1. Varnashrama Institution (1.39 purport) – Principles of religious traditions to help members of family grow and attain spiritual values

    2. Role of elders (1.39 purport)

    • Responsible for maintaining purificatory samskaras (birth to death)
    • Helping younger generation on the path of salvation

    3. Importance of good population (1.40 purport) – It is the basic principle for peace, prosperity and spiritual progress in life

    4. What good population depends on (1.40 purport) – Chastity and faithfulness of womanhood

    5. Philosophy of Pinda-Dan (1.41 purport)

    • Based on rules and regulations of fruitive acts
    • What it is – To offer periodical food and water to forefathers
    • Right process – worship of Vishnu done / remnants offered to forefathers
    • Principle: To release them from many sinful reactions / ghostly existence etc.
    • Who is not obliged for this – One in devotional life
    • Why devotees are not obliged – Because devotional service relieves hundreds and thousands of forefathers from all misery (Ref. SB. 11.5.41 “devarsi bhutapta…”)

    3. Community projects and family welfare acts – Importance (1.42 purport)

    • They are set forth by Varnashrama / Sanatana-dharma
    • Sets duties for four orders of society
    • Purpose – To help attain ultimate salvation
    • ‘Result of breaking’ such projects – Chaos in society & people forget ultimate aim of life – Vishnu.

    4. Ways of receiving real knowledge (1.43 purport) – Disciplic succession

    • Arjuna based his arguments not on personal experience, but on what he has heard from authorities

    5. Principle of ‘Prayascitta’ (1.43 purport) – A system in the varnashrama system by which before death one has to undergo the process of atonement for his sinful activities

    • Without doing so, one surely will be transferred to the hellish planets to undergo miserable lives.
    ← 3rd Argument (1.36-1.38)
    Contents: Chapter 1
    Conclusion (1.44-1.46) →
    Progress : Chapter 1 90%

    4th Argument - Distruction of family tradition (1.39-1.43)

    Text 1.39-1.43

    COMMON THEME : Fighting will cause family destruction in the following 6-step sequence:

    1. Death of Elderly (1.39) – Fighting destroys the whole dynasty

    2. Family Traditions Stop: Irreligion increases (1.39)

    • With the destruction of dynasty, the entire family tradition is vanquished, and thus the rest of the family becomes involved in irreligion

    3. Women polluted (1.40)

    • When irreligion is prominent, the women in the family become polluted
    • Chanakya Pandit says “Women need protection”
    • Why women need special protection – Because they are Prone to degradation
    • How they are protected – By engaging in religious principles, either under father, husband or son
    • If they are not protected, it leads to adultery and varna-sankara

    4. Varna-sankara (unwanted progeny) (1.40)

    • From degradation of woman comes unwanted progeny
    • Varna-sankara has three effects – Risk of war, pestilence(महामारी) & Hellish life
    • For the whole family – Ancestors falldown because pinda-dana(पिंड-दान) stops
    • For those who destroy family – All community projects and family welfare acts stop

    5. Hellish life for ‘family’ and ‘destroyers of family’ (1.41)

    6. Culture is destroyed – Community projects and family welfare acts stop (1.42)

    Learnings from Purport 1.39-1.43

    1. Varnashrama Institution (1.39 purport) – Principles of religious traditions to help members of family grow and attain spiritual values

    2. Role of elders (1.39 purport)

    • Responsible for maintaining purificatory samskaras (birth to death)
    • Helping younger generation on the path of salvation

    3. Importance of good population (1.40 purport) – It is the basic principle for peace, prosperity and spiritual progress in life

    4. What good population depends on (1.40 purport) – Chastity and faithfulness of womanhood

    5. Philosophy of Pinda-Dan (1.41 purport)

    • Based on rules and regulations of fruitive acts
    • What it is – To offer periodical food and water to forefathers
    • Right process – worship of Vishnu done / remnants offered to forefathers
    • Principle: To release them from many sinful reactions / ghostly existence etc.
    • Who is not obliged for this – One in devotional life
    • Why devotees are not obliged – Because devotional service relieves hundreds and thousands of forefathers from all misery (Ref. SB. 11.5.41 “devarsi bhutapta…”)

    3. Community projects and family welfare acts – Importance (1.42 purport)

    • They are set forth by Varnashrama / Sanatana-dharma
    • Sets duties for four orders of society
    • Purpose – To help attain ultimate salvation
    • ‘Result of breaking’ such projects – Chaos in society & people forget ultimate aim of life – Vishnu.

    4. Ways of receiving real knowledge (1.43 purport) – Disciplic succession

    • Arjuna based his arguments not on personal experience, but on what he has heard from authorities

    5. Principle of ‘Prayascitta’ (1.43 purport) – A system in the varnashrama system by which before death one has to undergo the process of atonement for his sinful activities

    • Without doing so, one surely will be transferred to the hellish planets to undergo miserable lives.
    ← 3rd Argument (1.36-1.38)
    Contents: Chapter 1
    Conclusion (1.44-1.46) →
    Progress : Chapter 1 90%
    Scroll to Top