Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1, Verse 41

English Translation

O Krsna, when vice predominates, the women of the family become corrupt. O descendent of the Vrsnis, when women become corrupted, it results in the intermingling of castes.

Detailed Commentary

।।1.41।। Explanation -- 'Adharmābhibhavāt Kṛṣṇa... praduṣyanti kulasṭriyāḥ' -- The observance of Dharma purifies the mind. When the mind is pure, the intellect (buddhi) becomes sattvic. A sattvic intellect clearly discerns between right and wrong. However, when adharma increases in a family, impurities begin to manifest in conduct, and the mind becomes impure. With an impure mind, the intellect (buddhi) becomes tamasic. Due to a tamasic intellect, a person starts perceiving wrong as right and right as wrong; that is, their thoughts become contrary to the limits prescribed by the Shastras. With such a perverted intellect, the women of the family become defiled, meaning they become vyabhicharini (unchaste). 'Strīṣu duṣṭāsu Vārṣṇeya jāyate varṇasaṅkaraḥ' -- When women are defiled, varnasankara (intermixture of social orders) arises. When offspring are born from a man and woman of different varnas, they are called varnasankara. Arjuna, addressing 'Krishna' here, asks, "You, who attract all, in which direction will you lead our kula (lineage)?" The address 'Varshneya' means that you are called 'Varshneya' because you were born in the Vrishni lineage. But when our lineage is destroyed, to which kula will our descendants belong? Therefore, the destruction of the kula is not appropriate.