निहत्य धार्तराष्ट्रान्नः का प्रीतिः स्याज्जनार्दन ।
पापमेवाश्रयेदस्मान्हत्वैतानाततायिनः ॥
पापमेवाश्रयेदस्मान्हत्वैतानाततायिनः ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
हे जनार्दन इन धृतराष्ट्रसम्बन्धियों को मारकर हमलोगों को क्या प्रसन्नता होगी इन आततायियों को मारने से तो हमें पाप ही लगेगा ॥
English
O Janardana, what joy would come to us by killing these sons of Dhritarashtra? Killing these aggressors would only bring us sin.
What this verse means
Arjuna says that killing his own relatives will bring no happiness and will only stain the killers with wrongdoing.
Context & commentary
On the Kurukshetra battlefield, Arjuna sees the war’s real cost: teachers, relatives, and family on both sides. Faced with the sons of Dhritarashtra, he says killing them would bring no joy and would burden the killers with wrongdoing.
Why this verse still matters
You are about to expose a lie that will break a family dinner open. The room goes silent, and you realize winning the argument would cost something deeper than being right.
The takeaway
Moral clarity can feel painful, but it keeps you from confusing victory with peace.
Word-by-word translation
निहत्य (by killing) / धार्तराष्ट्रान् (the sons of Dhritarashtra) / नः (to us) / का (what) / प्रीतिः (joy) / स्यात् (would be) / जनार्दन (O Janardana) / पापम् (sin) / एव (only) / आश्रयेत् (would come upon) / अस्मान् (us) / हत्वा (having killed) / एतान् (these) / आततायिनः (aggressors)
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)