Gita : Ch-1. Slo-44.

Srimad Bhagavad-Gita :


Chapter-1. ( Arjuna-vishadha-yogam )


Slokam- 44. { Arjuna continued further  ( spell the evils of war ) to avoid the war }



Utsanna-kula-dharmanam       manushyanam      janardana,


Narake-niyatam      vaso       bhavatity     anususruma. 


janardana    =    O, Krishna;

utsanna-kula-dharmanam    manushyanam    =    those     human-beings     who   spoiled     their    family    traditions;

niyatam   narake      vasah    bhavati     =     always    get    experience    ( living in  ) of   hell;

iti    anususruma    =    this    we  have   heard.



Of those men who spoiled the family traditions, o Janardana, one will always turn out to reside in hell, thus I heard from the learned.





Arjuna is supporting his argument by affirming that he has heard from respectable sources in disciplic succession, that those who are responsible for destroying righteousness reside permanently in hellish existence. Therefore this decision to fight is not the wisest of choices. 

Persons whose family traditions have been destroyed means also those whose  ( varnam ) caste  ( not the preset caste -system ) and heritage has also been lost. We have heard from the authoritative sources of the Vedas scriptures that those addicted to vice who perform no expiation nor feel any repentance, go to terrible hells full of misery. 

Here by the word kula-dharma getting spoiled also means that jati-dharmah meaning the duties of each caste and asrama dharma meaning the relationships between the castes are indicated as well. Anususruma means we have heard in the line of parampara disciplic succession that persons who are addicted to sinful activities; yet who do not make atonement or repent are damned to excruciatingly painful and terrifying hells. 

Arjuna bases his argument not on his own personal experience, but on what he has heard from the authorities. That is the way of receiving real knowledge. One cannot reach the real point of factual knowledge without being helped by the right person who is already established in that knowledge. There is a system in the varnasrama institution by which one has to undergo the process of ablution before death for his sinful activities. One who is always engaged in sinful activities must utilize the process of ablution called the prayascittam. Without doing so, one surely will be transferred to hellish planets to undergo miserable lives as the result of sinful activities. 

To be continued ..