.

Translated the Sanskrit commentaries of Shankara into precise English for modern readers.

1.40 Sri Sankaracharya did not comment on this sloka. The commentary starts from 2.10.

Scholar-practitioner who authored commentaries uniting rigorous Indology with spiritual practice.

1.35 1.44 Nihatya etc. upto anususruma. Sin alone is the agent in the act of slaying these desperadoes. Therefore here the idea is this : These ememies of ours have been slain, i.e., have been take possession of, by sin. Sin would come to us also after slaying them. Sin in this context is the disregard, on account of greed etc., to the injurious conseences like the ruination of the family and the like. That is why Arjuna makes a specific mention of the [ruin of the] family etc., and of its duties in the passage 'How by slaying my own kinsmen etc'. The act of slaying, undertaken with an individualizing idea about its result, and with a particularizing idea about the person to be slain, is a great sin. To say this very thing precisely and to indicate the intensity of his own agony, Arjuna says only to himself [see next sloka]:

Ramakrishna Mission monk who translated the Gita Bhasya of Ramanuja into English.

1.26 - 1.47 Arjuna said - Sanjaya said Sanjaya continued: The high-minded Arjuna, extremely kind, deeply friendly, and supremely righteous, having brothers like himself, though repeatedly deceived by the treacherous attempts of your people like burning in the lac-house etc., and therefore fit to be killed by him with the help of the Supreme Person, nevertheless said, 'I will not fight.' He felt weak, overcome as he was by his love and extreme compassion for his relatives. He was also filled with fear, not knowing what was righteous and what unrighteous. His mind was tortured by grief, because of the thought of future separation from his relations. So he threw away his bow and arrow and sat on the chariot as if to fast to death.