अहो बत महत्पापं कर्तुं व्यवसिता वयम् ।
यद्राज्यसुखलोभेन हन्तुं स्वजनमुद्यताः ॥
यद्राज्यसुखलोभेन हन्तुं स्वजनमुद्यताः ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
यह बड़े आश्चर्य और खेद की बात है कि हमलोग बड़ा भारी पाप करने का निश्चय कर बैठे हैं, जो कि राज्य और सुख के लोभ से अपने स्वजनों को मारने के लिये तैयार हो गये हैं ॥
English
Alas, we have resolved to commit a grave wrong—driven by greed for kingdom and pleasure, we are ready to kill our own kin.
What this verse means
Arjuna sees the war as a terrible wrong. He feels they are driven by greed for power and pleasure, and ready to kill their own relatives.
Context & commentary
On Kurukshetra, Arjuna looks at the armies and recoils. The fight is no longer about victory; it feels like kin-killing for power and comfort. This verse captures the moment his moral horror becomes explicit.
Why this verse still matters
You are about to send the message that will break a family apart, and you can feel the wrongness before your finger moves. That hesitation is not weakness.
The takeaway
A clear conscience can appear even in the middle of confusion.
Word-by-word translation
अहो बत (alas indeed) / महत्पापं (great sin / grave wrong) / कर्तुं (to do) / व्यवसिता (resolved) / वयम् (we) / यत् (that) / राज्यसुखलोभेन (by greed for kingdom-pleasure) / हन्तुं (to kill) / स्वजनम् (one's own people / kin) / उद्यताः (prepared / ready)
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: arjuna vishada (14 verses)