Having laid out his entire logical, social, and spiritual case against the war, Arjuna’s focus now snaps back to the present moment and his own role in it. The forty-fifth verse, known as the Aho Bata Mahat Papam verse, is a powerful exclamation of self-reproach. He is no longer just analyzing the situation; he is horrified by his own readiness to participate in it.
Sanskrit Verse
अहो बत महत्पापं कर्तुं व्यवसिता वयम् ।
यद्राज्यसुखलोभेन हन्तुं स्वजनमुद्यताः ॥ ४५ ॥Transliteration
aho bata mahatpāpaṁ kartuṁ vyavasitā vayam |
yadrājyasukhalobhena hantuṁ svajanamudyatāḥ || 45 ||Word for Word Translation
aho bata – alas; mahat pāpam – a great sin; kartum – to perform; vyavasitāḥ – have we resolved; vayam – we; yat – that; rājya-sukha-lobhena – driven by greed for royal happiness; hantum – to kill; svajanam – our own kinsmen; udyatāḥ – we are prepared.
English Translation
Alas, how strange it is that we are preparing to commit a great sin! Driven by the desire for royal happiness, we are intent on killing our own kinsmen.
Explanation
Each Bhagavad Gita verse whispers ancient truths, let’s listen closely with Vedic Stories…
This powerful lament is Arjuna’s moment of horrified self-awareness. Up until now, he has been diagnosing the Kauravas’ blindness; now, he turns that same sharp judgment upon himself.
- Aho bata mahat pāpam: “Alas, what a great sin!” The phrase `Aho bata` is an exclamation of deep sorrow, regret, and astonishment. He is looking at his own actions as if for the first time, and he is horrified by what he sees. He is not contemplating a potential sin; he feels he is already on the verge of committing a `mahat pāpam`, a truly great and terrible one.
- Rājya-sukha-lobhena: “Driven by greed for the happiness of a kingdom.” This is a brutal moment of self-implication. Just a few verses ago, he accused the Kauravas of being blinded by greed (`lobha`). Now, he realizes that he, too, is guilty of the same sin. He sees that his own desire for the kingdom and the happiness it would bring is the very motivation that has brought him to this impious act.
- Hantuṁ svajanam udyatāḥ: “We are prepared to kill our own kinsmen.” The use of “we” (`vayam`) is crucial. He is taking personal responsibility and including his brothers in this terrible resolution. He sees their presence on the battlefield not as a noble duty, but as a readiness to commit mass familicide.
Arjuna is no longer an external analyst. He sees himself as a participant in the crime, and the realization devastates him.
Conclusion
Arjuna’s cry of “Aho Bata” teaches a profound lesson about self-awareness and hypocrisy. It is often easy to see the greed and moral failings in our opponents, but it takes immense courage and humility to recognize those same faults within ourselves. Arjuna, in his moment of supreme crisis, has this moment of clarity. He sees that the same desire for power and happiness that drives his “evil-minded” cousin is also present in his own heart.
This verse is a powerful call to introspection. Before we condemn the motivations of others, we must first examine our own. Are we, too, being driven by a subtle “greed for happiness” that might be leading us to cause harm? Arjuna’s lament is the beginning of true self-inquiry, the moment a hero stops blaming the world and starts looking at his own complicity. It is a necessary and painful step on the path to spiritual wisdom.
Read Next: Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1 – Verse 46 – Yadi Mam Apratikara
