Verse 1.40
Speaker: Arjuna
Sanskrit
अधर्माभिभवात्कृष्ण प्रदुष्यन्ति कुलस्त्रियः | स्त्रीषु दुष्टासु वार्ष्णेय जायते वर्णसङ्करः ||४०||
Transliteration (IAST)
adharmābhibhavātkṛṣṇa praduṣyanti kulastriyaḥ | strīṣu duṣṭāsu vārṣṇeya jāyate varṇasaṅkaraḥ ||40||
Word-by-Word Meanings
अधर्माभिभवात्-from the prevalence of adharma
कुलस्त्रियः-women of the family
प्रदुष्यन्ति-become corrupted
वर्णसङ्करः-unwanted progeny/mixture of castes
वार्ष्णेय-O descendant of Vrishni (Krishna)
Translation
When adharma prevails, O Krishna, the women of the family become corrupted; when women are corrupted, O descendant of Vrishni, there arises an unwanted mixture of social orders.
Commentary
Arjuna's argument reflects the social concerns of his era regarding varṇa-saṅkara (mixing of social orders). While this reflects historical social anxieties, the deeper philosophical point is about the breakdown of cosmic order (ṛta) when dharma is abandoned. Krishna will transcend these social arguments entirely.
Themes
dharmaduty