Bhagavad Gita BG 1.43
Chapter 1, Verse 43 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
दोषैरेतैः कुलघ्नानां वर्णसङ्करकारकैः । उत्साद्यन्ते जातिधर्माः कुलधर्माश्च शाश्वताः ॥ ४३ ॥
doṣair etaiḥ kula-ghnānāṃ varṇa-saṅkara-kārakaiḥ utsādyante jāti-dharmāḥ kula-dharmāś ca śāśvatāḥ
Meaning
By the evil deeds of those who destroy the family and create unwanted progeny, all kinds of community traditions and eternal family customs are destroyed.
Understanding
Arjuna completes his chain of consequences. Beyond just family traditions, the broader community's traditions (jāti-dharmāḥ) are also destroyed. 'Jāti' refers to the community or group one belongs to; its dharmas are the shared customs and duties. 'Kula-dharmas' are the family-specific traditions. Both are described as 'śāśvata' — eternal, time-honoured. War, in Arjuna's view, is not just a military event but a cultural catastrophe.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| दोषैः | doṣaiḥ | by the faults / by the evil deeds |
| वर्णसङ्करकारकैः | varṇa-saṅkara-kārakaiḥ | causing unwanted mixing of social orders |
| उत्साद्यन्ते | utsādyante | are destroyed / uprooted / devastated |
| जातिधर्माः | jāti-dharmāḥ | community / caste traditions and duties |
| शाश्वताः | śāśvatāḥ | eternal / everlasting / time-honoured |
| एतैः | etaiḥ | by these (faults / deeds) |
| कुलघ्नानाम् | kula-ghnānām | of those who destroy the family |
| कुलधर्माः | kula-dharmāḥ | family customs and traditions |
| च | ca | and (conjunction) |