Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1, Verse 40

English Translation

From the ruin of the family are totally destroyed the traditional rites and duties of the family. When rites and duties are destroyed, vice overpowers the entire family also.

Detailed Commentary

।।1.40।। Explanation -- 'With the destruction of the kula, the eternal kula-dharmas perish.' When war occurs, the lineage (kula) is destroyed. Since the inception of the kula, its sacred traditions and disciplines (maryādās) have been continuously upheld. But when the kula is destroyed, the dharmas associated with it also perish. For instance, the sacred scriptural rites and customs observed at the time of birth, marriage, death, and thereafter – which are conducive to welfare in this world (loka) and the next (paraloka) – these too cease to exist. For when the kula is annihilated, upon what support will Dharma rest? 'When Dharma is destroyed, adharma overwhelms the entire kula.' When the sacred disciplines (maryādās) and conduct of the kula are destroyed, adharma suppresses the entire lineage. Herein arises the doubt: when the kula is destroyed, whom will adharma suppress? The answer to this is that men fit for battle are slain in war, but the surviving children and women fall under the sway of adharma. When wise and experienced men are killed in battle, there remains no one to guide the survivors. Consequently, lacking knowledge of disciplines (maryādā) and proper conduct, they begin to act arbitrarily. Thus, adharma spreads amongst them.