1.43 The enduring duties undone Arjuna speaks
दोषैरेतैः कुलघ्नानां वर्णसङ्करकारकैः
उत्साद्यन्ते जातिधर्माः कुलधर्माश्च शाश्वताः
doṣhair etaiḥ kula-ghnānāṁ varṇa-saṅkara-kārakaiḥ
utsādyante jāti-dharmāḥ kula-dharmāśh cha śhāśhvatāḥ
By these wrongs of those who destroy a family — by the confusion of lineage they cause — the enduring duties of community and household are undone.
Explanation
The enduring duties undone.
jāti-dharmāḥ and kula-dharmāḥ — the duties of community and household, dismantled.
The word he keeps reaching for is dharma, which is the same word the first line of the chapter used for the field he is standing on. He is not arguing against duty; he is arguing that duty is on his side.
Word by word
- doṣhaiḥ
- through evil deeds
- etaiḥ
- these
- kula-ghnānām
- of those who destroy the family
- varṇa-saṅkara
- unwanted progeny
- kārakaiḥ
- causing
- utsādyante
- are ruined
- jāti-dharmāḥ
- social and family welfare activities
- kula-dharmāḥ
- family traditions
- cha
- and
- śhāśhvatāḥ
- eternal
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