Chapter 1 • Verse 45
अहो बत महत्पापं कर्तुं व्यवसिता वयम्। यद्राज्यसुखलोभेन हन्तुं स्वजनमुद्यताः॥
aho bata mahat pāpaṁ kartuṁ vyavasitā vayam yad rājya-sukha-lobhena hantuṁ sva-janam udyatāḥ
Meaning
Alas! We are resolved to commit great sin, being prepared to kill our own kinsmen out of greed for royal happiness.
Arjuna condemns himself for greed, yet his presence at the war is not about greed — it's about reclaiming what was stolen through adharma. Self-criticism can be as misguided as self-praise.
Strength Reflection
"I examine my motives honestly, neither inflating nor unfairly condemning them."
Devotional Surrender
O Lord, help me see my true motivations clearly, beyond both self-justification and false guilt.