Arjuna concludes his thought from the previous verse with a piercing and seemingly irrefutable question. The thirty-ninth verse, known as the Katham Na Jneyam Asmabhih verse, is the climax of his moral argument. It is a powerful appeal to reason, responsibility, and the burden of knowledge. With the Katham Na Jneyam Asmabhih verse, Arjuna presents his case not as a plea of a grieving heart, but as the sound conclusion of a clear-seeing mind.
Sanskrit Verse
कथं न ज्ञेयमस्माभिः पापादस्मान्निवर्तितुम् ।
कुलक्षयकृतं दोषं प्रपश्यद्भिर्जनार्दन ॥ ३९ ॥Transliteration
kathaṁ na jñeyamasmābhiḥ pāpādasmānnivartitum |
kulakṣayakṛtaṁ doṣaṁ prapaśyadbhirjanārdana || 39 ||Word for Word Translation
katham – why; na – not; jñeyam – should be known; asmābhiḥ – by us; pāpāt – from sins; asmāt – these; nivartitum – to turn away; kula-kṣaya – the destruction of a dynasty; kṛtam – in doing; doṣam – the crime; prapaśyadbhiḥ – by those who can see; janārdana – O Janardana (Krishna).
English Translation
O Janardana, although they are overcome by greed, why should we, who can clearly see the crime in destroying a dynasty, not know how to turn away from this sin?
Explanation
Each Bhagavad Gita verse whispers ancient truths, let’s listen closely with Vedic Stories…
This poignant question is the logical conclusion to Arjuna’s entire argument so far. He has laid out all the premises, and now he delivers the final, powerful summation.
- “Why should we… not know to turn away from this sin?”: The core of his argument is the burden of knowledge. He is saying, “The Kauravas are blind with greed, so their actions, while wrong, are born of ignorance. But we are not blind. We can see.”
- Prapaśyadbhiḥ (By those who can see clearly): This is the key word. Arjuna is claiming a position of higher moral vision. He sees the “doṣam” (the crime) of “kula-kṣaya” (destruction of the family). He argues that knowledge and clear sight bring a greater responsibility.
- Pāpād asmān nivartitum (To turn away from this sin): He concludes that the only logical and moral action for someone with this knowledge is to actively turn away from the sinful act. To see the cliff and still walk over it is not just a tragedy; it is a conscious choice, a far greater sin than the actions of the blind.
By addressing Krishna again as Janardana (“Maintainer of the People”), he is appealing to Krishna’s role as the protector of society. Arjuna is framing the act of war as an act that will destroy the very people Krishna is meant to maintain.
Conclusion
Arjuna’s argument here teaches a profound lesson about responsibility and the burden of knowledge. He makes a powerful case that being able to see a crime and still participating in it is a deeper moral failure than acting out of blind ignorance. In the complex web of Dharma, Arjuna has concluded that the duty to abstain from a known sin (`pāpam`) is the highest path.
This verse is a timeless challenge to all of us. When we are in a conflict and we believe we can “see clearly” while our opponents are “blind,” what is our responsibility? Do we engage in the destructive cycle, or do we, as Arjuna suggests, have a higher duty to be the ones to “turn away”? Arjuna has made his choice. He believes the most righteous action is inaction. It is this perfectly logical, yet deeply flawed, conclusion that Krishna must now address.
Read Next: Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1 – Verse 40 – Kula Kshaye Pranashyanti
