Arjuna

Chapter 01, Verse 42

सङ्करो नरकायैव कुलघ्नानां कुलस्य च |

पतन्ति पितरो ह्येषां लुप्तपिण्डोदकक्रियाः ॥ 42 ॥

sankaro narakayaiva kula-ghnanam kulassya cha |

patanti pitaro hy esam lupta-pindodaka-kriyah ॥ 42 ॥

Word-by-Word Analysis

Word Meaning
सङ्करः (sankarah)
Unwanted progeny, social disorder
नरकाय (narakaya)
Leads to hell
एव (eva)
Certainly
कुलघ्नानाम् (kula-ghnanam)
Of those who destroy the family
कुलस्य (kulassya)
Of the family
च (cha)
And
पतन्ति (patanti)
Fall (to a lower state)
पितरः (pitaroh)
Forefathers, ancestors
हि (hi)
Indeed
एषाम् (esam)
Their
लुप्त (lupta)
Destroyed, lost
पिण्डोदकक्रियाः (pinda-udaka-kriyah)
Ritual offerings of food (piṇḍa) and water (udaka)

Translation

            “Arjuna said: Disregarding the scriptural injunctions, with the rise of unwanted population (varna-sankara), the women of the family are corrupted and that leads the family to hell, and the destroyers of the family also go to hell. The ancestors fall (from their spiritual position) because the ritual offerings of food and water (pinda and udaka) are stopped.”

Context of the Verse

            This verse belongs to the lamentation of Arjuna in the first chapter, where he is morally and emotionally confused regarding the Kurukshetra war.

            Arjuna knew that war would cause destruction to family traditions (Kula Dharma). There will be a moral corruption (adharma), and there will be a social disorder (varna-sankara) and unwanted progeny will arise, and the rites to ancestors (sraddha, pinda-dana) will be neglected. Consequently, the ancestors (pitaras) end up being unhappy, which leads to the degradation of their own spiritual essence.

Explanation

            When the number of undesirable people is growing. Both the family and those who undermine the family tradition find themselves in a terrible situation.

            There is no oblation of food and water to the ancestors in such corrupt families. As long as the family members are physically present in this body, we are accountable for them. After death, there is no more accountability. However, Veda continues to say no. When they passed away, family members turned off this exterior covering, yet they kept going. Thus, even when we pass away, we still have a duty to ensure that our loved ones receive the necessary atonement for any sins they may have done, or else they may spend eternity in hell. If he commits suicide, if someone dies accidentally, or if someone is really attracted to the material possessions of the house or relatives, they may have become imprisoned in ghostly forms. These people then become locked in ghostly bodies and are unable to advance to the next gross body. A ghostly body is terrifying. The body makes its requests, but. The requests are there, but since you lack a body, you are unable to comply. Thus, when pindan occurs, the ancestors receive a reprieve from their horrible punishment and spectral bodies in exchange for food provided to Lord Krishna and water offered to them. Thus, this is a fantastic science that is unknown at the moment.

          Therefore, when pindan occurs, the ancestors receive a disgusting body in exchange for being released from their terrible punishment and from the duty of offering food to Lord Krishna and water to them. Thus, this is a wonderful science that is unknown to us today. Many families do not have a pindan. A well known Hollywood actor, he was with his son when the latter passed away unexpectedly. And he worried a great deal about what to do next. After seeing his son or rather, his spirit someone advised him to perform the pindan shradh rite, and the two of them travelled to Haridwar. performed this ritual to assist their son in letting go of the ghostly body. Thus, this is a very positive indication. If we have the time to study these literatures and comprehend the science underlying them, there are countless examples of such proofs.

         It is also crucial to know that sometimes individuals wonder, “Oh my god, what the hell is going on?” Arjuna keeps saying, “Hell hell,” as if there were torment in heaven. Thus, it makes sense. All we need to do is grasp the basic principle that every design has a designer; this cannot be demonstrated mathematically, but it is common sense. Is it possible for this brain, which is far more powerful than a computer, to construct itself automatically? Can this body that contains this brain come together on its own? This has a creator behind it. Thus, the Almighty Creator is the most powerful individual. Since he is in charge of everything, he has not created a flimsy system where someone can only be hanged till death once, regardless of how many people they kill. This is unfair. A person should receive harsher penalty if they have killed more people. Consequently, God’s creation is flawless. He is an incredibly strong and creative individual. Thus, everything is matched perfectly in divine justice. God has therefore created a plan for those individuals who cannot be held accountable for their transgressions here. It is common sense. So laws of nature are very nice. They affect everyone in the same way. There must be a location where God establishes that no one is above him in order to administer the just retribution, which has not yet been administered here. No one can prevent God from carrying out his plan. We are all his children, thus God has built an equitable system out of his desire. We shall suffer harm if we cause harm to other youngsters. This is called law of karma. Therefore, nothing can prevent God from creating the ideal arrangement. When someone can be killed in this body, they should be punished more severely if they kill more people. However, there should be a place where just punishment is administered, and that place is called hell. Hence, everything and all the notions are really simple to understand if you just know that one axiom that is, that the designer is the one behind the design is there. So hell exists. Heaven does exist, but sadly, we are unaware of the laws of nature, and as a result, nearly all of civilization is set up to burn in hell for not knowing these laws. Which are described in the Bhagvad Gita. Arjuna, however, advises extreme caution because breaking the rule will condemn all of these families to hell and ourselves.

Chapter 01, Verse 43

दोषैरेतैः कुलघ्नानां वर्णसङ्करकारकैः।

उत्साद्यन्ते जातिधर्माः कुलधर्माश्च शाश्वताः॥ 43॥

dosair etaih kula- ghnanam varna-sankara-karakaoh।

utsadyante jati-dharmah kula-dharmah cha sasvatah॥ 43॥

Word-by-Word Analysis

Word Meaning
दोषैः (dosaih
By the faults
एतैः (etaih)
These
कुलघ्नानाम् (kula- ghnanam)
Of the destroyers of family
वर्णसङ्करकारकैः (varna-sankara-karakaih)
Who cause the mixing of castes (or social disorder)
उत्साद्यन्ते (utsadyante)
Are destroyed
जातिधर्माः (jati-dharmah)
The caste (or community) duties
कुलधर्माः (kula-dharmah)
The family traditions
च (cha)
And
शाश्वताः (sasvatah)
Eternal

Translation

            “By these flaws of them who destroy the family, and are the cause of social disorder, the eternal family traditions and duties of the caste (community) are destroyed.”

Context of the Verse

            This verse is included in Arjuna’s lamentation in the first chapter of the Bhagavad Gita as he contemplates the moral and ethical implications of going to war. In this verse Arjun says by killing the elders and warriors of the family kula-dharma (family duties) and jati-dharmah (societal duties) are destroyed. This will result in social disorder, cause the emergence of varna-sankara (unwanted progeny), and finally, will destabilize the moral and religious structure of society.

            Vedic traditions recognize the importance of passing down lineages, duties and spiritual practices which, in turn, puts this concern in perspective. Arjuna thinks that if he succeeds in warfare and wipes out entire generations, he is going to destroy the societal order in the long run.

            However, elsewhere in the Gita, the Lord Krishna realigns Arjuna’s viewpoint, revealing to him the transcendent body of flesh and bone (atman), karmic action (dharma), and love for the all-powerful Supreme (bhakti yoga) through which we may fulfil our duty as men without attachment to the effects.

Key Concepts in the Verse

Kula-Dharma (Family Traditions and Duties): The custom of family, collectively known as Kula-dharma, refers to the set of duties that every family must adhere to, which ranges from moral to religious to ethical. Examples include spiritual teaching, reverence for elders, marriage rules, and morals handed down through the ages. When families are shattered in war, the younger generations lose access to these traditions, and with it, moral and spiritual decline.

Community and social duties (Jati-Dharma): Jati-dharma indicates the responsibilities designated to different communities (varnas and jatis) based on their functions in society. In the Vedic tradition, each varna such as Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra had prescribed duties to perform for maintaining balance in the society. The roles would be disrupted by the war, which would kill many people and disrupt social stability.

Varna-Sankara (Desirable Offspring and Social Disorder): The term varna-sankara refers to the mixing together of social classes in a manner that leads to moral confusion and a loss of social identity. If there’s no geriatric guidance, the future generations will have no respect for either religious or ethical values and corruption and lawlessness will ensue.

Maharaj Yudhishthira wanted the king of kings to understand Dharma which is Shashvat (शाश्वत). Arjuna is suggesting that kula-dharma and jati-dharma cannot be set aside as mere customs on par with modern reforms, but rather that these traditions are divine responsibilities which need to be upheld. Their destruction would destabilize society for decades to come.

Philosophical Implications of the Verse

Dharma (righteous duty) is the base of all individual life and society. Peace and order reign in the world of dharma, and spiritual progress takes place. When dharma goes away, there is chaos and suffering. Arjuna’s worry is legitimate, yet Krishna later clarifies the definition of dharma, teaching that the highest duty is to serve God (bhakti-yoga), not just society norms.

The Risk of Abandoning Social Duties: Arjuna fears family traditions will be lost, leaving to a moral vacuum. Immoral and crime and neglect of spiritual duties will become the nature of future generations without guidance. Very quickly, a society without moral framework degenerates into selfishness, materialism and chaos.

The Cycle of Karma and Social Duty: In Vedic philosophy, karma (actions) impacts not only individuals but families and societies as a whole. This is because when individuals do not manage their responsibilities to their family and community, negative karma is created and accumulated that becomes internal suffering for groups of future generations. The Bhagavad Gita later teaches that performing one’s dharma selflessly, in the absence of attachment, results in liberation (moksha).

Arjuna’s Dilemma versus Krishna’s Response: Arjuna is overly attached to possessions and feared material loss, concerned with the physical society and not spiritual truth. Krishna later commands that real dharma is above material matters, that one acts only according to divine call, not in relation to family or interests. The highest dharma is surrendering to God and doing one’s duty with detachment (karma-yoga).

Modern Relevance of the Verse

Family Values and Cultural Heritage: As always, families have remained instrumental in determining a person’s character, values, and spiritual outlook. In the absence of family traditions, people tend to lack moral compass and this adds to materialism and other social issues. This verse, therefore, serves as a continuation and reinforces the importance of respecting and upholding the wisdom passed down through generations as society progresses into newer territory.

Social Responsibility and Community: Society only works when everyone does their part responsibly and ethically. Disorder and strife result when individuals fail to fulfil their social and familial obligations. Patience is also an encouragement to pursue personal liberty with recognition and fulfillment of social obligation.

The True Dharma of Today: The traditions play an important role, however following it blindly without understanding it on a spiritual level leads to rigidity and stagnation. Krishna then goes on to say that real dharma means doing for society without worrying about what one’s customs are. We have to respect traditions but we need to also use wisdom to evolve and enhance our practices.

Arjuna fears the social and family customs that would disintegrate by virtue of such a war in Bhagavad Gita 1.43. He fears total dissolvement of moral and religious values can take them towards chaos and they abandon a penance of tradition. But Krishna eventually teaches Arjuna to go beyond Mahabharat dharma to understand that the highest dharma is love of God and performing selfless duty. Family values and traditions certainly have value, but they are far more in need of context within the greater scope of spiritual Evolution, and the divine laws that govern spiritual reality. So, the verse reminds us about the importance of preserving dharma on the level of a person or society and the ultimate nature of existence that transcends the needs of the physical.

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