Chapter 1 – Arjuna’s Despondency
Verse 37
Tasmaat’, na, arhaH, vayam’, hantum’, Dhartrashtraan’, swabaandhwaan’,
Swajanam’, hi, katham’, hatva, sukhinH, syaam, Maadhav ||37||
Arjuna said:
O Madhusudana! I do not wish to kill them, even if they stand ready to kill me. Even if I were to gain the sovereignty of the three worlds, I would not want to slay them for merely ruling over the earth.
Simple Explanation / Elaboration:
In this verse, Arjuna is expressing to Lord Krishna:
“O Krishna! These people standing on the battlefield are my kinsmen and relatives — even if they have come to fight and kill me, I do not wish to raise weapons against them. Even if someone offers me the kingdom of all three worlds (heaven, earth, and the netherworld), I would still not want to kill them just to gain dominion over this earth.”
This verse shows the peak of Arjuna’s emotional turmoil, compassion, and inner conflict. He feels:
- What value does kingdom and wealth hold if it comes at the cost of killing one’s loved ones?
- Emotional attachments and relationships are outweighing duty and righteousness in his mind.
Philosophical Insight:
- Arjuna here represents a person facing a moral crisis — torn between duty (dharma) and emotional attachment (moha).
- This shloka symbolizes a moment in life where one must choose between ethical responsibility and personal relationships, a deep conflict between what is right and what feels right.
