Sanskrit
यद्यप्येते न पश्यन्ति लोभोपहतचेतसः । कुलक्षयकृतं दोषं मित्रद्रोहे च पातकम् ॥
yadyapy ete na paśyanti lobhopahatacetasaḥ kulakṣayakṛtaṃ doṣaṃ mitradrohe ca pātakam
Translation
Although these, with intelligence overpowered by greed, see no guilt in the destruction of a family, no crime in hostility to friends,
Annie Besant · The Bhagavad-Gita, translated by Annie Besant (4th ed., 1922) — Wikisource · Public Domain
Explanation
Arjuna opens a second argument, granting that the Kauravas, blinded by greed, genuinely don’t see anything wrong with destroying a family. The concession sets up verse 39’s turn: not seeing the wrong doesn’t excuse them, and — more to the point for Arjuna — knowing better puts a heavier obligation on the Pândava side specifically.
Study deeper
Word by word
- yadyapyयद्यप्य्
- even if
- ete na paśyantiएते न पश्यन्ति
- they do not see it
- lobhopahata-cetasaḥलोभोपहत-चेतसः
- their minds overpowered by greed
- kula-kṣaya-kṛtaṃकुल-क्षय-कृतं
- caused by the destruction of the family
- doṣaṃदोषं
- the wrong
- mitra-droheमित्र-द्रोहे
- in treachery to friends
- ca pātakamच पातकं
- and the sin
Commentary
Site Commentary
Having just closed one argument with a clean “therefore” in verse 37, Arjuna doesn’t repeat himself — he opens an entirely different kind of case here, about who can and can’t see the wrong in what’s happening, rather than about consequences or motive. The case diversifies onto new ground rather than restating the old one louder.
Original commentary written for this site · © Amit Singh — original commentary
Concepts
Apply this verse
Lessons
Personal
- When your first argument for a decision doesn't fully settle it for you, look for a genuinely different angle rather than restating the same reasoning more forcefully — a second, different kind of reason is more convincing than the first one repeated.
Professional
- If a stakeholder isn't moved by your cost-benefit case, try switching to a different kind of argument entirely — a values or precedent-based one — rather than repeating the same numbers with more urgency.
Family & Social
- If explaining your reasoning to family once didn't land, try a genuinely different angle rather than repeating yourself louder — a second, different kind of reason often succeeds where repetition fails.
Ask yourself
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