Bhagavad Gita 1.31
Spoken by Arjuna · Verse 31 of 47 · Arjuna's Journey
न च श्रेयोऽनुपश्यामि हत्वा स्वजनमाहवे। न काङ्क्षे विजयं कृष्ण न च राज्यं सुखानि च॥
na ca śreyo 'nupaśyāmi hatvā svajanam āhave / na kāṅkṣe vijayaṃ kṛṣṇa na ca rājyaṃ sukhāni ca
Victory without the people you love — what does it cost, and what is it worth?
Word by word (5)
- na ca śreyaḥ anupaśyāmi
- — I do not foresee any good / I see no benefit · 'Śreyas' — the good that is genuinely beneficial, as opposed to 'preyas' (what is pleasant). Arjuna is not asking 'what do I want?' but 'what is actually good here?' — the higher question.
- hatvā svajanam āhave
- — from slaying my own people in battle
- na kāṅkṣe vijayam
- — I do not desire victory
- kṛṣṇa
- — O Krishna
- na ca rājyam sukhāni ca
- — nor kingdom, nor pleasures
'I see no good in this, Krishna. Killing my own people in battle — what does it gain? I don't want this victory. I don't want this kingdom. I don't want the pleasures that would follow.'
A modern analogy
You've worked for years toward a promotion, a business goal, a competitive win. Now, on the verge of achieving it, you realize the cost: the relationships you neglected, the compromises you made, the people who were hurt. You stop and ask: what am I winning, exactly, and for whom? This is Arjuna's question. It is one of the most important questions a person can ask.
What it does NOT mean
This is not pacifism. Arjuna is not opposed to war in principle — he has fought many battles before. He is asking a specific question: what is the point of this particular victory, if it destroys the people who give life its meaning? This is a deeply philosophical question, not a refusal to face danger.
Take with you
- Arjuna distinguishes between what is pleasant (vijaya, rājyam, sukhāni) and what is actually good (śreyas) — this is wisdom.
- The question 'what is this victory for?' is more important than 'how do I win?' — and far less commonly asked.
- This verse marks the moment Arjuna moves from physical collapse to philosophical argument — a significant shift.
Public-domain translations (4) compare all →
I see no good in slaying my own kinsmen in battle, O Krishna. I desire not victory, nor kingdom, nor pleasures. [4]
I foresee no advantage from the destruction of my kinsmen in battle, O Krishna; nor do I desire victory, or kingdom, or pleasures. [6]
I would not slay these — if they slay me — no, not for all three worlds! No more for Earth's wide realm! What joy shall come From slaying Kurus? [7]
I foresee no good from killing these kinsmen in battle, O Krishna. I desire neither victory, nor kingdom, nor pleasures. [9]
This verse speaks to
Where this thread continues
Your right is to act — never to the fruits. Don't act for results. Don't hide in inaction.
The wise act like the unwise — same actions, same engagement — but without attachment, for the world's welfare.
Abandon all dharmas, take refuge in Me alone — I will liberate you from all sins; do not grieve.
Sāttvic tyāga: niyata karma done ONLY because 'this must be done,' having abandoned attachment and fruit.
Sāttvic yajña: performed as ordained, without fruit-desire, with the conviction 'this must be done.'
Sāttvic dāna: given with 'this must be given,' to one expecting no return, at right place, time, and recipient.
Verse 31 of 47 · back to Chapter 1