आचार्याः पितरः पुत्रास्तथैव च पितामहाः ।
मातुलाः श्चशुराः पौत्राः श्यालाः सम्बन्धिनस्तथा ॥
मातुलाः श्चशुराः पौत्राः श्यालाः सम्बन्धिनस्तथा ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
आचार्य, पिता, पुत्र और उसी प्रकार पितामह, मामा, ससुर, पौत्र, साले तथा अन्य जितने भी सम्बन्धी हैं, मुझ पर प्रहार करने पर भी मैं इनको मारना नहीं चाहता, और हे मधुसूदन मुझे त्रिलोकी का राज्य मिलता हो, तो भी मैं इनको मारना नहीं चाहता, फिर पृथ्वी के लिये तो मैं इनको मारूँ ही क्या ॥
English
Teachers, fathers, sons, grandfathers, maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law, and other relatives.
What this verse means
Arjuna lists the family members and relatives on both sides of the battlefield. He is overwhelmed because the people he would have to fight are his own kin.
Context & commentary
On Kurukshetra, Arjuna looks across the battlefield and sees not strangers but teachers, fathers, sons, grandfathers, uncles, in-laws, and cousins. The war has become a family catastrophe, and his refusal to strike is growing sharper.
Why this verse still matters
You open a message thread and realize the argument is no longer about the issue. It is about people you love, and hurting them now feels impossible.
The takeaway
The conflict feels unbearable because the enemy is not abstract — it is family.
Word-by-word translation
आचार्याः (teachers) / पितरः (fathers) / पुत्राः (sons) / तथा एव च (and likewise) / पितामहाः (grandfathers) / मातुलाः (maternal uncles) / श्चशुराः (fathers-in-law) / पौत्राः (grandsons) / श्यालाः (brothers-in-law) / सम्बन्धिनः (relatives) / तथा (and so on)
This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1: Arjuna Vishada Yoga — The Yoga of Arjuna's Despair, which contains 47 verses.
Explore related themes: kurukshetra (95 verses)