Bhagavad-gītā 1.40
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
कुलक्षये प्रणश्यन्ति कुलधर्माः सनातनाः। धर्मे नष्टे कुलं कृत्स्नमधर्मोऽभिभवत्युत।।1.40।।
kula-kṣhaye praṇaśhyanti kula-dharmāḥ sanātanāḥ dharme naṣhṭe kulaṁ kṛitsnam adharmo ’bhibhavaty uta
On the decay of a family the immemorial religious rites of that family die out. On the destruction of spirituality, impiety further overwhelms the whole of the family.
English rendering by Swami Swarupananda. Public domain first edition, 1909.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| kula-kṣhaye | in the destruction of a dynasty |
| praṇaśhyanti | are vanquished |
| kula-dharmāḥ | family traditions |
| sanātanāḥ | eternal |
| dharme | religion |
| naṣhṭe | is destroyed |
| kulam | family |
| kṛitsnam | the whole |
| adharmaḥ | irreligion |
| abhibhavati | overcome |
| uta | indeed |
Read the Sanskrit as a connected thought built from kula-kṣhaye (in the destruction of a dynasty), naṣhṭe (is destroyed), and uta (indeed). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to the crisis that opens the teaching. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 1.40.
Original school explanation. Written independently from the Sanskrit word map. It is not a quotation, translation, or summary of a named modern commentary. Chapter lens: Map the battlefield, speakers, relationships and Arjuna’s reasons before reading later answers backward into the crisis.
Five careful reading routes
The cards below are reading references, not claims about what an acharya says in this verse. Modern wording stays inside authorized editions. Classical commentary will appear only after an independent translation has passed scholarly and rights review.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
On the decay of a family the immemorial religious rites of that family die out
- 2
On the destruction of spirituality, impiety further overwhelms the whole of the family
- 3
kula-kṣhaye: in the destruction of a dynasty
Look, link, cover, teach
Look
Picture the battlefield.
Link
Use the line starts: kula-kṣhaye praṇaśhyanti / dharme naṣhṭe.
Cover
Hide the verse and rebuild one line at a time.
Teach
Explain the flow to another person without looking.
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 1.40, consult the authorized BBT edition. No purport, translation, or author-attributed summary is reproduced here.
Find the authorized editionBhaktivinoda Thakura
Rasika-ranjanaA verified independent rendering for Bhagavad-gita 1.40 has not yet passed scholarly and rights review. Modern translations are not copied here.
Independent rendering pending reviewBaladeva Vidyabhushana
Gita-bhushana-bhashyaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 1.40 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewVishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
Sarartha-varshini-tikaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 1.40 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 1.40, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
Use an authorized edition