Verse 1.35
Speaker: Arjuna
Sanskrit
अपि त्रैलोक्यराज्यस्य हेतोः किं नु महीकृते | निहत्य धार्तराष्ट्रान्नः का प्रीतिः स्याज्जनार्दन ||३५||
Transliteration (IAST)
api trailokyarājyasya hetoḥ kiṁ nu mahīkṛte | nihatya dhārtarāṣṭrānnaḥ kā prītiḥ syājjanārdana ||35||
Word-by-Word Meanings
त्रैलोक्यराज्यस्य-of the sovereignty of three worlds
हेतोः-for the sake of
महीकृते-for the earth
निहत्य-by killing
धार्तराष्ट्रान्-the sons of Dhritarashtra
प्रीतिः-pleasure
जनार्दन-O Krishna (maintainer of people)
Translation
What pleasure can we derive from killing the sons of Dhritarashtra, O Janardana? Sin alone will accrue to us by slaying these aggressors.
Commentary
Arjuna introduces the concept of pāpa (sin) from killing. He argues that even though the Kauravas are aggressors (ātatāyin), killing them would bring sin. This conflation of personal emotion with dharmic reasoning is precisely what Krishna will untangle in Chapter 2.
Themes
dharmakarmaduty