Bhagavad Gita for Modern World: Chapter 1 Verses 43, 44, 45
Verses 1.43, 1.44, 1.45 explained
Translation
Hey Janardan (Krishna), I have heard that the human beings who lead to the destruction of family and family culture, (after death) dwell in hell forever.
Alas, It is so surprising that we are all ready to commit such a great sin. Driven by the greed for the pleasure of power, we are ready to kill our own people.
It would be better that the armed sons of Dhritarashtra (Kauravas) kill me while I stand on the battlefield, unresisting and unarmed.
**[Killing someone unarmed and who wasn’t resisting was considered unethical and was against the rules of war]
Commentary
Arjun now highlights the ethical consequences of this war. He argues that fighting in this war, which will lead to the sure shot destruction of families and the death of many of his own relatives, is akin to a crime. A crime so heinous that it will certainly lead to the accumulation of bad karma which will make a person spend eternity in hell after death.
Arjun mentions that the only reason behind this war is the greed for power. And in this desire, people have turned blind to see that they are committing a crime. Arjun didn’t want to be a part of this sin.
So Arjun expresses his wish that rather than fighting this war as a warrior, it is better to die at the hands of the enemy in the most dishonourable manner a warrior can die i.e. death while being unarmed, and not fighting.
In those days, the idea of an honourable death of a warrior was dying armed, while fighting on a battlefield. People would tell stories about such brave warriors, which would be etched in history.
Also killing an unarmed warrior who wasn’t resisting was considered unethical and was against the rules of war. Such a death was also considered a misfortune for the dying warrior. It wasn’t worthy of note, as it had no place in history.
Arjun is thus even ready to die in this manner, rather than fight, which was his duty as a warrior, and in a war for which he had prepared for years, and which he knew was imminent.
