Bhagavad-gītā 1.41
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
अधर्माभिभवात्कृष्ण प्रदुष्यन्ति कुलस्त्रियः। स्त्रीषु दुष्टासु वार्ष्णेय जायते वर्णसङ्करः।।1.41।।
adharmābhibhavāt kṛiṣhṇa praduṣhyanti kula-striyaḥ strīṣhu duṣhṭāsu vārṣhṇeya jāyate varṇa-saṅkaraḥ
On the prevalence of impiety, O Krishna, the women of the family become corrupt; and women being corrupted, there arises, O Vârshneya, intermingling of castes.
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 |
|---|---|
| adharma | irreligion |
| abhibhavāt | preponderance |
| kṛiṣhṇa | Shree Krishna |
| praduṣhyanti | become immoral |
| kula-striyaḥ | women of the family |
| strīṣhu | of women |
| duṣhṭāsu | become immoral |
| vārṣhṇeya | descendant of Vrishni |
| jāyate | are born |
| varṇa-saṅkaraḥ | unwanted progeny |
Use the word map to follow the relation among adharma (irreligion), strīṣhu (of women), and varṇa-saṅkaraḥ (unwanted progeny). 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 1.41.
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 prevalence of impiety, O Krishna, the women of the family become corrupt
- 2
and women being corrupted, there arises, O Vârshneya, intermingling of castes
- 3
adharma: irreligion
Look, link, cover, teach
Look
Picture the battlefield.
Link
Use the line starts: adharmābhibhavāt kṛiṣhṇa / strīṣhu duṣhṭāsu.
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 1.41, 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 1.41 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 1.41 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 1.41 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 1.41, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
Use an authorized edition