TEXT 44
aho bata mahat pāpaṁ
kartuṁ vyavasitā vayam
yad rājya-sukha-lobhena
hantuṁ sva-janam udyatāḥ
aho – alas; bata – how strange it is; mahat – great; pāpam – sins; kartum – to perform; vyavasitāḥ – have decided; vayam – we; yat – because; rājya-sukha-lobhena – driven by greed for royal happiness; hantum – to kill; sva-janam – kinsmen; udyatāḥ – trying.
Alas, how strange it is that we are preparing to commit greatly sinful acts. Driven by the desire to enjoy royal happiness, we are intent on killing our own kinsmen.
Driven by selfish motives, one may be inclined to such sinful acts as the killing of one’s own brother, father or mother. There are many such instances in the history of the world. But Arjuna, being a saintly devotee of the Lord, is always conscious of moral principles and therefore takes care to avoid such activities.