A core teaching · reflective in mood · easy to enter
“When order breaks, the damage spreads into future generations.”
When lawlessness grows, the women of the family are corrupted. When women are corrupted, mixed social disorder is born.
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Hover a word to focus on it.
Read literallyfrom the dominance of lawlessness · O Krishna · become corrupted · family women · when women · are corrupted · O descendant of Vrishni · is born · mixed disorder of social order
Arjuna fears that when lawlessness takes over a family, women are harmed and social order breaks down further.
Arjuna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Arjuna Vishada Yoga" (The Yoga of Arjuna's Despair).
Verse 41 sits in Chapter 1 of the Bhagavad Gita — Arjuna Vishada Yoga, "The Yoga of Arjuna's Despair". The chapter has 47 verses in total.
A family argument turns ugly, and suddenly everyone is carrying the damage. One harsh decision can echo into children, trust, and the whole home.
Did you like this verse?
It shifts attention from personal victory to the wider social cost of destructive action.
What this verse means
Arjuna fears that when lawlessness takes over a family, women are harmed and social order breaks down further.
Context & commentary
On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna is no longer thinking like a warrior. He is imagining the collapse of family order, the loss of restraint, and the damage that war may bring to future generations. This verse continues his fearful argument against fighting.
Why this verse still matters
A family argument turns ugly, and suddenly everyone is carrying the damage. One harsh decision can echo into children, trust, and the whole home.
“Moral collapse feels frightening because it spreads beyond one person and damages the whole community.”
Explore related themes: adharma (12 verses)