Arjuna now brings his entire sociological argument to a powerful and devastating conclusion. The forty-third verse, known as the Doshair Etaih Kula Ghnanam verse, serves as a summary of the chain reaction of sin he has just described. With the Doshair Etaih Kula Ghnanam verse, he ties all the threads of his argument together, painting a complete picture of societal collapse.
Sanskrit Verse
दोषैरेतैः कुलघ्नानां वर्णसङ्करकारकैः ।
उत्साद्यन्ते जातिधर्माः कुलधर्माश्च शाश्वताः ॥ ४३ ॥Transliteration
doṣairetaiḥ kulaghnānāṁ varṇasaṅkarakārakaiḥ |
utsādyante jātidharmāḥ kuladharmāśca śāśvatāḥ || 43 ||Word for Word Translation
doṣaiḥ – by such faults; etaiḥ – of these; kula-ghnānām – of the destroyers of the family; varṇa-saṅkara – of unwanted children; kārakaiḥ – which are the cause; utsādyante – are devastated; jāti-dharmāḥ – community projects; kula-dharmāḥ – the family traditions; ca – also; śāśvatāḥ – eternal.
English Translation
Due to the evil deeds of the destroyers of the family, which cause the rise of unwanted children, the eternal family traditions and the community projects are all devastated.
Explanation: Doshair Etaih Kula Ghnanam
Each Bhagavad Gita verse whispers ancient truths, let’s listen closely with Vedic Stories…
This powerful statement is Arjuna’s final summary of the social catastrophe. He is connecting the cause directly to the effect, leaving no room for doubt in his own mind.
- Doṣair etaiḥ kula-ghnānām: “By these evil deeds of the family-destroyers.” He now labels the act of fighting this war as the ultimate sin. Those who participate are `kula-ghnānām`, destroyers of their own lineage.
- Varṇa-saṅkara-kārakaiḥ: He reiterates that these sins are the direct cause (`kārakaiḥ`) of `varṇa-saṅkara`, the social chaos of unwanted progeny he so fears.
- Utsādyante jāti-dharmāḥ kula-dharmāśca śāśvatāḥ: This is the final, devastating result. Two crucial pillars of society are completely destroyed. He states that the `kula-dharmāḥ` (the eternal family traditions) and the `jāti-dharmāḥ` (the traditions and duties of the larger community or guild) are both “utsādyante”—utterly devastated and uprooted.
Arjuna’s argument is complete. He has traced a clear and logical line from the act of war to the complete annihilation of all social and spiritual order. In his view, this is not a war for Dharma; it is a war that will lead to the end of Dharma itself.
Conclusion
Arjuna’s argument here provides a profound, traditional perspective on the fragile ecosystem of human society. He sees civilization not as a collection of individuals, but as an intricate web of duties, traditions, and intergenerational responsibilities. To break one major thread—the reverence for elders and family—is to cause the entire web to unravel. His fear extends not just to his family, but to the very concept of a stable, righteous society.
This verse challenges us to consider the hidden, long-term consequences of actions that seem justified in the short term. The destruction of tradition and community values is a slow decay that begins with a single catastrophic event. Arjuna, in his moment of crisis, has the foresight to see this entire chain of devastation. It is this complete and seemingly perfect argument that Krishna must now address, not by refuting the logic, but by introducing a higher, spiritual reality.
Read Next: Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1 – Verse 44 – Utsanna Kula Dharmanam
