Bhagavad Gita 1.45
Chapter 1, verse 45
Meaning
“Alas, what a great wrong we have made up our minds to commit! For the sake of a kingdom and its comforts, we are standing here ready to kill our own people.” Arjuna now says the quiet part aloud: he suspects greed is hiding inside the cause.
The Sanskrit
अहो बत महत्पापं कर्तुं व्यवसिता वयम् ।
यद्राज्यसुखलोभेन हन्तुं स्वजनमुद्यताः ॥ ४५ ॥
aho bata mahat pāpaṃ kartuṃ vyavasitā vayam
yad rājyasukhalobhena hantuṃ svajanam udyatāḥ
Say it
uh-ho buh-tuh muh-hut paa-pum kar-toom vyuh-vuh-si-taa vuh-yum
yud raaj-yuh-soo-khuh-lo-bhay-nuh hun-toom svuh-juh-num ood-yuh-taah
Word by word
- aho bata
- alas, what a pity
- mahat pāpam
- a great wrong
- kartum vyavasitāḥ vayam
- we have resolved to commit
- yat
- in that
- rājya-sukha-lobhena
- out of greed for the pleasures of a kingdom
- hantum
- to kill
- svajanam
- our own people
- udyatāḥ
- we stand ready
Read it in context: verses 1.45–47The bow is set downWith the story so far, commentary, and today's lesson: When the argument ends in sitting down
Another translation and audio recitation: verse 1.45 on holy-bhagavad-gita.org.
Get the readings by email
The verses, the lesson and one thing to try. Free, and separate from new-comic alerts.
We'll ask you to confirm by email first. Unsubscribe from any email.