1.36 — Can victory bring happiness?
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Speaker: Arjuna, addressing Krishna
Teaching film · Sanskrit · Everyday reflection
Our original brief meaning and reflection accompany the Sanskrit below.
Verses 1.36–1.37 share one connected lesson. Each shloka retains its own number.
Context, Sanskrit and lesson transcript
Arjuna asks Krishna whether victory could bring happiness at such a cost. His argument against fighting continues.
निहत्य धार्तराष्ट्रान्नः का प्रीतिः स्याज्जनार्दन।
पापमेवाश्रयेदस्मान्हत्वैतानाततायिनः॥३६॥
तस्मान्नार्हा वयं हन्तुं धार्तराष्ट्रान्स्वबान्धवान्।
स्वजनं हि कथं हत्वा सुखिनः स्याम माधव॥३७॥
Brief meaning, in our own words. Arjuna asks what joy could come from killing Dhritarashtra’s sons. He believes that killing these aggressors would bring sin upon them. He concludes that they should not kill their own relatives, and asks how happiness could follow.
Janardana and Madhava are names by which Arjuna addresses Krishna. This is Arjuna’s moral argument at this point in the dialogue. Krishna’s fuller response is still to come.
Here is our everyday reflection. Before pursuing a victory, ask what it would cost and whether its rewards would still matter afterwards.
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