Gita 1.36
निहत्य धार्तराष्ट्रान्नः का प्रीतिः स्याज्जनार्दन।
पापमेवाश्रयेदस्मान्हत्वैतानाततायिनः।।
nihatya dhārtarāṣṭrān naḥ kā prītiḥ syāj janārdana pāpam evāśrayed asmān hatvaitān ātatāyinaḥ
"What pleasure could we have from killing the sons of Dhritarashtra, O Krishna? Sin alone would take hold of us if we kill these aggressors."
What This Means:
Arjuna asks: what happiness could come from this? He argues that killing them—even though they ARE aggressors (ātatāyin)—would be sinful. He's mixing legal reasoning with emotional anguish.
Going Deeper:
Interestingly, Arjuna admits they ARE aggressors (ātatāyin). By dharmic law, killing aggressors in righteous battle incurs no sin. Arjuna knows the rules but his heart overrides his head.
How To Apply This:
When emotion is strong, we often make arguments that contradict what we know. Arjuna acknowledges they're aggressors yet still claims killing them is sin. Watch for this contradiction in your own reasoning.
Key Sanskrit Terms:
Prīti= Pleasure, happinessĀtatāyin= Aggressor (one who attacks, sets fires, poisons, etc.)Janārdana= One who liberates people (Krishna)