Having declared that a kingdom is useless without the very people for whom it is desired, Arjuna now begins to list those people by name and relationship. The thirty-fourth verse, known as the Acharyah Pitarah Putras verse, is the start of a sorrowful inventory of his heart. Each word in this verse is a testament to the sacred bonds of family that make the prospect of war so horrifying for him.
Sanskrit Verse
आचार्याः पितरः पुत्रास्तथैव च पितामहाः ।
मातुलाः श्वशुराः पौत्राः श्यालाः सम्बन्धिनस्तथा ॥ ३४ ॥Transliteration
ācāryāḥ pitaraḥ putrāstathaiva ca pitāmahāḥ |
mātulāḥ śvaśurāḥ pautrāḥ śyālāḥ sambandhinastathā || 34 ||Word for Word Translation
ācāryāḥ – teachers; pitaraḥ – fathers; putrāḥ – sons; tathā eva ca – also as well; pitāmahāḥ – grandfathers; mātulāḥ – maternal uncles; śvaśurāḥ – fathers-in-law; pautrāḥ – grandsons; śyālāḥ – brothers-in-law; sambandhinaḥ – relatives; tathā – also.
English Translation
[They are] teachers, fathers, sons, and also grandfathers, maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law, and other relatives.
Explanation
Each Bhagavad Gita verse whispers ancient truths, let’s listen closely with Vedic Stories…
This poignant statement is a continuation of Arjuna’s previous thought, where he explained that the very people for whom he would want a kingdom are arrayed against him. Now, he gives that abstract idea a series of heartbreakingly personal names. He looks across the battlefield and sees:
- Teachers (`ācāryāḥ`): Dronacharya and Kripacharya, the masters who shaped him.
- Fathers (`pitaraḥ`): This refers to his father’s generation, like Bhurishravas, and in a broader sense, his elders who are like fathers to him.
- Sons & Grandsons (`putrāḥ`, `pautrāḥ`): He sees the next generations, like Duryodhana’s son Lakshmana, whom he must now fight.
- Grandfathers (`pitāmahāḥ`): This is a direct reference to his beloved grandsire, Bhishma, the patriarch of their entire dynasty.
- Uncles & In-laws (`mātulāḥ`, `śvaśurāḥ`): He sees men like his uncle Shalya and his brothers-in-law, further widening the circle of family ties.
This verse is a slow, deliberate catalog of love and respect. Arjuna is forcing Krishna—and himself—to acknowledge that these are not just soldiers. They are the very fabric of his life, the structure of his family, and the pillars of his society. The weight of these relationships is what makes his duty as a warrior feel so crushingly wrong.
Conclusion
Arjuna’s reasoning here teaches a powerful lesson about the human cost of conflict. It is easy to speak of war or struggle in abstract terms, but this verse forces a confrontation with the deeply personal reality. Every soldier in an opposing army is a son, a father, a brother, or a friend to someone. Arjuna’s crisis is born from his inability to ignore this fundamental truth.
This specific list of relationships is a powerful reminder that our lives are defined by the roles we play for others and they for us. These are not just labels but sacred bonds. The profound sorrow in Arjuna’s voice comes from the realization that to fulfill his role as a warrior, he must destroy all his other cherished roles—as a grandson, a student, a nephew, and a friend. It is a price, he will argue next, that is far too high to pay.
Read Next: Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1 – Verse 35 – Etan Na Hantum Icchami
