Chapter 1Verse 40 of 47

Bhagavad Gita 1.40

कुलक्षये प्रणश्यन्ति कुलधर्माः सनातनाः । धर्मे नष्टे कुलं कृत्स्नमधर्मोऽभिभवत्युत ॥

kula-kṣaye praṇaśyanti kula-dharmāḥ sanātanāḥ | dharme naṣṭe kulaṃ kṛtsnam adharmo 'bhibhavaty uta ||

Translation

On the destruction of a family, the eternal duties of the family perish; on the destruction of duty, lawlessness overcomes the whole family.

Sanātanāḥ. Eternal. The word Arjuna uses for the family's duties is the same word the tradition uses for the tradition itself. The argument scales from kin to civilization in one sentence. If we kill them, the family dies; if the family dies, the family's dharmas die; if the dharmas die, lawlessness rules. The slope is not wrong. It is also not a reason. Many true sequences are not also instructions.

Reflection

Where are you treating "this will happen" as a reason not to act?

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