Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1 Verse 36 (1.36)
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1 Verse 36 (1.36)
निहत्य धार्तराष्ट्रान्नः का प्रीतिः स्याज्जनार्दन । पापमेवाश्रयेदस्मान्हत्वैतानाततायिनः ॥ ३६ ॥
nihatya dhārtarāṣhṭrānnaḥ kā prītiḥ syājjanārdana pāpamevāśhrayedasmānhatvaitānātatāyinaḥ
Word-by-word guide:
Line 1:
- इहय
(Nihatya)— इहय(having killed) - धार्तराष्ट्रान्
(Dhartarashtran)— धृतराष्ट्र पुत्रों को(Dhritarashtra's sons) - न
(na)— नहीं(not) -
hjoined in dhārtarāṣhṭrānnaḥ - कः
(kah)— क्या(what) - इइ
(pritih)— इइ(joy) - स्यात्
(syat)— यहां(would there be) - जनार्दन
(Janardana)— हे जनार्दन(is Krishna's name)
Line 2:
- पप
(papam)— पाप(sin) -
evjoined in pāpamevāśhrayedasmānhatvaitānātatāyinaḥ - अरए
(ashrayet)— अरए(would cling) - अम
(asman)— अम(to us) - हव
(hatva)— मारने पर भी(by killing) -
ijoined in pāpamevāśhrayedasmānhatvaitānātatāyinaḥ - तत्
(tad)— वह(that) - अततइन
(atatayinah)— अततइन(aggressors)
English: O Janardana, what pleasure would be ours from killing Dhritarashtra's sons? Wrongdoing alone would come upon us by killing these aggressors.
Learnings from Shloka 36:
- Revenge is not joy: Arjuna sees no real happiness in destroying others.
- Dharma can be complex: Responding to wrongdoing still requires moral clarity.
- Action has consequence: Arjuna worries about the inner and ethical cost of violence.
Gita/Sanskrit Language Quiz
Practice this shloka vocabularyMatch Sanskrit words from shloka 1.36 with their Hindi and English meanings.
Practice vocabulary
Arjuna argues that killing the sons of Dhritarashtra would bring sin, even though they are aggressors. He sees no pleasure in revenge or victory over relatives.
The verse shows the complexity of dharma. Arjuna recognizes wrongdoing on the other side, but he is unsure whether his own response would also become wrong.