ज्ञात्वा ज्ञातिवधं गर्ह्यमधर्मं राज्यहेतुकम् । ततो निवृत्तो हन्ताहं हतोऽयमिति लौकिक: ॥ ७ ॥
jñātvā jñāti-vadhaṁ garhyam adharmaṁ rājya-hetukam tato nivṛtto hantāhaṁ hato ’yam iti laukikaḥ
- jñātvā
- being aware
- jñāti
- of his relatives
- vadham
- the killing
- garhyam
- abominable
- adharmam
- irreligion
- rājya
- to acquire a kingdom
- hetukam
- having as the motive
- tataḥ
- from such activity
- nivṛttaḥ
- retired
- haratā
- the killer
- aham
- I am
- hataḥ
- killed
- ayam
- this group of relatives
- iti
- thus
- laukikaḥ
- mundane
On the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra Arjuna thought that killing his relatives would be an abominable, irreligious activity, motivated only by his desire to acquire a kingdom. He therefore desisted from the battle, thinking, “I would be the killer of my relatives. They would be destroyed.” Thus Arjuna was afflicted with mundane consciousness.